Save up cash. Keep your gear and buy an m2 imac whenever they come out. Best of both worlds.
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I did that a few years back. I sold off loads of gear and got an iMac Pro. It was mainly because space is a premium where I live, and I was also sick of dust and cables.
My thoughts were also that if I spend less money on gear, I can upgrade my computer a bit more often, and I use that machine for work as well.
So far it’s working out well and I even want to get rid of more of the vastly downsized gear that I kept.
For people making this move, my suggestions based on my successes/failures would be:
- Get good studio monitors. By far one of my top music purchases of all time. Also, good headphones!
- Get good computer peripherals. I have a fantastic mouse and keyboard (typing) that I love and are a joy to use.
- Get a good chair (also one of my top purchases of all time)
- You will be tempted to overbuy plug-ins, particularly if you are going ITB for the first time. There is a learning curve for figuring out what you want/need, but RESIST the temptation to buy tons of plugins! I went overboard (in my case on Kontakt instruments/libraries) and have corrected, but you can trade one form of gear hoarding/addition for another if you aren’t careful and hardware at least holds its value.
- Don’t overbuy midi controllers.
- Learn the DAW properly. I started out by buying the Logic training manual for the certification course. It’s honestly just the basics, but it was a good platform upon which to build. Knowledge trumps gear any day of the week.
- Realize that computers (and even even plugins) probably have a quicker replacement cycle than music gear. For me, part of the plan for going ITB was to use my money on something I could get use out of for work and hobbies, so not such a big issue for me. Also, Apple often offers an interest-free payment plan, so you can split an expensive computer over multiple years, which is nice. Just make sure to get the extended warranty.
- Back things up! Computers and hard drives do die! Be prepared.
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Great points. Except the part about midi controllers. The guy who lives in my head and tells me to buy midi controllers says you’re full of baloney
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I’ve always got redundancies. 3 HD backups.
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Haha. Yeah, everyone’s different. For me, a keyboard is all I need.
Yeah, I need to eventually get a more sophisticated solution, but time machine saved my ass a little while back.
I’d also point out that of the stuff in my list, I had the studio monitors and headphones already, and the the nice peripherals and chair are things I got for working from home, but ended up being fantastic for a combined work/music setup.
I did that once, I thought man computers can do everything I don’t need anything else just like he’s thinking in the video… sold everything, got a supadupa computer and decided to only run cakewalk/sonar hahaha worst decision ever and the closest I’ve ever come to a stroke lol
never, ever, ever evaaaaaa again!!!
I think the mistake we make often with these things is that we try to be objective, cause we are taught objectivity is a good thing and it is but if ever there was a time and place to definitely not be objective it’s when we are making musical choices for ourselves…
I thought hey it’s 100% logical that this is the best way to go, but music and creativity have nothing to do with logic, and what works for the next man might bomb you out.
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I took the same approach as you and I got bored quite soon
I found not fun using the computer for music if you use the computer already for work for 6-8 hours per day.
I stopped using my iMac and i started buying some analog synths drum machine and a small mixer and I found it very inspiring and fun.
The experience of touching a synth knob or creating a sound is much more rewarding than using a soft synth in Logic
I’d never make music exclusively in the box—that seems as fun as working on spreadsheets. Dealing with licensing stuff, pop-ups, and unwanted software “updates” I never asked for, and driver/OS obsolescence just feels like purgatory. MIDI routing, CC mapping, and audio interfaces? No thanks. Finally, latency kills any illusion that I’m even playing an instrument.
I’ve heard people echoing the idea of using a DAW as a recorder, but I’d rather use my Tascam multitrack recorder or 1010music Bluebox to capture audio without ever having to use a computer. Just plug and play. It’s that easy. The fact that they can record WAVs provides flexibility for mixing on the computer later, so I’ll just deal with something like Audacity rather than some endless menu-filled DAW—though, again, I can happily just mix on the hardware itself.
I won’t deny how there are some really interesting sound possibilities—often for the cost of nothing—with software and plugins. The optimal choice for me is to sculpt a sound in my spare time & then sample it onto hardware (EPS 16 Plus, V-Synth, MC-707, etc). Having captured the tone, I can then manipulate it in new ways within a dedicated piece of hardware that I can simply take to a session and play as an instrument. That feels way more fun than plugging in a MIDI controller into a laptop.
Yeah, my experience is totally different. I used hardware exclusively for around 20 years. I’m more of a sampler person than a synth person though. I don’t really miss the old workflows and I think I got my fill during that time. I definitely don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything.
For composition, I much prefer a nice big screen and I like a linear, visual approach - being able to move stuff around and seeing it laid out in front of me. I like that I can try stuff out and being able to have unlimited undo without fear of screwing something up.
I play other instruments: guitar, bass, and flute. It’s much easier to record those with a DAW.
Working on a computer and doing music on a computer are two different experiences for me. Work feels like work, making a track doesn’t feel like work.
For me at least, it’s about making a really comfortable environment, hence the great chair, keyboard, monitors, headphones. I find that if it looks nice, feels nice, and sounds nice, it’s enjoyable.
I’m a bit of a minimalist at heart. Having a room full of gear is more of a burden to me.
Everyone is different though.
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I suck all-round…doesn’t matter what I use. Same shit comes from whatever source. I feel guilty having this gear. Better used by someone who knows how.
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Those were all the reasons I avoided going ITB as that was my experience like 10-15 years ago. I haven’t really run into any issues though. I didn’t upgrade my Mac to the latest OS, but could now I think as all the software I use is compatible now. I’ve only been in the box exclusively for 2-3 years, but so far no problems and no latency issues. I did opt for a powerful computer though.
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I totally agree. We are all different. One of my best friends and technically my boss at work is a drummer and all-round amazing musician. He should be nowhere near computers, and not in the hipster way. Having to help him with occasional tech support at work nearly gives me a stroke. Lol.
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yeah man, I was so impulsive up to that point I think I traumatized myself, now it takes me a year of questions, videos, and interrogations to make a major music move… was a hard lesson but at least now I know that hybrid is the way to go.
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Fantastic advice and should not be ignored. I work from home since before the pandemic and spend 12 hours a day (easily) or more in a chair. Although I’d like things to be different that’s just the reality of it right now given my work and hobbies. Last year I bought a used Steelcase Leap v1 chair that was refurbished and in ‘like new’ condition (you’d have thought it was never sat in) – it was one of the best thing I’ve ever done. Absolutely amazing chair. I’ve sat in various Herman Miller stuff and it looks the business, but nothing comes close to the adjustability of a Steelcase Leap. This chair could last me a decade or more, but I plan to replace it with a v2 model incl. headrest when I get a new desk hopefully next year.
For me, a proper chair is more important than the desk itself. Having messed with countless low to mid grade products over the past 20 years it really didn’t hit me (profoundly so) how much I had been missing out and how much discomfort I’d be tolerating until I got a ‘real’ chair. Previously I’d have never spent that kind of money on a chair, but now it’s absolutely essential.
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I have the Steelcase Gesture. Love it! Two of my colleagues have bought them as well and everyone loves them.
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A proper chair is very important…take it from someone with too many herniated disks 
I can vouch for the Capisco Puls
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This has crossed my mind recently. Just because of Ableton Push 2. This is the ONLY thing pulling me in this direction. It can do everything i need to make music. I have all the vsts i need.
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I will be moving bach ITB out of necessity. We are moving into a smaller apartment next month where my gear will stay packed up in boxes for about 3-5 years until we find and move into a house. I have no problem with it though. I love the hybrid approach, but I know I will get along fine ITB. And the new Macs make the move even easier. I’m going to get a Mac Mini and probably an Audient ID14 for a nice little space to produce over headphones.
As soon as we move into the house I will be going batshit crazy though. I’m going to put together a nice hybrid setup with the best of both worlds. Moving (dedicated) knobs and faders is just something different.
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The OP-Z is pretty small…
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