Vince Clarke's official website

[Locus M]

He knows the stuff he has inside out and there's little need for anything new with that rig. He's quite conservative gearwise as i understand it (understatement of the year)

Cm Are there any bits of software that you'd like to add to the armory?
VC: "Not really at the moment. I recently bought a few soft synths, after using the logics ones for quite a while, so I do not want to make the same mistake I made with analogue synthesizers -where I started just buying things and never actually using them."

Here we got the real reason for both the size of his studio and any potential conservativeness with respect to buying new stuff -and OH! do anybody else than me know exactly what he talks about in this regard? That statement has made him my synthesizer saint!

[jupiter8]

http://dancemusic.about.com/od/artistsh ... ureInt.htm

We're all using Logic actually. I've just recently started using Logic because I moved to America and I couldn't bring my studio over. So this time round I had to sit down and actually work and learn how to use Logic. It forced me to read manuals, which I hate. <laughing>

http://www.metro.co.uk/fame/interviews/ ... page_id=11

I used to do all my programming on a BBC computer. It was limited to 16 tracks and you used the keyboard, not a mouse to input but I was using it so long I got quite fast at it. I was reluctant to change because I'm lazy but I did an album with Gareth Jones and I saw the Mac set-up. When I moved to New York, I couldn't take my equipment with me, so I was forced into learning this new software.

http://www.native-instruments.com/index ... clarke&L=1

Even though technology went way ahead of me I stuck to the same piece of equipment. The reason for that was that its limitations really helped me to make the right decisions when it came down to making music. I couldn't get thrown over by having too many choices and that helped me focus on what was important in the song. When I moved to the U.S. I started using Logic and Max/MSP while I was waiting for all my equipment to arrive from the U.K. That's when I really got into software synthesizers. It was the first time I read a manual in my life. A rather difficult experience.

So yeah,i'd say he's quite conservative and does'nt like new stuff.

EDIT: The Fairlight he got partly for,believe it or not,economical reason.
He wanted to get something like 8 Synthon Syrinxes but then 7 of them would be wasted in the studio so it made more economical sense to get a Fairlight. Damn,i wish i had those troubles in the 80ies.

[Locus M]

I CM no. 136. There is an interview in which Clark tells that he has used "logic's softsynths on a lot of albums". Also Reaktor, Absynth and the moog modular V is praised.

Yeah but that was when he had all the goodies listed above in storage.
I doubt he uses much softsynths nowadays.

There is nothing that suggests that he will decline software in the future in CM:

"I rely a lot on Gareth's recommendation, as he's more based in that world -he'll tell us what the exciting new software is, or what might be good to experiment with"

Seems like there are more people involved in his software explorations than just himself.

There is however still a few suggestions in the article, that he still likes the old analogues in their own right and plan to use them! Guess I can say that without quotes, since it should not be a such controversial claim

In the end: Maybe it is actually just on KVR that softsynths and hardware synths can become a question of "either-or"? As far as I can see, there is nothing that suggests that Vince views synths with such a narrowed mind set, on the contrary:

"I still like to have the old analogue gear there, too. But, a lot of softsynths has a character of their own, too; the moog modular V is just crazy!"

Thank God for that! As a user of both things, that makes me feel quite normal. Again: What a saint

[jupiter8]

Maybe it is actually just on KVR that softsynths and hardware synths can become a question of "either-or"?

I had a feeling that would come up and thought about commenting on it earlier.

The reason i doubted he still uses softsynths was because to me he seems pretty set in his ways and once he got access to his regular gear he would use that instead. Seems i was wrong.

Was'nt so much which is better than which though he says in one of the interviews i linked to earlier

The analogue synthesizers do sound warmer - I know it's a cliché. I've just reassembled all mine, so the next Erasure album will revert to that.

[Locus M]

So yeah,i'd say he's quite conservative and does'nt like new stuff.

Sure, but in the sense quoted, who of us old scholars ain't? Every new peice of digital gear have always been a nightmare to figure for the most of us. I can still feel my desperation and rage from trying figure out the parametres of SY55 with its small small display. I also remember the swearing over the W30 which had a bigger display but confusing structure or every other piece of gear in which the functions were hidden behind layers on layers. First time I used Cubase SE, I simply though that exactly my version of the software was bugged. You can get deep-shit traumatised by such things, but once you have survived and learned the new stuff, you are in again!

[Locus M]

The analogue synthesizers do sound warmer - I know it's a cliché.

Thank God, he did not say that under some alias at KVR - I might have been among the flamethrowers in that case! Thus, I do indeed prefer his saying that analogues have "more frequencies". Sounds neutral and are probably true (at least it sounds to me like all my hardware produce more frequencies than any of my softies).

[jupiter8]

So yeah,i'd say he's quite conservative and does'nt like new stuff.

Sure, but in the sense quoted, who of us old scholars ain't? Every new peice of digital gear have always been a nightmare to figure for the most of us.

I dunno. I remember getting my Wavestation and was thrilled to bits on all the new stuff i could try out. Same thing with the Kawai K5. Imagine that,an additive synth!! They're a dime a dousen now but were really rare back then.

They both turned out to be real turds to program but i went to the project with great joy and anticipation. Could be i did'nt know better then.

Thank God, he did not say that under some alias at KVR - I might have been among the flamethrowers in that case! Thus, I do indeed prefer his saying that analogues have "more frequencies". Sounds neutral and are probably true (at least it sounds to me like all my hardware produce more frequencies than any of my softies).

I can agree with him on that. He's got the good stuff. What i object to is that all hardware synths are superiour to software often for inexplainable reason.
Intelligent aliasing,magical heat shimmer and whathaveyou.

I much rather have Zebra2 or Gladiator over say pretty much any Korg analog (except for the PS series.They're awesome) or Akai analog.

[Locus M]

I much rather have Zebra2 or Gladiator over say pretty much any Korg analog (except for the PS series.They're awesome) or Akai analog.

I have been one of the hardest defender of softies equality to hardware, but after 4 years, I have given up fighting for my particular old school synthbasses and returned to hardware for these alone. Now they are taken care of by Alpha Juno 1, Mopho, JP8000 and microkorg. It is a great relief and speed up the proces beyond 50%! All other things, I can easily make with software with just as great results - and sometimes even better, due to the clean signal and extended mod possilities (just like The Saint says it!). I can not say that Hardware in general produce better basses than software, I can only say that I like my basses the way they sounded in the 80s and they were mainly made on analogues or at least hardware. I have not been able to reproduce them to my taste on software yet. When and if they get close, it is because there are invested many hours in getting them there. Far too many.

[olicana]

i know he was makin his own ensembles in reaktor and had fun with it...and other softsynths but in the end he still falls back on his analogs.
even martin gore when softsynths came out was prasing synths like the mercury vsti and oddity etc....but in the end for his new album (sounds of the universe) he went back full on analog synths.

Yes and in CM mag Vince says that he probably will use analogs again on his next album, but that does not mean he does it for the reasons that you suggests! There is no trace of such explanation! It is pure guesswork Smile

exactly he will use analog synths cos in his opinion THEY SOUND BETTER than VAs despite the limitations of analogs .His choice is based on sound.thats what i meant in my post.
he sticks to analog synths not cos he is reluctant to learn new software as someone said(he even got deep into reaktor which i bet would be unknown territory for many here)...he simply chooses analog synths based on sound preference.
some ppl here cant accept this argument... and even you were among the "software allready sounds like analog" crowd. Wink
to me currentlly there's only one softsynth that sounds as juicy and punchy as an analog....and thats the new tal elek7ro.

:

VC: "I think that analogue has an inherent sound to it -it's like the old argument over vinyl versus CD. It seems that you hear more frequencies coming from an old analogue synth than you do from a software synth, but the great thing about the latter is that you can do far more complex modulation, both within the synth itself and on the keyboard"

this is the reason why he( and not only him) prefers analog synths....but its not like the vynil versu cd debate....its proven dsp math problems which hinder softsynths(from aliasing to filter feedback lag)and algorythms which are not as good as they could be.(for cpu limitations)

ps: my guess on why he would have a jp8000 among his gear was just a gues....never a statement. what is clear though is that he generally prefers to use analog synths cos of sound preference. nothing else.

[jupiter8]

he sticks to analog synths not cos he is reluctant to learn new software as someone said

He said so himself. Can't get any better source than that.

to me currentlly there's only one softsynth that sounds as juicy and punchy as an analog....and thats the new tal elek7ro.

Again with the generalisations. There's plenty of crap analogs to go around.
Vince Clarke has the top of the line stuff. I doubt he'd prefer the Korg Poly 800 over the Arturia MiniMoog V.

[Locus M]

exactly he will use analog synths cos in his opinion THEY SOUND BETTER than VAs despite the limitations of analogs .His choice is based on sound.thats what i meant in my post.He sticks to analog synths not cos he is reluctant to learn new software as someone said(he even got deep into reaktor which i bet would be unknown territory for many here)...he simply chooses analog synths based on sound preference.

How did you conclude that from the quote? It could be the sound or it could be the familarity or the real time control. He do not say in the quote. Do not be so sure of others reason if they do not give them to you directly. You are not him, so case is: You do not know but are guessing! Whether it is a good guess , I do not know since I have not got all interviews with him, but from the one from CM, nothing suggests what you say!

some ppl here cant accept this argument... and even you were among the "software allready sounds like analog" crowd.

First part should be left to the ppl to decide and none of us provides real arguments but are exchanging guesses, I'd say, and they can be good or bad depending on what they are based upon. The last parts relevance, I can not see at all, beyond the fact that you must have misunderstood something about my views, plz see my post to Jupiter 8 about my views upon the software-hardware debate.

this is the reason why he( and not only him) prefers analog synths....but its not like the vynil versu cd debate....its proven dsp math problems which hinder softsynths(from aliasing to filter feedback lag)and algorythms which are not as good as they could be.(for cpu limitations)

Well, Vince clark said it was like the vinyl debate and not anything about whether he prefer one above the other, not if you take his words from CM. I can nit see, where you get that certainty from. Do you have any quotes? it seems to me that you are guessing in a very speculative way and now you also give explanations on his behalf, which he has not said a word about.

ps: my guess on why he would have a jp8000 among his gear was just a gues....never a statement. the statement though is :he prefer to use analog synths cos he prefers the sound. nothing else.

Yes but that is a guess too. Even if he did like them better (well I do not think it is unlikely that it is so), it might be for the reason that he is used to them and not the DSP-algorithm explanation.

Open your mind and see how many possible explanations there are apart from your own.

[Axis1~SL61]

[...] Thus, I do indeed prefer his saying that analogues have "more frequencies". Sounds neutral and are probably true (at least it sounds to me like all my hardware produce more frequencies than any of my softies).

Now, I think you've just hitt the nail on the head right there -- I think that difference in frequency content is also what I've noticed as a difference between analog and digital synths (softsynths and hw VAs included). However, for me as a user of both types of synths, the advantages of softsynths are mostly in the field of mobillity and practicallity. Nowadays, if you are not famous and rich, you can have all hardware synths in the world but when it comes to repairing them, if you don't have a good technician as one of your best friends... well, the problems can be endless. So, as a poor and non famous musician, my old hardware is mostly faulty here and there, and awaiting repair for ages... I bought most of my hardware in the 80's and early 90's, but it seems most of my hardware units decided to go wrong around the same time in the early 2000's, and not living in a big city with access to good technicians is a big problem in what respects hardware synths. So, Thank God , Technology and all the wonderfully bright and generous programmers out there for today's miryad of softsynth diversity!

[Stupid American Pig]

I had no idea so many people had direct portals into vince clarkes head and knew all of his thoughts and motivations...

[olicana]

VC: "I think that analogue has an inherent sound to it -it's like the old argument over vinyl versus CD. It seems that you hear more frequencies coming from an old analogue synth than you do from a software synth, but the great thing about the latter is that you can do far more complex modulation, both within the synth itself and on the keyboard"

without going fishing for other quotes ....
this one to me says: he prefers the sound of analogs although he appreciates the flexibility of VAs. and i don't thinks its a bizarre interpreation.

anyway i knew this thread would turn into a flame war.
stayin out of this one....and only returning if it gets really nasty

[spaceman]

I had no idea so many people had direct portals into vince clarkes head and knew all of his thoughts and motivations...

It's a gift.. often you just need to supply one word and 85 pages of knowledge and insight appear as if out of nowhere.. like magic!