can one synth really do it all ?

[Teksonik]

I like pizza and chocolate, but haven't eaten either one in many years, decades even in the case of pizza.

But do you hang out on forums dedicated to pizza and chocolate?

[e-crooner]

Definitely. I like pizza and chocolate, but haven't eaten either one in many years, decades even in the case of pizza.

Could be for health reasons?
Or do you deliberately deprive yourself.
Not sure to be honest.

Yes, for health reasons.
Of course that doesn't apply to synths

[e-crooner]

I like pizza and chocolate, but haven't eaten either one in many years, decades even in the case of pizza.

But do you hang out on forums dedicated to pizza and chocolate?

Well, I don't write on modern synths, wavetable, granular etc. is another universe to me. But yes, I like subtractive synths, usually for emulating real instruments

[cryophonik]

I don't think there's a good answer to the OP's question. Sure, there are synths that can cover a huge sonic territory and "do it all" (within reason), but I'm in the camp who thinks that would boring af. I like synths too much to arbitrarily limit myself to just one. For others, it's perfectly reasonable to want one go-to synth to cover all their needs.

[dellboy]

Well, I don't write on modern synths, wavetable, granular etc. is another universe to me. But yes, I like subtractive synths, usually for emulating real instruments

Same here, I like subtractive synths. The funny thing is that I have a hardware Alpha Juno 2 and the basic presets are stuff like trumpet, cello, tuba, piano, and stuff like that, which do not really sound like the real thing. The thing was, that that at the time, they were saying they did sound realistic !

[DJErmac]

Short answer : no
Long answer : nooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

[e-crooner]

I don't think there's a good answer to the OP's question. Sure, there are synths that can cover a huge sonic territory and "do it all" (within reason), but I'm in the camp who thinks that would boring af. I like synths too much to arbitrarily limit myself to just one. For others, it's perfectly reasonable to want one go-to synth to cover all their needs.

Yep, a go-to synth is what I like as well. A synth I know inside out and which can make all the sounds I need.
The idea of dozens of synths in my folder is a nightmare I would waste time wondering which synth to use for which sound.

[DJErmac]

Some come close, such as Falcon, Avenger, Rapid... some say Reaktor, I don't know it well... but they don't REALLY do everything as you would like.
For example, synthesis in Avenger is very, very good, it can do granular with awesome results, but sampling is not as advanced as Kontakt.
Falcon has very advanced sampling, but synthesis is far from perfect.
Should I keep on ?

[Teksonik]

Sure, there are synths that can cover a huge sonic territory and "do it all" (within reason), but I'm in the camp who thinks that would boring af. I like synths too much to arbitrarily limit myself to just one.

You wouldn't have to limit yourself to just one synth that does "it all". One could easily use both Avenger and Rapid which are two synths that are very close to "do it all".

Even synths with the same feature set will have different character.

But even if some synths can "do it all" they wouldn't need to do it "all at once". You wouldn't have to use every feature in every patch but having those features at your fingertips simply gives you more headroom to create a wider range of sounds under one integrated interface.

But again there really is no answer the the OP's question. "It all" is going to mean very different things to someone doing EDM and someone doing soundtracks for movies, Big Band tunes, etc and so on.

[vurt]

Some come close, such as Falcon, Avenger, Rapid... some say Reaktor, I don't know it well... but they don't REALLY do everything as you would like.
For example, synthesis in Avenger is very, very good, it can do granular with awesome results, but sampling is not as advanced as Kontakt.
Falcon has very advanced sampling, but synthesis is far from perfect.
Should I keep on ?

yeah, while i said reaktor "can" do it all.
i wouldn't settle for it alone, as it doesn't do everything as well as a more "streamlined" synth will do each bit better.

like an odd job man, he's ok at most things, but you get a specialist when you need a new roof

for the majority of a track, many sounds won't be so prominent, so you use the jack of all trades.
for any leads and sounds you want more focus on, you might choose a specific emulation. or at least something more specific to a certain sound.

[Teksonik]

Yep, a go-to synth is what I like as well. A synth I know inside out and which can make all the sounds I need.
The idea of dozens of synths in my folder is a nightmare I would waste time wondering which synth to use for which sound.

If you know all the synths in your folder "inside out" then paralysis of choice is not a thing.

There's no reason a "do it all" synth couldn't or shouldn't be someone's go-to synth just as easily as a simple synth.

And everybody stop typing....."I don't have time to learn more than one synth" doesn't hold water when you're posting here all the time.

So in that spirit I'm going to shut down KVR and go use my synths. Who is with me?

[vurt]

And everybody stop typing....."I don't have time to learn more than one synth" doesn't hold water when you're posting here all the time.

tbf it's easier to hide posting on kvr in the office than noodling with synths

[e-crooner]

Yep, a go-to synth is what I like as well. A synth I know inside out and which can make all the sounds I need.
The idea of dozens of synths in my folder is a nightmare I would waste time wondering which synth to use for which sound.

If you know all the synths in your folder "inside out" then paralysis of choice is not a thing.

There's no reason a "do it all" synth couldn't or shouldn't be someone's go-to synth just as easily as a simple synth.

And everybody stop typing....."I don't have time to learn more than one synth" doesn't hold water when you're posting here all the time.

So in that spirit I'm going to shut down KVR and go use my synths. Who is with me?

It takes a lot of time to learn a dozen synths inside out, especially if they span all kinds of syntheses. I have no clue of FM, Wavetables, granular etc., and frankly, I prefer to spend some time posting on KVR to studying new synths whose sounds I don't like anyway.

And regarding choosing, I hate choosing. I remember testing the Retrologue demo by comparing it to my then go-to synths Sylenth1. I literally tried to figure out if I could do without S1 because I don't want to keep two synths around. So I tried to match certain patches between the two to see which one is better (for me), while I never expected either one to be perfect. I am realistic...

[vurt]

Yep, a go-to synth is what I like as well. A synth I know inside out and which can make all the sounds I need.
The idea of dozens of synths in my folder is a nightmare I would waste time wondering which synth to use for which sound.

If you know all the synths in your folder "inside out" then paralysis of choice is not a thing.

There's no reason a "do it all" synth couldn't or shouldn't be someone's go-to synth just as easily as a simple synth.

And everybody stop typing....."I don't have time to learn more than one synth" doesn't hold water when you're posting here all the time.

So in that spirit I'm going to shut down KVR and go use my synths. Who is with me?

It takes a lot of time to learn a dozen synths inside out, especially if they span all kinds of syntheses. I have no clue of FM, Wavetables, granular etc., and frankly, I prefer to spend some time posting on KVR to studying new synths whose sounds I don't like anyway.

And regarding choosing, I hate choosing. I remember testing the Retrologue demo by comparing it to my then go-to synths Sylenth1. I literally tried to figure out if I could do without S1 because I don't want to keep two synths around. So I tried to match certain patches between the two to see which one is better (for me), while I never expected either one to be perfect. I am realistic...

fm is witchcraft!

[syntonica]

Meh. I'd rather have a small collection of easy-to-use, fun synths with single synthesis methods than a single, monolithic, do-it-all synth. The simpler GUIs are much more agile for quicker results. I can always sample and/or layer results if I want to combine methods.

I find the UX in the uber-synths to be rather unwieldy, slowing me down to the point where I just preset surf and get zero sound design done. And forget about built in effects--I already have a cornucopia of excellent effects at my disposal if I need to enhance my synth sound.