Are hardware synths over-rated?

[slyooney]

i think its pretty much all about the interface.

+1

Getting bored with endless debates about sound quality, but I'd love to improve the quality of my tunes.

There's no out of the box solution...
IMO, you need to work a bit hard to improve your tunes and also forget huge setup.
Work with a limited numbers of machines/software that you know well.

Try differents synths, go to KVR to test the synths but at the end, you need to ask yourself when you get a nu stuff (hardware or software) : Do I really need this ?

[heinrichz]

yes totally overrated because they are also over priced. Sonically it's mostly a fad of people that have no clear understanding of the difference between analog and digital . The best things about hardware are the tactile controls and some of the filters. The rest just amounts to a hearing convention and a lot of hype about the past.
My hardware experience goes back to the late 70 ties when i was working with and arp 2600 and later a Roland system 100. I had many hardware synths since and i dont really miss any of them because of their poor display and file management functions and the lack of portability.

[Grappadura]

there are also some pretty underrated analog synths. got myself a ps 55 on ebay for 20 bucks. there are also some cool casio keyboards for instance the cz 101, or the ct 401, among the many rubbish keyboards they produced. you cant really say they are generally over- or underrated, it just depends on what you want and how much you are willing to spend for it. i´ve also got a juno 106, which I think is overrated, and the wonderful dx 7. Next I´ll sell the juno and get a V-synth GT, which can do things you cant do in live.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQXkSKbX5Ww

[timday]

I dunno. My take is actually it's about workflow.

I have a MS-20 Mini and I've also been using the Korg Legacy VST for ages. I'm not actually convinced that the Mini sounds "better" than the Legacy which I've alsways thought sounded fine - in fact the Mini is pretty noisy under some circumstances. I did a blind test once with my students trying out a Legacy Polysix VST against a real Polysix and the results were inconclusive. Make of that what you will.

But.

Since I got the Mini making music is much more enjoyable. Something about the immediacy of sound creation, the joy of messing around with a real patchbay, and the fact that you have to commit and print to audio before moving on (which means you can't just tweak it forever), and making sounds with my ears instead of with my eyes, if you know what I mean. MIDI controllers aren't the same somehow, much though I love them. I've been more creative in the last couple of months than in the previous year. So worth £500 just for that? Sure. Making music is supposed to be fun and this has made it fun again. And yes, I think my tunes got better as a result.

I can see how this won't work for everyone, and if you don't appreciate the hardware workflow or aren't bothered either way I don't think there's any particular reason to go hardware especially if your synth is VA anyway. Personally I think I might save up for a Prophet....

[login]

Hardware synths with keyboards are instruments, to be used by musicians. If you don't really "play with it" I don't see a point to own them.

[Theo Void]

I understand what you mean man. I went through something similar and it took awhile for the instruments to grow on me. I had to buy and sell a few before I found one I loved.
I started w/ a McroKorg, sold it, bought an Alesis Micron, loved it but the menu diving killed it for me so I bought a Roland GAIA. Absolutely loved the 1 for 1 controls but HATED the sound of it w/ a passion. At this point I was thinking I should just use my myriad of VST synths and call it a day, but I LOVE the feel of a real instrument and actually value being able to sit on the couch or chill in my bed and rock out!

Then, for some odd reason I went through this Korg period. I was obsessed w/ all things Korg. I got a KP3, another MicroKorg, a Monotron (which is awesome) and I fell in love w/ the original MicroKorg! It truly is an amzing litle VA!!

Of course if I had the disposable income I'd rather have a true analog synth or a classic vintage Moog or ARP. I've been thinking about getting a Moog Minotaur. But now that the Bass Station 2 is out I think I may be obligated to grab one.!!!!!

Hard-ware = Inspiration, fun, re-sale value!!!

[Cool Character]

Hardware synths with keyboards are instruments, to be used by musicians. If you don't really "play with it" I don't see a point to own them.

By the same reasoning, computers with MIDI keyboards attached are instruments, to be used by musicians.

[login]

Hardware synths with keyboards are instruments, to be used by musicians. If you don't really "play with it" I don't see a point to own them.

By the same reasoning, computers with MIDI keyboards attached are instruments, to be used by musicians.

I agree, but when gigging Hardware synths are more conveniente (1 piece vs midi kb, computer and audio interface).

[DJTIVA]

I started out with software but I never got happy with it. Now I have quite an arsenal of hardware sytnhs and with every piece more the fun increases. I really love to use real synths and could never go back to only software. Software is cool too, the mix of using both is the best way for me. There are always people saying you wont here any difference between software and hardware these days anymore. Sorry but that is just no true. For example the power of my Voyager is still not matched by a plugin. Last month for example I just got two new synths being a Studio Electronics Boomstar 3003 and the new Nord Lead 4. The sound coming out of the SE will not be matched by any plugin, sorry folks but that is the truth. Also the Nord Lead 4 is lovely. Very well made and excellent sound. The sweet spot is wide and you do not need to turn knobs for hours to find the right setting.
I do beats in Maschine, do not use my Machinedrum mkII UW+ anymore directly. Just sample it. It is easier to create beats in software but when it comes to other parts of a track I prefer hardware synths just for their own character and I like the idea of a sound being created within a machine constructed of many parts just engineerd to produce sounds. Only these are real instrumets for me although you can make music without using any of such kind.

[Evengy]

[quote="DJTIVA"]I started out with software but I never got happy with it. Now I have quite an arsenal of hardware sytnhs and with every piece more the fun increases. I really love to use real synths and could never go back to only software. Software is cool too, the mix of using both is the best way for me.quote]

thats what i found out in the last monthh. i thought i need everything in my computer but i never had more fun writing beats than with my new elektron machinedrum, push/keyboard and a virus. its so many fun, playful and intuitive so im going to buy more hardware in the future.