Hardware is Getting Blurry
I think the musical world is now very quickly moving to a hybridized system.
We all carry at least one screen in our pocket all day, sometimes two. Some days I have my computer, my iPad mini, and my phone with me.
Software running on everything is the future.
My recent switch to djay Pro has really shown me the power of this. Eventually I’d like a dedicated iPad just for DJing. Add streaming and I can put together an edit sets at any point during my day no matter what device I'm on. This is huge for a guy who has a lot going on musically. But at the same time, that iPad can also run a guitar modeler, display lyrics and chords, or do any number of other jobs.
This Friday it’ll pull double duty. It’ll DJ during set breaks and act as my lyric and chord prompt for a three-hour solo set. (I know plenty of songs—I just need a little help. Thank you very much. We’re all doing it now. It’s totally acceptable.)
The same lyrics app works on my phone and my computer, and I assume the guitar modeler on my iPad can also run on my computer and phone. Using something like AUM as an iOS mixer really blurs the line between software and hardware.
One problem is that it’s getting harder to find a high-quality, professional piece of hardware that couples w/ djay Pro well. But I have the MixTour Pro, and it’s kind of enough. I’m getting really comfortable with it, and I’ve got plenty of work coming up in August to really stretch its legs.
It’s interesting to see where all this goes. I think DAWs will eventually make the jump to phones and tablets, without the "*" of cut-down versions. Or maybe they won’t survive in their current form. Hardware sales are already tough, and I think they’re only going to get tougher.
Too many benefits to count: Some of these iPad-based synths sound better than hardware I owned until recently. I like the feeling of having a backup with me wherever I go—and sometimes two backups without even realizing it.
We’re getting to the point where if you check your junk drawer, you probably have something that’ll- when paired with an iOS device-do the job. Crazy