> I was thinking about modular synths mostly, and patching cables (also: Volca Modular). Ah yeah, I don't use modular synths myself (and that reason is one of

> I was thinking about modular synths mostly, and patching cables (also: Volca Modular). Ah yeah, I don't use modular synths myself (and that reason is one of them, patching cables manually seems like a hassle). > Yes, individual synths can save/export settings, but if you want to save a whole combination with different machines it's a big headache; whereas in a DAW it's so trivial you don't even think about it. As mentioned earlier, Program Change MIDI messages solve this. I have about 10 hardware devices I use for music making, and all of them responds to Program Change messages. Everything is driven by the Octatrack, so changing the project/pattern on the Octatrack makes every device in my studio load the right patch instantly. Once you've setup the audio/MIDI routing with your hardware, it's actually pretty easy to use. > But ok, we are sliding into the "hardware vs software" debate, which won't be solved here or there, or ever. Agree :) For some, hardware is better, for others software is better. Truth is probably somewhere in-between and/or both depending on context.