Instrumentals - outboard midi or DXi/ VST?

Hi Greg,

If you've got a computer that can handle it and you don't need the DXi's or VSTi's to play live with you (like in a band performance), I'd say in most cases you'll find more realism in the virtual instruments. If, however, you need 0 latency and more stability at the expense of some realism, I'd say go with hardward.

I have both...what's funny is, when I'm playing live, you can't tell so much about realism because of the environment, but you sure can in the studio. For instance, I have the Roland Fantom X-8 with the strings expansion. It's a great card for live, but doesn't hold a CANDLE to the East-West Quantum Leap Symphonic Orchestra that I own that I use on my studio computer. The difference is astounding!

My 2 cents,

Eric

I've got an extensive "hybrid" (i.e. both hardware and software) system and could extoll the virtues of each. But I'm gonna go out on a limb here and suggest that you go software only. Here's why. It's only gonna get better and better (and much of it is already great). While live performance multi-intrument do-it-all boards will continue to be around for awhile most inovation and updating will still take place in the software arena. Computers are only gonna get faster, more powerful and flexible. If you learn the ins and outs of being "inside the box" now you're on the correct (read: leading) edge of the curve. It's a virtual world, baby...heck you might be listening to a robot right now...who kn.n.n...n..nows. Sorry...bit of short circuit there.