How come "Hardware" VA's 16 years ago sounded so good like the AN1x and now....

[do_androids_dream]

As much as I like some old VAs like AN1X and my Nord Modular (both are great synths IMO), I think they sound like they have, well, old code. That code can have its own character, but I wouldn't say it's better than the coding coming out the offices of,say, U-He or Applied Acoustics Systems. It's just different, and the fact that the sound of these synths actually does run through some hardware that isn't perfectly clean sounding adds to the sound in a way that many would term "good." Even with a Virus TI you will get a noticeably different sound by using the audio outputs and not just the USB connection. I prefer the sound coming out of the audio outputs personally.

Yes, you are right here. Most synths, software or hardware, have something to offer and probably shouldn't be compared - just taken purely on their own merit. It just so happens that i love the sound of various digital hardware synths from the 80's and 90's and have been looking for that sound in vsti's - I guess there are plenty of people who love the sound of modern vsti's and don't care for 80's/90's hardware. Horses for courses!

[SJ_Digriz]

But from 2004 until probably 2007 or 2008 I hardly never used software synths.

Which means you used them nearly always?

The rest of your post pretty much is a perfect illustration of my opinions about peoples understanding of OTB vs ITB signal processing.

[SJ_Digriz]

As much as I like some old VAs like AN1X and my Nord Modular (both are great synths IMO), I think they sound like they have, well, old code. That code can have its own character, but I wouldn't say it's better than the coding coming out the offices of,say, U-He or Applied Acoustics Systems. It's just different, and the fact that the sound of these synths actually does run through some hardware that isn't perfectly clean sounding adds to the sound in a way that many would term "good." Even with a Virus TI you will get a noticeably different sound by using the audio outputs and not just the USB connection. I prefer the sound coming out of the audio outputs personally.

Yes, you are right here. Most synths, software or hardware, have something to offer and probably shouldn't be compared - just taken purely on their own merit. It just so happens that i love the sound of various digital hardware synths from the 80's and 90's and have been looking for that sound in vsti's - I guess there are plenty of people who love the sound of modern vsti's and don't care for 80's/90's hardware. Horses for courses!

And, this is the exact repetition of the lie ... two people agreeing the world is flat doesn't make it true.

[osiris]

That all being said I think some synths in Reaktor can come very close to hardware.
Massive and Z3ta+ 2.1 sound boisterous enough (but I still get a tinny edge frm Z3ta. I think it's the reverb)
Blade and Razor. Sheesh. And these are the first versions. Can't wait to see what the future holds.
(Now if Tone 2 would just do that frakkin Vocoder plugin I've been screaming at them about...)

[Haraldator]

But from 2004 until probably 2007 or 2008 I hardly never used software synths.

Which means you used them nearly always?

The rest of your post pretty much is a perfect illustration of my opinions about peoples understanding of OTB vs ITB signal processing.

Aaah, that was obviously a misprint. Actually, I just said to myself a few minutes ago that I shouldn't be posting on forums while doing a bunch of other things at the same time - I was obviously right. What a mess.

[Haraldator]

Horses for courses!

That probably sums up my views on gear selection quite nicely.

[whyterabbyt]

As much as I like some old VAs like AN1X and my Nord Modular (both are great synths IMO), I think they sound like they have, well, old code. That code can have its own character, but I wouldn't say it's better than the coding coming out the offices of,say, U-He or Applied Acoustics Systems. It's just different, and the fact that the sound of these synths actually does run through some hardware that isn't perfectly clean sounding adds to the sound in a way that many would term "good." Even with a Virus TI you will get a noticeably different sound by using the audio outputs and not just the USB connection. I prefer the sound coming out of the audio outputs personally.

Yes, you are right here. Most synths, software or hardware, have something to offer and probably shouldn't be compared - just taken purely on their own merit. It just so happens that i love the sound of various digital hardware synths from the 80's and 90's and have been looking for that sound in vsti's - I guess there are plenty of people who love the sound of modern vsti's and don't care for 80's/90's hardware. Horses for courses!

And, this is the exact repetition of the lie ... two people agreeing the world is flat doesn't make it true.

Two people measuring a world and finding it to be flat, however, would.

The difference is that one is an instance of an agreement of subjective opinion, and the other is something which can be measured and proven.

The case here, though, is that 'sounds better' is only opinion; it is not something which can be measured objectively. No two people agreeing are any more right than any other two.

[Uncle E]

praised synth of that time were vanguard and albino..a virus C destroy these synths .
if those access plugs sound just as good as the real deal then it s no match for that sound to me.

It was a Virus B, which I believe was the same sound engine as the Virus C. The Virus TI sounds quite a bit different, I personally use both and prefer them over nearly every softsynth out there.

[Uncle E]

I think a lot of people listen with their ego that they built reading a million tarnce "producers" opinions about VSTi. This is the perfect example of a lie being told so often that it has become entrenched in truth.

Not the truth, the standard. If someone wants to get the sounds they're hearing in popular EDM, they'll be extremely happy with a Virus TI because that's likely to be what the original producer used.

Personally, I prefer the sounds of DIVA, Minimax, and Pro-12 over the Virus but I use the Virus because it instantly gives me that sound.

[Uncle E]

i love the sound of various digital hardware synths from the 80's and 90's and have been looking for that sound in vsti's

Find yourself a used Powercore and get the Virus license for it, you'll have a genuine 90's digital hardware synth with nearly all the benefits of a softsynth.

[Uncle E]

Two people measuring a world and finding it to be flat, however, would.

The difference is that one is an instance of an agreement of subjective opinion, and the other is something which can be measured and proven.

The case here, though, is that 'sounds better' is only opinion; it is not something which can be measured objectively. No two people agreeing are any more right than any other two.

+1

[do_androids_dream]

i love the sound of various digital hardware synths from the 80's and 90's and have been looking for that sound in vsti's

Find yourself a used Powercore and get the Virus license for it, you'll have a genuine 90's digital hardware synth with nearly all the benefits of a softsynth.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention! I had no idea this was possible. over to ebay...

btw, have you heard this guys virus kb demo's?

http://www.perkristian.net/studio_viruskb.shtml

'Equinoxe 5' and 'China Overture' are particularly good

[vata44]

I find it interesting that even my Korg m50 synth sounds better than most VST's. I don't know why, but it seems to have a 3d depth that a lot of VST's lack. No idea why cause its only running at 44khz 24bit... and this Korg has NOTHING analog or VA about it. However, it does sound richer/fuller.

[Gucky]

Hi vaisnava,
I have the same impression with my Korg Micro XL sometimes.
It has some pad sounds that I cannot make with a VST plug.
I just make a song with a stringpad sound of the Micro XL.
At first I was looking at my Kontakt library or the Atmosphere for an
warm stringpad sound. But I came to the conclusion that the Micro XL string pad sound was the best sound.
Here is the link to the song:
http://soundcloud.com/musikus/desire

The rest are VST plugs.

[zerocrossing]

As much as I like some old VAs like AN1X and my Nord Modular (both are great synths IMO), I think they sound like they have, well, old code. That code can have its own character, but I wouldn't say it's better than the coding coming out the offices of,say, U-He or Applied Acoustics Systems. It's just different, and the fact that the sound of these synths actually does run through some hardware that isn't perfectly clean sounding adds to the sound in a way that many would term "good." Even with a Virus TI you will get a noticeably different sound by using the audio outputs and not just the USB connection. I prefer the sound coming out of the audio outputs personally.

Yes, you are right here. Most synths, software or hardware, have something to offer and probably shouldn't be compared - just taken purely on their own merit. It just so happens that i love the sound of various digital hardware synths from the 80's and 90's and have been looking for that sound in vsti's - I guess there are plenty of people who love the sound of modern vsti's and don't care for 80's/90's hardware. Horses for courses!

I totally get this, but we're modeling entire guitar amp systems with pretty good results these days... we (and by we I mean developers) can't model the hardware synth output stage? I mean, if it makes such a positive difference...