analog > the real deal.

[Urs]

Well, I posted the list in a certain mood... there are still some people around who think that analogue is the answer to everything. I'm pretty sure that Zebra can give the same answer, at less cost, with the right setup.

[mao]

Analogue is not a solution for everything, but it's still the BEST solution for analog sounds.

This is not to say that all analogs are better than sw...but Some analogs imho are still worth the price and all the "extra-work" you need to do to have your track recorded.

For example... I'll never never never sell my Voyager for a minimonsta or any other sw synth available today nor for the creamware hw hybrid.

[Locus M]

not sure ive spelled it right, but what is a real analog like > compared with a good softy?

Analogue is

- highly overrated in sound quality (as compared to good digital ones which simply smoke them)
- hard to control - they always sound different, depending on temperature and mood
- fun because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't go wrong)
- lame because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't do much)
- either polyphonic *or* good sounding but hardly ever both at once
- most often no Velocity nor Aftertouch
- EXPENSIVE
- only one patch at a time, no chance to do multiple instances
- the better the sound the less probable that you can store patches
- often broken, you better have a good repair station close by
- not really mobile - they're rather for homerecording than for stage
- settings don't save with song (but you can make a photo of the knob setting)
- you gotta bounce the tracks before mixdown (arrrgh)

Urs

[Howard]

Analogue is not a solution for everything, but it's still the BEST solution for analog sounds.

Depends on how much time you want to spend on a project, and on how good your analog synth is. Zebra beats most of them IMHO in the discipline "analog sounds" (especially the polyphonic ones).

[Tarekith]

If only Zebra had a quality, dedicated hardware controller, that's the only thing I miss when using this 100% excellent synth.

[martian]

not sure ive spelled it right, but what is a real analog like > compared with a good softy?

Analogue is

- highly overrated in sound quality (as compared to good digital ones which simply smoke them)
- hard to control - they always sound different, depending on temperature and mood
- fun because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't go wrong)
- lame because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't do much)
- either polyphonic *or* good sounding but hardly ever both at once
- most often no Velocity nor Aftertouch
- EXPENSIVE
- only one patch at a time, no chance to do multiple instances
- the better the sound the less probable that you can store patches
- often broken, you better have a good repair station close by
- not really mobile - they're rather for homerecording than for stage
- settings don't save with song (but you can make a photo of the knob setting)
- you gotta bounce the tracks before mixdown (arrrgh)

Urs

spot on. personally i dont get this analog sound quality fanaticism many have on here.

[Urs]

personally i dont get this analog sound quality fanaticism many have on here.

Try this with only 5 analogue synths (it's 5 patches of Zebra and nothing else)

[djsubject]

personally i dont get this analog sound quality fanaticism many have on here.

Try this with only 5 analogue synths (it's 5 patches of Zebra and nothing else)

could have used 6 & put a hi hat in there!!



nice guitar

Subz

[kuniklo]

personally i dont get this analog sound quality fanaticism many have on here.

Try this with only 5 analogue synths (it's 5 patches of Zebra and nothing else)

But what if the music I want to make is nothing at all like that and more like:

http://www.ear-group.net/seq_nooverdrive.mp3

or

http://www.buzzclick-music.com/PWM_sample.mp3

or

http://www.ear-group.net/6dB_FM.mp3

For these kinds of sounds the real deal sounds to me to have a bit of extra sparkle I don't hear in the digital emulations.

[Modeler]

The analogue vs. digital war will probably continue unabated until there's a third option (which may or may not involve the use of anti-matter). Which is better? Analogue or digital TV? Vinyl or CD?

I think the only answer is neither is indisputably better, they're just different so draw your own conclusions. Unfortunately the market goes with the majority vote so you might not always get your first choice...

[Howard]

Try this with only 5 analogue synths (it's 5 patches of Zebra and nothing else)

Groovalicious!

[Urs]

[
http://www.ear-group.net/seq_nooverdrive.mp3
http://www.buzzclick-music.com/PWM_sample.mp3
http://www.ear-group.net/6dB_FM.mp3

Interesting enough, these sound all *cold* to me. I can't see any of the properties often attributed to analogue in there, such as warmth, phat or alive. Maybe it's the crap encoding though or my lack of understanding for atonal music.

The last one alone is something that I don't think I've heard done in the digital domain, apart from FXpansion's upcoming Cypher synth.

I do believe though that most people who keep on asking about the whole analogue vs. digital thing are on the quest for something that digital meanwhile delivers in pretty great quality.

That said, the most disturbing contraint of pretty much all analogue gear is the lack of a full stereo signal flow. I can hardly work without that anymore. I wished my Doepfer/Cwejman/Livewire/AS System had stereo patch cords. That would certainly make a big difference (also in price I'm afraid)

Urs

[Howard]

http://www.ear-group.net/seq_nooverdrive.mp3
http://www.buzzclick-music.com/PWM_sample.mp3
http://www.ear-group.net/6dB_FM.mp3

Interesting enough, these sound all *cold* to me. I can't see any of the properties often attributed to analogue in there...

Hmmm. For me, "seq_nooverdrive" has that rather elusive clean "real state variable" filter quality, whereas the other two don't (i.e. they could be VA). What synth, kuniklo?

[jupiter8]

http://www.ear-group.net/seq_nooverdrive.mp3
http://www.buzzclick-music.com/PWM_sample.mp3
http://www.ear-group.net/6dB_FM.mp3

Interesting enough, these sound all *cold* to me. I can't see any of the properties often attributed to analogue in there...

Hmmm. For me, "seq_nooverdrive" has that rather elusive clean "real state variable" filter quality, whereas the other two don't (i.e. they could be VA). What synth, kuniklo?

Judging by the adresses those are Plan B modular samples.

EDIT: A quick check confirms that the seq_nooverdive sample is a Plan B Model 12 State Variable Vactrol Filter
And the 6dB_FM is a Model 11 Evil Twin Bandpass Filter

[Acid Mitch]

Interesting enough, these sound all *cold* to me. I can't see any of the properties often attributed to analogue in there, such as warmth, phat or alive.

And yet they don't sound like softsynths.

Not all analogues are created equal.Some actually do sound cold ,thin and kinda lifeless.