Hi out there,

all the testing and review reading finally led me to the ultimate question "Which is the best synth for ME with a minimum of cost?
I came to the conclusion that only browsing the presets is no real base for decision.
So a came to a solution which might be interesting for all the other synth-of-their-dreams-seekers:

I created a benchmark sound which revealed the true nature of the plug-in to me. That is: No delays and phasers and PWM, just the most basic sound which every honest analog synth should be capable of.

The benchmark sound was one of my favourite synth sounds: The soft brass of the Toto-song africa.
My requirements were:
*a creamy and lively stereo soft brass sound
*filter cut off velocity
*motion in the sustain phase

First step:
Test the sawtooth sound:
- How will the treble degrade in the high notes?
- Which is the highest note anyway?
- Were becomes the aliasing audible?

Second step:
Choose a second ocilator and detune it, pan the oscillators for stereo and filter them with a 4-pole Lowpass and some resonance.

Third step:
Twiddle the envelopes for amp and filter and no effects at all!

I did the for the following synths:
a1 (vst-build-in synth)
superwave 8
polyiblit
synth1
free alpha
delta III
Albino

The result were very instructive:
Many synth (commercial ones includes) disguise their
bad oscillator engines with effects and reverbs.
Oscillator panning seems to be a rare feature.

Ok. These are my results (A=very good to E=bad):
a1: [C] No oscillator panning, so I had to use the chorus in order to make the sound stereo. The sound is quite bumpy and will disturb the mix with to much mid frequencies.

superwave 8: [B]: Sounds creamy and silky. A bit lack of analog warmth.

polyiblit: [A]: A real winner. Is expressive, warm an not static at all. The sound lives and gives you the real african feeling.

synth1 [A-]: What a synth! Very much pressure an agressive filters. May be to much presence for the mix. Not silky enough for my taste.

free alpha [E]: Sounds flat and boring. Not analog at all. No fun.

delta III [D]: Sorry, but analog sounds a definitely not the linplug domain. I used the analog osc model and tried all three LP24 filter models. The sound is still static and sample-like.

albino: The same as delta III

Of course this rating is a result of my taste.
In order to get a more objective result, I suggest to the community:

Let's biuld up a benchmark library for testing sounds of different analog synth plug-ins.
Every menber could contribute his/her favourite sounds implemented on several synths.

I thing this could really enhance the synth reviews and help you find your dream synth you can't live without.

If I knew how, i would offer my benchmark sound settings to the community.

and even after all that, it would still come down to what do your ears like right?

Mighty_Hero wrote:

and even after all that, it would still come down to what do your ears like right?

Always does!

Mighty_Hero wrote:

and even after all that, it would still come down to what do your ears like right?

Wrong. With a set of benchmark sounds you can compare and decide yourself. That was my point. Not just another review.

miegler wrote:

Mighty_Hero wrote: and even after all that, it would still come down to what do your ears like right? Wrong. With a set of benchmark sounds you can compare and decide yourself. That was my point. Not just another review.

The whole reason there is demos for these, if they're pay, in the first place. I'd be hard pressed to make up my mind on some mp3 I heard in one place. I'd make my decision by listening and playing with the full demo. Reviews are great to get an informed insite, and educate you on things you might not think of, but when it comes to the sound, it's all subjective.

Devon

exactly.

The test shows how a synth performs a certain sound. It's very possible the Saw is warm and nice in one synth while the Square is good in another. To properly test synths benchmark style i suppose you'd have to measure them block by block to figure out the exact aliasing and so on. Still that doesn't say much since aliasing isn't necessarily a bad thing. Now you're all saying wait a minute, did he say aliasing wasn't bad? Yes i did, it sounds different meaning it will be able to make sounds standard nonaliasing ocs's can't do. A different sound is not always a worse sound.

"Oscillator panning seems to be a rare feature."

Yes! Because that means the filter will also have to be stereo, as do the effects. Which means the synth will have a higher cpu demand.

/Majken

Hmmm, I guess it´s possible to define in a technical way what is ment by "a perfect sounding VA", but this test does not include anything that can measure the sounds quality, only the ears of the person who performs the test.
That may be useful to each individual, but the results are not easy to share because you can´t trust everybody to have ears that are made for knowing when a synth sounds analogue or not
And if one knows when a VA sounds right, I doubt he needs to dial in the toto-sound to find out, plus he´ll need more than that to be sure.
However, I can see how this could be useful for a reviewer on a magazine that the readers trust the ears of, but they´d prolly still want to see some curves n stuff too.

Roman Empire wrote:

However, I can see how this could be useful for a reviewer on a magazine that the readers trust the ears of, but they´d prolly still want to see some curves n stuff too.

As a reviewer for a magazine, it wouldn't be useful to me.

Devon

miegler wrote:

Mighty_Hero wrote: and even after all that, it would still come down to what do your ears like right? Wrong. With a set of benchmark sounds you can compare and decide yourself. That was my point. Not just another review.

While I think your premise is interesting -- i.e. which synth will give me the specific sound I want -- your ratings didn't give me a good idea of the final verdict. All your comments are subjective (creamy, warm, "not analog", etc).

I would have found the conclusions more instructive if you had said which one sounded most like the Toto sound. Or put up a clip of the original sound, and then a sample of each synth you tried to recreate the sound on. That sort of thing.

I'm also not convinced synth sounds need to be judged on sound without effects, if effects are inherently important to that synth's sound. I wouldn't say I like someone's song more because they didn't use effects. But if the Toto brass sound didn't require effects, then the benchmark of matching that sound makes more sense.

Cheers,
Steve

Choice of 'best' synth...

1) Does it do stuff that I dont already have something to do?

2) Is it worth the cost?

Tha end.

shamann wrote:

I'm also not convinced synth sounds need to be judged on sound without effects, if effects are inherently important to that synth's sound. I wouldn't say I like someone's song more because they didn't use effects. But if the Toto brass sound didn't require effects, then the benchmark of matching that sound makes more sense.

Oh oh! Let's argue!

Who gives a shit whether it sounds good or bad with effects? Effects make the sound on most everything I've ever played with, barring some natural instruments. I consider the Dot Com modular beasts to be the best in class in the terms of real analog gear, but even that sounds kinda dull with no effects. And then what effects do you like? I know people if it at least hasn't been run through a bitcrusher, and mangled to hell and back, it's no good. So what does this prove? Not much really. Effects make your sound.

Devon

DevonB quoth Effects make your sound

They certainly make mine....

DevonB wrote:

Effects make your sound.

Indeed, we are in full agreement.

Sadly, no arguing.

DevonB wrote:

shamann wrote: I'm also not convinced synth sounds need to be judged on sound without effects, if effects are inherently important to that synth's sound. I wouldn't say I like someone's song more because they didn't use effects. But if the Toto brass sound didn't require effects, then the benchmark of matching that sound makes more sense. Oh oh! Let's argue! Who gives a shit whether it sounds good or bad with effects? Effects make the sound on most everything I've ever played with, barring some natural instruments. I consider the Dot Com modular beasts to be the best in class in the terms of real analog gear, but even that sounds kinda dull with no effects. And then what effects do you like? I know people if it at least hasn't been run through a bitcrusher, and mangled to hell and back, it's no good. So what does this prove? Not much really. Effects make your sound. Devon

hmm...what about the Nord Lead series of synths..ok the later ones have an overdrive/dist but they really don´t need any FX imo...

whyterabbyt wrote:

Choice of 'best' synth... 1) Does it do stuff that I dont already have something to do? 2) Is it worth the cost? Tha end.

3) What the f*** was that?

aka the Ohmforce Effect!

mindless wrote:

hmm...what about the Nord Lead series of synths..ok the later ones have an overdrive/dist but they really don´t need any FX imo...

I played a Nord Lead II at least, if not the original (I've played with so many synths, I start to forget EVERY one I've touched!) It didn't impress me that much. Now, the new G2.... I want one!!! But that certainly has effects on it.

Devon

someone said Nord?? ah a Nord Lead 3...

How on earth can you benchmark personal preferences?

e.g. I can disagree with almost every scoring in the series given - Synth1 sounds more analogue than Linplugs? (I presume he means warm/fluid/squelchy/full...etc, etc etc - see - there isn't even a benchmark in the terminology to describe a sound in words ) He obviously likes that type of sound, but I'd have to argue till the cows come home about the "analogueness" (whatever that is) of Synth1, yet this scores top?

Shows how pointless any kind of "benchmark" is really. I've heard comments before about how certain digital S+S synths sound more analogue than an MS20....(really!).... if that kind of thing can be argued, then no benchmark is going to be effective for some of the odd and different tastes in synthesis. I've heard VSTi users going on about analogueness that have never actually owned an analogue synth. It's like arguing that pink Fords are better than green Subarus FFS.....




When it's fuckin' obvious that blue Triumphs are the best