New Music
12/02/25 11:11 Filed in: mo john
At this point we will avoid a long grumble about D.A.W. culture or its myriad adverse impacts on recording + composition. The reader may take it as read that we do not favour the de-facto dependence on computers/AI in music, or anything else for that matter.
Problematic for us, however, is the deliberate limiting and parallel dumbing down of hardware alternatives. Twenty odd years back the Roland VS2480/2400 allowed DAW-like recording at up to 44.1, 48 and up to 96k+. In addition it provided MIDI, CD (and DVD burning), mastering and flying faders - and of course virtually zero latency. Also at this time Akai, Yamaha and Korg offered excellent (and sought after) professional machines with specifications that still leave current 'multitracks' trailing. Alas the days where firms competed to provide the ultimate high quality professional quality 'stand alone' multitrack recorder are gone; and yet in every forum + review I read I still see many bemoaning the lack of viable, tactile, high quality recorders that can mix and master.
In two or three decades, it seems, we have regressed in terms of both standards and features. It's not as if these 1990s machines have been surpassed in terms of recording quaility or audio components; maybe digital storage protocols + devices have changed but that's no big deal. Likewise MIDI is still around and thriving 40 odd years on.
So why the lack of options? Surely someone gets it?
MJ
Problematic for us, however, is the deliberate limiting and parallel dumbing down of hardware alternatives. Twenty odd years back the Roland VS2480/2400 allowed DAW-like recording at up to 44.1, 48 and up to 96k+. In addition it provided MIDI, CD (and DVD burning), mastering and flying faders - and of course virtually zero latency. Also at this time Akai, Yamaha and Korg offered excellent (and sought after) professional machines with specifications that still leave current 'multitracks' trailing. Alas the days where firms competed to provide the ultimate high quality professional quality 'stand alone' multitrack recorder are gone; and yet in every forum + review I read I still see many bemoaning the lack of viable, tactile, high quality recorders that can mix and master.
In two or three decades, it seems, we have regressed in terms of both standards and features. It's not as if these 1990s machines have been surpassed in terms of recording quaility or audio components; maybe digital storage protocols + devices have changed but that's no big deal. Likewise MIDI is still around and thriving 40 odd years on.
So why the lack of options? Surely someone gets it?
MJ