The Big Problem with DAWless Setups (and How I Fixed Mine)

Getting into DAWless gear had a huge impact on my creativity. But there’s a problem that starts to creep in the deeper you go down the gear rabbit hole. Every piece of gear fixes a limitation in your previous setup, but it also introduces a new one. Before long, your setup starts to feel less like jamming and more like a hectic dance between menus, user interfaces, hardware, and cables.

So I rebuilt my entire DAWless setup to fix that.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QY9DXSGZZW0

Where My DAWless Setup Started

To understand how I fixed the problem, we have to rewind a little bit and look at how my DAWless setup evolved. Each change solved something but also introduced new complications, and eventually everything started to compound.

When I first got into DAWless gear, I had just finished a couple of albums made entirely in the DAW. I was tired of opening my DAW and seeing endless options every time I started a session. I wanted something simpler.

So I started with a very basic setup: a Novation Circuit Tracks. One box. One workflow.

Eventually I ran into limitations. The Circuit Tracks only has two synth tracks, two MIDI tracks, and four drum tracks. I wanted more flexibility and especially more sampling capability.

That’s when I added the SP-404MKII to the setup.

For a while those two worked well together, but then another limitation appeared. I started getting frustrated by not having a keyboard to play parts more naturally, so I added a synthesizer.

At that point my setup included a sequencer, a sampler, and a synth. That was already a lot.

When the Setup Became Too Complicated

But the gear expansion didn’t stop there. I eventually wanted more MIDI control, which meant adding more devices to the chain. Now I had gear sending MIDI to other gear, which could then trigger multiple synths and long samples across different machines.

Instead of making music, I found myself constantly managing workflows, menus, project files, and connections between devices.

I was writing things down just to remember how my own setup worked.

At that point I realized the system had become too complicated.

Stripping the Setup Back to Basics

So I simplified everything down to one sampler and one synth.

That change was huge. Suddenly it was faster to make music again. There was only one main workflow to think about, and the synth simply became a sound source that I sampled into the sampler.

But eventually I started feeling boxed in sonically. With only one synth connected, I didn’t have much flexibility when performing or building ideas live. Yes, I could sample sounds ahead of time, but when jamming or writing new parts, I only had that one instrument available.

While limitations can be creatively helpful, I didn’t want to fall back into the option paralysis I was trying to escape from in the DAW.

The Real Problem Was Routing

Looking over my desk one day, I realized something important. I actually owned a lot of great gear. Instruments that I really liked. But most of them sat unused until the rare day I decided to pair a specific piece of gear with another.

That’s when it clicked:

The problem wasn’t gear, the problem was routing.

In my earlier setups, everything was connected via MIDI and constantly communicating with everything else. I always had to decide which device was the hub, which one was the master clock, and how everything should be chained together.

Instead of simplifying things, it made the system harder to manage. So I started looking for a way to keep my gear connected but not constantly interacting with each other.

Using a Patchbay to Route My DAWless Setup

Around that time DF Audio contacted me after seeing a video where I talked about wanting to rebuild my setup but not knowing what direction to go. They offered to send over one of their patchbays so I could try it and see if it solved the problem.

This blog isn’t sponsored. They simply sent the patchbay for me to test.

Once I started using it, the idea clicked immediately.

Everything plugs into the back of the patchbay. Each connection represents a source, whether that’s a synth output, sampler input, or interface connection.

Then on the front panel, I can route those sources together using short patch cables.

For example, I can send the output of my Roland P-6 into the input of my SP-404 by simply connecting the two points on the patchbay.

What Is a Patchbay in Music Production?

A patchbay is a routing tool that lets you quickly connect audio gear together without constantly unplugging cables behind your desk. Instead of reaching behind your desk every time you want to switch instruments, you plug everything into the back of the patchbay once. Then you use short patch cables on the front panel to route signals between devices.

This makes it much easier to experiment with different gear combinations. You can send any synth into any sampler, audio interface, or effects chain without rebuilding your entire setup each time.

For producers working with multiple pieces of hardware, a patchbay can dramatically simplify routing while keeping every instrument ready to use.

Why This Simplified My Workflow

The biggest benefit is that I no longer have to crawl behind my desk whenever I want to switch gear.

All of my synths stay plugged in. All of my samplers stay plugged in. If I want to send a specific synth into the SP-404, I just connect those two points on the patchbay.

If the next day I want to send a completely different synth into another sampler like the Polyend Tracker, I can do that instantly without touching the cables behind the desk.

Everything stays connected. I simply reroute it on the front panel.

Limitations of Using a Patchbay

A patchbay does have limitations, and it’s important to understand them.

First, it does not replace a mixer. Its main job is routing one signal into another. While some patchbays allow summing multiple signals together, that’s not the same as mixing. If multiple synths are routed into one input, they will simply combine together without individual level control.

The only way to adjust levels in that situation is by changing the volume directly on the synths themselves.

Another limitation is that I’m currently using the setup in mono. Personally, I don’t mind because many of my samples are mono anyway, but stereo routing is possible with additional cables if needed.

Keeping the Setup Simple

The goal of this rebuild was simplicity. I wanted all of my gear available and ready to use, but I still wanted the creative limitation of working with one sampler and one synth at a time.

Now I can easily switch between instruments while keeping the workflow simple. I might use one synth for chords, then quickly patch another synth in for a bassline, and all it takes is moving a single cable on the patchbay.

Does a Patchbay solve every issue?

Using a patchbay ended up solving my workflow problem, but it’s not necessarily the right solution for everyone. If your goal is to perform with multiple synths simultaneously (and with MIDI connections), a mixer is usually the better tool. But if your goal is to keep your setup flexible while maintaining creative limitations, a patchbay can be incredibly useful.

Music Making Resources

Free Sampler Starter Kit: A perfect companion for learning chopping, performance, and beatmaking on any sampler. It’s free to download when you sign up for my monthly beatmaking newsletter: https://www.sunwarper.com/mailinglist

Personalized Coaching: One-on-one help with music production, beatmaking, and getting songs finished and out into the world: https://www.sunwarper.com/lessons