Software vs. Analog in 2025 – Has the Balance Shifted?

[enCiphered]

It is 2025, and I feel it might be a good time to revisit a topic that has come up many times over the years. The discussion around software versus analog gear has evolved, and so have the tools we use.

Plugin technology has advanced enormously. We now have highly accurate analog emulations as well as innovative tools that offer entirely new possibilities. With that in mind, I wonder if the need for analog hardware has diminished. Or does analog still provide something meaningful that software cannot fully replicate, whether in terms of sound, workflow, or creative experience?

I would also like to bring AI into the conversation, but not in the sense of AI composing music. I am referring to the growing number of tools that assist with mixing, mastering, balancing, EQ, and similar decisions. These tools do not replace the user but instead offer guidance based on context. It seems like an important development that is already becoming a natural part of the workflow for many people.

Another aspect worth considering is the business side of things. Over the past few years, several well-known plugin companies have been acquired by private equity firms, often for quite large sums. That trend might suggest that software is becoming a key part of the audio industry’s future, both creatively and commercially.

New plugin releases, especially reverbs and compressors, continue to generate huge interest. Discussions, comparisons, and shootouts are everywhere. In contrast, hardware effects units rarely seem to come up anymore. Outside of a few dedicated users, it feels like they have slowly disappeared from most conversations.

So I would like to ask how others see the situation today. Has software become the preferred choice for most workflows? Or is analog hardware still essential for you?

[felis]

Gotta' have both.

[swilow11]

Analogue vs hardware with a side helping of AI? This thread ticks many of the controversy boxes. Although you need to also be addressing the use of presets v rolling your own.

[BazJacuzzi]

Software vs Hardware June 2025 edition.

[enCiphered]

Guilty as charged. Just trying to keep the tradition alive.
Let’s see if anything’s actually changed, or if we’re all still arguing in slightly higher resolution.

[Funky40]

it´s the Instruments subforum, so we talk instruments only ?
From there, i´d like to make this point:


A Synth is built to be an Instrument.
A Instrument is built to be played by a musician.
Playing means for me: performing, be expressive, express yourself.
(and NOT ncessarily to serve in a Top40 band playing old gems and old crap)

But nowadays everybody and your neighbours and their grandmothers would refer quasi solely to the production process while talking that very topic.

Talking synths vs. the production process changes the situation, it changes the role of what a synth is. At least "today" it does.
In past times the production process was:
a musicians plays the instrument, performs, expresses himself. A technician is responsible for the whole capturing/recording process. To produce, meant the instrument is played as would be on stage etc. ...very similar.
Today ? ...nolonger most often. Today it can be many things side by side in one. It´s now a tool, used and serving in many different ways


So, if we want to compare Synths, SW vs. HW, would i suggest to look at the Synths from their original purpose side of the things, which is the "play it live" aspect.

Al these above made points, are worth discussions. But for my feel own specific -narrowed down topic- discussions. But don´t mix them up if you want to have a fruitful discussion ! Or at least: tell the context clearly.

This is better !....That IS better !......but so and so often no context given.
"You" decide

[enCiphered]

You’re right, and I appreciate the clarification. I wasn’t exactly sure where to post this, so I probably ended up in the wrong subforum. I didn’t mean to focus only on instruments. Both instruments and effect plugins and how the role of hardware versus software has changed in general, including in production, not just performance.

[foosnark]

Analogue vs hardware with a side helping of AI? This thread ticks many of the controversy boxes. Although you need to also be addressing the use of presets v rolling your own.

Mac vs PC

Windows vs Linux

Pie vs Cake

[IvyBirds]

it´s the Instruments subforum, so we talk instruments only ?
From there, i´d like to make this point:


A Synth is built to be an Instrument.
A Instrument is built to be played by a musician.
Playing means for me: performing, be expressive, express yourself.
(and NOT ncessarily to serve in a Top40 band playing old gems and old crap)

But you can play digital synths in hardware or software form in a very expressive manner, in fact with digital synths you have a level of control that makes them even more expressive than analog synths as you have more options and generally more polyphony

This weekend I am playing 5 gigs using laptops and software synths, I most definitely consider them to be a performance as do the people paying me to perform

[swilow11]

Analogue vs hardware with a side helping of AI? This thread ticks many of the controversy boxes. Although you need to also be addressing the use of presets v rolling your own.

Mac vs PC

Windows vs Linux

Pie vs Cake

Fold vs scrunch

[KBSoundSmith]

Hardware is useful for the sake of live performance or -- to put it soulleslly -- data entry into the computer. I prefer the hardware to make sounds of its own, but if it's built well, it doesn't strictly have to. As for the sounds themselves, it doesn't matter either -- both sound good at this point, but software is more convenient, has a faster workflow, has a greater variety of possible sounds, and is less expensive. It's hard to justify too much HW (you can only physically interact with just so many instruments, as well). At a practical level, all but those who have made a religion out of their gear choices more or less run hybrid studios anyway, so outside of provoking zealots into forum drama, I just don't see the point of discussing the topic.

AI is an interesting tool, but unfortunately most of the ways people use it (or will use it) is just going to make most AI generated/assisted artwork bland and derivitive, exponentially converging into the average of the already average output of average creatives. It will be a lifeless ocean of gray art for gray people. A useful tool for some people who know how to leverage it, but mostly an uninteresting sidenote. Perhaps a certain segment of people will want "human performance only" artwork, but by and large, it's unlikely to change things much -- musicians already weren't getting paid for what they did if they could get work at all, so now they can continue not getting paid for the nothing they'll be producing later. I think people should learn to use it, I just don't think it's a big deal.

[Funky40]

it´s the Instruments subforum, so we talk instruments only ?
From there, i´d like to make this point:


A Synth is built to be an Instrument.
A Instrument is built to be played by a musician.
Playing means for me: performing, be expressive, express yourself.
(and NOT ncessarily to serve in a Top40 band playing old gems and old crap)

But you can play digital synths in hardware or software form in a very expressive manner, in fact with digital synths you have a level of control that makes them even more expressive than analog synths as you have more options and generally more polyphony

Absolutely ! i´m totally with you.

I´m exactly in the same boat.
My post has for my understanding not any judgment involved or expressed.
you must have taken my post from the wrong side


the difference is: in HW are we dealing with explicitly built gear.
it´s easier to see the role of a Synth and what it was meant to be used for.
While in SW do folks have their "synth" *within* their tapemachine. It has all melted into one. Thus from there, harder to see the distinct roles the gear once was built for.

For my feel have the people lost track that Synths were once built to be played.
edit, wording: something i distinguish from making sound presets etc.. This is then just the "prepreparation work". It´s a side-necessity, but not the role a synth was built for.

means, my standpoint:
want to judge synths, HW vs. SW ?
do it vs. the role the instrument plays in a real live play context. for example live on stage !
Me too, for anything realtime play, realtime manual access, manual performing, knob wiggling etc.....DO i prefer my ITB setup with my finished patches over anything HW ! Big times.
Same as you do We both ride the very same canue i´d say....

[ROTMetro]

All analog and I would just be jamming, never trying to make actual songs. I just can't afford all the gear to get to a finished track. Software wins by the fact that it is attainable for normies.

Illangelo uses Diva, Analog Lab, Trillian, and Omnisphere on TheWeeknd's songs and the synths sound sexy af even alongside Mike Dean's analog contributions to The Weeknd.

[SamDi]

Analogue vs hardware with a side helping of AI? This thread ticks many of the controversy boxes. Although you need to also be addressing the use of presets v rolling your own.

Mac vs PC

Windows vs Linux

Pie vs Cake

Making music vs discussing pointless stuff

[suseka2003]

Analog synths have additional electronics in the signal path wired to the output jacks. They make a big difference.
Sampling a waveform and creating a synth does not equal to hardware at anytime.
There are some software synths that sampled the outputs of the hardware synth and sound more real.
But the size of the VST runs in 15 to 20 GB and controls are not much user adjustable.
So hardware is hardware, software is software.
A software LC network, the sounds are harsh. Compare a pedal wah with simple LC hardware with a software wah in a multi effects unit. The sounds are not same.