I took DAWs for granted

[@officialconch]

You are an inspiration bro

[@djReason19]

Welcome back to the DAW/hybrid. The possibilities are endless. Excellent session. I like how your channel feels like a personal invite to the lab.

[@eddieleonard6925]

You were one of the main ones encouraging me to come back to team hybrid. Thanks again for the reminder.

[@phdirac]

Bro this was so cool! It was interesting to hear how many directions you were able to go based around that sample! The sample was actually a replay of Shigeo Sekito’s classic song, “The Word II”. I replayed it inside of a DAW using free Korg emulation plugins; it’s actually very on-theme with your DAW exploration in this video. Speedy recovery, I’m looking forward to hearing more music along the way! ✊🏿

[@eddieleonard6925]

I appreciate you clarifying the source of this sample. As soon as I heard what you did with it, I knew I wanted to explore those chords on the 3000. As always, glad you dig the sonic explorations.

[@benflowers2532]

As someone who is very new to creating music I had to navigate the ‘DAW vs DAWless’ space before committing to pieces of gear. It really came down to the ability to shape each sound and the DAW provides an amazing space for that. I think there is some resistance to the idea of integrating some keyboard and mouse into the flow and that it can ‘obstruct’ the process. But I think what should be mentioned is you have established a smooth flow with your hardware and you are not letting the DAW get in your way until you are ready to use it to dial in your shape.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Well said. As long as it doesn't complicate things or get in the way, DAWs are pretty awesome. It's really important to understand how advanced they are in the context of the history of music production technology. I like to believe that some people are actually creating soundscapes like we've never heard before.

[@TheNathtube]

You've found a good middle ground using the best of both worlds, nice cook up.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I guess that's why people love hybrid setups.

[@Spitz973]

I love that you constantly use the samples to the max capacity; you always make different sketches of them 📝

[@eddieleonard6925]

True, I try to make as many variations has possible when jamming, so that I have more to pull from when sequencing and mixing. Thanks for watching!

[@phonographiq]

From one Eddie to another, want you to know that I find yourself some of the most thoughtful related to MPCs and sampling writ large on KZbin. I really appreciate your realistic and off-the-cuff process, from the messy studio even down to the groundhum on the microphone 😂. I don’t know anyone who plays an MPC like that, either- you get some real out-there sequences with the way you hammer on that thing. Respect what you do a ton, man- much love from here in Philly ❤

[@eddieleonard6925]

YOo I truly appreciate that! I'm not trying to mimic anyone or make beats we've all heard before, so I like to keep it weird, abstract and playful. It's not for everyone, but I'm glad a handful of folks like yourself appreciate the sound and the process. Respect,

[@alexeyayzin8512]

Sorry about the Achilles. Love your content.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Appreciate the well wishes. I'm resting up, making beats when I can.

[@fl7210]

You are a gifted producer

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for the support and for listening and vibing.

[@pinkflamingo5972]

It’s always a good idea to find a workflow within the confines of a certain set of gear but changing it up is important as well. I still find myself navigating between software and hardware. I’ve realized recently that making music is my way to reset my mind. I hadn’t made music in a while and found myself crabby and snapping at random stuff. I chopped some samples, compressed some drums only to find myself smiling and laughing with my kids again. Keep making this content, I love it.

[@eddieleonard6925]

You're absolutely right. Music making for me is mostly about mental health and balance. It's an escape. A craft I really enjoy, and a practice that focuses me and provides incredible satisfaction merely by engaging in the process. Glad I'm not the only one. And yes...when I get stressed, or need a reset, I completely rewire my studio and always feel better. :)

[@Datsunn]

Loved this. And mannnn the torn Achilles and still rocking a video. Great work

[@eddieleonard6925]

Resting up as much as I can. Glad you dig the sounds and sonic experiments. Hopefully more soon. Cheers,

[@IvarConq]

Always great to see your content Eddie. You are right to meditate on your music making process, spending time reflecting is important to finding one’s unique sounds. DAWs have infinite possibilities and that can be a gift and curse. Great to take a step back reflect on the type of music you wanna make and then execute on the plan. Wishing you a speedy recovery, much respect ✊

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for the well wishes. It's true, we all need to examine our process and the tools we have at our disposal. I really loved working without a daw for a while -- it really focused me. But now I want to expand, and the possibilities of computer allow new ideas, new concepts, new sounds and sonic landscapes that hopefully I can explore.

[@sidneythirston9044]

DAMN!!! ANOTHER HOT TRACK!! THAT'S WHAT'S UP JACK

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for listening fam.

[@thedinnerdate]

That last beat was unreal. Just found you on my recommended love the chill beatmaking content.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks. I think my beats are kinda weird, but that 3rd one is one of my favorite, too. It's strange and has a weird texture to it. Thanks for listening and vibing.

[@ashleyjnobaptiste]

You have your own signature sound. Love it!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Appreciate the support! I love when beatmakers get more abstract and experimental, more like jazz or electronic musicians. Cheers,

[@YannisBikuta]

beat is amazing

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad u dig.

[@jasondugas8184]

Nice work, thanks for sharing your ideas and process! Get better soon!!!!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thank you! Resting up and making beats when I can.

[@stealthyBLK]

loving your growth and process bruh keep it up ! these beats and sounds sound good too

[@eddieleonard6925]

Appreciate the support! I'll always keep exploring..

[@jeejeeBlaps]

That second jam was real nice. This is pretty much my workflow at the moment as well and it keeps this interesting. You can still go the dawless route, or introduce the daw back in for some of what you showed here. Clutch.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Totally agree. I like aspects of both work flows. At the moment, inspired by your latest IG vids, I'm building a separate dawless station where I can just explore tones. Then if I find something cool, I can just sample that into my main setup that's all hooked up to the computer and everything else. Thanks for listening!

[@user-mb8rf7qk5q]

Hybrid is the best. Stand-alone is great but so hard to come up with a final draft. I love using my MPC One, SP404 mk2, KO2 and recording it into ableton. Cutting up live takes and putting it all together. That’s been the move for me.

[@eddieleonard6925]

That's a dope set-up. Yes, using each medium for what it does best leads to the most elevated results.

[@piynubbunyip]

I recently made a mock up of my S950 in ableton for a friend to just show how good it is to use limited polyphony and a simple filter, while not exact I think it was close in it's sound after a long chain of eq and so on. While a quite different experience I wonder why I treat software and my hardware so differently, it is more than the expense and ergonomics but at the same time there is a real place for the computer. Perhaps I find more happy accidents with hardware due to the interface/environment. Thanks again and heal well.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Nothing beats the tactile experience of using certain pieces of hardware. It's hard to explain until you actually do it. The simplicity of design also keeps you focused. That being said, happy accidents can happen in a digital environment too, but just in a different way. I definitely prefer hardware, but I'm learning to appreciate digital and hoping I can get creative with it.

[@HatishBeats]

that's clever. makes workflow easier and more versatile

[@eddieleonard6925]

If the tools are there, why not take advantage.

[@jsun04f]

Loving the way you work 👊🏾💯

[@eddieleonard6925]

glad you dig the process.

[@Noise-Conductor]

Use what ever is needed to make your art. My little bro had the same injury playing ball in the Cage. That slow his ass down. The recovery (& bill) is no joke. I hope you get better soon & at lease you still can use you hands to use that MPC & DAW. Peace!

[@eddieleonard6925]

Yea..achilles injuries suck. Makes you appreciate the little things..like walking.

[@geppetto1218v]

wish you a quick recovery! but I guess, hanging around in the studio all day isn't that bad haha. still, get well soon

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks! I'm resting up and trying to make as much music as I can before the grind begins again.

[@carl.wunsche]

Awesome workflow and beautiful beats :) Kudos

[@eddieleonard6925]

Much love! Really glad you dig the beats and sonics.

[@CrisCozy]

When NI MK1 was released that’s when I left MPC. Love Mpc still.

[@eddieleonard6925]

i hear you. as long as it works for you, that's all that matters.

[@CrisCozy]

@@eddieleonard6925 Vice Versa ✊🏽

[@FromTheHipp]

i dont know why this vid was recommended to me but im glad it was. i started making music on a korg triton and mpc 3000. my dads band mate had an mpc and let me use it and i got the korg with my own money. i remember when i had cakewalk sonar(DAW) and the concept was so cool to me then but it was painstaking because of midi. tracks that you could use then were limited and Pro Tools sold their DAW as having way more tracks but also DSP and higher quality converters. ive never taken for granted just how much we're able to do on mere laptops. my productions these days top 100 tracks on average. wouldnt have been possible when i started.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for this comment. Maybe it helps to be old enough to remember when we didn't have all of these possibilities, but I really believe we take our technology for granted. To think that at one time, all a band had was 4 our 8 tracks and they had to creatively find ways to make that express their vision. And now we can have 100 tracks powered by a laptop...it's insane. Even more insane that lots of people (including myself) are so overwhelmed by the possibility that it actually becomes a hindrance and can either make our music worse, or make us less productive. Taking time away from a daw was wonderful, because it made me appreciate it for what it allows us to do.

[@blokmotion]

dope beatz

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks. Glad you dig it.

[@Liam-pk3oz]

sickkkk, so jealous of your Mpc wish I had a hardware sampler ahaha. But yeh, recently I finally got a turntable and the whole process is just more productive, more creative, more instantaneous... beatmaking outside of the box. But DAWs are amazing too 👏🫡

[@eddieleonard6925]

There's so many hardware samplers nowadays, I'm sure you can get your hands on one. They pair perfectly with a turntable. And yes, DAWs are amazing, as long as you don't get lost in them....

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

Love this. I believe in a hybrid set up too. I love using hardware to play and shape my sonics but at the moment I do all my mixing and mastering ITB. I'm away a lot so I don't get to be on my MPC3000 as much as I would like to be. The portable MPC500 has to do for the time being but it's great watching you on yours and listening to your music and philosophy. Keep it up King 👊

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad you dig the sounds and experiments. I used to have an mpc 500 and I actually LOVED that little machine. Very slept on. I'm trying to get to where you're at where I'm comfortable mixing and mastering in the box. I have very basic knowledge of my daw and wouldn't consider my mixes good, but like you -- do a lot of shaping with analog gear on the front end, so that my daw doesn't have to do much.

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

@@eddieleonard6925 I think a good balance of the two is the way forward. I'm looking to add professional outboard processors to my set up. I may have Ghost pre amps in my Soundcraft Signature board but I still want Focusrite ISA preamps for my MPC to go through before hitting the board. I want that SSL and Neve compression and colour on my master buss and on my stems. It's amazing what can be achieved in the box, but having a great balance of outboard and ITB is the winner IMO. Keep doing your thing as I find your videos very inspirational and they help me on my path towards my goals. Thank you

[@eddieleonard6925]

@@RoomAtTheTopStudio Glad to hear some of this inspired you. A few years back I bought an SSL buss compressor clone made by Stam Audio and it will never leave my mastering chain. I absolutely love it and it didn't break the bank.

[@RoomAtTheTopStudio]

@@eddieleonard6925 I've been lucky enough to have been around the professional set ups since the 90s. I probably didn't appreciate the equipment as much then as I was/am a vocalist/songwriter by trade, but over the years in more recent times I've paid a lot of attention to production and engineering. I love a clone that comes close to the original but I have to have the real thing just for peace of mind. If I have to break the bank, that's what I have to do, lol.

[@mgyb8269]

Super funky as always!! that second beat was groovy af hehe *My workflow philosophy is track through pedals and analog gear for tone and color, mix and extra effects all in the DAW, and summing, sub bus, and mix bus processing through analog gear again. I try too limit the amount of plugins in the DAW though because I definitely have an off shoot of GAS call CTUS (Chasing The Unicorn Syndrome) haha. For me, analog and plugin limitations keeps that in check hehe.

[@eddieleonard6925]

I totally agree about limiting the plugins. I'm aiming for a similar set up where I can shape the sound via analog gear and pedals and just use the computer to act like a tape machine and record my individual tracks so I can get in and slightly edit them later when it's time to do final mix tweaks.

[@mgyb8269]

@@eddieleonard6925 Yea that's definitely the way to go imo. I think that plugin GAS can be worse than hardware just because there's always this new plugin that does the same thing that 20 other plugins you already have hehe. With hardware, you choose your tools, and they will mostly stay the same for years if not decades (with the occasional buying or selling here and there).

[@TheReal_E.IRIZARRY]

Eddie Leonard kind of looks like Clinton "Buddy" Wike of the 90s R&B group INTRO.

[@eddieleonard6925]

ha!

[@DjLeoZero]

nice vibey session! the 3000 just tunes sounds better, pads and chords just sit nicely.... and it's just T-I-G-H-T.... If you were doing the same thing in-daw you would have 5+ ms of latency and it would be all flat and spongy on the play in and the play back...... it's really subtle the difference a hardware mpc makes.... but every 1% better here and there in the signal path, how tight the chip is, the 'knock factor' on the MPC - it all adds up quick to being sooooooo much better.... I'm a 2500 guy... but think ineed to get on the 3000 as it always comes out on top in what people rate across the range for sonics.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Yo, glad you dig the sounds. I know lots of people make beats in DAWS, but that doesn't sound very fun, unless you at least have a controller of some sort with pads or a really fast computer with no latency.. ha. Also, as you know, there's nothing wrong with the 2500. You can make that do anything. But of all the samplers I've ever used, the 3000 is the one that just feels different in a way that I can't explain.

[@sapainca]

the problem is DAW screws up the sound. A/B from MPC3000 straight with monitoring through the DAW as you have it now. Listen to a live sequence from MPC3000 vs DAW print. Floating point kills the sound, punch, and presence of what is a great sounding machine. Everything is a compromise, of course.

[@eddieleonard6925]

You make a good point. This is why I often go back and forth between using a DAW or not. Straight out the MPC sounds excellent! But I love being able to use Pro Q on every track and do serious EQ work. Or some of the routing options in the daw. I'm lucky because my mastering chain is all analog so I get some of that flavor back...but you make a good point about losing some sound quality.

[@beatsbyjiro8291]

I use either an MPC3000 or the Isla s2400 and a laptop right next to them with Abelton + Serato Sampler on it with a Plugin Alliance subscription, best of both worlds, no midi nothing, just recording track after track. Why even have the samplers?? I cant get going with drums on a DAW, it just doesnt hit right for me, run them through an old Alesis 3630 compressor and its a wrap..

[@eddieleonard6925]

i used to have the s2400. that's a fun machine. I can't wait till he releases those analog filter boards. your set up sounds like you have more than enough to rock

[@beatsbyjiro8291]

@@eddieleonard6925 yeah waiting on those filters but the auto filter in ableton is pretty smooth like and with the lfo function is a game changer for them low pass beats, fire.

[@mbs-j5t]

interesting. thank you

[@eddieleonard6925]

Thanks for watching.

[@roave_music]

Nice job

[@eddieleonard6925]

Glad you dig the sounds.

[@for4431]

Nice set up. What audio mixer are you using, is it usb? Healthy recovery with your leg! All the best.

[@eddieleonard6925]

At the moment there's no audio mixer. Just Arturia AudioFuse 8pre interface, hooked up to the computer via usb.

[@for4431]

Thanks for clarifying. I just noticed that the Alesis was on your desk, and I thought you were using it since it was plugged in. Thank you again for all the informative and inspiring content/art.@@eddieleonard6925

[@eddieleonard6925]

@@for4431 Glad this content is useful. The alesis is my monitoring mixer which connects to my speakers. It's a very basic mixer but does the job.

[@STLANOIRE]

what makes studio one your daw of your choice? appreciate all that you do, and i hope your recovery process goes smoothly peace

[@eddieleonard6925]

I chose Studio One because I like how simple it is, and everyone I know who uses it really really loves it, so I trusted that. But honestly, I think all DAWs are the same. Once you learn em, they all do the same things. At least, I think so.

[@7BVBY]

Nice video man ❤ but I have a question : what if you get used to the daw again making the same mistake by taking it for granted ?

[@eddieleonard6925]

if the daw ever becomes a distraction, then i'll re-work my set up and go all analog again.

[@justletmesigninokthx]

Im doing the same, got an 8 input interface for £160 - recording stems and playin in the door.

[@eddieleonard6925]

dope set up. monitoring 8 channels at a time is more than enough.

[@thegroove2000]

Make music with what you got. What ever works for you.

[@thegroove2000]

Im 100% DAW and always learning but feel like I can get shit done in the box. Laptop, interface , headphones and brain.

[@thegroove2000]

But I like hardware. More tactile and has more weight to the sound. Like the MPC 3000 can achieve. That signal path, the convertors. .

[@eddieleonard6925]

It's a very well designed machine for sure.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Exactly...use what you got. You can make anything sound good once you learn the ins and outs.

[@akin3772]

How hard is it to use both Daw and the MPC 3000? Like to set it up to where everything flows, any pointers? Looking at buying an mpc

[@eddieleonard6925]

It's not that hard to setup. Just send your mpc outputs into the inputs on your daw and you can record the audio live with no latency. You'll need at least 2 audio inputs on your interface. Or 8 if you're using the 8outs.

[@akin3772]

@@eddieleonard6925 I see you also use an analog mixer, how influential do you think having that is to the sound and maximizing the mpc3000. Thanks so much for answering btw

[@eddieleonard6925]

@@akin3772 These machines already have a sound, but using an analog mixer can really enhance that sound. It gives you more control over each channel. Even if you just use a basic Mackie, it makes a difference. Tascam's are great if you're looking for a new one.

[@scotiushobius]

Really enjoy your work, it seems i have been inadvertently mirroring your motion. My current struggle, i wonder if you have the same, is the card reader vs the old floppy/zip brain ache. The card reader though maybe great for transferring sounds and data between daw and mpc, the fear is that because theres so much data on the card reader, that 1 malfunction, theres alot to lose, and i have on a bunch of occasions when i introduced a Daw like you have done. Not an issue with 1 or 2 projects per zip or floppy to lose. The zip and floppys are hot swoppable too. Have you ventured into the card reader, or do you stick firmly with the floppy or zip. Thoughts, as i am thinking of going back to zip.

[@eddieleonard6925]

Interesting dilemma. I've been very tempted to upgrade because I still use ZIP discs. But what I really want to do is get a second drum machine that uses a card reader so that I can have best of both worlds. Everyone tells me that upgrading is amazing, though and I'm sure I will eventually do it. I just don't want to lose all my old drum files and beats only saved on zip disc.

[@daniel_dumile]

oh you got a Roger Linn signed MPC 3000?

[@eddieleonard6925]

ha! i wish.

[@unclassedmedia]

what recorder are you using?

[@eddieleonard6925]

I use a 1 bit DSD recorder, korg mr 2000. the convertors sound good to my ears.

[@unclassedmedia]

@@eddieleonard6925 thanks that's interesting stuff. never came across dsd before.

[@eddieleonard6925]

@@unclassedmedia as a technology format, it never took off. but DSD recorders are great at capturing PCM audio at any sample rate you like.

[@YoungNino2017]

I would never give up the DAW, as a teenager in the 90s the reason I never stayed making music was using different machines to tape was WAY too complicated and didn't produce professional enough results to keep me interested. I NEED all the eqs I can use, all the compressors you can buy... fabfilters... stretching samples from a grid on a computer without the worry of running out of space. And most importantly, I need to be able to open a project after a week and have it where I left off ready to tweak it... How can you do that when you have to turn on EVERY synth again and set everything back up and try to remember how to sequence went.. so on and so on, just to have something that sounds like it was recorded in a bedroom

[@eddieleonard6925]

This is the benefit of a DAW, and it's something that's hard to fully understand until you don't have access to it anymore. They're extremely powerful and allow us to achieve the insane visions that we have in our heads with more precision and ever increasing possibilities.