I used to spend hours in front of my PC with Cubase, Rebirth and a host of virtual instruments, controlling everything with the mouse. I used to get lost in what I was doing, letting the music wash over me, obsessing over every little detail – the exact sound, the optimum depth of reverb or delay frequency.
Now, I realise that, for all the convenience of having it all in software, all contained within a single box, it is no substitute for the hands on, truly tactile experience of using hardware. Being able to touch and twist, controlling more than one thing at a time, is beyond anything that can be achieved with bits and bytes alone.
