indistinguishable from hardware ??

[Shy]

What hardware sounds as good as software?

KORG ElecTribe

[breakmixer]

Here's one for you,

This week bought a Yamaha DX-21, I also have Toxic Biohazard and this comes with some classic DX patches, I hit on 2 patches for comparison,

1. Solid Bass, the Soft Synth sounded brighter and not as solid(Excuse that ), Toxic Biohazard has an EQ at the bottom and a filter too, but even with tweaking I couldn't get it to sound the same, may just be a lack of skill and understanding there though. Also tweaked the operators to no avail...

2. DX-21 Celeste, blimey, I could not tell them apart(without tweaking), seemed to be an exact replica soundwise with the Soft Synth.

Also the DX-21 has noise, the Soft Synth does not, but it made me think, that maybe it's not the synths(Hard n' Soft) that sound different but the patches sometimes...i.e. Soft Synths can be tweaked to sound exact.

Maybe the same could be said for VA's!

[MaxSynths]

http://www.maxsynths.com/TEMP/OSCTest1.wav

[Teksonik]

What hardware sounds as good as software?

KORG ElecTribe

[Lotuzia]

For the attack of the instruments, I find the Xils-Lab PolyKB II with its morphable oscillators can have nice attacks :

Here's the Poly KB II in its naked truth :

Some basses and non dance leads

Listen especially to some basses

LtZ

[mcnoone]

I prefer cold lifeless and digital...like an erhu.
I don't believe the sound is in the synth.
It's in the one using it.

[stanlea]

Helix is also a "strong" sounding soft synth.

[Examigan]

+1

[justin3am]

I am indistinguishable from hardware.

[trimph1]

I am indistinguishable from hardware.

You am become the machine?

[A.M. Gold]

I'd say the sound of an instrument is in the instrument, otherwise we wouldn't need instruments to make sounds.

That said, though, the real location of the sound of an instrument is inside the head of the listener.

Some listeners don't like the sound of "digital" instruments, and want something to sound more like older circuitry, some prefer the newer synth textures. One thing is clear, though, and that's that software seems to have almost completely taken over the synth world (eve if the software is running inside a h/w keyboard). It is not at all a liability to have "digital" sounding synthesizers on your tracks, and may even be a benefit.

[Mutant]

What's in your opinion a vst softsynth indistinguishable from hardware sound?

In a final mix/master with compressors, tube warmifiers, eq, reverbs, delay etc etc etc ?

Many.

[cytospur]

.i want my tracks to sound analog,fat and warm and not digital cold,lifeless.

You can make quite a number of VA synths sound like that. As long as the basics are good, ie: good quality oscillators and filters, snappy envelopes (which is indeed difficult to get right in software), then look out for several options which will help:

- VAs with some type of 'drive' in the signal chain, which is very important in lots of analogue style patches. Filter drive is especially important. It does not have to be set to full on, but a little drive here or there adds 'body' to the sound, which when filtered is very nice indeed.

- The next important thing is, random sources for your modulation. It is very useful if these random sources are not only per note-on, but also, per velocity note-on. These random sources is what will give subtle yet essential animation to a patch, and that in turn will make it more 'fluid' or 'organic'. Again, it's not about detuning like mad, but using these in a very subtle yet audible manner.

- Then, what is very useful is a good selection of LFOs. One or two is not enough, which will only be sufficient for your vibrato and some other modulation like PWM. But, if you have access to more LFOs (which is rare in VA synths) then these can be used to add more subtle variation and when assigned to specific destinations, like oscillator fine pitch, phase, etc. they can add more aliveness after the note is pressed. 'Sample & hold' waves at slow rates are best for this purpose.
So, the random parameters take care of each key-on press, and LFOs take care of what happens after you have sustained the key. When done with care it will make the patch very analogue-like indeed.

Obviously this is not the whole story, but using just these basics will help to get nice chunky and 'alive' sounds (desperately trying to stay away from saying 'warm' sounds lol).

Agreed. Based on that, Synapse Audio's DUNE would be worth a look.

[@midnight]

Fabfilter Twin - great filters and oscillators, doesn't try to hide behind fx.

[Bubbamusic]

I think that it is a physical thing as much as it is an audio thing. I would think that if someone recorded a good virtual synth and a vintage hardware synth playing the same piece, you would have a whole lot of people pick the virtual synth. If you could blindfold someone and have them play the same two synths, I believe that more people would pick the hardware synth over a virtual synth run through a good audio/computer system with a midi keyboard. Even though it is very small, latency would play a role. An experienced player would feel the difference. You just don't get the same feeling playing a virtual vs. a real synth. It may be B.S., but it sounds good to me.