ZPH is correct in that much of modern psy-trance is structurally complex and I’d sometimes say - arguably over-produced. I don’t have enough fingers to dynamically bring in all the kinds of elements used when using all hardware.
The highly produced sound is difficult without a DAW. Applying multiple layers of compressor and EQ on individual parts is not easy in the hardware domain (maybe with a digital mixer you can achieve some of it).
Using LFOs to randomly change parameters is one way of stopping a part being too static. Also, using unsynched longer LFO modulated parameters can give some useful unpredictable movement to a part.
I’d say that builds are especially difficult using the all-hardware route, although Cirklon does have a “fills” feature, which makes some of that possible. Not sure how I’d achieve it on the Rtym. On Tempest, I might have an alternate beat/pattern immediately below the current on which I could use for fills.
I’d also often run past the 16x4 event limit if I was working in Cubase or Ableton. Chaining is possible I guess, but that mechanism really doesn’t feel very intuitive to me.
There’s nothing to say that you have to go for the current psy-sound though. Something relatively new, possibly reaching back into the past for inspiration, is a good thing in my book.
People definitely still appreciate a proper live set which isn’t highly produced and DAW based.
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