Absolutely the same here.
People say this a lot but I don’t actually think it’s neccessarily true. It can be true - but not always. It’s not like software is without limitations, and a lot of hardware is just that same software with a physical interface and dedicated resources.
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It’s interesting how people perceive computing devices. I think if in your work the computer has a negative connection then using hardware may seem like an escape from that negative connection. A change of tools, one for creativity and one for labour to earn money.
In my work I teach creative media and the computer, phone tablet etc are hubs for creativity. We use hardware also but software is a tool that provides creative possibilities.
I see my laptop as an almost limitless set of creative tools and my connection to it a positive one. I have other tutors in my department who aren’t fans of modern computers and it shows in their teachings. iPads are exciting because their ui is more tactile and less point and click. I think that’s a good middle ground if you want a different experience than traditional desktop
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Yeah, maybe it all comes down to the screen experience as we know it.
They should invent “hardware screens”, with physical controls emerging from the surface, that you could touch.
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The thing is it’s probably easier to automate things - and refine this automation - on a computer, as you get visual feedback, whereas with physical controls you are the “automator”.
proper high end haptic feedback would make ipad production much more enjoyable (for me). I read ipad screens are too large for it to be implemented which is a shame tho.
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Sometimes 
I think both workflows have a lot of power and strength over the other in various situations but I see it much less as better/worse powerful/less powerful and simply different.
Automating things on my Eurorack is a breeze (albeit a certain kind of automation), and I can see everything without having to click little arrows and find values in dropdown menus.
The Elektron sequencer can’t be easily replicated in Ableton, Ableton Clips and the very finite level of control can’t easily be replicated on, say, an MPC.
It’s all just different
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The MPC isn’t far off on both of these now, it has clip programs/launching, it has probability, and is a good middle ground between an Elektron seq and Ableton… maybe the Force is the best option for a standalone device that fits this bill though.
Personally, I use Ableton on my MBP most of the time, and I think hybrid setups suit me best. I couldn’t work 100% ITB, it doesn’t feel inspiring… but being able to step away and use controllers/hardware with Ableton running everything in the background definitely gives you the tactile creative spontaneity.
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Perhaps that wasn’t the best comparison to draw - as it invites a direct comparison. I was talking about traditional MPC workflow.
In that case Ableton is more powerful than the MPC, as you’re looking at its hero feature.
I guess I was more talking about differing workflows.
I think once you start comparing identical workflows you will identify strengths with one or the other.
I agree about the Force being a good middleground for that sort of workflow 
I’ve always wanted to take one for a spin.
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It’s really good, but I don’t know who’d been smoking what when they designed the shape/ergonomics of it. That, and the fixed tempo per project are the biggest issues.
It has a great flow to it though when you get going.
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I can see this as a powerful setup btw - most of the acts and artists I respect the most use Ableton in some way as part of their setup - what you describe is common. Not required, but frequent.
For me I quite like being able to cut it out, if for no other reason than keeping things more focussed.
But it’s a good reminder that it doesn’t have to be one or the other.
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Why choose? Hybrid is the obvious answer.
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Not always. It can be a PITA. I sold a Rytm because I couldn’t get beats to line up correctly. Did my head in.
I think you need a good sound card with very low latency - i record beats with the rytm into live and they are perfect aligned
The low latency is the trick
I was using Overbridge. But yeah, it’s long gone and I ain’t going back there
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When I see setups like the Four Tet image I do admire the simplicity of a setup like this, and could imagine a day when I just get a big Launchkey for everything. I got a Launchkey Mini on a ridiculous deal and given that it contains pads & knobs (like Circuit) and the keys of a standard keyboard, it’s really good for such a small thing. After that a bigger one seems like a no brainer as an upgrade.
That said, I like the idea of a hybrid setup that mimicks a “traditional” songwriting format for want of a better description. That’s something you can pick up and play like an acoustic, along with a more complex system for fuller productions. This lands me in the realms of a “sketchpad” (Circuit, MC101 etc) plus full workstation (MPC One, DAW etc) for taking it further. This train of thought is admittedly a carryover from a different way of making music, a legacy specific to where I come from musically.
That does draw me to hybrid for now, but with more experience I could see me going mostly computer based in the future, depending on how much legwork is involved in recording hardware gear properly.
Edit: to be fair, there are other angles of that Four Tet shot that show a slightly different story. We’re all on the same train tracks eh?!
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I can see this flashing on a dystopian billboard.
But I say it can be a push and pull between hardware and in the box production.
They most certainly work together, and if there is a negative connection to using a daw or computer in general, then it’s about the experience of music, not the laser driven precision of making something by any means necessary.
I would murder children if it made me able to make a modern day Thriller.
But I don’t know if that’s a commentary on my love for music or my distaste for children.
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I’ve never experienced latency with Overbridge.
I am nor using overbridge, just going into sound card - i like to push the converter of my metric halo
I never knew Four Tet was a side-speaker guy. Not sure how I feel about that.