i dont really get what you mean

As an example, a lot of chiptune musicians use Game Boys to write their music. A Game Boy is just a basic computer for playing video games. LSDJ/Nanoloop/whatever is all software designed to run on the Game Boy, which people use to write music. So, it's still a computer telling a synthesizer what to do.

On a similar note, a lot of modern synthesizers/drum machines/samplers/etc are all basic computers running a specialised OS for accessing or generating a synthesized sound or playing back samples, so unless you're 100% analogue you're still using a "hybrid" approach by your own definition.

Your computer tells your sound card's hardware what sounds it needs to reproduce as well, it has to go through a hardware stage at some point.

Anyway I tend to agree with what Jellica's already said

I think everyone from this forum will rush to tell you that there's no best way, and that the only concern should be on making good music. :)t.

This. I myself combine hardware and software. I use LSDJ x2, an E-Mu Systems Emulator I, a Roland Juno-2, and a ton of vstis and battery 3 plus a whole slew of software trackers and DAWs. It really depends on your style and creative process. Find what works for you.

Now, it's rather easy to integrate true hardware in a modern setup (with stuff like the Midibox Sid, HS4U, Prophet 64 etc) and on the other hand, the accuracy of plugin based emulations has also increased a lot. So I'm also using plugs like Chipsound and Quadrasid (when I'm on the move for example) and unless you are after the real raw sound of hardware, the amount of FXs and treatments put on the audio signal makes it hard to differentiate.

This of course also applies to higher level synths (analogue drum machines and synths etc).. but if playing a bit with real hardware is a lot of fun, you end up sampling your synth lines and loops  in your DAW and play them as samples for convenience

I dont really care. If sitting front of computer when making music gets to you somehow, you probably sit front of computer too much anyway. I have huge respect for people who do music with just hardware, but it shouldnt be everyones goal to be just purely this or that. Each to it's own.

4mat wrote:

this just in : PC/Mac is hardware.

but in music terms, it's what creates the sound, right?

this is how i see it at least

Hardware = soundchips create the sounds
Software = programs create the sounds
Hybrid = programs tell the hardware how to make the sounds

Well by that method 99% people using 'hardware' are doing Hybrid then, including PCs.

this just in : PC/Mac is hardware.

but in music terms, it's what creates the sound, right?

this is how i see it at least

Hardware = soundchips create the sounds
Software = programs create the sounds
Hybrid = programs tell the hardware how to make the sounds

Jellica wrote:

There's something really nice and satisfying about using pure hardware.

I guess one of the best parts of it is that you don't need to go anywhere near a fucking souless PC/Mac to make music or have any access to the internet to distract you.

this just in : PC/Mac is hardware.

Heh, thats true. I think what ppl mean is dedicated hardware. I suppose I could put 10 SIDs in my PC, and build a custom OS that just Boots to some software that interfaces with the SIDs. But that would be down right silly.

edit: hardSID is rad.

There's something really nice and satisfying about using pure hardware.

I guess one of the best parts of it is that you don't need to go anywhere near a fucking souless PC/Mac to make music or have any access to the internet to distract you.

this just in : PC/Mac is hardware.

Having a limitless approach with any number of sounds and instruments doesn't help me at all. I'd rather be restricted by my own talent (on the guitar) or by CPU capabilities (on something like a Game Boy).

I guess one of the best parts of it is that you don't need to go anywhere near a fucking souless PC/Mac to make music or have any access to the internet to distract you.