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

[_leras]

Which reminds me. I bought a Dreadbox Hypnosis and after a few weeks with it, I found it to be worse in every way to using Colour Copy x2 and Twangström. I just didn't like the tone, and I found it too noisy. YMMV.

The Hypnosis definitely seems to have its own flavour. If you liked that flavour on the sources you were using, you might have lived with a bit of noise.

No doubt the software is more flexible.

[pdxindy]

Here's an example of a bonkers plugin that no hardware maker would likely make... maybe in Eurorack

Yeah, Eurorack is where hardware matches software for the wide range of "hey what if we did this" ideas implemented

[zerocrossing]

Here's an example of a bonkers plugin that no hardware maker would likely make... maybe in Eurorack

Yeah, Eurorack is where hardware matches software for the wide range of "hey what if we did this" ideas implemented

I’d love for a developer to make a new standard of modular. No cables. A rack system that would plug into a central brain that came in various sizes. All mod connections would be made and stored in the brain via a mod matrix, everything done at very high refresh rates. Touch a button, then touch a source control, then a destination and adjust to taste, sort of how the Prophet 12 works, including being able to modulate modulation amounts in the matrix.

[HAL76]

Here's an example of a bonkers plugin that no hardware maker would likely make... maybe in Eurorack

Yeah, Eurorack is where hardware matches software for the wide range of "hey what if we did this" ideas implemented

I’d love for a developer to make a new standard of modular. No cables. A rack system that would plug into a central brain that came in various sizes. All mod connections would be made and stored in the brain via a mod matrix, everything done at very high refresh rates. Touch a button, then touch a source control, then a destination and adjust to taste, sort of how the Prophet 12 works, including being able to modulate modulation amounts in the matrix.

We just went through a long phase in which plugin developers brought all sorts of brainchilds into the world that could do all sorts of things. Today, it's not uncommon for people to voluntarily pay €2,000 for a Juno 6, even though the Juno's capabilities are so limited. This reminds me a lot of the KISS principle.

[dellboy]

Here's an example of a bonkers plugin that no hardware maker would likely make... maybe in Eurorack

Yeah, Eurorack is where hardware matches software for the wide range of "hey what if we did this" ideas implemented

I’d love for a developer to make a new standard of modular. No cables. A rack system that would plug into a central brain that came in various sizes. All mod connections would be made and stored in the brain via a mod matrix, everything done at very high refresh rates. Touch a button, then touch a source control, then a destination and adjust to taste, sort of how the Prophet 12 works, including being able to modulate modulation amounts in the matrix.

We just went through a long phase in which plugin developers brought all sorts of brainchilds into the world that could do all sorts of things. Today, it's not uncommon for people to voluntarily pay €2,000 for a Juno 6, even though the Juno's capabilities are so limited. This reminds me a lot of the KISS principle.

I would agree that a juno 6 is limited, but so is a violin. The 1715 'Baron Knoop' violin by Antonio Stradivari sold for $23 million in March 2025.

[pekbro]

They still cannot properly replicate Stradivari’s work to this day.

[whassup]

They still cannot properly replicate Stradivari’s work to this day.

Pfff, more oversampling...

[dellboy]

They still cannot properly replicate Stradivari’s work to this day.

Yes, true, they have been trying for a long time. Some are quite good. A copy made by Giuseppe Antonio Rocca in 1834 fetched $412,624 in 2018.

[IvyBirds]

The 1715 'Baron Knoop' violin by Antonio Stradivari sold for $23 million in March 2025.

I'm waiting for the Behringer Clone

[IvyBirds]

We just went through a long phase in which plugin developers brought all sorts of brainchilds into the world that could do all sorts of things. Today, it's not uncommon for people to voluntarily pay €2,000 for a Juno 6, even though the Juno's capabilities are so limited. This reminds me a lot of the KISS principle.

One of most interesting things with software synths that follow a subtractive synthesis methodology is that pretty much all of them can be turned into a Juno 6 rather easily, made even more fun by the different flavors of filters, and chorus that most of them have

Brings the KISS principle down to a whole nother level

[zerocrossing]

Here's an example of a bonkers plugin that no hardware maker would likely make... maybe in Eurorack

Yeah, Eurorack is where hardware matches software for the wide range of "hey what if we did this" ideas implemented

I’d love for a developer to make a new standard of modular. No cables. A rack system that would plug into a central brain that came in various sizes. All mod connections would be made and stored in the brain via a mod matrix, everything done at very high refresh rates. Touch a button, then touch a source control, then a destination and adjust to taste, sort of how the Prophet 12 works, including being able to modulate modulation amounts in the matrix.

We just went through a long phase in which plugin developers brought all sorts of brainchilds into the world that could do all sorts of things. Today, it's not uncommon for people to voluntarily pay €2,000 for a Juno 6, even though the Juno's capabilities are so limited. This reminds me a lot of the KISS principle.

I would agree that a juno 6 is limited, but so is a violin. The 1715 'Baron Knoop' violin by Antonio Stradivari sold for $23 million in March 2025.

Yeah, but it has MPE.

[vurt]

They still cannot properly replicate Stradivari’s work to this day.

carlos came close on the switched on series of albums

[seafire]

They still cannot properly replicate Stradivari’s work to this day.

A bit of wood and 4 strings, can't be that difficult.

Hold my beer...

[vurt]

They still cannot properly replicate Stradivari’s work to this day.

A bit of wood and 4 strings, can't be that difficult.

Hold my beer...

thats how we got the bass, some ham fisted chippy, tried to knock up a viola, and voila, the bass was born!

[seafire]

They still cannot properly replicate Stradivari’s work to this day.

A bit of wood and 4 strings, can't be that difficult.

Hold my beer...

thats how we got the bass, some ham fisted chippy, tried to knock up a viola, and voila, the bass was born!

And lo, funk was born