Don't dismiss "older" synths (f.e. Zebra 2)

[brok landers]

Hi all,
here's what i've discovered over the years:
As it seems, we (not everyone, so hold your breath) tend to forget old synths in favor for newer ones - yet those old ones often are still holding up or even still beating new ones in quite some areas. Which imho is a thing we should overcome - and i think we would do ourself o big favor by doing so. Simply because a synth doesn't miraculously become bad over time (in software that is). A good synth is a good synth is a good synth. Of course taste changes and time changes some demands - but the essence stays true. Also there's benefits that actually rise over time. Some synths back then, when they came out, were quite cpu intensive even though they were optimized in these regards - but the benefit nowadays is, that they are now usable better than ever due to the fact that computers became way more powerful.
To me amongst a few others, Zebra 2 is one of those synths. It was and is extremely capable - but back then i could only dream of using the XMF filters because of the cpu consumption. Well nowadays that is not an issue anymore - so the synth became even more valuable to me. On top of that it is kinda bug free due to its long existence and Urs and his team have been working hard over all the time to make it a very stable synth.
So yeah... Just a reminder that we don't really have to hunt only for new stuff and even more so - not forgetting the good stuff over the time by doing so.

[koalaboy]

Such an important reminder.

One thing I've noticed is that older synths often have far less effects/processing as well, and as such tend to sound thinner or 'not as good' perhaps, which is definitely a mistake, and as such one should always judge them fairly and ensure they have equal amounts of processing (or extras removed) - we know that demos often are built to make things sound at their best, and with more recent synths the marketing and influencing has moved on a long way... There are great modern synths as well, but it's important to take that into account.

Of course, Zebra 3 will be the ultimate synth But we are truly blessed with the quality and choice of virtual instruments and effects these days, and most of us have far more than we could ever need.

[martinjuenke]

No.
I don't use old synths.
They remind me of being old as well...

[legendCNCD]

Same with Diva and Omnisphere2.. they're so trouble free.

[paramita123]

Anything U-HE is just so good, even the old freebies and Tyrell N6.
I would actually also pay to get back Z3TA+ which was such a cool old synth.

But the moral of the story may be, don't just always look for a new thing, spend time with what you love, time has value in this age of GAS and novelty.

[Teksonik]

There are two factors when it comes to synths:

1. The quality and range of sounds they make.
2. The quality and range of sounds the competition makes.

Old synths sound just like they did when they were new but if they haven't been updated or upgraded over the years the sound of the competition has perhaps evolved beyond them.

Although it has been updated to a point in recent times, Zebra 2 is a prime example. It's still a fantastic synth and I enjoy having it in my collection but there are just other synths whose quality and range of sounds I prefer so they get used far more often to the point Z2 hardly ever gets used in a project. (no, I won't name them as to not start yet another "what's your favorite" endless debate).

So to me the age of a synth doesn't matter, the point is how it sounds in relation to the other choices I have at hand. Use whatever sounds best to you regardless of its age.

[CapnLockheed]

There is somewhat of an analogy in the hardware world as well. There was a time.....long ago...in a galaxy far away.....before the vintage craze began, when older gear was just "old & used". Back then most players wanted "shiny & new". I happened to live almost exactly between the old Ampeg & Danelectro factories. That stuff was everywhere and CHEAP. A few years later I lived in the midwest, (still before the vintage craze), and there was a ton of Supro, Valco, National, Oahu gear also unloved and cheap. Same with '60's MIJ and Italian gear.

Jump ahead to today and that $50 Teisco Del Rey is now selling for $500!! Did it magically become ten times better....hell no. At least with software I don't think we'll see the same kind price explosion because it's "vintage" but, as the op said, if it's good it's good. I'd love to have some of old vintage hardware back but it's so overpriced that's just not going to happen. Fortunately, it's still easy to acquire old software....and if it was good then...."vintage" computers maybe not so much!

[zvenx]

I imagine of interest would be older synths that there is a desire for third party presets?
I think the unfinished has a good take on such a list...
Zebra 2, Diva, Omnisphere.


Now if the question was, you being one of my favourite three sound designers, what synths would I love to hear your sounds on...
that would be a totally different list, as the above three already has tons of third party presets.
But I would love to be able to purchase your sounds on Rapid, on Pigments, on Twin 3, on Dune 3, on Legend HZ, (your one patch on Obsession is my favourite patch on that synth but I don't use that synth much), on Softube's Models (especially the Model 77 and 80), on Serum 2, on Phase Plant and more than all of the above, on Korg's Native Wavestate, Modwave and especially MultiPoly... but I know I have long since moved from your original question...

rsp

[fisherKing]

i don't care how long a synth has been around, but i burn out on the same tools over time, and that, for me, is a reason to move on to 'new' synths (ones that could even be older but new to me). changing things up is healthy

[Ah_Dziz]

I still use zebra 2 or ZHZ for the majority of my "from scratch" sounds. Also all the old Komplete synths (massive 1, FM8, Absynth, Kontakt for S+S). In addition to still being awesome, all those older bits of kit are very familiar to me and quick to work with. I feel the same about VStation and synth 1 too. Another bonus is there's pretty much never an issue with performance. I enjoy play with all the newest things I get a hold of but when it's time to get stuff done, I usually just reach for the classics that I love.

[Teksonik]

There is somewhat of an analogy in the hardware world as well. There was a time.....long ago...in a galaxy far away.....before the vintage craze began, when older gear was just "old & used".

There is a loose analogy to the automotive world as well. Someone paid $70 million for a 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO even though that car couldn't hope to perform as well as modern super cars sold at a fraction of the price.

Likewise much of the value of old hardware comes from it's rarity rather than its performance relative to modem options both hardware and software.

I worked in a music store during the transition period when digital and hybrid synths were in high demand. We couldn't give away analog gear and I sold all of mine for a fraction of what I could have gotten for them today. I just felt lucky back then that I found suckers....err I mean buyers for that old gear.

But I suppose everything old is new again at some point to somebody.....

[starflakeprj]

You should never dismiss any synths or plugins that occasionally get updates, especially not if they are re-scalable.

[Cuauhtli]

Massive and the CS80V were my first soft synths. Still use the CS80V once in a while. Massive is my most used soft synth and still gets plenty of usage.

[vitocorleone123]

Spire and Hive 2 are the only “old” synths I regularly use.

[mixyguy2]

One thing I've noticed is that older synths often have far less effects/processing as well, and as such tend to sound thinner or 'not as good' perhaps,

So not true....

Old synths sound just like they did when they were new but if they haven't been updated or upgraded over the years the sound of the competition has perhaps evolved beyond them.

And again.

Age, at least after a certain point in soft synth development, has become less and less meaningful, to the point where it's meaningless today. Newer doesn't equate to better or come even close. At this point in the game, the age of most synths is about as important as what color the control knobs are.