Just curious to know what others think about the two.
I've had a couple of hardware synths that I enjoyed. Now, I'm recording with a midi controller and software synths.
( arturia analog 3 ). The amount of sounds available in software wins for me handsdown. As well as the controller weighing
next to nothing compared to a vintage hardware synth. OTOH, I can see where someone would prefer a hardware version.
The other nice thing about a software synth is that it doesn't break. ( except into very tiny bits ... :) )
I'm a troglodyte. I prefer something I can mess with, with my hands.
I picked up a 49 key Samson Carbonite and it came with a suite of software synths. I got the keys just to run the Ambika build but I have to admit, I'm pretty impressed with the quality of software based stuff.
huge + and - for both. hardware feels way more inspiring, fun, hands-on etc. after a day at work, coming home and sitting in front of another screen clicking around to make music is not particularly joyful. but the convenience and power to weight ratio of software is pretty absurd. it takes a lot of cables and miscellaneous bits of equipment to get a setup that costs nothing in software.
sound wise i don't think there is any difference worth mentioning, both can sound incredible or garbage. though again playing with hardware often leads to more unexpected results with clipping and harmonic content that you wouldn't necessarily stumble across in software.
there's also the whole issue about limitations and creativity - again if you're sitting in front of one hardware synth that's it, that's what you have to work with, so you make it work. whereas with software you are basically unlimited and this can be paradoxically stifling.
Quote from: oip on July 30, 2018, 05:33:03 AM
there's also the whole issue about limitations and creativity - again if you're sitting in front of one hardware synth that's it, that's what you have to work with, so you make it work. whereas with software you are basically unlimited and this can be paradoxically stifling.
Huge +1 to this--I couldn't agree more. Having limitations to work within is enormously liberating. When I am dealing with software, I spend hours tweaking and yet somehow I'm never really happy with anything. With hardware, I accept the limitations at the outset. This compels me to concentrate on the other things within my control--like the song and the actual performance--which are in fact a hundred times more important to the result and (maybe more importantly) to my enjoyment of the music making process.
I'm in total agreement with the advantages of limits. I think my background in software helps me
to blur the software/hardware line when it comes to limits. Perhaps the hardware designer is analogous
to whomever wrote the software. I'm lucky to be able to appreciate well-written software.
I reckon that hardware would be the most fun to use in the initial stages, when you're messing about looking for sounds. But when you found the sounds you wanted its probably best to switch to software for gigging purposes. Far easier live to have a single laptop and controller live then a whole battery of hardware synths. Which all have to be hooked up individually. And who all might decide to go finicky on you at some point. So might the laptop, but having done a few gigs the less complicated your rig is, the less chance it has to go wonky on you.
I've never played keys live, but I wonder about the visual aspect with laptops.
I suppose a full-size controller would look pretty much the same.
One reason that I like home recording with soft synths is that I've got all the time in the world
to tweak.
Any piano players out there?
Quote from: stringsthings on July 31, 2018, 10:14:32 AM
I've never played keys live, but I wonder about the visual aspect with laptops.
I suppose a full-size controller would look pretty much the same.
In general unless the keyboard player gets put at the front of the stage they're usually not in the public's eye. Most of the time they're at the back, with the singer and the guitar and bass player grabbing the attention, as A: they're usually at the front of the stage and B: not tied to a physical work space, like the keyboard player and drummer usually are. And while a whole battery of keyboards and synths would draw the attention of fellow keyboard nerds, those rarely make up the majority of an audience. So laptop with controller vs. huge battery of keyboards and synths, I doubt it will matter much. In my experience most keyboard players tend to gig with one keyboard or synth anyway.
One reason that I like home recording with soft synths is that I've got all the time in the world
to tweak.
Any piano players out there?
[/quote]
In the interests of expanding the scope of the original post:
What software are y'all using to record with? ( I'm using one of Magix's products )
I'm lazy.
Audacity.
Great topic
I have been using softsynths for about 20 years now and boy have they come a long way.
A lot of things have already been said in this thread so I will keep my opinion short.
I truly believe even the die hard analog hardware lovers couldn't blind test say... a real Minimoog vs. Synapse The Legend or Native Instruments Monark. Or say a Prophet 5 vs. UHE Repro-5. Now that said, Korgs VST MS20 sounds like ass compared to a real MS-20. So it's kind of hit and miss with the emulations.
While I absolutely love midi controllers (have a few), they can't compare to the actual feel of say a cutoff filter knob on an analog hardware synth. And you guys with modulars know how much fun and inspiring it is to create fabulous sounds patching real cables.
So IMO, kind of like guitar plugins vs real amp and effects, both have come a long way in recent years and it's cool to use both!
Quote from: peAk on August 04, 2018, 09:03:45 PM
So IMO, kind of like guitar plugins vs real amp and effects, both have come a long way in recent years and it's cool to use both!
I'm in total agreement.
As a avid Reason 9.5 user I enjoy my software synths. Even more so with the adaption of VST host capabilities. I have however found the arturia collection to be OK, but not as good as the real thing. They just don't do it. I do highly recommend however, Bitley's amazing fairlight collection, and sonic project's staggeringly amazing sounding op-x pro II oberheim ob-x emulation.
Quote from: movinginslomo on August 07, 2018, 10:41:25 PM
I do highly recommend however, Bitley's amazing fairlight collection, and sonic project's staggeringly amazing sounding op-x pro II oberheim ob-x emulation.
very cool.
Quote from: stringsthings on August 08, 2018, 11:04:52 AM
Quote from: movinginslomo on August 07, 2018, 10:41:25 PM
I do highly recommend however, Bitley's amazing fairlight collection, and sonic project's staggeringly amazing sounding op-x pro II oberheim ob-x emulation.
very cool.
There's a patch in the OP-X main bank (and also "famous" bank) called "Jump". You know what it is. the minute you play it, it's THE SOUND. There's a youtube video A/Bing the famous sounds to the real thing, sold me right there. The most massively fat analog monster of a synth you could dream of.
I'm old enough that I toured with keyboard players with Oberheim and Prophet gear and the sound was amazing but meantime between failures got to be exhausting. Don't miss that part. As been mentioned though, a blind audio test between some of this stuff... pretty crazy what can be pulled off. We're getting to the same edge with amp modelers and while it's always cool playing the originals, by the time it goes out thru the PA system to the audience it's a bit of a coin toss.
Quote from: gordo on August 11, 2018, 11:38:23 PM
I'm old enough that I toured with keyboard players with Oberheim and Prophet gear and the sound was amazing but meantime between failures got to be exhausting. Don't miss that part. As been mentioned though, a blind audio test between some of this stuff... pretty crazy what can be pulled off. We're getting to the same edge with amp modelers and while it's always cool playing the originals, by the time it goes out thru the PA system to the audience it's a bit of a coin toss.
The op-x pro version actually includes virtual trimpots so you can dial in those "needs tuning" oberheim tones! Apparently some people like them and consider it a "feature" LOL
I always liked those Prophet hardware synths.
Quote from: stringsthings on August 17, 2018, 05:12:47 PM
I always liked those Prophet hardware synths.
Would you believe that in 1999 I found a Prophet 5 in great condition at a Flea Market for $150! I ended up selling it several years later only EBay for like $1500-$1700. I totally wish I had it though. I'd love to own it again not to mention that they sell for $4000-$4500 now.
Ahh.....the days before everyone was on the net. You could score treasures at places like that, Pawn Shops, yard sales....
Quote from: peAk on August 18, 2018, 11:25:15 AM
Quote from: stringsthings on August 17, 2018, 05:12:47 PM
I always liked those Prophet hardware synths.
Would you believe that in 1999 I found a Prophet 5 in great condition at a Flea Market for $150! I ended up selling it several years later only EBay for like $1500-$1700. ...
Sweet!
Having a blast jamming along to some cars tunes w/analog lab presets! 8)
disclaimer: There's so many presets, that it takes some time to find the good ones.
I have used VSTi's for over 10 years and I agree that the tech has improved greatly over the years. From sound processing to speed of computers to reduce latency to almost 0ms. For me, the down fall of VSTis was the amount of options and presets that were available to me. It seemed to take up more of my time to fiddle around with options and pick pick up lazy habits by using presets out of the box. As I got older and less time to devote to music, I found that the less options/distractions with some hardware has worked out best for me. I still fire up Logic and use many of the Arturia plugins but I have fallen in love with the hardware side of modular synthesis (Eurorack). I love having a piece of hardware that has 1 or 2 primary functions and I get to decide how route everything. Its been a humbling/rewarding experience and I have loved every minute of it.
Software still has a place in my ghetto studio but my hardware is not going anywhere at this point either.
One feature that I like about the analog lab 3 software, is that I can only tweak a few parameters of the presets.
If you upgrade to "V Collection 6", you can now fully edit the presets ... ( i.e. full software synths for unlimited tweaking )
It would be easy to get distracted. And since "V Collection 6" will set you back $500, one would be tempted to get their money's worth.
As opposed to just finding a sound and making music.
For reference: Analog Lab 3 was included for free with the MIDI controller.
There's also the point that I Dream Of Wires raised -- with lots of presets, you tend to just wander through the presets, rather than directly mess with settings yourself.
Quote from: alanp on August 22, 2018, 07:43:01 AM
There's also the point that I Dream Of Wires raised -- with lots of presets, you tend to just wander through the presets, rather than directly mess with settings yourself.
That's what Cody was saying.
I have been buying and building more hardware lately but I still love software
I love hardware that can be controlled through software like my Moog Sub Phatty.
I just love it all!!!