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

[DJErmac]

Sorry, not quoting just for this quick answer.

Yeah, I was about to add Giorgio Moroder to my early masters list. Btw Midnight Express is a top 3 favourite movies ever of mine. What he did for the soundtrack is beyond genius.

[IvyBirds]

That will depend on the instrument. Try switching patches in Kontakt and see how quick that is with a big sample library. There are quite a few others that can be a bit tardy, too. Same with hardware, of course. If I need to play two different sounds in a song, I'll use two different controllers or, rarely, use a key split. And I'll use two instances of the instrument, changing patches is a very archaic way of doing things.

Again if that is what you are experiencing you are doing it wrong. I can switch between any instruments/presets including splits in a few milliseconds and that includes Kontact. Unlike you I am not doing things the archaic way.

I can have 6 instruments/presets going, instantly switch to 5 different ones for the chorus, and then flip back all without missing a beat

It couldn't be faster or easier

[DrGonzo]

Again if that is what you are experiencing you are doing it wrong. I can switch between any instruments/presets including splits in a few milliseconds and that includes Kontact. Unlike you I am not doing things the archaic way.

Then more than one is doing it the archaic way. How do you switch presets in Kontakt in a big sample library in just a few milliseconds? Going through presets in Kontakt is like walking through mud.

[IvyBirds]

Again if that is what you are experiencing you are doing it wrong. I can switch between any instruments/presets including splits in a few milliseconds and that includes Kontact. Unlike you I am not doing things the archaic way.

Then more than one is doing it the archaic way. How do you switch presets in Kontakt in a big sample library in just a few milliseconds? Going through presets in Kontakt is like walking through mud.

When playing live I use a software called Gig Performer, Mac Users can use a similar program called Mainstage

With Gig Performer my entire set is loaded including instruments, presets, effects, MIDI routings, splits etc. During the set I can switch from song to song instantly or even switch mid song

This video shows Mainstage being used on a major World Tour in Arenas, it's a great example of what I talking about and how I use it

[DrGonzo]

When playing live I use a software called Gig Performer, Mac Users can use a similar program called Mainstage

Thanks! I was aware of Mainstage but I didn't know it pushed all the samples for the presets into RAM as well. I though it was more of a tool to make MIDI connections and prepare which presets to switch to etc. But not that it kept all the stuff loaded all the time.

Nifty.

[seafire]

Balance

[psycho45039]

When playing live I use a software called Gig Performer, Mac Users can use a similar program called Mainstage

Thanks! I was aware of Mainstage but I didn't know it pushed all the samples for the presets into RAM as well. I though it was more of a tool to make MIDI connections and prepare which presets to switch to etc. But not that it kept all the stuff loaded all the time.

Nifty.

16 years ago this video was posted showing how Nine InchNails were using MainStage in their live performances.

[zerocrossing]

So you are at the gig and finish one song and need to start another one using a different patch, sorry not having recall is not faster that's just silly

You're making a number of poor assumptions here yourself. He doesn't gig. But I do and it's easy enough with a sufficiently simple synth. Last time we played in Germany, I used my Waldorf Rocket on most of the songs and it was no more effort to patch live than a guitarist trying to keep his guitar in tune through a set.

No I am not. You are the one making incorrect assumptions. It was stated as fact that "Analog without recall is faster than Synths with recall", you are making the assumption that only meant specific locations and circumstances that were not shared

There were no qualifiers given, so I simply provided an example of how that statement about no recall being faster was incorrect

I can also point out that recall in the studio is faster. I can also point out that recall in your living room is faster, I can also point out that patch recall on a rocket ship heading to another galaxy would be faster

As far as your experience with a mono synth with very limited controls, that is so basic that it makes just two waveforms and doesn't even have ADSR envelopes, awesome have fun with that.

Most synths are not rocket science.
They usually have the Layout of a SH-101 or a Juno or have 2 oscillators with a Saw, Square and a triangle waveform, 1 filter, 1 Lfo and 1-2 Adsr envelopes and even the Model D with 3 oscillators is so simple to use that Presets are not needed.

That is still largely dependent on you and how your music is constructed. I don't care how simple your synth is, if you have a track with an intro that has a big, aggressive bass sound, but then switches to a smooth, rounded kind of tone for the main verses, and back to a variant of the aggressive sound for the chorus, with the filter closed a bit more, you are using at least two synths to do that, unless you have instant patch recall. You're not tweaking a preset in the time of an 8th note in a 140 bpm track, unless you're The Flash.

[zerocrossing]

When playing live I use a software called Gig Performer, Mac Users can use a similar program called Mainstage

Thanks! I was aware of Mainstage but I didn't know it pushed all the samples for the presets into RAM as well. I though it was more of a tool to make MIDI connections and prepare which presets to switch to etc. But not that it kept all the stuff loaded all the time.

Nifty.

Even if you don't use an app like MainStage, it's very easy to just have Kontakt have a few sounds loaded up using different MIDI channels, and a few tracks set up to transmit corresponding MIDI channels. Just solo the track with the sound you want to play.

[Funky40]

So you are at the gig

No I am not.

Most synths are not rocket science.

That is still largely dependent on you and how your music is constructed. I don't care how simple your synth is, if you have a track with an intro that has a big, aggressive bass sound, but then switches to a smooth, rounded kind of tone for the main verses, and back to a variant of the aggressive sound for the chorus, with the filter closed a bit more, you are using at least two synths to do that, unless you have instant patch recall. You're not tweaking a preset in the time of an 8th note in a 140 bpm track, unless you're The Flash.

funny quote. ignore it ! exept of the last part.

i tryed to make my point vs. how important CC curvatures editing is.
Here in this case, as you draw it, i´d just make this within GP (Gigperformer)

- i´d create a one-knob controlled audio crossfade, using a audio mixer module, just mixing (X-fading) two instruments.
- OR: i´d just create a one-knob controlled multi parameter morph on one and the same SW-Synth


- one could even use HW-synths, and just use GP as your digital ITB audio mixer.
- and one could even create same parameter morph within GP to control a HW-synth. using GP as a midi control setup station


HW has it´s own strong points !
Same is true for digital, ITB !


one of the MAIN strong points of digital ITB is: how we can gain manual acess to parameters !
It´s totally overlooked IMHO.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -


The question is NOT "what sounds best ?", HW or SW.
The question is also NOT "HW vs. SW" in a general sense.

The question IS:
- what is each ones own strong points ?
- and the drawbacks......

[DJErmac]

Drawbacks in every possible situation : not everybody in your audience is a producer.

You’re hearing details nobody will ever give a f#(k about.

In live situation, the crowd can’t hear the difference in vast majority and they’re all cheering and talking and stuff, the speakers don’t translate it correctly, there are weird resonances coming from everywhere... just be serious...

Keep your details for studio where they’ll be forever recorded. That’s where you do what you believe in. People will judge. Maybe. Have you ever noticed the number of songs that are released every day on any single music platform ? Give what you have, and future will tell. For sure it doesn’t depend on wether you used a real Minimoog or not on the track.

It’s not a serious plan to rely on technology. It’s a producer thing. Give what you believe in.

I’m not meaning in any way things don’t care. I mean they care to some specific people. You can’t control people’s mind. Just let go. Do what you think is good. If you think analog won’t be surpassed any day then it’s the way it is. If you think you need only digital then juste produce. Need both ? Wow, amazing, tell us about it ! Too many questions for answers that will never come.

My 2 cents.

[enCiphered]

I agree that most listeners don’t care how a sound was made. But maybe that’s exactly why the process matters more to the person creating it than to the person hearing it.
No method guarantees impact. But the process you trust is usually the one that lets you finish the track. And that’s not a small thing.

[DJErmac]

Yes, exactly ! If, by some kind of miracle, your track is a huge hit, people will start to talk about how you made it.

And this could appear like a new miracle receipe to some...

But cr@p, have you ever heard tracks that made an international success and were made only from samples ?? Tell me that it makes sense !
One example.

See the number of views of this track, huge success at its time.
"Panjabi MC - Mundian To Bach Ke"
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x9WO2ieJM ... BiYWNoIGtl

Firstly, it heavily reminds me of the soundtrack from K-2000, Knight Rider.
But that’s not the worst part.
Search for the Yamaha sample CD that almost any studio had in the early 90’s, I got it free when I puchased my Yamaha SU-10 sampler, I can show you a pic, I still have it.
EDIT : found a pic here
https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/imag ... ib5MHqig&s
It has it ALL. The bass line, the sitar riff, the indian percussion part... Exactly those sample loops, untouched (the sitar loop is faster).

This thing is made ONLY from free samples that almost any producer had, stacked together...

What can you believe in after this ?

Music industry is deep [poo-poo]. You can sell thousands of records doing NOTHING.

We’re all working and trying to improve our sound when some fake-@sses sell millions doing NOTHING.

Just believe in yourself guys. No emulation, no plugin, no hardware will get you there. Just do what you love and see what happens. No magic trick, no receipe. Luck and things to come.

(edit : wow, first time some dirty words, though heavily coded with symbols, disappeared from my post)

[nanostream]

Tell me that it makes sense !
One example.

See the number of views of this track, huge success at its time.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=x9WO2ieJM ... BiYWNoIGtl

It makes perfect sense, this track is clearly a banger.

[DJErmac]

And sadly it is...