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

[El°HYM]

Exactly and good example how a boring vst in some kind of box can sound like. Also nothing wrong with running your softsynths thru anything from a cheap pedal to a top notch Neve preamp. Actually pretty standard for analog synths anyway. The whole 'baby cry' software vs. hardware thing is just missing the point of whats actually possible in these days.

[vitocorleone123]

It is not about soft synths having less bass; it is about analog synths having tighter bass (as we all know). .

Furthermore, it shouldnt be about digital vs. analog (this is baby talk - grow up!) at all, as both have their advantages or disadvantages.

You're right. It's about analog having tighter bass, and more presence generally.

You're also right, it's not just analog bs digital/vst.. hybrid also is not (quite) matched by software.

Another example where software can't match sonically.

Not gonna bother trying but it sounds like Serum2 plus The Scream or Blue Cat Destructor2 plus lots of a good reverb plugin could get there. The Peak isn’t particularly special in its core sound.

[IvyBirds]

As I mentioned previously I use a Mackie Mixer that I run hot and that gets me the distortion and saturation that I want

Aha. So you actually do prefer analog.

I prefer whatever tool works for whatever I want to do, so for making the saturated sounds of running Synths hot into a Mackie Mixer I use one.

It's really not that hard

I also prefer software for my 2 VCA going into a ladder filter sounds

[zerocrossing]

Since VCA Synths with Ladder Filters seem to be all the rage here is one with 6 VCAs and a ladder filter that hardware can't touch

I demoed UAD's Anthem yesterday, and it's basically as simple as most hardware analogs, but the sound is fantastic, as is their Model D software. Anthem is based on a mod'd Korg filter topology and it screams like a teenager in a horror movie. I did a full forensic autopsy, and no digital artifacts were detected. I'd put it up against any analog synth sold today.

[zerocrossing]

As I mentioned previously I use a Mackie Mixer that I run hot and that gets me the distortion and saturation that I want

Aha. So you actually do prefer analog.

I prefer whatever tool works for whatever I want to do, so for making the saturated sounds of running Synths hot into a Mackie Mixer I use one.

It's really not that hard

I also prefer software for my 2 VCA going into a ladder filter sounds

Have you ever tried this? I don't really care about that driven Mackie sound, but maybe this could save you some time.

https://www.airwindows.com/mackity/#comments-title

[crimsonwarlock]

Another example where software can't match sonically.

Software: Hold my beer...


https://soundcloud.com/blamsoft/aiyn-za ... ets-in-103

[IvyBirds]

As I mentioned previously I use a Mackie Mixer that I run hot and that gets me the distortion and saturation that I want

Aha. So you actually do prefer analog.

I prefer whatever tool works for whatever I want to do, so for making the saturated sounds of running Synths hot into a Mackie Mixer I use one.

It's really not that hard

I also prefer software for my 2 VCA going into a ladder filter sounds

Have you ever tried this? I don't really care about that driven Mackie sound, but maybe this could save you some time.

https://www.airwindows.com/mackity/#comments-title

Thanks, for that

I have played around with that before. Using the Mackie doesn't really take any time, it's permanently plugged into my interface which is on the same rack which hides under my desk. I have everything on the mixer gaff taped down, from there the audio goes into the inputs of my mid 1990s era Panasonic DAT machine where I can monitor the outputs of the A/D and then D/A at 32 bits then back to my interface via ADAT

It all happens without any real thought, I mainly use it to add some 1990s era analog and digital color to samples I am recording as it's the signal path of my 1990s era studio of Mackie Mixer into 32bit DAT. I don't use the EQ on the mixer as they are all at 12:00 that is easy enough to do before or after the fact, so it's actually easier to to use a send on my DAW to round trip the audio rather than launch a plugin

If the mixer died I would just get another one, the first generation Mackie ProFX line has preamps that sound very very similar to the Classic 8 Bus I used to use back in the day, they are easy to find used for next to nothing especially the 12 and 16 channel versions. They also have a built in pretty crappy USB interface that runs at 16 bits 44.1k. you can over drive it pretty easily

[Uncle E]

Here's another one that software just can't match...

The modular-type sounds at 1:53 are quite cool but I can match the other sounds with Anthem.

[Uncle E]

Softube 84 could replace the hardware

The sub especially. Turn that up with unison and that's the sound of most remixes from the 90s.

[Uncle E]

Another example where software can't match sonically.

Software: Hold my beer...


https://soundcloud.com/blamsoft/aiyn-za ... ets-in-103

1:20

Still, the Peak example sounded better to me. Less edgy on the bright parts.

[dellboy]

Here's another one that software just can't match...

The modular-type sounds at 1:53 are quite cool but I can match the other sounds with Anthem.

I see they describe UAD Anthem digital VST as "analogue". Mind you, I have an Alpha Juno 2 analogue synth, and that is sometimes described as "digital" by some software developers.

[dionenoid]

As I mentioned previously I use a Mackie Mixer that I run hot and that gets me the distortion and saturation that I want

Aha. So you actually do prefer analog.

I prefer whatever tool works for whatever I want to do, so for making the saturated sounds of running Synths hot into a Mackie Mixer I use one.

It's really not that hard

I also prefer software for my 2 VCA going into a ladder filter sounds

What really is hard tho, is recognising when ppl are taking the piss.

[wikter]

Setup VeeSeeVST, go resampling resolution, set It to 384kHz. It could be 4x or 8x, depending on you base resolution

[IvyBirds]

As I mentioned previously I use a Mackie Mixer that I run hot and that gets me the distortion and saturation that I want

Aha. So you actually do prefer analog.

I prefer whatever tool works for whatever I want to do, so for making the saturated sounds of running Synths hot into a Mackie Mixer I use one.

It's really not that hard

I also prefer software for my 2 VCA going into a ladder filter sounds

What really is hard tho, is recognising when ppl are taking the piss.

You mean like your lame attempt? Nope I got that but find it best to just pretend they are not, because when you do that you are taking the piss right back at them

[Uncle E]

All the urine talk is really starting to bother me.