DAW vs DAWless: Creative Limitations

/ robertoblivion
/ discord
Having worked within a DAW and DAWless workflow, I have a lot of thoughts about how both setups interact differently with the 'creative process', and in this video I try to flesh out the difference between these approaches.
Signing up to the Patreon will grant you access to the companion video I made to this one going indepth on my own process with both DAWless and DAWs.
I have another channel where I do music with my band @CyberspaceOBlivion
To go along with this video we've released a DAWless jam we lowkey forgot to publish a few weeks back.
• Cyberspace O'Blivion -...
As well, we have an album out called Rogue Planet which was composed entirely within a DAW
• Cyberspace O'Blivion -...
Chapters
00:00 - Intro
01:31 - Creative Limitations
04:02 - Creating Limitations: The True Power of the DAW
09:12 - DAWless Kickstarts - DAW Refines
11:55 - The Elephant in the Room: The Cost of DAWless
13:31 - Outro

[@IanWaugh]

Hey Robert - great topic! I'm a fan of creative limitation. I have a silly number of soft synths so have to make some sort of choice before starting 😊 I often pick a synth or some type of sound, often at random, and see where it goes...

[@justjoeblow420]

For me the biggest reason I went DAWless is it works better for me with my ADHD. Seriously I spent over a year with only a DAW and a controller and could hardly get anything done. Sit me in front of hardware and I might write a half dozen drum patterns in a few hours some times. It's definitely been way more expensive, 1100 USD in and all I have to show for it is two hardware instruments but then again both are higher end options. I definitely work with a hybrid approach at times though especially for mixing which is where I most often reach for a DAW and even then I might not as much if I pick up a mixer to well mix with.

[@xammai9679]

Same

[@user-oh5ox8gy8p]

Same here. Also with dawless I gave myself permission to jam, improvise and publish raw stuff that can be enjoyed in another way compared to polished products. I spent years noodling and procrastinating and now with a dawless setup I've been consistently blasting one performance per week and planning on making more polished albums soon where I record hardware synths with hardware sequencers and only do the polishing and final spice in DAW. The way I can just start blasting and looking for stuff immediately without starting software, loading plugins, having too many options and resisting distractions on the computer has changed everything for me. Working on a computer as an ADHD is extremely demanding.

[@chinchiIIa]

I think loveless is a great example of limitations. Many of the songs purposefully follow a similar song structure and a lot of the creativity comes in the use of sound design and recording, as well as using alternate tunings. Even though the album was really expensive to produce Autechre also made great music both with hardware and software.

[@user-oh5ox8gy8p]

I see a dude with a stack of VCR's behind him, I listen.

[@BROKEN-G0VT]

I started with DAWs, then started messing around with analog, about to get the required equipment to record with, thanks for the help men 😅

[@nanocyde_artist]

It's important to be able to make music without any kind of dependence on a glowing Disinformation Vortex.

[@crnkmnky]

Seriously, fear of web browsers is my favorite rationale for dawless GAS.

[@TheHorseValse]

Good topic, nicely done!

[@MistyMusicStudio]

This is the best take I've seen on the topic so far! Well spoken and thought out, it's almost as if you practice metacognition or something 😜 I use a DAW for work, and (usually) DAWless when I'm making music for myself. Utilizing both as different means to different ends is great advice! For me, choosing an instrument to practice performance and songwriting on was better than learning music in a DAW, so I wouldn't recommend a computer to all beginners but I can see the strengths of it for sure. Excited to check out your band!!

[@RobertOBlivion]

I use a daw for work as well. I use a different daw for my own music though. It's good for separating those two activities apart from each other. Studio One is for recording other peoples music. Ableton is for recording my own 😛

[@xammai9679]

Dude you articulate your self so well I love it great content ☮️👾💜

[@RobertOBlivion]

Thank you ☺👾🤖

[@meampersandwill]

Cool ass video my g

[@foolycooly6738]

I hope you won't try to control my mind through that Videodrome tape again, Mr. O'Blivion.

[@HazeAnderson]

LONG LIVE THE NEW FLESH!

[@Reggi_Sample]

I use RX1200 and limit myself to 1.8s sample time…. I don’t need to do this but why not. Very insightful video this channel will / should go far

[@MyOwnWayMusic]

Interesting topic and one approach I like taking is to write/produce on an iPad using GarageBand iOS and Cubasis as I find working with touch screen instruments and the limitations of iOS music making brings about a freer state of mind. Also I can take the iPad anywhere and work while mobile / portable which adds to the experience.

[@bigkik]

Very interesting and never-ending debate. As a musical hobbyist I personnaly chose the dawless path with affordable sound modules. I could have bought a proper computer instead with lots of vst and plugins but i feel happy with my setup at the moment. I started looking for a computer and from my first researchs it is not cheap though...

[@crnkmnky]

How about a refurbished machine?

[@mathieupe666]

Subtitles: "Door or Doorless"

[@crnkmnky]

CommoDoor 64 or Windows Vista

[@bryanbytes]

Use a DAW always! (Unless you wanna just jam, or set creative limits, or really just like the dawless workflow, or…)

[@NularMusic]

#deep video, thanks for sharing your thoughts! A few years ago I chose to limit myself to 100% live recording both within a DAW and with my DAWless setup: no moving recorded tracks around, no MIDI editing after the fact. This has taken me to some very interesting places, but I'm starting to wonder whether I should limit myself to only this limitation. 🤔

[@RobertOBlivion]

Gotta catch them all (limitations that is)

[@jaffajenkins]

OooH Rob ,, Dont get me started on This Topic ,, Before Hardware saved my sanity i use to sit infront of a Laptop for 5 to 8 hours a night , i was only given 5 tutorials lasting an hour each of Reason 5 about 15 years ago then had to teach myself from then on as the guy in the studio dissapeared ...... LONG Story short ,, Software just has to many options ,as you said ,,infinite which totally did me in with choice ,, at least with Hardware you have Limitations and i find that to be much more Creative ....Great show as usual Robbie .

[@radwarriortv]

Love your content! I'm on the dark side being such a dawless fanatic. I compose, preform dawless, yet I'm on the hybrid approach for recording. As awesome as it is to have a single wav file that everything was performed live, sounds great in theory, it is inferior in comparison to multi track editing. For me at least, for now haha I don't see the fascination ending anytime soon, it is all truly endless

[@RobertOBlivion]

My suspicion is that the most effective way to get it all in a single wav file is either to redo the same performance a few times, listening back and making tonnes of adjustments to the sound until its perfect, or getting someone else in to mix the performance live so you can focus on the music and they can focus on the sound. Would still probably take a few takes to perfect. I just had a listen to some of your stuff. Sounds great imo. Nice energy too!

[@crnkmnky]

​@@RobertOBlivion I discovered Oora after he made a couple videos demonstrating his recording technique. I think he records a live performance mix in stereo, plus enough extra bits that can be remixed as needed. Of course, that approach is a little easier when you have a neverending supply of high-end boutique mixing gear like Oora. 😩

[@keithbutler2222]

Dawless to me just feels more like real instruments and that's what I'm used to...I like a bit of chaos

[@olafsigursons]

I find DAW way too useful to not use it. I use it as an onboard mixer/FX. Hybrid is the way to go for me.

[@sw1ftyrange1]

DAW dubstep gang

[@GeorgeLocke]

Constraints and _affordances_. This is a term from UI and game design. An affordance is the knob that you turn to do the thing (technically speaking). So, like a skill tree, or the rocker on a wah pedal, patch points on a semi modular synth, these are all affordances. Often DAW vs DAWless is a

[@NsD3001]

Thanks for explaining what a DAW is..😂

[@bose5160]

Limits="Can't do what you want to do" meaning your final product isn't as good as it could have been given enough time to flesh it out/make it better....

[@BoringOats]

i dont care what you use, just dont make music that sucks. work on doing that.

[@DVDFRMN]

The screen is death