Soft Synth Latency comapared to Hardware Synths

john gordon · Post by **john gordon** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 2:52 pm

the question is will software synths ever sound better than hardware?maybe when everything is 64 bit?anyone

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 3:14 pm

john gordon wrote:the question is will software synths ever sound better than hardware?maybe when everything is 64 bit?anyone

That's what people said about 16bit when stuff was being done at 12 bits.

leisuremuffin · Post by **leisuremuffin** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 3:30 pm

Im just gonna post this link in every thread like this from now on...

update of the greatest synthesis system ever made (IMO)

anyone got an extra $20,000 lying around?

haven't actually had a chance to play with one, so i don't really know if it's worth it. However, if it's even 1/2 as good as it's ancestor (which i have a lot of experience with) it worth every penny.

BTW, not entirely analog at all. it's a hybrid. Oh, and BTW, you can save your patches...

amazing.

ooo, and here's another link for us analog junkies to jerk off to:

jack dangers' studio (of MBM)

OH god. I would kill a man for a few days in that place. The shrewd analog freak will notice the awesome eml electrocomp modules that are not so obvious in there. *drool*

-lm

noisetonepause · Post by **noisetonepause** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 3:42 pm

aaah MBM

mmm

chairs for that, mayte.

p

buzzcock · Post by **buzzcock** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 4:12 pm

Electrocomp? Ick!

Try this:

http://www.serge-fans.com/gallery.html

and pick yourself up a Synthi AKS while your at it.

buzzcock · Post by **buzzcock** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 4:34 pm

buzzcock wrote:Electrocomp? Ick!

Try this:

http://www.serge-fans.com/gallery.html

and pick yourself up a Synthi AKS while your at it.

BTW: that Buchla looks amazing.

leisuremuffin · Post by **leisuremuffin** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 6:39 pm

buzzcock wrote:Electrocomp? Ick!

Really? Ever play with the eml 101? Pretty limited, but monster sound!!

but yeah, of course Serge stuff is amazing. Someday when i have lotsa cash.... I love the pics on that site of the synth owned by "mysterious collector" WOW!

Yep, i like the EMS stuff too. Pretty amazing collection at tape lab, right?
A freidn lent me his putney for a long time, had lots of fun with it. great quirky synth.

-lm

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leisuremuffin · Post by **leisuremuffin** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 6:40 pm

this thread should be renamed, the latency issue is SOOOoooooo boring, and this stuff is so much fun!

AdamJay · Post by **AdamJay** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 7:43 pm

john gordon wrote:the question is will software synths ever sound better than hardware?maybe when everything is 64 bit?anyone

well, if its some people's opinion that software synths don't currently sound better than hardware - then it will never happen. at least not in the minds of those people.

i personally think that softsynths like Generator (which i've only been using for 4 days), GMedia's Oddity, and impOscar sound better than the hardware synths i've owned in the past. Some of those were analog, some were hybrids (they include Microwave XT, Ensoniq SQ80, Juno1, Arp Axxe).

So for me, the answer is - they already are sounding better.
Beside's alot of the guys i know that love their moogs so much and go on about how "fat" they sound, end up throwing them through a digital TC Fireworx and the end result sounds worse than a JP8000.

and i'd say 4 out of 5 "analogue" heads are really just victims of gear lust and would tell you the sound of a tin can beats out a reaktor ensemble... just because its "hardware dood!!!!"

let the flame wars begin!

leisuremuffin · Post by **leisuremuffin** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 8:07 pm

ahhhight Adam Jay, Your on!!!

Imma start a new thread to begin the analog vs soft synth flame war!

good times!

-lm

atomic · Post by **atomic** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 8:30 pm

I have to agree with the different comment. As for sounding better, I think in alot of cased comluters do sound better if used right with the right hardware. A killer patch in any fantastic soft synth running through a sound blaster live card is going to sound like shit, but send it out a nice RME card and you have a very nice insrtument. But a soft synth with crappy programming will sound like crap, go figure. It is intresting that a group like Kraftwork was mixing down on yamaha digital mixers during there last tour dont you think? hmm that nice fat analog sound! All these wonderfull new ways of working with dozens of new instruments is fantastic! When the 303 came out it floped due to its unconvincing sound. Now it is a classic. Take the instruments that are out there for what they are and play them in a way that compliments your music. There will always be a place for analog and that is that but as the years keep on passing there will be less and less need, just like vinyl folks. The means for transfering MASSIVE amounts of information is here as is the need for being able to transport this information and hey if I can take 200 synths with me to the park to work on my track then I think thats great! I would much rather be able to go where I need to in order to get good work done today than sit around and bitch and moan about the subtle differences between them and my old analog friends.

That is my thoughts on this topic

thats my two cents.

buzzcock · Post by **buzzcock** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 8:37 pm

In my experience, how the sounds of hardware vs software compare is really not the issue. For each synth, you either like it or you don't; you can do cool things with it or not.

For every musical instrument that has ever existed, there have been detractors who claim "it sounds like crap compared to..." That includes Moog, EMS & even the piano-forte when it was first invented. Conversely, it wasn't too long ago that Casios were a joke- now people seek them out for that "retro '80s authenticity".

Most of the people I know who resist software do so because of two reasons:

1- Interface: "I can't reach into the screen and turn the knobs, like on a real Arp."

2- Stability: Many software instruments are too CPU hungry for the hardware they run on. Reaktor may be cool when used in moderation, but I can assure you I could crash any computer with it. Self-imposed restraint tends to cripple the creative process for some folks. Limitations in hardware tend to me physical, not psychological.

So when all is said and done, does what you spend on fancy MIDI controllers and continual computer upgrades equal the cost of a bunch of dedicated hardware?

I don't know and I don't really care.

Personally, I have made the decision to run with software instruments because their integration within recording programs (recording, patch saving, automation etc.) is less of a hassle than their hardware counterparts. That's just how I work right now. For others, hardware makes more sense. I get good results with either.

Equipment doesn't make good sounds, artists do.

john gordon · Post by **john gordon** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 8:39 pm

AdamJay wrote:
john gordon wrote:the question is will software synths ever sound better than hardware?maybe when everything is 64 bit?anyone
well, if its some people's opinion that software synths don't currently sound better than hardware - then it will never happen. at least not in the minds of those people.

i personally think that softsynths like Generator (which i've only been using for 4 days), GMedia's Oddity, and impOscar sound better than the hardware synths i've owned in the past. Some of those were analog, some were hybrids (they include Microwave XT, Ensoniq SQ80, Juno1, Arp Axxe).

So for me, the answer is - they already are sounding better.
Beside's alot of the guys i know that love their moogs so much and go on about how "fat" they sound, end up throwing them through a digital TC Fireworx and the end result sounds worse than a JP8000.

and i'd say 4 out of 5 "analogue" heads are really just victims of gear lust and would tell you the sound of a tin can beats out a reaktor ensemble... just because its "hardware dood!!!!"

let the flame wars begin!

whats generator

AdamJay · Post by **AdamJay** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 8:47 pm

john gordon wrote: whats generator

http://www.ableton.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=17238

12micsn1 · Post by **12micsn1** » Sat Feb 26, 2005 11:49 pm

Can anyone name a analog synth that doesnt have any digital circuitry?