Creative DAW studio arrangements or concepts?

[dualphin]

I am still new to the idea of using a computer DAW. I have owned pretty interesting, higher end synth gear, tried to use it, but never had a real studio to use it in. So that was really frustrating. I am trying to arrange for myself a useful, productive environment, without overemphasizing any one area to the point that I cause snags in my workflow in another area.

I know that the computer itself is the center of a DAW. But I would rather think of it as a tool, rather than an immersive environment. I would like to think of my Mac as a piece of hardware, if you will. So that when I build a patch in Max/MSP, I could almost feel that it is a physical synth. I think the smaller screen, smaller footprint, even the slower CPU of a MB, vs. a MBP, might help me arrive at that sensation. The larger the screen, the more immersive the visual experience. I would like to forget that the computer is there, even when I am working on it. Of course, one might argue that a better-spec'ed computer allows for exactly that transparency.

Though perhaps, I am not seeking transparency, but rather, presence. When I worked on videos on a G3 iBook, with only 10GB to spare (so about 4 minutes of recording time? I don't remember exactly so let's not dispute that.) I really felt the laptop was a piece of hardware. I felt it was there, on the table before me. I just wished it wrote DVD's! Now, writing this post on a 500GHz G4 powerbook, the 15-inch screen feels like it is swallowing me in.

I am going for the hardware experience, I guess.

For a long time I was considering going with an MPC/MV8000, and a multitrack recorder, but when I discovered Max/MSP and Metasynth, and when I started considering Ableton Live, I was kind of won over to the idea of a Mac-based DAW. But I still don't love the idea.

So, any creative thoughts as to DAW/studio arrangements?

d

[CJ Miller]

IMO it is good to have a computer which *can* be immersive when setup is needed, but then can used as an instrument without needing to see it very much. Especially for Max/MSP, it can take minutes, hours, or days to create and refine patches. This time is much more productive if one can easily see what one is doing. My main DAW, when I use one, is usually Logic, which also benefits from a large monitor.

For me, the most important thing which makes a DAW feel interactive is the right controllers. I am not really a keyboard player, so this means - at least - pots and switches which can be used to initiate events or change parameters. It helps also if your DAW can use MIDI information sent to it as a substitute for mouse and key combinations. This way you can play/stop, mute/unmute, select tracks, overdub, shuttle - and just about anything else - from your MIDI controller without needing to even look at or touch the computer.

Lastly, I think that as many things in your studio should be interconnectable as possible. I use a lot of custom hardware, so for me this means converting MIDI <-> CV, MIDI <-> triggers, triggers <-> CV. Also MIDI and CV activated switches and pedals which can be hit remotely in real time or synchronized via sequencer. All these last things I am still working on, but the good news is that the electronics are of a very easy type.

This all results in a setup which is immersive in a tactile way. As to say that the instrument surrounds you, and a given action can be performed in different ways. As opposed to a visual immersion one-way into your computer screen, where inspiration can be lost in an endless maze of screens and menus.

YMMV!

[dualphin]

You say, "when I use one". What do you use when you are not using a DAW?

d

[CJ Miller]

When I am not using a DAW I might just be using other equipment, or other software environments. There are times when I will improvise or try compositional ideas with Max/MSP, Numerology, BP2, or other software - but only use the results in a DAW to combine with other bits to sculpt a finished piece. More for mixing and mastering, in my own weird way. I might run a DAW for recording and plugins of material coming from live performance on other computers, or other software on the same computer.

[Jyoti]