Plasticky sound -- so what?

[JPQ]

We dont need all like same things. i like Tone2 and Rob Papen,Linplug synths mostly when we talk software.

[1wob2many]

Plastic synths are like porn...

Shouldn't that be:

They get the job done, but are not as satisfying as the real thing. (especially in your case )

[1wob2many]

Wibble wobble double bubble.

[ghettosynth]

The word plasticky always comes up when we're talking about outdated DSP models. I associate it with a weak filter and a failure to capture much of the subtlety of analog synths.

[chk071]

I wouldn't call Spire or any of the Tone2 synths outdated. I guess you don't mean the same thing when talking about plasticky. Especially as you're talking about subtlety of analog filter emulation. As i wrote, i mainly connect plasticky sound to the filter envelope behavior, or the envelopes general behavior. And judging from the synths/plugins mentioned here, i guess that holds true for other people as well.

[Numanoid]

What can I say, I like plasticky sound When I listen to 80's music, most of it had a plasticky sound to it in my view.

You need to listen with your ears, not your eyes (view)

Music now is much more plastic-ky than in the 80's, with autotune there is no place for errors

[Kriminal]

I read it again and again here, people say certain synths sound plasticky, for instance Tone2 gear. I am not sure I can put my finger on what plasticky sound actually sounds like. But I get the impression that it means polished and clean, smooth as opposed to sizzling.

What can I say, I like plasticky sound When I listen to 80's music, most of it had a plasticky sound to it in my view. To me polished and clean is actually what I want my finished music to sound like. So plasticky-sounding plugins might help me get there faster.

Nor does plasticky mean cheap and light as is the case with most plastics products. The DX7 basses for instance sounded very plasticky some say, but they had a nice punch and sounded, well, good and pleasant in my view

I assume non-plasticky means typical analog hardware, right?

Is the difference also about the weight of certain frequency spectra?


Apart from Tone2 stuff, which other quality synths have a decidedly plasticky sound?

To me they sound metallic. Horribly so. It takes a massive amount of effort to try and get rid of it, but you cant lose it 100%. They also sound very similar. They release a lot in a short space of time, so it looks/sounds like the same stuff tweaked a bit.

[ghettosynth]

I wouldn't call Spire or any of the Tone2 synths outdated. I guess you don't mean the same thing when talking about plasticky. Especially as you're talking about subtlety of analog filter emulation. As i wrote, i mainly connect plasticky sound to the filter envelope behavior, or the envelopes general behavior. And judging from the synths/plugins mentioned here, i guess that holds true for other people as well.

The filter envelope behavior is a function of the filter and the envelope. I think that we are talking about the same thing. It frequently comes up when discussing Reaktor, for example. What you're probably hearing in the filter envelope behavior is the weakness of the filter in response to rapid modulation, which, is exactly what shows up weak filter algorithms.

Most synths today have weak filters. To me, most synths on the market are outdated, even if they're new. I haven't heard enough of Spire or Tone2 to make that judgement, per se. People have been talking about plasticy synths for decades, it's not new with the plugin generation. It almost always comes down to how the filter sounds. I don't think that the word is changing that much. I suspect that because it's not very precise as a description that it gets thrown around a lot. The word itself implies something of a cheap imitation of whatever the real substance should be, e.g., glass, or china, so, in other words, similar, but missing the subtlety. The subtlety can come from other places as well, e.g., the word has been used to describe DCO synths, but again, those with weak filters.

[fluffy_little_something]

That would be "cheesy" to me

[Numanoid]

You mean like Queijo Flamengo ?

[ghettosynth]

That would be "cheesy" to me

Casios are cheezy, nords are plasticy, both sound great in the right context.

On a more serious note, I think that what sounds plasticy to someone can depend on context and changes over time. I think that as you learn the sound of something you start hearing more refined and subtle details of the sound or instrument. For me, at least, it's not unlike the experience of learning a new song (cover song). At first you think that you've nailed it but after you become really familiar you start being able to pick out subtle variations that you didn't hear at first because your mind was focused on what was in the foreground.

I also think that various biases heavily affect what we hear so we have to be careful and subject ourselves to more stringent listening. Unfortunately, that's not always easy to do.

[Sendy]

To me plasticy means chompy, solid but pliable, a bit of shine, and somewhat artificual sounding. Check out PlastiCZ by ReFX. Ultimate plasticy sound. Actually, PD synths in general can have that tone. Vanguard is another plasticy synth, it's the kind of plastic that can melt and fizz, but always in a very digital but pleasing way.

[Numanoid]

Plastic-ky should really mean eternal.

Not like wood that will rot.

[do_androids_dream]

To me they sound metallic. Horribly so. It takes a massive amount of effort to try and get rid of it, but you cant lose it 100%. They also sound very similar. They release a lot in a short space of time, so it looks/sounds like the same stuff tweaked a bit.

That's exactly how I find the tone2 synths - not always a bad thing as that can be just the ticket. Kind of fizzy sounding too - almost like everything's been rendered to 128kbps mp3 or something.

[trimph1]

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