"You can't recreate sound X properly with that filter..."
**Discalimer: I get the part about hoping to get a softsynth that sounds just like its hardware, I really do. If its not delivering what you paid for, I do understand.
That said....
I love how easily we've standardized certain synth phrases from the classics: The JUMP intro, the Tom Sawyer filter sweep. And GOSH FORBID our entire musical clout goes right out the window if we are unable to ACCURATELY recreate a PERFECT version of that. Or those 6 different models of synths all suck because they don't match it perfectly.
We strive to recreate, some weak lines from some old songs no one cares about anymore, and our musical world stops until we do. What are we really aiming for? Were those EVER all that important to begin with?
It was probably more like this:
VAN HALEN in the studio....
David: Hey hey Eddie! Look! This studio has an Oberheim thing. You can play keys, right?
Eddie: my lessons were a long time ago...
David: yeah yeah I know, but dig it. You should bang something out on it. Anything! It would be hilarious and shock our fans! Here. Here's this big buzzy sound...
Eddie: aw that sounds awful! Just shut it off!
David: Naw, look at this big bass sound
Eddie: I guess it would be kinda funny for a guitar rock band to use a keyboard....
or this: Rush in studio
Alex: Aw, look, Geddy. They removed that MOOG and left us with this organ.
Geddy: Darn! I wanted to mess with the MOOG on this song. Well, let's see what this does. [Plays a filter sweep] Aw! That sounds nothing like the moog!! Think we can get it back?
Manager: NO! Tick tock tick tock!!
Alex: meh.... just use that it sounds fine and no one will ever know what we wanted to do instead of this when it is released.
Geddy: well.... ok.... but let's NEVER use this sound again.
Alex: cool.
They were probably NEVER thinking how awesome there sound was that it would become THE STAPLE and measure of synth perfection a few decades later.
They didn't nit pick the sound to "Utter perfection", just used a noise to compliment a song.
Most of us here probably also write music. And like those big bands, WE KNOW that the exact sound has nothing to do SONG itself. The melody has to do with the song.
If we made a long filter sweep just HALF WAY sounding like the Tom Sawyer one, and followed it up with kicking drums and guitar, the audience would recognize the SONG and love it. Not the sound, the song.
Nit picking sound options to the point of perfection is nothing more than some anal fun. Especially on songs and sounds no one probably ever thought twice about while they were making it.
Don't over think yourself out of making music.
