Rethinking Workflow, Gear, and What It’s All For
In my previous post, I wrote about working outside of your comfort zone and mentioned how that led me to purchasing the AKAI Force and Native Instruments Maschine+. That decision didn’t come out of nowhere. It was connected to something I had been circling around for quite a while without fully understanding it.
In earlier posts, I talked about becoming mesmerized by synth videos—particularly those where people were jamming in what’s often referred to as a DAWLESS format. I misunderstood those videos for a long time. I never considered if the goal was to complete tracks, to finish songs, to produce something polished and final. While that certainly happens for some people, I eventually realized that for many, that wasn’t the point at all.
The point was exploration. Discovery. Fun.
A Subtle but Important Misunderstanding
Another thing I didn’t initially notice was what gear these artists were using. They weren’t surrounded by large workstation keyboards and all-in-one production tools. More often than not, they were working with monosynths, small drum machines, and focused, single-purpose instruments.
Meanwhile, I was surrounding myself with workstations.
Those are two very different approaches—and neither is right or wrong—but they lead to very different experiences. One is about depth and immediacy. The other leans toward structure, planning, and long-form composition.
At the time, I didn’t fully appreciate that distinction.
Fast Forward to 2026
Now it’s 2026, and like many years before it, teaching has taken up the bulk of my time. I haven’t been composing nearly as much as I’d like, and the work I have been doing has mostly involved finishing a backlog of albums that slowly built up over the years.
This is also the year I hope to finally finish my studio redesign. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen.
Even though there are still a few important areas of the studio that aren’t fully set up yet, I haven’t stopped thinking about how everything will ultimately connect—particularly when it comes to integrating the studio with my DAW.
Making Things Harder Than They Needed to Be
The hardest part for me wasn’t wiring or gear placement—it was figuring out how I actually wanted to compose music in this new environment. That difficulty came from two places:
- I’ve never had a studio like this before.
- I was massively overcomplicating things in my head.
I have ideas now. Fairly solid ones. I’m reasonably confident I know how I want to approach sequencing and routing everything through the computer. That said, the final setup still depends on one more piece of gear I’m considering, so for now, some things remain on hold.
There Is No One Right Way
Thinking through all of this made me realize just how many valid approaches there are to running a hardware-based studio alongside a DAW.
- Some people sequence everything from the DAW.
- Others rely heavily on hardware sequencers.
- Some map every controllable parameter of a synth directly into the DAW for detailed automation.
- Others use official software editors or plugins that mirror their hardware synths.
- Some people go all in on massive hardware setups, only to eventually return entirely to the computer once processing power catches up with their needs.
- And of course, some choose to stay completely DAWLESS.
All of these approaches work.
They work because they work for the person using them.
The Only Constant That Matters
At the end of the day, the tools, the workflow, the routing, and the sequencing methods are all secondary to one thing: whether they encourage you to create.
However you connect your studio.
However you sequence your music.
However simple or complex your setup becomes.
If it keeps you curious, engaged, and creating—then it’s doing exactly what it should.
And that, more than anything, is what I’m still working toward.
