Having started out on hardware in the 90s, I am so happy being firmly in the box now. The simplicity is unparalleled. But to each their own
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I believe you’re right. But there are ways to resolve harshness issues if they’re coming up. First you could generally use a LP filter on high frequency sounds at 10 KHz, but that doesn’t cover everything. Personally I usually use the bell curve method with a high Q value. Most likely you already know how it works. So in order to find out which frequencies are the culprit of harshness, use an EQ and check the peaks of different frequencies by boosting the frequencies like this:
As soon as you find the harshness (you’ll know when you hear it), cut that frequency:
Problem solved. Mostly it also helps to generally reduce frequencies from 2000 to 5000 Hz. And if you want to additionally add some warmth to the sound in order to reduce brightness, parallel processing is the answer. You could add a layer of lower frequencies over the dry signal while still cutting lower frequencies by filter, therefore you could use sends to an fx track that contains a BP filter at for example 80 Hz. Or you could also use VSTs like Substrate by @Mastrcode (recommended) in order to achieve that effect. Or check other plugins like bx_refinement (never used it, but seems to be quite handy). So there are always ways to manipulate the sound. Because of this: Analog, digital, who cares.
But anyway, these are the issues you’re dealing with when you’re an advanced user. As a beginner, you shouldn’t deal with stuff like that. As well as you shouldn’t deal with thousands of knobs, whether it’s hardware or software. As a beginner you should only deal with note editing, rhythm and composing. In other words: The basics of music creation.
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I wanted to start with hardware in the beginning. First I bought a Mikrokorg and an Alesis drum machine. A looper pedal and some FX pedals. Then I needed a mixer and quite some cable salad already. My Korg is setting here next to me and I turned it on maybe 20 times. My Alesis will be sold.
Important thing to me is do that only when you actually hear a harshness without the bell EQ, otherwise thanks to the human ear, you’ll find harshness in something that didn’t really had one because you focus on it by doing so
A refinement of the bell curve resonance trick, is to use a dynamic EQ and set it to reduce only when a frequency exceeds a threshold. Becomes less of a static solution that way. Whoever said it can show “problems” that dont actually exist is also right. A max Q sweep is going to show some weird shit that is meant to be there, or is otherwise masked by stuff around it.
Hardware vs software, no longer a sensible debate. Having spoken to people with large hardware setups, good luck with MIDI spec and sync when manufacturers interpret the MIDI spec as a suggestion rather than a useful standard to adhere to. But I can see the appeal of tactile knob per function controls. The debate as to which is better is as pointless as trying to argue that your favourite colour is “better” than anybody else’s.
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If you can - get Korg Electribe ESX or EMX - they are simple and intuitive, straight forward grooveboxes. You can totally make some House/Techno on them. It’s like FL Studio lite, but in hardware.
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Hi there @SoundConcepts & @TNT
I have read both your comments, and maybe it’s because it’s still written word, and it can be difficult to understand, and led to misinterpreting and lack of non-verbal communication. Because I like how you give good arguments on both sides. The cons & pro’s.
Let me explain:
About the hardware, it was more common in the past. At that time, the first Amiga’s and Atari’s came in. Atari was the main computer to work with the MIDI hardware, with Cubase. The Amiga was there with the known trackers, that evolution from 88/89 is now Renoise.
If I see some interviews with producers from the past and now in the EDM scene, there are some that still prefer the old analogue hardware, for example: TR-909. Someone has compared, and make it visible too with a wave chart. You can here it also, when you use the analogue TR-909. But the nowadays plug-ins remakes, such as Drumazon are very good too!
Yes, it is possible to hear that, it’s the minimal details, but for the normal costumer not that important. But musicians can hear the difference. But, like I said, it is very hard today to hear the differences, because the plug-ins are very good and very professional.
So, back to the interviews of producers, some of them were in the ‘80s and ‘90s producing. Nowadays they prefer DAW, because what TNT said about less space, more powerful desktops, and all these producers have stories about the cons!
Let me take an example: Joey Beltram. He used a Casio keyboard with sample memory to sample that (as we know now) “hoover” sound. Known from the Juno keyboard, as a preset called ‘What the…”.
So, at some day he had made his track, and unfortunately, somewhere, somehow, he lost the track because of some power outage or something. I tell you now this story from my mind, because the details can be some different, but the main story is that when you use MIDI stuff, when you come back the next day to finish your track?
It don’t sound the same, something is wrong, etc. I hear that story over and over again, about that time with MIDI, the pre digital era. Joey had to do his track over again, and was not the same as he produced then for R&S records in Belgium. Not sure if it was the “mentasm” track from Second Phase.
Also the limitations from the past can work in your favor, because of the limits, the creativity can boost into your productions.
So yes @SoundConcepts your idea is very good to go back to the roots! Because I say the same to the youngsters now. Who were into DAW like FL studio, Cubase, Bitwig, etc. Try the Amiga with Protracker for example. Or try an old DOS PC with Fasttracker 2. Make your stuff there! And get angry about the limitations! But don’t stop, be a hero, struggle with everything which was there and became good in what you do with the old stuff. Then you understand maybe about the creativity, that process. If you know, then you know for good.
For example, a well known producer made his album with the Amiga 1200 in OctaMED. His name is Calvin Harris, produced his album in 2007 with that equipment. “I created disco” is the name of that album.
So, yes, it can still be done.
Another example, completely other genre: hardcore, speedcore, terror. Producer/DJ The Destroyer still nowadays uses his Amiga 1200 to produce his tracks. He uses Oktalyser 1.57, already in the past, still today! He even made a track in Protracker, released on his own label.
You are both right, there are pro’s and cons, but from my point of view, you already know what I was going to say. 
Yes, but even as a musician you have to listen carefully in order to hear a difference. The frequency curves are almost identical, for example if you compare a modern 303 VST with the original hardware. And as I mentioned above, there are ways to manipulate that sound even further. Filters, EQ, layers, whatever. It could sound as “analog” as the original. But even with those differences it sounds the same for 99,99% of all the listeners.
You could also just purchase Renoise and use samples only. Yes, there are more than 4 tracks and most likely there aren’t RAM issues, but using samples only is enough limitation imho. 
Indeed. I’m an early user myself, started composing 34 years ago as a child on Amiga (SoundTracker). I know most of the trackers (and some piano roll DAWs as well), although I personally only used a fraction of it. And I’m listening to electronic music for more than 42 years now, besides of that my hometown was the capital of Techno in the 90s and I was part of that scene. I’ve experienced many ecstatic nights of intensive sounds in clubs etc. So I know a couple of things about that kind of music and about creating music. BUT I’m NOT a pro…
Yeah, I completely agree with that. 
And that’s how nowadays there are mostly no limits like the old days when it comes to tracking. I love that!
Yes, also agree with that. It was more my suggestion to newcomers or newbies in making music. I have already purchased Renoise as I wrote in another topic about if it is worth it to purchase Renoise, and wrote my experiences there.
So, in short, I started in 1995 with writing music in Protracker on the Amiga. Later on I made other choices, have worked with Cool Edit by the end of the ‘90s, did some things in I believe Mad Tracker, Fasttracker 2, and Adobe Audition. I stopped somewhere in 2011. But since 2024 I’m back on Renoise, and also have my Amiga 500 with Protracker 2.3 to play with.
And yes, the limitations from the past are gone, great! 
I think you mean Berlin? Oh, yes, I think you must be very lucky with that! Germany was always groundbreaking with guys like Kraftwerk, and so many more in the Techno scene. Germany is even the founder of the name “Italo Disco”. Because Italy was the founder of the genre, but haven’t named Italo yet. The ZYX label came with the Italo boot mix or something like that.
Yes, I am a Italo disco lover also. It starts with that for me, at the same time with the new wave and upcoming house music. The key between disco and house is Italo disco.
There is a short documentary about what I wrote (the key), I think you already know the whole story but I write this here also for other readers. Maybe it inspires. You can watch it here:
Boiler Room presents Dirty Talk: A Journey into Italo Disco
Then the (hip)house came up by the end of the 80’s, at the same time with the Euro house from Italy. That was the new form of Italo Disco, you hear still the same sound. But from 1987, tracks like Pump up the Volume from MARRS, Theme from S’Express, all those sample based tracks (where music journalists were very critical about this music. They hated also Mel & Kim, lol) were great for me!
That was for me the beginning: manipulating music with samples! I remember some Casio keyboard in the stores, where you could record your own voice and play it on the keyboard.
Another great guy was Hit House, Peter Slaghuis, from The Netherlands. He paved the scene for guys like Paul Elstak and Rob Fabrie. You can Google these names, and find out.
After that, I think it was 1991, we get much harder styles like hardcore/gabber (Holy Noise with Paul & Rob), new beat from Belgium (R&S and Bonzai label). It went completely crazy after that. New sub genres. It exploded.
I like also the early Jungle/Drum ‘n Bass. Guys like BizzyB, Adam F, ShyFX, too much to name. Oh, I must mention The Prodigy! Big thumbs up for these guys also. 
So, I think I’m also listening almost 40 years to electronic music and it never bored. 
Jean-Michel Jarre, I must mention his name also. Very great artist. And oh, one more: Vangelis!
That’s it for now!
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I wonder why almost everybody thinks of Berlin when it comes to “capital of Techno”. No, it was Frankfurt. Even the term “Techno” was invented in Frankfurt! And the whole music style “Trance” was also invented in Frankfurt. Most popular DJs in Techno history are from Frankfurt. Frankfurt and its scene was groundbreaking for the whole development of Techno, all its subgenres and everything about it. From the mid 90s it slowly shifted to Berlin, but Frankfurt was before Berlin. Today the scene in Frankfurt is pretty dead, but at least there’s a museum about electronic music, because it’s part of the city’s history. Here’s a little video about the past, but you will probably have to activate english subtitles:
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I promise you, from today I never! never! ever! say that again! I feeling like I have to cut my ears off or something like that, for my stupid thoughts about Techno & Berlin. 
Sorry, I think it is because of the Love Parade, and associations. But yeah, Frankfurt is even mentioned in the track from DJ Hooligan. DJ Hooligan - B.o.t.t.r.o.p.
But thanks for the museum suggestion, didn’t know that. And I will watch that video for sure. 
Know almost all the tracks, great!
I do love also the instrumental, without voices. They called something like space Italo. To name one producer: Cyber People (the brother of Ivana Spagna, Giorgio). Or guys like Rygar and Laserdance.
Another track to end with, because I already pretty offtopic here 
Styloo - Pretty face [Original 12" Inch Version]
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I imagine you’re probably referring to this context.
In 1982, while working at Frankfurt’s City Music record store, DJ Talla 2XLC [de] started to use the term techno to categorize artists such as Depeche Mode, Front 242, Heaven 17, Kraftwerk and New Order, with the word used as shorthand for technologically created dance music.
However, I believe the term “techno” as a music genre was first used much earlier. In Japan, it was already widely used during the 1970s when YMO became a hit.
Early use of the term ‘Techno’
In 1977, Steve Fairnie and Bev Sage formed an electronica band called the Techno Twins in London, England. When Kraftwerk first toured Japan, their music was described as “technopop” by the Japanese press.[148] The Japanese band Yellow Magic Orchestra used the word ‘techno’ in a number of their works such as the song “Technopolis” (1979), the album Technodelic (1981), and a flexi disc EP, “The Spirit of Techno” (1983).[149] When Yellow Magic Orchestra toured the United States in 1980, they described their own music as technopop, and were written up in Rolling Stone Magazine.[150]
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It’s always interesting to me how few software-enthusiasts there are out there. A lot of people seem to view making music or artwork in the box as some kind of necessary evil not worth exploring further, and part of me wonders if it’s the systems and menus somehow getting in the way. I know a lot of hardware devices also have plenty of systems and menus to contend with, but the ease of access is more surface-level; you can move knobs, press buttons, see the pretty lights and everything just feels more intuitive to most.
Then there are those of us who are too poor for hardware, so we have to use what we’ve got
Since the two aren’t mutually-exclusive, I give the largest amount of props to people who can afford (and do use) luxury hardware, but who also embrace the digital medium to its fullest (I know a few of those on here who have made some excellent Renoise scripts!). They’re sort of the ones who defy all “hmm, is analog or digital better?” rules and just use whatever they can to make awesome things. I think we can all learn a lesson from them.
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According to the linked informations they used it in song titles and they described their style as “Technopop”, but they didn’t categorize music as “Techno”. I’m pretty sure Talla 2XLC quickly started to categorize pure electronic sound (which already existed at that time) as Techno, stuff like Depeche Mode is Synth Pop and Kraftwerk themselves described their music as “Electro Pop”. Anyway, Frankfurt > Berlin when it comes to “capital of Techno”. Did you watch the video above? 
Then I have no problem with that. (Though I was surprised Düsseldorf wasn’t included.)
However, after looking into it a bit, it seems that within the overall historical flow of the term “techno music,” the words ‘techno’ and “technopop” refer to different concepts.
In Japan, it’s common to abbreviate compound English words into a single term, so the concepts behind the words “techno” and “technopop” are not separate. That’s why the explanation that the term “techno” first appeared in the 1980s felt off.
The discrepancy likely arose because the same name was used to represent different things.
I watched the video too. I understand that in Frankfurt, there was a movement with active releases of techno music records and events. thanks.
Because of Kraftwerk? Kraftwerk may be the origin of electronic music as we know it today and the main reason why there’s Electro, Hip Hop and synth sound respectively electronic sound in general, but there’s no big relevance when it comes to “Techno” as a music style. Techno as a music style was categorized and developed in Frankfurt first, and Frankfurt is the reason for nowadays Techno (especially its subgenre Trance), even if the style itself was invented in Detroit and the most influential synths were created in Japan.
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Do you think? What about Klein & MBO? Or Giorgio Moroder? It’s not only Kraftwerk who influenced Techno. Tracks like Feel the drive (Doctor’s cat),. Guys like Yellow Magic Orchestra. Juan Atkins (Cybotron), Alexander Robotnick, to name some.
Klein & MBO started in the 80s, way later than Kraftwerk who started to create their sound in 1968 and released their first album in 1970. And even Giorgio Moroder himself was influenced by Kraftwerk. As I said, Kraftwerk is the origin of electronic music as we know it today. In the end everyone making electronic music is somehow influenced by Kraftwerk. No wonder Kraftwerk is in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Giorgio Moroder isn’t.
Yes. I know, maybe I have misinterpret your early reaction. What I mean is how the later Techno producers were influenced by both: Kraftwerk and Italo disco tracks. So, the producers then were inspired by Kraftwerk, made their tracks, and the generation later where we got more styles and themes were inspired by the names and tracks I mentioned.