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A keyboard and a mouse might be faster in some instances, but they are also far less musically expressive. When it comes to putting emotion into music, I think

A keyboard and a mouse might be faster in some instances, but they are also far less musically expressive. When it comes to putting emotion into music, I think it is a lot easier to do so with an expressive, physically embodied musical instrument. In terms of speed, I'm also not sure how quickly you can create articulations like vibrato and slides with a mouse and keyboard, but that seems like it would be fairly tedious to do manually? Wouldn't that require a lot of envelope tweaking? Speaking personally, playing on a pad controller uses a different part of my brain and body than using a keyboard and a mouse. When I create stuff with a keyboard and mouse, I am in "design mode", where I am thinking in a deliberate way, similar to programming. When I create stuff on a pad controller, I am in "express mode", where I am not really thinking at all.

CuriouslyC 3y ago
Most instruments have parameters for things like vibrato that you can set quickly by "drawing" them with a mouse under the note in reaper (and probably other daws). Slide isn't really a normal thing with midi, you'd need the instrument plugin to explicitly support it using some sort of parameter, but if one was present it'd be easy to set via the mouse.
- vhcr 3y ago
  I mean... You can do that, but I don't think you're going to enjoy the process compared with playing a physical instrument.
stinos 3y ago
When it comes to putting emotion into music, I think it is a lot easier to do so with an expressive, physically embodied musical instrument. This is exactly my experience. I started with mouse/keyboard only fiddling with electronic music (no music background whatsoever) and the day I bought a basic MIDI controller I ended up playing it until it was time to go to work the next morning.. It was such an overwhelming experience, not just the keys themselves but also the buttons and the trackpad. Finally I could just do all these tiny variations which make groove on the spot, immediately, in infinite variations, instead of going back and forth dragging things with a mouse in only one dimension.
monetus 3y ago
> Speaking personally, playing on a pad controller uses a different part of my brain and body than using a keyboard and a mouse. When I create stuff with a keyboard and mouse, I am in "design mode", where I am thinking in a deliberate way, similar to programming. When I create stuff on a pad controller, I am in "express mode", where I am not really thinking at all. This is the most important thing you said IMO. Maybe keyboard shortcuts and ninja mouse skills can get you into a flow state, "improvisation" mode, but chances are your composer brain will be in the lead.
FireInsight 3y ago
That's not the point of the parent comment. For the expressive feel of a "real instrument", just a MIDI controller would do. The Push's are a lot more than just a MIDI controller, though. As a Push 2 owner, I use the other features way too little for them to be worth it to me, and I wouldn't buy it again. As a MIDI controller, it's my go-to. Mostly because I don't have much else than that and some old synths.
dottjt 3y ago
I disagree with this sentiment, but I also think it comes down to how you approach music. For me at least, music originates from my imagination. It starts in my head, not from playing an instrument, so to speak. I say this as a composer, not as a musician. Sure, if you really mastered an instrument i.e. Push 3, then you could use it as a form of expression. But when you're composing, often you're trying to tame many different instruments and ideas at once, so I find it much easier to do it all in my head first, and then think of the quickest way to translate it all into the computer, and for me that's the mouse and keyboard. I'm also primarily a song writer/producer, so for me I think in terms of composition after the fact i.e. once the lyrics have been written. But yeah, I certainly do appreciate those who can utilise platforms like the Push 3. However I would still argue that even if it is what works for you, it's still ultimately slower. Again, nothing wrong with that if it works for you.
H1Supreme 3y ago
> I think it is a lot easier to do so with an expressive, physically embodied musical instrument. Completely agree. I currently run 5 MIDI controllers with Ableton: 3 Launchpads (one for launching clips, and the other two for controlling step sequencers), a Launch Control for knobs, and a basic 61-key MIDI keyboard. I used to do it all with a mouse, but when I added that first Launchpad for punching in sequences by hand, I felt so much more creative. Clearly, I still use the mouse for lots of things. And, doing everything by way of a controller (like the Push) is not really desirable to me. But creating patterns, playing chords/melodies on the keys, and tweaking synth params with hardware pots by hand just feels better. Like you, I don't have to think about what I'm doing. I just do it. Clicking in notes on piano roll really can't compete. imo.

CuriouslyC 3y ago

Most instruments have parameters for things like vibrato that you can set quickly by "drawing" them with a mouse under the note in reaper (and probably other daws). Slide isn't really a normal thing with midi, you'd need the instrument plugin to explicitly support it using some sort of parameter, but if one was present it'd be easy to set via the mouse.

vhcr 3y ago
I mean... You can do that, but I don't think you're going to enjoy the process compared with playing a physical instrument.

stinos 3y ago

When it comes to putting emotion into music, I think it is a lot easier to do so with an expressive, physically embodied musical instrument. This is exactly my experience. I started with mouse/keyboard only fiddling with electronic music (no music background whatsoever) and the day I bought a basic MIDI controller I ended up playing it until it was time to go to work the next morning.. It was such an overwhelming experience, not just the keys themselves but also the buttons and the trackpad. Finally I could just do all these tiny variations which make groove on the spot, immediately, in infinite variations, instead of going back and forth dragging things with a mouse in only one dimension.

monetus 3y ago

> Speaking personally, playing on a pad controller uses a different part of my brain and body than using a keyboard and a mouse. When I create stuff with a keyboard and mouse, I am in "design mode", where I am thinking in a deliberate way, similar to programming. When I create stuff on a pad controller, I am in "express mode", where I am not really thinking at all. This is the most important thing you said IMO. Maybe keyboard shortcuts and ninja mouse skills can get you into a flow state, "improvisation" mode, but chances are your composer brain will be in the lead.

FireInsight 3y ago

That's not the point of the parent comment. For the expressive feel of a "real instrument", just a MIDI controller would do. The Push's are a lot more than just a MIDI controller, though. As a Push 2 owner, I use the other features way too little for them to be worth it to me, and I wouldn't buy it again. As a MIDI controller, it's my go-to. Mostly because I don't have much else than that and some old synths.

dottjt 3y ago

I disagree with this sentiment, but I also think it comes down to how you approach music. For me at least, music originates from my imagination. It starts in my head, not from playing an instrument, so to speak. I say this as a composer, not as a musician. Sure, if you really mastered an instrument i.e. Push 3, then you could use it as a form of expression. But when you're composing, often you're trying to tame many different instruments and ideas at once, so I find it much easier to do it all in my head first, and then think of the quickest way to translate it all into the computer, and for me that's the mouse and keyboard. I'm also primarily a song writer/producer, so for me I think in terms of composition after the fact i.e. once the lyrics have been written. But yeah, I certainly do appreciate those who can utilise platforms like the Push 3. However I would still argue that even if it is what works for you, it's still ultimately slower. Again, nothing wrong with that if it works for you.

H1Supreme 3y ago

> I think it is a lot easier to do so with an expressive, physically embodied musical instrument. Completely agree. I currently run 5 MIDI controllers with Ableton: 3 Launchpads (one for launching clips, and the other two for controlling step sequencers), a Launch Control for knobs, and a basic 61-key MIDI keyboard. I used to do it all with a mouse, but when I added that first Launchpad for punching in sequences by hand, I felt so much more creative. Clearly, I still use the mouse for lots of things. And, doing everything by way of a controller (like the Push) is not really desirable to me. But creating patterns, playing chords/melodies on the keys, and tweaking synth params with hardware pots by hand just feels better. Like you, I don't have to think about what I'm doing. I just do it. Clicking in notes on piano roll really can't compete. imo.