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

[whassup]

Something that keeps coming up is the cost difference between analog/hardware versus software. Should this be a factor? If money was no object, would a billionaire choose software over hardware? If a billionaire had one big studio fully equipped with a large collection of hardware synths, along with a mixing desk and a professional audio engineer, and another studio with a Mac or PC running software, which studio would he choose?

If money wouldn't be an objection and everything resulting from that wouldn't be restrictions.
So any space, electricity, maintanance, blablabla wouldn't matter.
Then I would choose what I like and want to use.
Preferably software with custom built controllers.
Custom programmed software that does all I want.
But hardware per se: no.
I like the idea of having everything in close proximity for usage and ergonomics.
Total recall, blabla. The full ITB experience to the max.
Fun disclaimer: This could mean that I would have a Nina, etc. close until my programmers would have put into my custom synth what I want from it.

[zerocrossing]

Now if you are talking about having the need to play the exact sound of the 3rd Wave with the exact SEM software model that's running in the computer of the 3rd Wave awesome use it and if you want to drop $10 grand or more to get more than 24 voices of Polyphony again awesome have fun, as for me I have a ton of options for Oberheim/SEM VA sounds

As someone who owns a hardware SEM clone and many good software emulations, I can assure everyone that what’s on the 3rd Wave either isn’t meant to be a SEM emulation, or is a dog sh!t attempt at one.

[DrGonzo]

Something that keeps coming up is the cost difference between analog/hardware versus software. Should this be a factor? If money was no object, would a billionaire choose software over hardware? If a billionaire had one big studio fully equipped with a large collection of hardware synths, along with a mixing desk and a professional audio engineer, and another studio with a Mac or PC running software, which studio would he choose?

Both. But as one studio.

[IvyBirds]

Also you are incorrect. Both the Analog Four/Keys and the Digitone can be played with MPE.

When did they add Polyphonic Aftertouch or anything else MPE related to the Digitone or Analog keys? I can find zero information about either online, the only thing you can find is people lamenting that it doesn't have it even on the official Elektron forums from actual users

Set each of the tracks on the A4 to the same sound.
On the Linnstrument limit the midi channels to 4 and the same channels as you have the A4 configured to.
On the Linnstrument, set Timbre to CC#2 (breath) since the A4 doesn't support CC#74
In the A4 modulate the targets you want with AT and Breath.

It works well... Have fun!

One of my favorite things about the Linnstrument is that all configuration is done right on it and there is no need for a computer.

Only that's not even close to being an actual MPE implementation

[crimsonwarlock]

If money was no object, would a billionaire choose software over hardware? If a billionaire had one big studio fully equipped with a large collection of hardware synths, along with a mixing desk and a professional audio engineer, and another studio with a Mac or PC running software, which studio would he choose?

Maybe not a billionaire, but I remember a DeadMaus livestream where someone mentioned VCVrack to him, and he downloaded and installed it right there on the spot. After playing around for maybe half an hour (possibly even shorter) he took out his credit card and bought ALL commercial modules that were available at that moment. This, while all the time his rather substantial Eurorack modular was visible behind him in his studio.

So, the answer seems to be both.

[pdxindy]

Only that's not even close to being an actual MPE implementation

In use, it's indistinguishable. Which works for me!

[zerocrossing]

Something that keeps coming up is the cost difference between analog/hardware versus software. Should this be a factor? If money was no object, would a billionaire choose software over hardware? If a billionaire had one big studio fully equipped with a large collection of hardware synths, along with a mixing desk and a professional audio engineer, and another studio with a Mac or PC running software, which studio would he choose?

I’m no billionaire, but I pretty much buy whatever I want, and in all honesty, a lot more money wouldn’t change my setup all that much, though I’d add things like a physical drum kit in a treated room… and pay an amazing drummer to play parts for me. My space would be larger, but I’d still use a combination of hardware and software instruments.

First off, a lot of plugins are better than their hardware counterparts in every aspect except interface, and I prefer a virtual interface. People who think their Virus is better than modern plugins are just like a duckling that hatched next to a St. Bernard and thinks it’s their mother. It’s not, but what an Instagram moment!

Second, unless something happened overnight, there’s no polyphonic Model D with polyphonic aftertouch (hell, the Moog One doesn’t even support this feature from the 1970s). No polyphonic ARP 2600. No Prophet 5 with a mod matrix that allows me to add any modulation I want so I can have a pretty damn good approximation of a classic synthesizer that sounds great and has 4 LFOs, an MSEG and parameter step sequencer. Even if you own all those classic instruments, I highly recommend the plugins, unless you enjoy being stuck in the past.

Lastly, I could recommend dozens of plugins that sound great and do things that have no hardware equivalent at all, or if they do, it’s a monophonic eurorack module that’s got a teenytiny screen, cramped knobs, costs 10x the plugin and needs a whole bunch of extra modules to have it do anything. If you go that route, when you stumble across something super cool, you’ll have to take a photo of it and prepare to spend quality studio time recreating it in the future, because we all know how fun that must be.

[Gamma-UT]

Something that keeps coming up is the cost difference between analog/hardware versus software. Should this be a factor? If money was no object, would a billionaire choose software over hardware? If a billionaire had one big studio fully equipped with a large collection of hardware synths, along with a mixing desk and a professional audio engineer, and another studio with a Mac or PC running software, which studio would he choose?

[zerocrossing]

If money was no object, would a billionaire choose software over hardware? If a billionaire had one big studio fully equipped with a large collection of hardware synths, along with a mixing desk and a professional audio engineer, and another studio with a Mac or PC running software, which studio would he choose?

Maybe not a billionaire, but I remember a DeadMaus livestream where someone mentioned VCVrack to him, and he downloaded and installed it right there on the spot. After playing around for maybe half an hour (possibly even shorter) he took out his credit card and bought ALL commercial modules that were available at that moment. This, while all the time his rather substantial Eurorack modular was visible behind him in his studio.

So, the answer seems to be both.

Does anyone remember the Deadmau5 livestream where he starts trying to show off his new modular system and it’s clear he has no idea what he’s doing? Classic.

[IvyBirds]

Something that keeps coming up is the cost difference between analog/hardware versus software. Should this be a factor? If money was no object, would a billionaire choose software over hardware? If a billionaire had one big studio fully equipped with a large collection of hardware synths, along with a mixing desk and a professional audio engineer, and another studio with a Mac or PC running software, which studio would he choose?

Ask Hans Zimmer who uses Zebra 90% of the time, he isn't a billionaire but has a net worth of several hundred million dollars and could easily buy whatever synth he wanted to

The ultra rich collect rare things because they are rare and expensive, they buy multi-million dollar paintings and put them in a vault and hide them from the public view, they build huge collections of vintage sports cars and leave them in the garage

They would collect Hardware Synths for the same reason if they were into them

If they were a working musician they would use whatever tool in hardware or software they wanted/needed for their artistic vision, if they were being hired by someone else as Hans Zimmer is for movie and TV scores, they would use whatever tools needed to achieve the vision the client had for their project

[IvyBirds]

If money was no object, would a billionaire choose software over hardware? If a billionaire had one big studio fully equipped with a large collection of hardware synths, along with a mixing desk and a professional audio engineer, and another studio with a Mac or PC running software, which studio would he choose?

Maybe not a billionaire, but I remember a DeadMaus livestream where someone mentioned VCVrack to him, and he downloaded and installed it right there on the spot. After playing around for maybe half an hour (possibly even shorter) he took out his credit card and bought ALL commercial modules that were available at that moment. This, while all the time his rather substantial Eurorack modular was visible behind him in his studio.

So, the answer seems to be both.

Does anyone remember the Deadmau5 livestream where he starts trying to show off his new modular system and it’s clear he has no idea what he’s doing? Classic.

Ever see the pictures of his studio

https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2016 ... -deadmau5/

Where he has all kinds of empty wall space yet has modular synths on the floor which no one would do who actually used them and had empty wall space

[pdxindy]

If anyone here thinks that the tiny variants between plugins and the real deal are audible in a live situation, they should have their brains scanned for damage.

I wanted to come back to this. Plenty of electronic music/performance is sparse and textural where nuance is important and in those cases, the variations are often audible.

Take something as basic as Osc Sync, a staple of most subtractive analog synths. Osc sync on many softsynths sounds generic and a touch brittle. Analog Osc Sync tends to sound better and some stand out in that regard. I think the Behringer Proton has its own appealing sync character with lovely nuances that bubble out.

The Behringer Neutron or Proton have an enjoyable raw and lively analog tone which is not readily available in software. And it is not likely that a company like u-he is going to spend 1-2 years developing a Proton emulation.

[zerocrossing]

If money was no object, would a billionaire choose software over hardware? If a billionaire had one big studio fully equipped with a large collection of hardware synths, along with a mixing desk and a professional audio engineer, and another studio with a Mac or PC running software, which studio would he choose?

Maybe not a billionaire, but I remember a DeadMaus livestream where someone mentioned VCVrack to him, and he downloaded and installed it right there on the spot. After playing around for maybe half an hour (possibly even shorter) he took out his credit card and bought ALL commercial modules that were available at that moment. This, while all the time his rather substantial Eurorack modular was visible behind him in his studio.

So, the answer seems to be both.

Does anyone remember the Deadmau5 livestream where he starts trying to show off his new modular system and it’s clear he has no idea what he’s doing? Classic.

Ever see the pictures of his studio

https://www.synthtopia.com/content/2016 ... -deadmau5/

Where he has all kinds of empty wall space yet has modular synths on the floor which no one would do who actually used them and had empty wall space

The weirdest part about Joel is that when I listen to his mediocre music, I’ve never heard anything on it that sounds remotely like it could have come from any of that gear. It all sounds like software preset demo songs.

If you told me that Hainbach made all his music with plugins, I’d be very surprised and skeptical. His stuff sounds like a mad scientist made it with mad scientist equipment. If you told me that Joel Zimmerman has never used any of his gear in a track and really makes all his music with the deluxe version of Fruity Loops, I would not question you.

[pdxindy]

And the 3rd wave has 70+ knobs and buttons all assigned to synth parameters for immediate access and sound design.

You really can't recreate that hardware workflow with a midi controller. None are available with that many knobs/buttons/sliders to even get you a fraction of the way there.

The Faderfox PC12 has 72 knobs. (costs $900)

The main problem isn't finding midi controllers with lots of knobs/buttons/sliders, it's mapping the controller to software synths. It's a freakin nightmare and at best it works poorly.

I'm not sold on the sound of the 3rd Wave, but the user interface is great.

[zerocrossing]

If anyone here thinks that the tiny variants between plugins and the real deal are audible in a live situation, they should have their brains scanned for damage.

I wanted to come back to this. Plenty of electronic music/performance is sparse and textural where nuance is important and in those cases, the variations are often audible.

Take something as basic as Osc Sync, a staple of most subtractive analog synths. Osc sync on many softsynths sounds generic and a touch brittle. Analog Osc Sync tends to sound better and some stand out in that regard. I think the Behringer Proton has its own appealing sync character with lovely nuances that bubble out.

The Behringer Neutron or Proton have an enjoyable raw and lively analog tone which is not readily available in software. And it is not likely that a company like u-he is going to spend 1-2 years developing a Proton emulation.

I’ve always subscribed to the notion that if there is a specific kink that turns you on, you should go for it, unless it’s illegal.

If for you that’s the Proton, then so be it. I’ve never heard a demo of it that I thought was super good, I’ve got my own versions of that that have specific things that I think sound fantastic, and more importantly, different than software options. That said, I think there are software options that do sound as good, but are obviously different.

I still stand by my statement, though. Maybe in some specific context you will have an amazing space with a kick ass sound system and your Proton, or whatever, will shine through, but if you’re playing in a warehouse with those powered Mackie speakers and mixing board… no. The sound system is crude, the acoustics a nightmare, and the audience too hopped up on molly to notice the difference. They’re more likely to be impressed by all the blinky lights and wires, though.

One of the last gigs I did was in a loft space in SF. We had to set up behind the DJ table in the mezzanine level. We played our set without even being able to see the audience, and when it was about over and a DJ was about to take over, he was surprised to find live musicians there and had assumed that it was just another DJ mixing stuff he’d never heard of. I guess a compliment? As I was breaking down, someone ran up and began gushing about the track being played as if the act of playing it was a form of talent. Because there was no place to securely store my gear, I loaded up my car and drove home while everyone else had a blast on drugs. WEEP FOR ME, AS I HAD NO DRUGS.

I guess my point is, people go to shows to take drugs and hook up, not to hear characterful synced oscillators.