What is a DAWless Jam?

Techno DAWless Jam

The term DAWless Jam refers to making electronic music without using a Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). So, instead of relying on computer software like Ableton Live or Logic Pro, we use hardware such as drum machines, synthesizers and sequencers to create and perform the music in real-time. This means mistakes might creep into the performance, but conversely there can also be little happy accidents along the way with unexpected musical results from tweaking the controls on different instruments at the same time.

DAWless Jam with a lot of gear

The focus of a DAWless jam is usually on the experimentation and fluidity, rather than a rigid composition, this can allow for a more spontaneous and dynamic performance. Making a DAWless jam is like being a conductor of an electronic orchestra, where each piece of hardware contributes to the overall sound. You can make a jam with just one piece of hardware, see the sub category “one synth jams”, but usually 2, 3 or more is preferred. There can be a tendency to layer up too much gear though and if there is only one musician performing it can be hard to stay on top of all the different bits of equipment. I think most of the best DAWless jams I have made are usually with around 3 or 4 bits of gear, as it keeps the focus and can make the result less repetitive.

Synthesizer Jam

I have curated a playlist of DAWless Jams to collect together all of the performances on the DAWless youtube channel