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

[vitocorleone123]

Eating my words right now:

Beautiful sounding synth, but I hear absolutely nothing that couldn't be done just as well with any number of plugins.

Maybe. But what's "just as well"? They wouldn't necessarily sound the same even if you programmed in similar characteristics, so it'd come down to preference for the sound.

I don't have any plugins, nor have I used any or heard any, that sounds like the GS e7, as an example. But maybe with 2 oscs per voice + 2 subs there's more of that "analog drift" going on than the Bree6 (more than in the Sequential 6 series, as well). I wanted that sound and it comes in the format I prefer (1:1), so I paid the cash for the difference vs. software.

If you love the way a hardware synth sounds, that's the reason to get it. Doesn't mean you can't also love the sound of a software synth just as much. But I know you know this already

[vitocorleone123]

Eating my words right now:

Dunno which words you're eating here. Sounds beautiful.
But if you would tell me now that these sounds were actually made using Diva I would be hard pressed to say otherwise.
Nice GUI though.

Hmm. OK. I'm going to test that out for myself (using 1 osc and 1 sub on the e7). I can usually pick out Diva as it has a "sound" to it. Similarly, I'll probably also easily pick out the e7 because it also has a "sound" to it - or I wouldn't have bought it!

[SoftSynthLover99]

Eating my words right now:

Never heard of that company that is a great sound at that price point!

Here is one I’ve had my eyes on since learning about few months ago from a fellow synth nerd. This is where you are going far beyond what plugins are able to sound like IMO. And motorized knobs for instant recall of every preset is a fantastic evolution for hardware synths. Much heftier price but worth it IMO

[vitocorleone123]

Eating my words right now:

Never heard of that company that is a great sound at that price point!

It's their second synth. First one (at least in the US market), the e7, was released around July of 2023 or so. Hard to beat the sound of them at their price points, but they sacrifice a LOT of features and focus on the sound, so it depends on what the buyer is looking for in a synth.

For example, while the Prophet6 is a more flexible instrument with a smart feature set, the e7 sounds better (to me and many others). But if you could only get one synth, it probably wouldn't be the e7 due to the lack of some features - and it only comes in a desktop format, which works for me but not everyone. To me, if you love the sound, the e7 makes a fantastic 2nd or 3rd polysynth.

[whassup]

Here is one I’ve had my eyes on since learning about few months ago from a fellow synth nerd. This is where you are going far beyond what plugins are able to sound like IMO. And motorized knobs for instant recall of every preset is a fantastic evolution for hardware synths. Much heftier price but worth it IMO

Now THAT is impressive!
If I would ever want a hardware synth then like this!
Great sound and these motor knobs! MORPH!
And 4k is a reasonable price for that me thinks.

[vitocorleone123]

Eating my words right now:

Dunno which words you're eating here. Sounds beautiful.
But if you would tell me now that these sounds were actually made using Diva I would be hard pressed to say otherwise.
Nice GUI though.

Hmm. OK. I'm going to test that out for myself (using 1 osc and 1 sub on the e7). I can usually pick out Diva as it has a "sound" to it. Similarly, I'll probably also easily pick out the e7 because it also has a "sound" to it - or I wouldn't have bought it!

Need to actually do my day job, but a 5min tweaking test with one osc on the Diva (Dual VCO, analog envelopes) demo and one osc (no sub) on the e7 and you can get them in the neighborhood.

Diva sounds more overdriven, fluffy, unbalanced, and indistinct in comparison (very subjective terms). Diva envelopes are less snappy - maybe need to try digital envelope emulation. Diva also defaults to extremely out of tune analog, I noticed, on the init, rather than letting the user push it there in the settings.

I'm going to guess that if someone was listening to these solo bass sounds that more people would pick the e7 - but it wouldn't be universal. In a mix, EQd and compressed etc.? As usual, good software hangs right in there, sonically.

It's not easy to get the e7 sounding a bit overdriven. I wish it had more available in that department.

[IvyBirds]

Here is one I’ve had my eyes on since learning about few months ago from a fellow synth nerd. This is where you are going far beyond what plugins are able to sound like IMO. And motorized knobs for instant recall of every preset is a fantastic evolution for hardware synths. Much heftier price but worth it IMO

It's a basic 2 Osc Analog synth going into a Moog Style ladder filter with an additional Wavetable Oscillator for $3600

Not sure why you think that is territory that plugins can't go? I have multiple plugins that can do that, such as UVI Falcon, Pigments, or HALion7

and of course I can simply layer Serum 2, Massive X, , or one of several other Wavetable synth plugins I have with The Legend HZ and get 6 Oscillator Analog sounds running through a ladder filter

Any of the plugin options I mentioned can sonically blow away that and go into all kinds of sonic territory it can't for over $3000 less money

[Uncle E]

But if you would tell me now that these sounds were actually made using Diva I would be hard pressed to say otherwise.

I dare you to make a DIVA patch of that bass at the beginning...and then send it to me...

[zerocrossing]

Eating my words right now:

Beautiful sounding synth, but I hear absolutely nothing that couldn't be done just as well with any number of plugins.

Maybe. But what's "just as well"? They wouldn't necessarily sound the same even if you programmed in similar characteristics, so it'd come down to preference for the sound.

I don't have any plugins, nor have I used any or heard any, that sounds like the GS e7, as an example. But maybe with 2 oscs per voice + 2 subs there's more of that "analog drift" going on than the Bree6 (more than in the Sequential 6 series, as well). I wanted that sound and it comes in the format I prefer (1:1), so I paid the cash for the difference vs. software.

If you love the way a hardware synth sounds, that's the reason to get it. Doesn't mean you can't also love the sound of a software synth just as much. But I know you know this already

Well, that’s exactly what I’m saying, or trying to say. If you fall in love with a specific synthesizer model, you should buy it. I’ve always said that. What I’m trying to communicate is that there are software synthesizers that can emulate the general, and sometimes specific, characteristics of analog synthesizers to a very accurate degree.

I mean this for synths that have been emulated as well. If the sound of an ARP 2600 is critical to your music, you should buy one. You won’t be happy with the Korg emulation. Probably not happy with the reissue hardware, either. If you want something that does a great job capturing the sound and features of the 2600, and sounds great, but maybe not exactly like a 2600 in every respect, the plugin is a great choice.

What bugs me isn’t that people have a preference. We all do. What bugs me is when people start tossing out nonsense to justify their preferences. Why? You’re not explaining your last vote for president. You’re talking about a tool for making art. Your choice has no real consequences for anyone else.

[cryophonik]

What bugs me isn’t that people have a preference. We all do. What bugs me is when people start tossing out nonsense to justify their preferences. Why? You’re not explaining your last vote for president. You’re talking about a tool for making art. Your choice has no real consequences for anyone else.

I agree, but what's even worse is when other people think that their preferences should apply to other people. And, this is EXACTLY why hardware vs. software debates are the f'ing stupidest thing on music forums. They're both great and there are countless reasons to use one, the other, or both.

[Uncle E]

But how can we express our unique voices if we're not all using the same synth?

[zerocrossing]

Eating my words right now:

Dunno which words you're eating here. Sounds beautiful.
But if you would tell me now that these sounds were actually made using Diva I would be hard pressed to say otherwise.
Nice GUI though.

Hmm. OK. I'm going to test that out for myself (using 1 osc and 1 sub on the e7). I can usually pick out Diva as it has a "sound" to it. Similarly, I'll probably also easily pick out the e7 because it also has a "sound" to it - or I wouldn't have bought it!

A long time ago, someone did a blind test and the majority of people who guessed which one was Diva or which was an OB-6, guessed wrong. I was one of those people. I didn’t own an OB-6, so I didn’t know enough to make a correct judgement. I just picked the sound I preferred. The next time he did a similar test, I almost aced it. The second time, I learned my lesson, and I didn’t just pick the one that I liked more. I went and listened to a few demos of both of them, before I made my vote.

That said, I know Diva well enough to know what its strengths and weaknesses are. I could make a comparison that would have people overwhelmingly choosing the OB-6. Diva is good at most things, and has a lot of great features that the OB-6 doesn’t have, but as an analog emulation, it’s not as good as the current crop of emulations, even one from U-He. I don’t know enough about the Bree6 to know if it’s up to the job, but I’m sure I could find one that is.

[zerocrossing]

But how can we express our unique voices if we're not all using the same synth?

Effects, my friend. Effects.

[IvyBirds]

What bugs me isn’t that people have a preference. We all do. What bugs me is when people start tossing out nonsense to justify their preferences. Why? You’re not explaining your last vote for president. You’re talking about a tool for making art. Your choice has no real consequences for anyone else.

I agree, but what's even worse is when other people think that their preferences should apply to other people. And, this is EXACTLY why hardware vs. software debates are the f'ing stupidest thing on music forums. They're both great and there are countless reasons to use one, the other, or both.

Not really, first of all if they are that stupid why do you bother to read them and post on them instead of just skipping them over

But beyond that they are interesting because you get to see how other people are working and how they justify how they work. That's always valuable. For example on a thread line this, I found out about Gig Performer and it's been a total game changer for me

I also found out in this thread that the state of hardware synths is so bad that there are now $650 Eurorack models that are just a tiny low power computer probably a Raspberry pi that exist to run free "modules" from VCV Rack/Cardinal software synths and Cardinal is free. I find it extremely fascinating that people are dropping $650 to run free software in Eurorack format so they can say "look mum no 'puter" in their DAWless jams

Or that there is a $3600 Minimoog Clone that is powered by an internal computer that swaps out one of the VCOs for a piece of software that plays back Wavetables you can import from your other Wavetable software Synths like Serum or Vital and even uses a computer and digitally controlled motors to turn knobs so you can load presets in the computer and drop $3300 more to mimic just a tiny part of the functionality in UVI Falcon or HALion7

That is what makes these threads valuable as well as entertaining

[Uncle E]

Effects, my friend. Effects.

Brian May says that's not synthesis.

btw, as a fellow ATC-1 enjoyer, are you hearing what I'm hearing in that Bree6?