analog > the real deal.

[poopypants]

not sure ive spelled it right, but what is a real analog like > compared with a good softy?

[Urs]

not sure ive spelled it right, but what is a real analog like > compared with a good softy?

Analogue is

- highly overrated in sound quality (as compared to good digital ones which simply smoke them)
- hard to control - they always sound different, depending on temperature and mood
- fun because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't go wrong)
- lame because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't do much)
- either polyphonic *or* good sounding but hardly ever both at once
- most often no Velocity nor Aftertouch
- EXPENSIVE
- only one patch at a time, no chance to do multiple instances
- the better the sound the less probable that you can store patches
- often broken, you better have a good repair station close by
- not really mobile - they're rather for homerecording than for stage
- settings don't save with song (but you can make a photo of the knob setting)
- you gotta bounce the tracks before mixdown (arrrgh)

Urs

[Watto]

[Notron User]

I think a lot of it boils down to snobbery and a sense of exclusivity. I have a couple of semi-decent analog pieces in my studio, like a Roland SH-2 and a syntecno teebee mkIII. But analog ultimately falls to bits--like my MKS30 which has developed a dodgy channel. And then there's my ratshack mg-1 that has scratchy pots (ok, sliders). But hey, it was cheap and cheerful and could be modded and restored. So I'm all for soft synths like Zebra.

[Urs]

Well, I've started to collect Cwejman modules in a Doepfer rack. Getting a sound out of that is easily worth two months of salary in a decent job. It's kind of rewarding (especially for analytical purpose), but I'm not quite sure if I'd ever get any musical idea done as easily and fast as with, uhm, an armada of Zebras (which is about the same price, including an 8 core Xeon machine).

I'd love a pimped up MKS80 though. Some are supposed to be special, but I wouldn't know if I could tell.

[Howard]

Hmmm. While in Santa Monica I got to play with the following whenever I liked, for 8 weeks:

1) A Moog 55 system
2) A Minimoog
3) A huge CMS system (see their website - yes, it was THAT one!)
4) A large Cwejman system
5) A large Doepfer system
6) An ARP 2500
7) A Buchla 200e

Forget 3) thru 7) - Zebra2 "pwns" them overall!

However, the Minimoog certainly is special, and the Moog 55 = !!!

Don't ask me why this is, but the combination of 2 or 3 square waves, the filter and the envelope shape (which have what I call a "flappy" characteristic with the right settings) is simply phenomenal. I really should have recorded some Moog 55 samples and analysed them in depth... what a missed opportunity!

[Urs]

Yeah... the Minimoog has something to it, still I've never played with a 55... however, how many of these would you need to create the same musical output within the same time (i.e. meet deadlines for a film score) as compared to a MiniMonsta?

[Urs]

A huge CMS system (see their website - yes, it was THAT one!)

Can I have a link? - I can't seem to find anything on their website...

[Howard]

A huge CMS system (see their website - yes, it was THAT one!)

Can I have a link? - I can't seem to find anything on their website...

That part of Cirocco's website appears to be "broken". Here's a link to that synth in a Matrixsynth article (click on the image for a larger one)
http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2007/04 ... izers.html

[deastman]

I have a pretty decent collection of analog gear, and love it. Still, I can't really argue with any of what Urs wrote above. If your primary focus is on getting music done in a timely manner and being productive, just stick with software. Being "into" analog synths requires a different mindset. Either you've got it, or you don't.

[yemski]

Instead of asking whether an Absynth,Albino,Rapture,Cube or Zebra can emulate a Minimoog,perhaps a more pertinent question would be,can a Minimoog,(or indeed any vintage analog synth),emulate any of these synths,in a way that is characteristic of their sounds.

The short answer would be no,basically.

This is not to say that analog synths are inherently bad.Instead, it is a pragmatic acknowledgement that every technology has it's advantages and dis-advantages.Somewhat obvious I know,but also something that many people seem to have overlooked when involved in this debate.

[Mighty Pea]

While terribly over-rated and seen in a sort of hazy those-were-the-days golden memory-like way, they're tangible, they come with an integrated keyboard and knobs, buttons and sliders to control everything which are all linked to one function (usually). You don't need to boot up a computer or worry about soundcards, latency, memory, cpu...

I think the love of them often does come from them being tangible, and because you don't need to know much about computers or hosts to use them. I much prefer software with its total recall and midi and lack of real cables and power-units and (when compared to vintage synths) stability.

[Teksonik]

Analogue is

- highly overrated in sound quality (as compared to good digital ones which simply smoke them)
- hard to control - they always sound different, depending on temperature and mood
- fun because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't go wrong)
- lame because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't do much)
- either polyphonic *or* good sounding but hardly ever both at once
- most often no Velocity nor Aftertouch
- EXPENSIVE
- only one patch at a time, no chance to do multiple instances
- the better the sound the less probable that you can store patches
- often broken, you better have a good repair station close by
- not really mobile - they're rather for homerecording than for stage
- settings don't save with song (but you can make a photo of the knob setting)
- you gotta bounce the tracks before mixdown (arrrgh)

Urs

Wow ,I've never heard it explained so well! I agree 100%

[Rangtangtang]

Analogue is

- highly overrated in sound quality (as compared to good digital ones which simply smoke them)
- hard to control - they always sound different, depending on temperature and mood
- fun because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't go wrong)
- lame because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't do much)
- either polyphonic *or* good sounding but hardly ever both at once
- most often no Velocity nor Aftertouch
- EXPENSIVE
- only one patch at a time, no chance to do multiple instances
- the better the sound the less probable that you can store patches
- often broken, you better have a good repair station close by
- not really mobile - they're rather for homerecording than for stage
- settings don't save with song (but you can make a photo of the knob setting)
- you gotta bounce the tracks before mixdown (arrrgh)

Urs

Wow ,I've never heard it explained so well! I agree 100%

I still prefer a real one

[deastman]

Analogue is

- highly overrated in sound quality (as compared to good digital ones which simply smoke them)
- hard to control - they always sound different, depending on temperature and mood
- fun because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't go wrong)
- lame because they only have 15-30 knobs (you can't do much)
- either polyphonic *or* good sounding but hardly ever both at once
- most often no Velocity nor Aftertouch
- EXPENSIVE
- only one patch at a time, no chance to do multiple instances
- the better the sound the less probable that you can store patches
- often broken, you better have a good repair station close by
- not really mobile - they're rather for homerecording than for stage
- settings don't save with song (but you can make a photo of the knob setting)
- you gotta bounce the tracks before mixdown (arrrgh)

Urs

Wow ,I've never heard it explained so well! I agree 100%

Problem is, he just listed all the things I love about analog!