Have Modern VST Instruments Replaced Your Hardware Synths ?

[buzz1]

[/quote]
"Hardware is still better, it obviously just is and doesn't need proof because it's an expensive box and we all know those will always sound better."
[/quote]
Is there indeed a psycological element to all this?
I remember seeing my first Prophet 5 on a friend's table in 1982. It sounded wonderful. I couldn't imagine how much better it would sound if someone actually plugged it in and played a note or two.
Ther seems to be an expectation that something that looks like a musical instrument and also has impressive lights, knobs and switches in profusion is going to be superior to an anonymous black box.

[trusampler]

The unfalsifiability fallacy occurs when someone makes a claim that is impossible to prove false.

So the question becomes: what would a softsynth need to do in order for it to be as good as hardware? And how could this challenge for softsynths be met in an objective (provable) way?

Maybe stop trying to emulate hardware, and just make amazing Synths??

[ScrLk]

"Hardware is still better, it obviously just is and doesn't need proof because it's an expensive box and we all know those will always sound better."

Is there indeed a psycological element to all this?
I remember seeing my first Prophet 5 on a friend's table in 1982. It sounded wonderful. I couldn't imagine how much better it would sound if someone actually plugged it in and played a note or two.
Ther seems to be an expectation that something that looks like a musical instrument and also has impressive lights, knobs and switches in profusion is going to be superior to an anonymous black box.

The reason I believe there is this bias is because I also feel like hardware boxes sound better, even when it's a 90s digital rompler...

Plus, it doesn't sound as good anymore once it's an audio recording.

[Cro-magnon]

Aliasing is a really good argument in favor of hardware. On the other hand I don't believe people get hardware synths over softsynths for MPE, that's not even exclusive to hardware.

Quick example of a Poly synth 16 Bars Alpha Juno,with a bit of reverb and delay:

If you want to show benefits of hardware then reverb and delay are a huge distraction...

You prabably wouldn't have noticed them if I didn't say it.There's very little amount of reverb and delay.The synth isn't flooded in effects for this reason.
Did you listen this audio file ?And with studio monitors?

[ScrLk]

I meant that subtle delay and reverb can be confused with the synth's sound, and it will always win in comparison to a bone dry VST.

I can't listen to it at the moment. I'm sure it sounds good!

[vurt]

@bones...
hurry up with these covers ffs.
you keep mentioning new ones, just release some of the finished ones!
particularly interested in the talking heads and eurythmics. some of the others are already a bit more towards your sound, but those stand out as being different enough to make me more interested in what you have done with them?

[e-crooner]

Yes, sweet dreams are not made of claims

[vurt]

no, no, no. it's not about challenges
it's about genuine interest, one artist to another.
not looking for any arguments that won't change anyone's minds

[e-crooner]

Well, I am still waiting for his Eurythmics cover that he announced weeks or even months ago in another thread

[e-crooner]

I love my Cpu's,but to say VSti's have surpassed Analog or Digital synths is laughable. More features don't mean a better sound,and that's what this is all about right? Hardware easily trumps Vsti's in every area other then recall. It'll ALWAYS be this way. Take a Vintage CS80 vs any clone in software.. Point made

I doubt that. I think it's more about feeling than facts.
The output of a hardware synth is just a signal, and the better the algorithms and CPU's, the more precisely one can emulate that output.
How the signal is produced under the hood is irrelevant because all the listener hears is the signal.

[pdxindy]

Analog RYTM. I love a lot of software instruments, but when it comes to aggressive drum sounds, they all come up somewhat short.

What do you mean by "aggressive drums sounds"? To me that would be lots of metal percussion and distortion, which I can do easily with anything.

When I P-lock the analog distortion on the Rytm, the sound of it is gorgeous... crunchy and gritty without any of the digital harshness digital distortion adds.

I have yet to hear any digital distortion that comes close to that sound.

[chk071]

Ah yes... analog distortion. That's something not really achieved in similar quality in software IMO.

[pdxindy]

I love my Cpu's,but to say VSti's have surpassed Analog or Digital synths is laughable. More features don't mean a better sound,and that's what this is all about right? Hardware easily trumps Vsti's in every area other then recall. It'll ALWAYS be this way. Take a Vintage CS80 vs any clone in software.. Point made

To my ears, VSTi's have surpassed digital hardware synths. Analog is a different conversation.

[pdxindy]

Ah yes... analog distortion. That's something not really achieved in similar quality in software IMO.

Yeah... the Analog Rytm has analog distortion and an analog compressor. I can crush the sound into nothing but crackly noise and it still sounds beautiful without any harsh digital edge. And there are also all sorts of variations that will never repeat in those cases. It sounds alive!

[Cro-magnon]

I just want to hear that "incredible PWM pad", what's so difficult about it?! If they can't record it, what is it good for in the first place?!

I posted the pwm pad.That's a saw and square pwm.I wasted almost 1 hour for you this morning,because you explicitly asked for an audio example.
If you were polite,you would reply something for the least,or post your example with Diva now,for the best.