Software Hoarding

[Funky40]

I’ve never sold a used plugin, and it’s not something I will likely ever do. I’m philosophically opposed to the idea.

First of all, it would be a lot of hassle for not much money because used software retains practically no value. It’s a non-tangible infinite resource with an artificial scarcity imposed on it. You look at KVR’s Buy&Sell forum and people are selling $100 plugins for $5.

And if I like the software developer, I would rather they make a sale than for me to take it away from them for a handful of dollars. I’m just not that greedy that I need to take food out of their mouths for $5.

But on the other hand, if it’s crap, then I’m not going to pass it off to someone else, make it their problem, and take their money. I’m just not that deceitful. I’ll just take the loss and the lesson learned.

yup, + 3

[jamcat]

Just don’t forget what is actually the most important point I made in that post:

And then there is the whole issue that when you buy software, you are actually buying a non-exclusive license to use it in your music. Which you have done. It’s like if a filmmaker bought the rights to use your song in their movie, and then when they’re done making the movie they said “I don’t need this song anymore” and sold your song to another filmmaker to use in their movie. When everyone is done passing you around, everyone will have used you and you will have only gotten paid once.

[Hyperbole]

These days, the only music "gear" that anyone really needs is one general-purpose synth plugin like Omnisphere, one flexible analog modeling synth plugin like Diva, one software sampler (take your pick from Falcon, HALion, or Kontakt,) and maybe one "sound design" / cinematic synth plugin like Zebra (or swap that out for a software modular if that's your thing).

hmm, and some next dude will chime in and say:
all you need to make music is a guitar and a microphone. ....the dude makes country.

What was your music again ?



To keep it short: my one is different !

Music without keys really isn't music, is it?

Of course, it's important to point out that keys are a necessary but not sufficient condition. Country Music often features piano, organ, etc. and yet never quite reaches the status of music. Okay, maybe "music to play at your wedding to your cousin."

I am only joking, of course.

[jamcat]

Nah. Keyboards require equal temperament, which isn't really music. It's dissonant noise and banging about.

[Hyperbole]

Pretty much. I align it along slightly different parameters, but similarly:

* One or two quality analog modelers (in my case Repro and Diva) for analog sounds
* One or two FM synths for those unique cold FM sounds
* One or two granulars for those unique granular sounds
* As many quality samplers as I can (I love samplers). In my case, the ideals are TX16Wx, TAL-Sampler, ShortCircuit-XT (still in development), Decent Sampler, Sfizz, LinuxSampler, and soon, Sforzando for Linux
* One or two wavetable synths for their unique sound qualities
* One or two supersynths for saving and retrieving layered sounds differing synthesis types

After I posted my "do what I say, not what I do" approach to synth plugins, I immediately started backtracking and saying to myself, "Well, of course you would need at least one wavetable synth like Serum (modern) or Microwave 1 (retro) and, of course a VA synth like DUNE 3 or Spire, and also a "monster" drum machine plugin like Groove Agent 5..."

And so it goes. It really is a sickness.

[BONES]

* One or two quality analog modelers (in my case Repro and Diva) for analog sounds
* One or two FM synths for those unique cold FM sounds
* One or two granulars for those unique granular sounds
* As many quality samplers as I can (I love samplers). In my case, the ideals are TX16Wx, TAL-Sampler, ShortCircuit-XT (still in development), Decent Sampler, Sfizz, LinuxSampler, and soon, Sforzando for Linux
* One or two wavetable synths for their unique sound qualities
* One or two supersynths for saving and retrieving layered sounds differing synthesis types

Yeah... Nah! If you know how to use a synthesiser, you can use any of 'em to do pretty much whatever you need to, maybe with an effect or two if it's something more exotic. In 40+ years I've never looked at like I need this, tis and this to do that. I've always been confident that whatever I've got to hand will get the job done.

Where is the passion when you can't even commit to learning a synth?

As I explained above, I don't need to learn a new synth, I can just start using it. They are all basically the same and if they're not, if I can't look at the UI and understand how it works within seconds, I'm probably not going to be interested in it unless it sounds really, really good.

Your actions are indicating you don't have a passion for sound design or learning how to squeeze every last ounce out of a synth

If by "sound design" you mean programming synths, you're dead right. I find it very hard to get engaged with it because it's such a f**king basic part of the overall process and it's not hard at all. It would be like being passionate about tuning your guitar, rather than playing it.

You just want to surf the presets and scratch the surface, that is the absolute opposite of passion

Yes, it is, just as my passion for food is in eating it, not preparing or cooking it. That's just the process you have to go through to get to the worthwhile bit, so you do it.

It's fine if that's what you want you want to do, but let's not pretend you are actually passionate about synthesis

Of course I'm not, what sort of sad f**ker would be? I'm passionate about music not about a bunch of tools. In fact, I chose to buy a synth because I couldn't be arsed with guitar. It seemed like way more effort than I wanted to put into it.

you are just passionate for the work of other people

What, and you're not? You don't listen to any music other than the shit you do yourself? I spend a lot more time and money on other people's music than I do on my own.

When I buy a deep flagship synth that has multiple engines inside of it, it's like buying 3, 4, 5, even 6 or more synths.

Not really, different synth engines don't really make a whole lot of difference. e.g. You don't need an FM engine to do FM synthesis. Maybe granular could be an exception but I got Concept 2 for $29 and nobody would pick any of the patches we've used as having come from a granular synth, so it doesn't really matter at the end of the day. And don't get me started on the worthlessness of wavetable synths.

"Well, of course you would need at least one wavetable synth like Serum (modern) or Microwave 1 (retro) and, of course a VA synth like DUNE 3 or Spire, and also a "monster" drum machine plugin like Groove Agent 5..."

Why? I don't see any need at all. e.g. DUNE has wavetable oscillators, it has classic modelled filters as well as it's own filters, so it can do retro and modern just fine. As for drums, while I own a dozen or so drum VSTi, if I didn't have most of them before I started using Studi One, I'd be perfectly happy with it's built-in drum instrument.

[jamcat]

I find it very hard to get engaged with it because it's such a f**king basic part of the overall process and it's not hard at all. It would be like being passionate about tuning your guitar, rather than playing it.

Clearly you don’t own a Strat.

[crimsonwarlock]

Oh well... I just bought a Juno-6 inspired (not a straight emu) virtual synth that I definitely didn't need, but it sounds great and has a fairly simple UI that lets me dial in sounds pretty fast. I expect to get quite a bit of use out of it.

[jamcat]

In fact, I chose to buy a synth because I couldn't be arsed with guitar. It seemed like way more effort than I wanted to put into it.

Yeah, and that’s just the tuning.

[_leras]

Oh well... I just bought a Juno-6 inspired (not a straight emu) virtual synth that I definitely didn't need, but it sounds great and has a fairly simple UI that lets me dial in sounds pretty fast. I expect to get quite a bit of use out of it.

Why say that and not say which one?

[_leras]

On average I have purchased one or two a year, taking advantage of Black Friday and Summer Sales. You can learn quite a bit about a synth in 6-12 months time

So for example of job want to get a good grip on the character of the filters you most certainly don't need more than. 6 months to do that. If you want to know the granular engine again you would have 6-12 months to do so

I don't think it takes too long to figure out 'the vibe' of a softsynth.

But something like massive X or many of the other flagship synths have so much functionality that there's a near infinite set of combinations.

These synths can be explored for years.

[crimsonwarlock]

Oh well... I just bought a Juno-6 inspired (not a straight emu) virtual synth that I definitely didn't need, but it sounds great and has a fairly simple UI that lets me dial in sounds pretty fast. I expect to get quite a bit of use out of it.

Why say that and not say which one?

Because the topic is not "which synths are you hoarding"

But anyway because you asked:

[IvyBirds]

As I explained above, I don't need to learn a new synth, I can just start using it. They are all basically the same and if they're not, if I can't look at the UI and understand how it works within seconds, I'm probably not going to be interested in it unless it sounds really, really good.

We get it you lack passion for synths and can't grasp the fact that other people do have a passion for them

[BONES]

Perhaps that 's the utter failure of anyone to be able to explain themselves in a cogent manner? To me it's the equivalent of loving your car, maintaining it meticulously, washing it every week, starting it up and running the engine but never actually driving it. It makes no sense. They are just tools, you use them to achieve other, greater things. It's weird.

[jamcat]