Trying to pick top 3's to reduce GAS ;)

[TechHaus]

Instead of emptying out your plugin folder, try this one neat trick the pros don't want you to know about. The next time you think, "I'd like a synth part here," just ask your favorite chatbot to randomly pick a letter in the alphabet and then commit to using a plugin that begins with that letter, or if you don't own a plugin that begins with that letter, pick the previous or next one, and make yourself use it. If you have multiple plugins with that letter, just use a randomizer to pick for you.

You can obviously abandon it, if you keep struggling to get what you want from it, but you might just find something that is amazing that you hadn't really thought of. It's similar to the Brian Eno Oblique Strategies technique to push you out of your comfort zone and force you to think about something different.

Your chatbot won't pick a random letter in the alphabet. It will pick what someone would be statistically likely to say if you asked them to pick a random letter.

Like if you ask it to pick a random number between 1-10, it will pick 7 most of the time, because that is what most people pick statistically.

Moreover, when people ask it for random passwords, they aren't random. There is actually a subset of results they go to. In fact, there are certain characters that NEVER show up in those results.

Just wanted to clear that up, for folks who don't get how "chatbots" work.

Last, we have WORKING RANDOMIZERS that don't require data centers, chatbots, or ai.

Old school irc can do dice rolls for you, but not "artificial intelligence".

If you are going to lecture others you really should get your facts correct. We don't have "Working Randomizers" that don't require data centers, chat bots or AI

What you are referring to is Pseudorandom Number Generators (PRNGs) which use mathematical formulas to simulate randomness. Basically they take a seed number and run it through a mathematical formula to generate a new number. They then use that new number and run it through the formula to get another new number which seeds the process again. This happens every time you run a new number. It's anything but random and if you know the formula and the seed number from the the last time it ran you can accurately predict it every single time so it's hardly random

There are some highly advanced tools called "True Random Number Generators" that capture data from chaotic sources such as atmospheric noise, radioactivity, or precise electronic noise. These usually requires large computerized systems to gather the data and are slow, but even then they are just algorithmically collecting data for the seed number and then running it through a formula. Even these however are not true random numbers but are designed to be unpredictable enough for cryptography usage in the military and various clandestine agencies usually with 3 letters

So using AI to generate random numbers or letters is every bit as random as anything else anyone not in some Uber expensive government lab can generate

The closest mere mortals can get is "Entropy" tools built into several OS especially Linux and Windows. These gather data points from various things on your computer hardware like fan and hard drive speeds and the noise they create. This makes the seed number unpredictable but not actually random but again it's unpredictable enough for most encryption routines. The move to Solid State Drives however has made these less effective than they were before as there is no longer a spinning drive to measure

Hope this helps

Based on the studies I've read, I think you're wrong about "...using AI to generate random numbers or letters is every bit as random as anything else...", but true about the seed stuff.

[TechHaus]

double post, but I'll use it to say, Ivy, use an LLM to create your passwords then and see if they get popped

[vitocorleone123]

I've weeded out a lot of software synths and am down to a dozen or so - not worth putting into categories like that, in my mind.

Using often
* Serum 2
* Phonec 3
* Twin 3

Using sometimes
* Kontakt 8
* Model 77
* Model 82
* Model 80
* Model 84
* Spire
* TAL-J8X
* VSM IV
* OB-E
* TVS Pro

Using rarely = deleted

[vitocorleone123]

The hell do people want monosynth plugins for. Seriously, just set voices to 1 or w/e.

Anyway. I’d probably do the categories differently.

I'll let you in on a little secret, just between us: not all synths sound the same.

[rod_zero]

LOL you ended with a lot of categories and 3 in each one? still a lot of bloat for me.

[kvotchin]

The hell do people want monosynth plugins for. Seriously, just set voices to 1 or w/e.

Anyway. I’d probably do the categories differently.

I'll let you in on a little secret, just between us: not all synths sound the same.

Yeah, no shit. Figured that one out years ago. I own a hardware mono, hardware poly, various softsynths (none of them mono). So yes, again, ya don’t say.

Also, how many commercial monosynth plugins have been made, how many of those have sold, and how many of those have sold well? Get back to me on that one, lol.

[TechHaus]

The hell do people want monosynth plugins for. Seriously, just set voices to 1 or w/e.

Anyway. I’d probably do the categories differently.

I'll let you in on a little secret, just between us: not all synths sound the same.

Yeah, no shit. Figured that one out years ago. I own a hardware mono, hardware poly, various softsynths (none of them mono). So yes, again, ya don’t say.

Also, how many commercial monosynth plugins have been made, how many of those have sold, and how many of those have sold well? Get back to me on that one, lol.

Back on Mac OS9, Koblo Vibra 9000 was a hit!

https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/koblo-vibra-9000

[vitocorleone123]

The hell do people want monosynth plugins for. Seriously, just set voices to 1 or w/e.

Anyway. I’d probably do the categories differently.

I'll let you in on a little secret, just between us: not all synths sound the same.

Yeah, no shit. Figured that one out years ago. I own a hardware mono, hardware poly, various softsynths (none of them mono). So yes, again, ya don’t say.

Also, how many commercial monosynth plugins have been made, how many of those have sold, and how many of those have sold well? Get back to me on that one, lol.

Why?

I also own hardware mono, hardware polys and software monos and software polys. And I choose to use ones that sound different and have different features... which include two mono software synths (at least). There you go.

[Monsieur_FyP]

LOL you ended with a lot of categories and 3 in each one? still a lot of bloat for me.

Yeah, I'm always amazed by what many people on KVR dare to call « downsizing » & « deep clean », « cutting back to the bare minimum » & « to be finally cured »! What a wonderful “bare minimum” these endless lists are!

In fact, one wonders how these geniuses manage to master such a wide variety of software
My poor brain would have fried long ago if faced with such a task… (And whatever you do, there are still only 24 hours in a day… )

[mambo888]

They all have different flavour, different type of synthesis, presets, different ways to inspire. If you just want sounds to write songs use the built in sounds in Logic or Ableton…I think we have synths to have fun and appreciate how one synth may be different from another.

Synths don’t even take up much space as opposed to sample libraries…

The only way I can counter GAS is to stop buying new ones but no way in hell I’m going to delete the ones I already purchased and love for the sake of perceived simplicity or hating myself that I spent money on something. Most of these synths cost less than a dinner or even a meal in McDonald’s still I should feel bad for collecting them???

I feel that this is still a better hobby than wasting money on other things.

[digitalboytn]

One wonders how these geniuses manage to master such a wide variety of software

[Morty-C-137]

Apologies if this comes across as another "What's your favorite" type thread, but I actually did this excercise for myself the other day because honestly I'm annoyed at how many soft synths I have and want to reduce but I get so resistent to letting some go even though I don't use them much.

If you collection is troubling or a hindrance for you then let me give a helping hand:

Top 3 SYNTHS

1
2
3

You’re welcome You are needlessly sabotaging your plans to cut down by al these ‘sub categories’


Edit: and if you just like having a full folder of options then fuggedaboutit! Just enjoy it en stop tripping yourself up with “I should” figments.. everyone has their preferences.

[Vortifex]

As someone who struggles with option paralysis I've thought about cutting it all down to a handful of synths but I just can't do it. Even if I don't use a synth 99% of the time, it would really bug me not to have it for that one time I need the specific thing it does really well. I'm sure I'd complete more tracks if I had less stuff though.

[vitocorleone123]

As someone who struggles with option paralysis I've thought about cutting it all down to a handful of synths but I just can't do it. Even if I don't use a synth 99% of the time, it would really bug me not to have it for that one time I need the specific thing it does really well. I'm sure I'd complete more tracks if I had less stuff though.

You can always reinstall it if you need it that one time. But you probably won’t need it by then. And, if you do, you’ll use it and then delete it again.

[heliacal]

That list is way too long. Should be top 3 period, well maybe 4.
Omnisphere
Falcon
HALion
Zebra 3

Done for Life.