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

[IvyBirds]

I have participated in enough of these threads over the years to know that's how it goes

What was your previous name?

I have only ever had one name. Conspiracy theory much?

What was yours?

[_leras]

Would it be ok to run a software based Wavetable synth through an analog 2 or 4 pole filter and then record that back into the DAW, asking for a friend.

Careful now you analog purist heretic!!

And that Waldorf M may cause some serious cognitive dissonance...

That is also a synth that makes sounds the computer can't replicate.

[stoopicus]

At the same time, in 2025, avoiding use of virtual instruments in making electronic music seems pretty self defeating too

That's a ridiculous statement. The only thing self defeating is not doing what you desire because some random person thinks it's self defeating.

I'm regretting my original phrasing there because if you keep reading later in the thread you'll see that what I was actually trying to say about purism and workflow evangelism was closer to what you're saying there. I won't repeat it but it's all upthread.

A couple people have misunderstood it so it's clearly the fault of how I phrased it.

[IvyBirds]

Would it be ok to run a software based Wavetable synth through an analog 2 or 4 pole filter and then record that back into the DAW, asking for a friend.

Careful now you analog purist heretic!!

And that Waldorf M may cause some serious cognitive dissonance...

That is also a synth that makes sounds the computer can't replicate.

With the exception of the Microwave Plugin of course

The Waldorf M is just recreating the original Microwave 1 hardware from back in the day, which I was a long term owner of, as well as owning a Microwave XT long term

The M has crazy menu diving also

The Microwave was all about the crazy weird digital things it does, and that includes the software based digital filters which the M also has.

Not sure why anyone would say the sounds of a computer which is what the M and the Microwave were can't be be replicated with a computer

[stoopicus]

Would it be ok to run a software based Wavetable synth through an analog 2 or 4 pole filter

Digital synth into analog filters worked great for Ensoniq

Seriously, the CEM filters on the ESQ-1 sounded awesome.

[SoftSynthLover99]

I think A LOT of producers and hobbyist buy hardware synths with very little skill to actually play and get the most out of them. So inevitably they end up disappointed with hardware because they lack the skill required to make full use of the instrument.

you can give amateur keyboard players the holy grail of synths and the results will remain amateur. But you can give a skilled musician pretty much any keyboard that will make sound and they can make great music with it. So it’s worth taking the skill of the musician into account with hardware vs software

[IvyBirds]

I think A LOT of producers and hobbyist buy hardware synths with very little skill to actually play and get the most out of them. So inevitably they end up disappointed with hardware because they lack the skill required to make full use of the instrument.

you can give amateur keyboard players the holy grail of synths and the results will remain amateur. But you can give a skilled musician pretty much any keyboard that will make sound and they can make great music with it. So it’s worth taking the skill of the musician into account with hardware vs software

Skilled players play with skill, but that won't change the underlying sound. You can program a sequencer or use something like Harmony Bloom and make generative sequences or even use MIDI packs if you want and that won't change the underlying sound

The skill of the player has absolutely nothing to do with hardware -vs- software any real comparison should be done with the same

To anyone being honest the differences between hardware and software even when the software is modeling the hardware is so slight it doesn't matter, the fact that skill of the player effects the "tests" we see on YouTube just drives that point home

[stoopicus]

The traditional piano keyboard is also not the only input device for synths (hardware or software).

For me the biggest differences between hardware and software synths are workflow and cost.

The line is blurred anyway with a lot of recent “hardware” synths. Korg’s got three great hardware synths right now running internally the same sound engine used in their “native” plugins.

[pdxindy]

I'm regretting my original phrasing there because if you keep reading later in the thread you'll see that what I was actually trying to say about purism and workflow evangelism was closer to what you're saying there.

[SoftSynthLover99]

I think A LOT of producers and hobbyist buy hardware synths with very little skill to actually play and get the most out of them. So inevitably they end up disappointed with hardware because they lack the skill required to make full use of the instrument.

you can give amateur keyboard players the holy grail of synths and the results will remain amateur. But you can give a skilled musician pretty much any keyboard that will make sound and they can make great music with it. So it’s worth taking the skill of the musician into account with hardware vs software

The skill of the player has absolutely nothing to do with hardware -vs- software any real comparison should be done with the same

I think it has everything to do with the discussion. Because a skilled musician will play and make a synth sound 1000 times better than someone who’s just using midi chord packs and sending Midi from a DAW. It’s like buying a super fast sports car and never going over 45MPh. You’re not getting the full experience.

Why would someone spend $5K on a synth if they can’t utilize majority of the features of such an instrument? Polyphonic aftertouch and live performance morphing, knowing what Poly 1 or 2 means or the difference between Legato and Mono voice modes. So many things will be useless or lost on someone who doesn’t know much about actually playing keyboards.

I have friends who are great producers but not necessarily good keyboard players (usually hire me or someone who plays well) and I wouldn’t recommend they spend $5K on a hardware synth. Skill, desire to improve skill, are all factors that should matter when talking about hardware vs software IMO.

Put a $5K guitar in the hands of a novice and let him compare it to a $100 guitar, you wont hear much difference. Put a $5K guitar in the hands of a skilled player and they will point out all the tiny differences between that one and the $100 guitar, even if the skill of the player covers up the instruments flaws. Same is true for synths and all instruments in my experience!

[ghettosynth]

I'll summarize:

Guy with a shit collection of mostly vintage digital romplers and only one budget DCO based analog is parting with most of the shit that many of us laughed at when new because he is a composer and doesn't twiddle knobs.

But, posting a whole video that discusses that you own multiple Alesis romplers? Nobody gives a f**k mate. Those were the stars of a town called mediocre when they were new and they're pointless today. You should have ditched them decades ago and bought something interesting.

[seafire]

I have participated in enough of these threads over the years to know that's how it goes

What was your previous name?

I have only ever had one name. Conspiracy theory much?

What was yours?

Over defensive much?

[D-Fusion]

I'll summarize:

Guy with a shit collection of mostly vintage digital romplers and only one budget DCO based analog is parting with most of the shit that many of us laughed at when new because he is a composer and doesn't twiddle knobs.

But, posting a whole video that discusses that you own multiple Alesis romplers? Nobody gives a f**k mate. Those were the stars of a town called mediocre when they were new and they're pointless today. You should have ditched them decades ago and bought something interesting.

That is not my Video
Anyway. One mans trash is another mans treasure.

I would keep my digital hardware synths and my vst's over my Analog synths If i had to choose which is why i sold most of my analog synths.
I don't like the limited options, Warmup time and constant retuning on a Analog synth and i find most of them to be overpriced for what you get in return.

[El°HYM]

It might be a good idea to mention that I am also a proud software owner.

[dellboy]

Mostly sure, but then you have the purists, and in this context I am talking about working pros using them live on stage

The bit I am having difficulty in understanding is why does it matter what the "purists" do on stage? Who are these "purists"?

I think most of us here agree that it is a practical solution for a working pro keyboard player to take a laptop or iPad to gigs instead of carrying heavy keyboards. Software can adequately cover synth parts and anything else today. Some gigging musicians prefer taking something like a Nord Stage 4, but that is basically the same as a laptop. So are we talking about purely hardware synth artists like "LOOK MUM NO COMPUTER"?