What's the point of hardware synths?(Drunken rant,ha)

[vurt]

Just let people decide on their own, what they want to use.

I want to use your stuff. Please post it over.

Ask vurt, I don't think he's using the WTPA? sampler I sent him. lol
Seriously though, I'm working on something that you may get your hands on one day... If I can manage to get the power supply secured so it can survive an overseas voyage.

hell yeah, it gets a whirl occasionally
also, ill take free stuff anytime

from you or rabbyt

eyes a speak n spell...

[vurt]

None of these points (made by marooned ufo or Gear Nostalgia) are going to convince anyone who has already made up their mind about what they want to use. What is the point of continuously making these arguments? To persuade n00bs that one way is better (or worse) than another? Seems silly to me. Every approach has it's pros and cons.

Just let people decide on their own, what they want to use.

1. This is a public forum where people discuss topics.
2. The OP asked a question, answers follow.
3. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.
4. We don't need someone such as yourself governing what people can and cannot discuss and even worse how we're supposed to do it. As long as the rules are followed, like not taking it personal with attacks.
5. Why waste your time commenting on something that doesn't interest you? Or does it?
6. Maybe because it's making you feel less secure in your reasoning and decision when an opposing opinion makes a lot of sense.
7. You obviously feel threatened and this is your way of trying to convince everyone your thoughts are the only way to do things.
8. People get a little defensive when their investment is going down in value.
9. People don't like to hear the truth when it's negative to their line of thinking.
10. Relax, no one is forcing people to think a specific way.

You really got me figured out there.

clearly an nsa agent if he knows you that well

sorry to hear youre feeling threatened

[chk071]

None of these points (made by marooned ufo or Gear Nostalgia) are going to convince anyone who has already made up their mind about what they want to use. What is the point of continuously making these arguments? To persuade n00bs that one way is better (or worse) than another? Seems silly to me. Every approach has it's pros and cons.

Just let people decide on their own, what they want to use.

Mmh... i think i rather have a flame war instead.

Nah, totally agree. I think both have their advantages and disadvantages. Although the advantages of soft synth way outweigh the disadvantages for me. Actually, apart from not being a physical device, and one-knob-per-function hands on, i couldn't even think of any. The thing is, though, i can very much understand being inspired by a physical device, opposed to having everything in a box (computer), running as software. Hardware does have a physical effect on us, i don't think it's worth denying that. I'm sure that i'd also get more "mileage" out of a 1.000 € box than out of any of my ~100 € soft synths. Value being another point. You're much more likely to fiddle with your 1.000 € purchase than with 100 10 € purchases. Or freeware.

[vurt]

im pretty sure, not 100% but damn close, that most of the hardware users here (myself included) use just as much software, maybe some use less if theyre just recording straight to protools. even then they'll probably add fx.
i use reaktor as much as my hw modular, and tbh if someone for some hypothetical reason said, you will die if you don't choose just one!
id probably go reaktor* .

(subject to change if more racks and modules are added )

ignore me anyway, im just doing updates while im high.

[Examigan]

RePro has a certain character and you basically cannot make it sound bad.

Everything can be made sound bad.

Even the Timbre Wolf.

[justin3am]

hell yeah, it gets a whirl occasionally

That warms the cockles of my cold heart!

Nah, totally agree. I think both have their advantages and disadvantages. Although the advantages of soft synth way outweigh the disadvantages for me. Actually, apart from not being a physical device, and one-knob-per-function hands on, i couldn't even think of any. The thing is, though, i can very much understand being inspired by a physical device, opposed to having everything in a box (computer), running as software. Hardware does have a physical effect on us, i don't think it's worth denying that. I'm sure that i'd also get more "mileage" out of a 1.000 € box than out of any of my ~100 € soft synths. Value being another point. You're much more likely to fiddle with your 1.000 € purchase than with 100 10 € purchases. Or freeware.

Software and hardware are equally important to me but I have worked with many people who prefer using software over hardware and many others who prefer using hardware over software. No one is wrong. It's all just preference.

I've done many more completely ITB projects than I have DAWless projects but it's all important to the way I work. I use my whole studio as a giant modular synth/effect/recording environment. Ultimately, I'm just glad I don't have to choose one or the other. I also don't think there is anything gained by taking a stance on a subject like this. I'm totally open to the idea that I may get tired or repairing hardware when it breaks or that I may get sick of looking at a computer screen everyday. As long as I can continue to be creative, I may just revert to hitting pots and pans together.

[wagtunes]

Know what I'd like to see? This thread made me think of this for the first time. I think this would be so cool.

A generic keyboard controller with a special kind of USB download connection. The connection is designed to download VSTs. Once the VST is downloaded, you can then pull it up just like you would on your computer and edit the "synth" just like you would on your computer, just with maybe a smaller screen. You'd have the ability to load any number of VSTs that you want. The OS inside the keyboard would run the VST. No need for a computer.

This way, you could take one keyboard to a gig and play any synth you want from it without having to bring any additional hardware other than your sound system.

I have no idea how feasible this is, if at all even possible in 100 years, but I think it would be real cool. Imagine loading up Zebra 2, Falcon, HALion 6 and Omnisphere and stacking them and playing them all at the same time from one keyboard and no other equipment other than your sound system.

[chk071]

There were a few device which tried exactly that. All discontinued though, as far as i know. Would be nice, but, the issue would be the same as with many MIDI controllers. No knob-per-function, or optimal controlling of the soft synth's parameters. Also, not very future proof, i would assume. How much processing power would you put into that thing? Would it be capable of processing the next generation of soft synths coming out?

[Examigan]

Isn’t Receptor kind of like that? Minus the keyboard though..

[recursive one]

Know what I'd like to see? This thread made me think of this for the first time. I think this would be so cool.

A generic keyboard controller with a special kind of USB download connection. The connection is designed to download VSTs. Once the VST is downloaded, you can then pull it up just like you would on your computer and edit the "synth" just like you would on your computer, just with maybe a smaller screen. You'd have the ability to load any number of VSTs that you want. The OS inside the keyboard would run the VST. No need for a computer.

This way, you could take one keyboard to a gig and play any synth you want from it without having to bring any additional hardware other than your sound system.

I have no idea how feasible this is, if at all even possible in 100 years, but I think it would be real cool. Imagine loading up Zebra 2, Falcon, HALion 6 and Omnisphere and stacking them and playing them all at the same time from one keyboard and no other equipment other than your sound system.

Openlabs Miko/Neko do just this afaik.

[Examigan]

I found this thread about alternatives to Receptor:

viewtopic.php?f=45&t=465650

[vurt]

car park now!

[pdxindy]

I'm often reading that Zebra sound very neutral and uncoloured and I fully agree with that. A skilled sound-designer probably sees this as a "pro" because they aren't limited by certain inherent sound character but an average user will probably opt for something that gets the job done faster.

That is just Zebra though... and not indicative of software in general. RePro has a certain character and you basically cannot make it sound bad.

But this one is way less flexible compared even to Virus. It's sort of either or in sofware, either very nice sounding characterful synths with very limited features (often they are emulations of some quite old analogue hardware) or the jack-of-all-trades kind of supersynths which do everything but have that "neutral" sound

Maybe sorta... but there are plenty of powerful soft synths that have their own sound. Not the Virus sound, but their own sound.

Yes, sure. I can think of Rapid, Massive, Spire, Viper (this one has just exactly "the virus sound", but it doesn't do wavetables). Probably Bazille, sounds very good but it is sort of specialized on certain things, but it can actually sound very diverse. Maybe also Icarus, I dismissed it originally because I didn't exactly like the sound character I heard in the presets but people seem to do interesting things with it.

Probably yes, my assumption was a stretch. I just keep reading how people are always asking for more and more features while nobody seems to be concerned about the sound quality/character, and on the other hand, when I listen to modern psytarnce, progressive trance, psy-downtempo releases, I often hear very complicated sound design with lots of modulation and stuff, but I rarely hear sounds that do actually blow my socks off just purely by their timbral qualities, if you understand what I mean (and when I do, later it often turns out that the artist was using some hardware). I can't be 100% certain that this is because of hadrware vs sofwtare though, probably it just reflects the change of the production and sound-design approaches.

Here... check out the audio demos of the latest Zebra soundset by u-he
https://u-he.com/products/soundsets/zeb ... #zebratron

I think that sounds great and in general that software sounds great.

[digitalboytn]

Making blips and bleeps and farts with their expensive EuroRack systems

[Synthman2000]

In direct response to the original question :

So they could eventually become soft synths.

The similarity of sound, convenience, lack of space taking, low cost, lack of wiring and large consoles, greater ability to accurately control and automate (at least for the emulation of the classics) is nothing short of fantastic. Arguably they get in the way of creativity less and integrate more smoothly into the music making process.

I want for nothing, the only hardware I have being a Virus Snow.

The way I make music would not be possible in hardware unless I was a mutli-millionaire (I would need a 128 channel SSL or NEVE for starters) and then it would be so cumbersome and slow I would not want to bother. And for all the chaos and clutter it would very likely produce worse end results.

That's a cool way to view it.. we are all DAW millionaires. We all made it ! Congratulations in order all round.