wagtunes wrote:This synth is an enigma. In a world where old tech gets tossed out the window as soon as the next better thing comes along, I find it totally head scratching that this is still arguably the most popular synth out there. I mean just look at all the top synth lists. This one is number 1 on almost all of them.
And quite honestly, I don't get.
I can maybe understand old users hanging onto it because they like the sound, have used it for a while, are familiar with it and thus can do just about anything with it. It's certainly a fine sounding synth and what it does it does well. There is no disputing that.
What I can't understand is new musicians coming onto the scene and choosing this synth over the multitude of options that are more powerful, more versatile, sound just as good, can do all the same sounds, AND...are cheaper or just as cheap. That doesn't even touch on the 64 bit issue. I am not spending that kind of money on a synth that may not run well on my machine.
And for just a little bit more money, you can get synths that, feature and sound wise, blow this thing out of the water.
I could understand if this was a "budget" synth. Just like with cars, not everybody can afford a Lexus. But this isn't a budget synth.
Here is a list of synths that I have purchased that blow this synth out of the water and their prices at the time.
Serum - $129
Discovery Pro - $95
Blue II - $107
ImpOSCar 2 - $150
MUX Modular - $61
KarmaFX Modular - $72
Tone 2 Rayblaster - $189
Tone 2 Electra 2 - $199
Sonic Academy A.N.A. - $80
MPowerSynth - $88
Waves Element - $76
Image-Line Harmor - $60
Synthmaster - $60
Zebra 2 - $199
Why would I spend $158 on 9 year old tech that is superseded by synths that are only slightly more expensive, in some cases, and much less in other?
It makes no sense unless you're so totally in love with the sound. And I find that hard to believe given what other synths are capable of sounding like.
Yeah, my Zebra 2 is $40 more. That $40 more blows Sylenth totally out of the water in versatility and sound quality. Anything Sylenth1 can do, sound wise, Zebra 2 can do in spades and more.
Like I said, this synth is a total enigma to me. I will never understand its continued popularity. Maybe if it was a $69 synth. But not at its current price.
It makes absolutely no sense.
I don't share your views there. You seem to think that everyone wants as much as possible and as cheap as possible. That is not the case, though.
I have two of those synths on your list, I would not have bought S1 if either of them were better than S1.
S1 is popular because it sounds great (at what it does; if you want FM or Wavetable, get something else), because it has a complete effects sections (so one can make complete patches without using external effects, saving racks etc.), because it uses very little CPU compared to most on your list, because it has an intuitive and ergonomic GUI (I do wish the number in the displays were easier to read, though), because it is flexible (you have two complete synth lines which allows for much more flexibility than most on your list), and because there are lots of soundsets (for those who don't want to do the programming themselves).
If they ever do an update, I wish they would include proper pw and pw control, that is basically my only real complaint. More modulation targets would not hurt, either.
I got S1 during the recent sale, so it was not overprized, either. If there is a king of overprices synths, it is Element.
Who knows what that team air is, maybe he bought it under that name, maybe the developer gave that team a group license...
