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

VST, AU, AAX, CLAP, etc. Plugin Virtual Instruments Discussion
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Has digital finally dethroned analog?

Yes, software has clearly taken the lead
22
31%
No, analog still holds its ground
17
24%
About 50/50 - I balance both worlds
4
6%
Not sure, it's context-dependent
1
1%
Doesn’t matter. It’s about results, not tools
26
37%
 
Total votes: 70

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jamcat wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 6:19 am People who drive 1970 Camaros don’t know or care what Diva is. But they do know who Dave Murray is.
Bill Murray's brother? Can Dave Murray fans tell if Dave Murray records through an old vintage Marshall or a Kemper?

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IvyBirds wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 12:40 am Awesome so if so post a sound from a software synth that the Moog One can't do that means that software is the clear winner right?
First of all, we all know that software can do things that are impossible to do in analog hardware. Secondly, any hardware synthesizer that has more features than a Moog One (easy to imagine) can do things that a Moog One can't.

However, YOU are the one screaming on too many posts already that you can make The Legend HZ sound like the Moog One because it is three oscillators into a ladder filter. I'll leave my stance on this out of it right now. Several peeps have stated that hardware has something that software doesn't (we are not talking features, you should stop muddying the discussion that way). Then, you and that guy who owns a Moog One made it about software vs Moog One (or the other way around, whatever).
_leras wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 3:16 am Or just post a video of a soft synth that matches one of the Moog One videos.
No no no, let's not go there again. We've already seen how demo videos used for comparisson went apples and oranges from the start.

It is simple: post ONE Moog One sound that has a sound and/or quality that is not possible in software. You need only one sound to make that point. Let's hear it :D
Last edited by crimsonwarlock on Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:35 am, edited 1 time in total.
CrimsonWarlock aka TechnoGremlin, Moved to Reason and Rack Extensions exclusively (from Reaper and VSTs) several years ago.

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What we (all) have learned so far; the Legend HZ can sound exactly like a Moog One, while a Boog One will never sound like a Moog. Because (as we all know already) the Behringer Model D sound is maybe 80-90% like the real thing, to the max. :?
You can be creative in any right place on Earth, and not only in the wealthiest cities. Bring the world feelings from everywhere, and not only feelings of capitalistic or jail environment.
― Aleksey Vaneev


https://linuxdaw.org

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Speak for yourself
How original

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crimsonwarlock wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 7:40 am.

However, YOU are the one screaming on too many posts already that you can make The Legend HZ sound like the Moog One because it is three oscillators into a ladder filter.
6 actually
How original

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El°HYM wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:14 am What we (all) have learned so far; the Legend HZ can sound exactly like a Moog One
I haven't heard any proof of that or the opposite of it :shrug:
seafire wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:36 am
crimsonwarlock wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 7:40 am.

However, YOU are the one screaming on too many posts already that you can make The Legend HZ sound like the Moog One because it is three oscillators into a ladder filter.
6 actually
I was referring to the voice architecture of the Moog One :wink:

I have The Legend HZ myself, as I mentioned several pages back :D
CrimsonWarlock aka TechnoGremlin, Moved to Reason and Rack Extensions exclusively (from Reaper and VSTs) several years ago.

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seafire wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:34 am Speak for yourself
Please dont try to argue against things, which have already been scientifically proven on kvr. :roll:
You can be creative in any right place on Earth, and not only in the wealthiest cities. Bring the world feelings from everywhere, and not only feelings of capitalistic or jail environment.
― Aleksey Vaneev


https://linuxdaw.org

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crimsonwarlock wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:43 am
El°HYM wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:14 am What we (all) have learned so far; the Legend HZ can sound exactly like a Moog One
I haven't heard any proof of that or the opposite of it :shrug:
Who needs proof, when we already have experts. :?
You can be creative in any right place on Earth, and not only in the wealthiest cities. Bring the world feelings from everywhere, and not only feelings of capitalistic or jail environment.
― Aleksey Vaneev


https://linuxdaw.org

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El°HYM wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:54 am
crimsonwarlock wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:43 am
El°HYM wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:14 am What we (all) have learned so far; the Legend HZ can sound exactly like a Moog One
I haven't heard any proof of that or the opposite of it :shrug:
Who needs proof, when we already have experts. :?
Self-proclaimed experts. I personally do not readily accept any financial, legal, medical or musical advice from the self proclaimed Internet experts. I find it is always a good idea to think that people giving suggestions on the Internet are paid to give that advice. My experience is that the Internet is wrong much more than it is right.

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Papuzzo wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 6:41 am
jamcat wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 6:19 am People who drive 1970 Camaros don’t know or care what Diva is. But they do know who Dave Murray is.
Bill Murray's brother? Can Dave Murray fans tell if Dave Murray records through an old vintage Marshall or a Kemper?
Dave Murray would never record through an old vintage Kemper!
ABX is enemy to GAS

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seafire wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:34 am Speak for yourself
Sums up the topic.
ABX is enemy to GAS

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crimsonwarlock wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 7:40 am
_leras wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 3:16 am Or just post a video of a soft synth that matches one of the Moog One videos.
No no no, let's not go there again. We've already seen how demo videos used for comparisson went apples and oranges from the start.

It is simple: post ONE Moog One sound that has a sound and/or quality that is not possible in software. You need only one sound to make that point. Let's hear it :D
Well, I don't have a Moog One - and very unlikely to get one, or even get to play one anytime soon.

Legend HZ I quite liked from demoing, in particular I thought it had some nice plucky bass type sounds, and it's on my to buy list. (to buy when on sale as the UAD Moog, Monark, Diva, the two UAD moog filters, and a Moog Minitaur have me pretty well covered for moog tones)

Anyway, I couldn't help myself and had a listen through a few demos for each. My conclusion:

The Moog One is an amazing sounding synth, very smooth, clear, sweet and expensive sounding, crystal clear highs. It would be the perfect accompaniment for an orchestra. I can see why some might say polite - but wow it sounds great. I'll link below the best demo I found of it, which reminded me of a lot of early JMJ type sounds. Really great.

The Legend HZ, I think it sounds good, but in context of the moog one, and some other moog demos it has gone down a bit in my estimation. It sounds big and it did when compared with the UAD, but I think it lacks some fidelity and clarity. The other things I listened to in context also seem to highlight that legend is more software than hardware sounding - more of a moogy VA.

(I also compared it with Minitaur, Minimoog, minimoog Reissue, Boog, UAD minimoog)

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The best examples I could find of the various minimoog type moogs... (and one minitaur comparison).

Moog One - sweet and expensive sounding


Minitaur - rough and analog sounding


Minimoog reissue - clear and rich sounding


model D - classic sound


boog - less rounded, more raspy and modern sound - clearly analog though


UAD Moog - best soft synth moog?


Legend HZ - not so analog as VA?


Legend HZ - but its a phat VA beast when fx are added


Boog v UAD v Softube v Arturia v G Force
Fun comparison video I came across. Shows that some things like filter sweep are well modeled, but that other things like Freq Mod are clearly much harder to model and all but UAD were really pretty bad.


Subsequent 37 - this demo just sounded really good and highlights the modern moog sound, but with lots of fx


More Minitaur - also just sounds great - maybe too much fx for some

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jamcat wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 6:19 am People who drive 1970 Camaros don’t know or care what Diva is. But they do know who Dave Murray is.
They do not. They may know Iron Maiden, but they wouldn't know the name Dave Murray.
Zerocrossing Media

4th Law of Robotics: When turning evil, display a red indicator light. ~[ ●_● ]~

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wikter wrote: Sun Jun 29, 2025 4:13 am

But you can't resell a piece of software at eBay/Reverb to increased paid price. That's not possible with plug-ins
Go on Reverb right now and see hundreds of thousands of hardware synths being sold at a loss

Even in this thread we have an example of someone who "got a good deal" when they got a Moog One meaning the person they got it from lost thousands of dollars, and there are ton of them right now on Reverb sitting there for months not selling trying to be sold at a massive loss over new

Do you however buy musical instruments as a financial investment or a musical tool, because if it's a financial investment those prices peaked during the pandemic and have been dropping ever since

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