Emanresu0891 wrote:The library where I live allows me to check out synthesizers and effects so the last few weeks I have demo'd a lot of hardware. I have to say in my opinion software blows the shit out of hardware. When it comes to versatility, ease of use, preset management, and the time and energy(including electrical energy) saved software is soooooo much better.
For a while I thought that maybe I was missing something not having a real synth. Now the only thing I can think of that I am missing is the headaches that come along with hardware. With software you really can get the same sounds or better than you get with analog and digital hardware.
I have read so many threads where guitarist prefer individual pedals over a multi effects units and they won't even touch software. I now feel these people must be stuck in some time warp. This is all Imho of course, but I really do not think a stomp box chorus sounds better than the software version of the same chorus. They might sound slightly different but definitely not better.
There is no lack of sound quality when choosing software over a hardware effect. I have found it to be the opposite.... software effects usually sounds better.
Most stomp boxes only do mono, plugins usually can be mono or stereo. Then there is all the cables and wasted power involved and the lack of preset saving..... really what is the point here? Nostalgia?
Now there is the analogue synths. I have only used the newest ones, but I didn't find any of them to sound better than my plugins. Most of these hardware synths I used where monophonic and could only be recorded in single channel mono. Also not many analog synths have preset saving nor do they come with effects.
I feel it took me 3 times as long to program a so so patch as would for me to program something really good in a soft synth equivalent. So again what is the point here? Nostalgia again? Do some people enjoy looking for the right ac adapter, plugging in leads and then twiddling away at something that has no recall? Is it all ego?
The only type of hardware I can see myself buying in the future is midi controllers. Listen up kids: unless the hardware does something that no software can do in an easy package (korg kaossilator for instance) a midi controller built for whatever purpose you need (foot pedal, keyboard, ect.) is really the only hardware you need to make music. Of course if you play a traditional instrument you need the traditional instrument, but when it comes to synths and effects in my opinion software is the way to go and has been for years.
some of the synths I took home and used:
moog sub phatty (can be done with ease with Diva)
korg arp odyssey (the software version is miles better)
korg ms20 mini (the software version is different but does not sound worse and is easier to use)
a semi modular unit I never heard of
arturia mini brute (junk)
Roland Tr-8 (so unnecessary )
Some junk korg mini synths that look like the 303 (again why?)
And many stomp box effects/ multi effect units.
When it comes to the bloated guitar amp I really doubt anyone is going to be able to tell the difference between the oversaturated market of amps vs the oversaturated market of amp sims within a recording....maybe you would notice something if the guitar was being played on its own with out backing music, but it still will not sound better just different.
All I can really say is..... +1,000,000,000,000,000,000
You nailed it. I get the appeal of vintage, boutique synths (Minimoog, Prophet 5, Arp 2600, etc), in the sense that their value / quality is on par with, well, why a guy who is into old cars would want to own vintage cars. This analogy extends to the usefulness of vintage cars for
actual driving to vintage synths usefulness vs. the modern software equivalents, imo, for creating music...
) great sound you couldn't even think of before, then that's the ultimate satisfaction for me. And I come up with sounds I wouldn't even try to replicate in a softsynth because I wouldn't have imagined it. With the analog stuff there is some dirt, some unforeseen stuff happening which you just don't get from the all perfect, clean digital synths.
YAWN