For most of us, a Mac or PC is the focal point of the studio. But it’s unlikely to be the only computer we use.
Most digital audio processors are, by any meaningful definition, computers. Give them a keyboard and a screen and a conventional operating system, and they’d probably be capable of running Minecraft or sending emails. But from the user’s point of view, there’s a huge gulf between this type of product and, well, computers.
A Mac or PC is designed to be open‑ended, adaptable, versatile. It’s a generic device that happens to be useful for music, among other things. It’s up to us to configure it to meet our needs. By contrast, digital studio hardware is usually laser‑focused on a single task, with a ruthlessly simplified user interface.
In the extreme case, multi‑function studio workstations such as Ableton’s Push 3 or the Akai MPC XL are literally embedded PCs — yet their big selling point is that they “aren’t computers”. They represent a deliberately crafted alternative music production paradigm, in which screens and mice are sidelined in favour of button grids and faders.
A few specialist manufacturers have tried to bridge the gap between computers and computers. The Open Labs Neko [see SOS January 2005 review], for example, was a PC running Windows XP, built into a workstation keyboard with an additional touchscreen and QWERTY keyboard. The Muse Receptor promised the ability to run conventional software synths in a set‑and‑forget rackmounting box. Neither could compete commercially against generic mass‑produced laptops.
Perhaps surprisingly, tablet computers haven’t carved out significant roles in the studio either. On paper, an iPad could be the perfect virtual synth workstation or recording platform, with an elegant touchscreen interface. In practice, tablets tend to be limited to ancillary functions such as remote control.
We like computers in the studio... and we like digital gear in the studio. But it seems we want them to stay in their lanes.
We like computers in the studio, then; and we like digital gear in the studio. But it seems we want them to stay in their lanes, which is why I find this month’s cover product both fascinating and daring. The LAVA Studio does not run Windows or macOS, or even Linux. Its software is largely proprietary. But it fulfils many of the same musical roles as a modern computer: virtual amp, audio interface, multitrack DAW, stem separator. It even adds some of its own, thanks to its built‑in speakers and learning platform. One of LAVA Music’s unintentionally hilarious promotional images shows it replacing not only multiple PCs, but an entire room full of AI‑generated cables and gear.
So is the LAVA Studio a computer? Is it a computer alternative, like a Push or MPC for guitarists? Or is it something else altogether? I don’t know, but I hope it shakes things up a bit.
Sam Inglis Editor In Chief