i could go for some closure for sure.
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Do it. Nothing will satisfy more if that is what you need.
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It’s impossible to make a good track without a DAW
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I’ve been using Ableton for nearly 15 years now and while I know the software well, I can honestly say that I struggle to finish stuff in it…Loopitis is the disease called, I believe…too many purposes also 
I own a Push 2 and the combination with Live is very powerful, no doubt the Push can do (almost) everything the Elektron boxes can do. But there lies the problem for me, it’s too many things in one, too malleable.
I see my hardware as instruments, just like my guitars or piano etc. They’re meant to be played, not so much conceptualised. Ableton (or any other DAW) for that matter is more of a production environment to me (as in a tool with which to produce a polished product). They want to be instruments too, but at least to me they lack that dedicated hardware UI that instruments usually have and that makes them expressive (eg strings on guitar, keys on piano). Plus, DAWs are just too darn flexible (when it comes to mastering an interface, eg guitar, that’s a bad thing…you want some consistency and want it from the getgo)
In that sense, I see my hardware as complimentary to any DAW I may use. I PLAY my hardware, I USE my DAW. To me these are also different formats in which music manifests. I for example much prefer a live jam with friends in my living room than eg listening to tracks on spotify (and I do mean this musically speaking). For others, if the vocals are not pitch perfect and the reverb on that snare is not quite right, it’s not worth their time…it really helps me to think of it that way…raw in-the-moment-stuff vs well-thought-out production stuff.
That said, people make amazing stuff on iphones these days, so waste no time feeling guilty or unsure, if you have that clarity make a move towards the direction that advances you
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Oh many people have proven the opposite
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In fact, most of my favorite music is from the era before computers.
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I’d put another vote down for the hybrid approach… I can finish tracks whether it be software/hardware/hybrid but the hybrid gives me the best of both worlds. I would also say that I don’t sync any hardware to the computer. I just make sure the hardware is sync’d between itself and then record as discreet audio tracks that I can then chop and shape along with other stuff within the DAW.
More important for me in being able to finish songs/albums is about having a focus… so for a given release I’ll have a limited set of hardware/plugins that I’ll use and I’ll give myself a particular focus regarding stylistic approach. I also tend to write music about specific topics even if it is instrumental and no one else really has any idea what it’s about… it gives me something to consider what I’m doing against.
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I’m in the exact same position as you. Recently getting into modular, it gives me more exploration with synthesis on a hands-on approach but more limited. Just moved back into DAW and having purchased Reaktor makes me just want to sell all my hardware… haha
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I also used to have a hybrid setup using Overbridge with A4+RTYM+Ableton. But those days are long gone now… 
I’m the opposite, much more productive re: finished tunes with a hardware setup (recorded to ableton for a touch of eq & compression).
having said that, if my hardware setup is too complex (comprised of too many units) my productivity goes out the window.
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Fun is for Amateurs. Productivity is for Professionals. Decide if you want to commit to being a pro or not. What are you afraid of? There a s a book that talks about your dilemma
Its a bestseller and you will see whats holding you back.
You know your self your wasting time.
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I bet it was recorded in a studio though…
Plenty of musicians in the past, before computers, paid a great deal of money to go to a studio and have someone else multitrack their performance and cut and mix their audio. Correct.
They also couldn’t take that track and put it online immediately and have anyone they can reach listen to it.
If you want to take advantage of the technology of releasing something instantly and don’t want to extend that technology to having your own massive studio (a DAW) inside your computer. Then why not pay someone else to do it for you at a studio?
If you can’t afford that… then use a DAW. That’s the perk of living in 2018-19.
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What if you have fun being productive?
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Thats discussed as well. Whilst it can happen. Most groups hate the grind of going into a studio to record their album per se. Time is money. Im not sure what the OP’ s priorities are but he has to decide for himself. He sounds like he realizes he cant have both. He either turns pro or stays an amateur.
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No good solid answers for you I’m afraid, as I go through this cycle of doubt every year or so, and then buy/sell accordingly. I identify with what you have written almost 99%. I’m tired of buying and selling though, as that never seems to last or solve anything.
Like you, I feel best when I finish a solid track. That comes first. But there is also a pull toward having some sort of alternative sequencing setup around (Elektron-based).
The best I have come up with is:
- Use Ableton Live to write songs.
- Have hardware synths hooked up to Live for hands-on control. (MS-20, Boog Model D, NL2x)
- Use Push 2 for hardware-like control of Live.
- Have a separate table with a few sequencer instruments just for a change of pace, relaxation, idea generation. But don’t expect to write anything complete, or even very good with them. It’s there just to work different mental muscles. (DT, DN, Monologue, TR-8). If something good happens, that’s all gravy.
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I have exactly the same problem! I have fun with HW and record songs ITB with Ableton and soft synths, the setups are in different desks because of space constraints which enforces the divide. I want a hybrid approach so I’ve been selling some HW to fit everything in the same desk. I don’t know if it’s even going to work. Also, I jam standing and use Ableton sitting so I need to decide which desk to keep, the desk I use sitting looks better and it’s slightly larger so that’s a point in favor :D.
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Maybe find a happy medium between the two?
Maybe sequence your hardware from Ableton so you can have that dynamic hardware feel with the productivity of software? Or compose patterns with hardware and record them into Ableton as clips?
Either that or just accept the pendulum swing of your inspiration and keep everything. Consider selling things if you can go 18 months ITB without being inspired to even turn on hardware
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I’m not arguing that making music isn’t more accessible with advances in technology. I’m just refuting the statement that good music can’t be made without a DAW.
People can also make good music at home without a DAW and the term “good music” is relative.
That’s all from me on the topic. It’s a stupid thing to spend any time or energy on. I regret taking the bait.
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Right, and my point was: I guarantee 99.99999% of the music you have in mind was made in a professional studio which used a DAW and or a ton of expensive studio hardware. It’s true. And, if you’re not paying for a studio to produce a track for you and you are not using a DAW at your own studio to multitrack and produce your track, it’s probably not as good as you think.
Just bought this and The War of Art. Curious what this is about.