The lines are drawn and you either are on the side of doing music production using some computer based DAW (e.g.  Cubase, ProTools, Logic, ) + Plugins, or you prefer working with hardware based DAW solutions (e.g.  The Motif itself).

This post is for the folks who may be on the fence, and haven’t decided yet.  Or others that may be having doubts about their computer based DAWS.  Don’t let anyone tell you that full blown music production is not possible unless you use a computer based DAW!

I recently added to my TASCAM DP-02 Porta Studio a TASCAM DP-24 Porta Studio.  Which gives me a practical 64 track recording studio (which includes 16 tracks from my Motif) First of all the Motif/Mox are already capable of producing a full end-to-end project.  And I would put the editing capabilities, effects, and song + pattern jobs of the Motif/Mox up against anybody’s computer based DAW solution any day any time :-) But if you’re in a situation where you want to integrate lots of digital audio with the Midi/Audio tracks of your Motif/Mox , do yourself a favor and consider the TASCAM PortaStudio option!

its certainly cheaper than the cost of the a computer based DAW which includes( The cost of a full DAW subscription, + Cost of the Computer + Cost of any commercial Plugins.

My Tascam DP 24 was only $499.  Once upon a time the computer based DAW might have been the cost effective solution (Not Anymore!)

But beyond cost, working with a PortaStudio is just simply easier and hassle free!  I’ve been able to integrate my 16 tracks Motif/Mox recording easily with about 48 workable tracks on my Portastudios.  Easily working back and forth with Effects, cut, copy pastes of tracks, compression, normalization, mastering, EQ curving, mixdowns In the Porta Studio, brought back into the MOTIF to take advantage of all the awesome effects processing in the Motif, Audio from the Motif moved into the Porta Studio to free up Tracks on the Motif , then, re-integrated later in the work flow for further mastering work, and on and on.  With the end result being fully commercial quality recordings and music quality.  In addition to electric guitar and bass, the group I’m currently working with has a flute player, saxophonist, and vocalist.  So I have my share of recording and mixing challenges (and I won’t even mention the drummer issues).  But that said we’re able to get all of the recording and music production done with just the Motif/Mox and the Tascam Portastudios.  My Tascam DP-02 has a Cd burner on it, so even the process of producing a physical recording for the audience to take home after the gig, was doable without a computer being involved.  I did use the computer to convert the wav files to mp3 and to upload songs to the Internet.

AFAIC the only practical downside of using a Motif/Mox + TASCAM PortaStudio is the size of the Tascam/Motif screens compared to doing it all on 24 inch ( or larger) computer monitors.  But I’ve chosen the smaller screens and easy + reliable + portable workflow and musician metaphors, over:

Dongles
Software Subscriptions
Version Incompatibility
software freeze ups
Viruses
Data Loss
Latency Issue
Convoluted User Interfaces
LIcensing issues
DRM Intrusions
Constant Updates Breaking My existing Setups
Vendor Incompatibilities
etc.

that come with computer based DAW music production systems.

In practical terms you can get the lion share of your music production done using only the Motif/Mox, but adding a Tascan PortaStudio as the external DAW IMO provides for the easiest workflow, the most cost effective work flow, the most portable workflow that you could ask for.

I apologize for being a TASCAM Portastudio fanboy here, but I’m only recommending it because its a no nonsense cost effective solution that IMO complements the MOTIF/MOX or much nicer than something like CUBASE.  I’ve heard Zoom has something like a TASCAM PortaStudio, but I have no experience with the Zoom, I only know one other musician that has one, and he’s pretty happy with it.  I’m basing this post only on my experience of using my Yamaha gear + Tascam Portastudio to get the job done.

I’m sure there are some 256 track jobs, with super advanced audio/midi needs that would pose a challenge to a Motif + PortaStudio combo, but for the average working musician, or weekend warrior musician, you can’t beat it.

Thanks for the recommendation - I’ll certainly check out the reviews.

We have both sung the praises of the MOTIF/MOX full-featured sequencer before and indeed I try to do almost all of my work on a piece in my MOXF’s internal sequencer. However, once it comes to recording singing I’m back to Cubase and all the irritation that that involves compared to using the wonderful MOXF sequencer. All the mouse clicks irritate the hell out of me, and that’s even with knowing most of the keyboard shortcuts.

The most recent Windows 10 update (the massive one that took 1.5 hours to install) of course broke my Cubase installation and I had to spend an hour or two getting it working again blah blah.

I sometimes miss how I used to do it as a kid with analog magnetic tape a la Trevor Horn :-)

David.

Davelet - 04 June 2018 04:20 PM

Thanks for the recommendation - I’ll certainly check out the reviews.

We have both sung the praises of the MOTIF/MOX full-featured sequencer before and indeed I try to do almost all of my work on a piece in my MOXF’s internal sequencer. However, once it comes to recording singing I’m back to Cubase and all the irritation that that involves compared to using the wonderful MOXF sequencer. All the mouse clicks irritate the hell out of me, and that’s even with knowing most of the keyboard shortcuts.

The most recent Windows 10 update (the massive one that took 1.5 hours to install) of course broke my Cubase installation and I had to spend an hour or two getting it working again blah blah.

I sometimes miss how I used to do it as a kid with analog magnetic tape a la Trevor Horn :-)


David.

Well, in my case the interesting thing is I started out with Cakewalk, and moved to Cubase, and ultimately left that whole world for TASCAM PortaStudio.

I use the the TASCAM DR 05

http://tascam.com/product/dr-05/

for recording my routine gigs (the ones where we do not anticipate selling the music on CD or Bandcamp)

and I use the TASCAM DP 24SD and TASCAM DP-02:

http://tascam.com/product/dp-24sd/

http://tascam.com/product/dp-02/

When recording music that is intended to be distributed to our audience.

As I’ve already stated nothing beats the simplicity, reliability and portability of the Tascam gear.  It is functionally complete , self contained, and to the point.

But that being said , both of my PortaStudios have effect Send and Return options, so you can add any kind of additional gear (hardware or software) if you want., you could add hardware compression, effects, noise reduction or you could integrate the PortaStudios with audio interfaces to connect to computer based DAW if for some extreme reason you couldn’t get it done in the PortaStudio.

And when you complement the MOXF or Motif with a PortaStudio its heaven!!!  Again this is obviously IMO but its a very clean, simple interface.  And the results are clearly some of the best you could hope for.

For example I did a full 14 track production on my Motif, mixed it to my satisfaction, wrote it to 24 bit stereo wav on my Motif , brought that Wav into the Tascam DP 24SD and applied their suite of simple Mastering Tools (Multiband compressor, Normalization, additional EQ,etc), and exploited the headroom that was left by my Motif Mix.  Of course the Motif has a compressor effect and EQ as well so I could’ve done more of it on the Motif, but the Tascam simplifies some of the Mastering by having mastering templates, that are surprisingly good when used properly.  It was all very easy and very natural.  The Motif has a synthesizer/keyboard metaphor, the Tascam has a “Tape Recorder” Metaphor, very natural to use, they don’t pull you out of the musical moment.  Cubase and Cakewalk just called up the software engineer in me “ which is what I do for a living” I loose the “musical mood” when I work with Cubase.  I feel more like a technologist than a musician when I’m working with a computer based DAW.  The Motif + Tascam has a good feel to it.  The workflow is nice.  The musical inspiration is left intact. Communicating the recording process with other musicians in the group who are not computer freaks is easier.

Every plugin you use with a computer based DAW can add new and more difficult user interfaces, headaches, costs, slowing down of your computer’s processor, latency, and frustration.  None of this is the case with the PortaStudio its all there, optimized to work together, no lag, no bullSH#T.

I’ve worked with computer based daws.  I regretfully became fairly competent at using them.  I’m not scared of software based solutions.  I’ve made a living developing software.  Some of it very complex.  So for me to use a software daw is not a technical challenge.  But it is a musical challenge.  For me it does distract from my inspiration or musical moment.  I have a nice Macbook Pro 8 core (Its beautiful).  But I keep it away from my music unless absolutely necessary.  For example I do use Finale 2014

https://www.finalemusic.com/

When I have to score or compose printed music for other musicians.  There is no way to do that on Motif/Mox or on my PortaStudio, so I am forced to use the computer in that instant.  But even then I do most of the arranging and composing in Pattern Mode, and save the Patterns in Midi, and then bring them into Finale for the final touches.  So most of the musical part is over by the time I get to the computer!  LOL.

AFAIC the price of the PortaStudio line is right, the workflow is right, and the computer based DAW should only be used as a last resort he he ha