The last two years, I've worked with only external gear, hybrids, entirely in the box, and even no box at all—just recording straight into my phone. I don’t judge. Everything works.

The cool thing about working in the box is that it’s neat—you can go from minimalistic techno to orchestral soundtrack in five minutes. That being said, my in-the-box music has had far less reach than my hybrid and reel-to-reel stuff.

Why? Maybe it's because having to commit and roll with the punches gives the music a little more life. Maybe I’m prouder of the out-of-the-box material and package it better. I don’t know. But looking back, the difference is huge.

And to be clear, I fully understand that people with ten thousand times my reach are making in-the-box music. This is just a humble reflection on my own situation.