U-He Repro 5 Vs Softube Model 80 - Blind Test Comparisons + Settings to Match Them

[Vortifex]

There is one thing Repro sadly lacks: the leopard skin side panels from Diva. Literally unplayable.

[PieBerger]

Just a few minutes was enough to get that it’s a more detailed and probably accurate emulation

Well, hehehe, probably not.

Not if they had used the Prophet 5 we have. Theirs is way to detuned and adds way too much distortion and noise, and I have no idea what's wrong with their envelopes. I'd say it's either super exaggerated in many ways, or maybe their unit simply sounds a lot different from ours. Maybe they used something like one of the current models instead of a vintage one? Dunno - can't explain why their's is so far off from what we know...?

Anyhow, we have decided to make our own comparisons at some point. I experience physical pain from the things that are stipulated about our effort lately.

You sound so defensive.

I notice no Softube rep around here talking sh*t about the repro, though. Maybe they are more confident about their case, so they don´t feel the need to.

Better to have a developer here defending their products, as well as connecting with their customer base in general and contributing to DSP discussions etc., then have no presence at all, as is the case with Softube.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Better to have a developer here defending their products, as well as connecting with their customer base in general and contributing to DSP discussions etc., then have no presence at all, as is the case with Softube.

Exactly this!

Urs is here interacting with us daily, making us smarter, listening to customer feedback, making us laugh (he's got a sense of humor after all). I go out of my way to pay attention when Urs posts here because his insights are so valuable. And so what if Urs is proud of RePro? He should be. Those two synths are an achievement! And he's certainly more qualified to find flaws in the comparison tests than we, or a bunch of YouTubers, are. Because breaking down synths and studying their behaviors at the most minute level is a big part of how he makes his living! He's done the work. He's also the only one of us who has actually heard his own Prophet-5 and knows what it sounds like.

If hebex, or anyone else prefers the Softube version. That's cool. I think it's pretty good too. But that shouldn't preclude Urs from being able to share his opinions here. Particularly in a thread about comparing it to his product. I'd welcome Softube's engagement here too. But they don't come around of their own choice.

I personally think it's great that we have two emulations so good that we can nitpick on things like how sloppy is too sloppy, or tiny differences in oscillator brightness, or what's the exact correct envelope shape and how clicky they should be.

[hebex]

Better to have a developer here defending their products, as well as connecting with their customer base in general and contributing to DSP discussions etc., then have no presence at all, as is the case with Softube.

Exactly this!

Urs is here interacting with us daily, making us smarter, listening to customer feedback, making us laugh (he's got a sense of humor after all). I go out of my way to pay attention when Urs posts here because his insights are so valuable. And so what if Urs is proud of RePro? He should be. Those two synths are an achievement! And he's certainly more qualified to find flaws in the comparison tests than we, or a bunch of YouTubers, are. Because breaking down synths and studying their behaviors at the most minute level is a big part of how he makes his living! He's done the work. He's also the only one of us who has actually heard his own Prophet-5 and knows what it sounds like.

If hebex, or anyone else prefers the Softube version. That's cool. I think it's pretty good too. But that shouldn't preclude Urs from being able to share his opinions here. Particularly in a thread about comparing it to his product. I'd welcome Softube's engagement here too. But they don't come around of their own choice.

I personally think it's great that we have two emulations so good that we can nitpick on things like how sloppy is too sloppy, or tiny differences in oscillator brightness, or what's the exact correct envelope shape and how clicky they should be.

Defending ones own products is ok. But not attacking others. That´s impolite. And it may reveal something.

[PieBerger]

Better to have a developer here defending their products, as well as connecting with their customer base in general and contributing to DSP discussions etc., then have no presence at all, as is the case with Softube.

Exactly this!

Urs is here interacting with us daily, making us smarter, listening to customer feedback, making us laugh (he's got a sense of humor after all). I go out of my way to pay attention when Urs posts here because his insights are so valuable. And so what if Urs is proud of RePro? He should be. Those two synths are an achievement! And he's certainly more qualified to find flaws in the comparison tests than we, or a bunch of YouTubers, are. Because breaking down synths and studying their behaviors at the most minute level is a big part of how he makes his living! He's done the work. He's also the only one of us who has actually heard his own Prophet-5 and knows what it sounds like.

If hebex, or anyone else prefers the Softube version. That's cool. I think it's pretty good too. But that shouldn't preclude Urs from being able to share his opinions here. Particularly in a thread about comparing it to his product. I'd welcome Softube's engagement here too. But they don't come around of their own choice.

I personally think it's great that we have two emulations so good that we can nitpick on things like how sloppy is too sloppy, or tiny differences in oscillator brightness, or what's the exact correct envelope shape and how clicky they should be.

Defending ones own products is ok. But not attacking others. That´s impolite. And it may reveal something.

They were valid criticisms based on lived experienced. That closing statement is hardly polite either, sort your own house out first before you start having a go at anyone else.

Edit: the developers that choose to frequent this forum have to deal with more than their fair share of harsh criticisms and rude behaviour and while its true that a certain amount of decorum is needed when you represent a company in public, it doesn't mean they have to act like saints the whole time they are here.

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

Defending ones own products is ok. But not attacking others. That´s impolite. And it may reveal something.

I must have missed the post where Urs chimed in with, "the Softube is sh*te mate, don't buy that crap, get RePro instead!" I didn't see anything even remotely like that.

What I heard instead was things like (and I'm paraphrasing), 'our Prophet isn't as detuned or noisy' and 'I think I can explain why our osc's may be brighter'. These are objective things. Not subjective. Like the difference in the envelope shapes between the two: one is going to be right, the other is not. That is objective when comparing the accuracy of a hardware emulation. Whether or not it matters to a person is subjective.

[Urs]

LOL, I don't really feel like I've been unfair to Model 80 in any way. I guess there's a bit of reading too much between the lines.

This reminds me of the discussion around the UA Minimoog, which sounds absolutely gorgeous in my ears, but I think it still omits too many quirks of a Minimoog that I consider character defining. Hence, I think I could come up with something that's a hell of a lot more accurate easily, but naturally it would be less gorgeous in sound - as is the original hardware.

It's like, people are favouring sonic sensation over accuracy these days. And that is absolutely okay. As long as they do not confuse sensation over accuracy, when it isn't.

(and for the fine print: It's absolutely possible that Softube's reference hardware sounds completely different than ours. However also, the perceived differences between their version and ours do not indicate any inaccuracy in ours)

[vurt]

And I am sure most people that listen to music can't tell that 5% (for me it isn't even as high as 5%), worse of all in a mix.
rsp

I’d love to know how people (including myself) come up with percentages for these things. Like when they say that chimpanzees and humans share nearly 99% of our DNA. That 1.2% is doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

Exactly.

So you mean that Model 80 = human, Repro = chimp? Let´s see what the U-he fanbois say about that...

put a wild chimp in a cage with a human.
which one wins?

[Funkybot's Evil Twin]

put a wild chimp in a cage with a human.
which one wins?

Let's ask Judge Tango!

https://youtu.be/T9mMoOE2ZpE

[vurt]

put a wild chimp in a cage with a human.
which one wins?

Let's ask Judge Tango!

https://youtu.be/T9mMoOE2ZpE

chimps are apes, not monkeys.

[Jac459]

you must be joking, people in hi-fi drink snake oil for a living.

That's so mean....

... and also so true

[hebex]

And I am sure most people that listen to music can't tell that 5% (for me it isn't even as high as 5%), worse of all in a mix.
rsp

I’d love to know how people (including myself) come up with percentages for these things. Like when they say that chimpanzees and humans share nearly 99% of our DNA. That 1.2% is doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

Exactly.

So you mean that Model 80 = human, Repro = chimp? Let´s see what the U-he fanbois say about that...

put a wild chimp in a cage with a human.
which one wins?

Vurt, would you go to bed with a human or a chimp? Please tell me, I really don´t know what you choose.

[vurt]

And I am sure most people that listen to music can't tell that 5% (for me it isn't even as high as 5%), worse of all in a mix.
rsp

I’d love to know how people (including myself) come up with percentages for these things. Like when they say that chimpanzees and humans share nearly 99% of our DNA. That 1.2% is doing a lot of the heavy lifting.

Exactly.

So you mean that Model 80 = human, Repro = chimp? Let´s see what the U-he fanbois say about that...

put a wild chimp in a cage with a human.
which one wins?

Vurt, would you go to bed with a human or a chimp? Please tell me, I really don´t know what you choose.

what makes you think id choose either?

[hebex]

double post

[hebex]

double post