Ableton Forum

Im thinking about buying the 'Analog' or the 'Operator' for Live... But Im in a bit of a pickle on what to choose. Does the 'Operator' have the same sounds and functions as the 'Analog' or is it a compleatly different instrument.

Hope someone can give me some good advice on what to choose

they represent the two most common principles of synthesis -- fundamentally different approaches though.
analog = subtractive synthesis -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subtractive_synthesis
operator = fm synthesis (additive) -> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frequency_ ... _synthesis

very hard to make a recommendation. subtractive is the most classic & common kind of synthesis, so that might be a reason to start with "analog". on the other hand it will be more easy to find an (even freeware) synth of the same principle.
i think both are very powerful & great sounding tools, and i like how ableton gave both kinds a smart & streamlined interface (especially FM is usually a complex thing but with operator it's fun to tweak & explore once you understood the principle)

EDIT: i also just remembered this current feature on subtractive synthesis: http://www.residentadvisor.net/feature.aspx?1351 ..should be a good read.

Thank you for your reply, it was very helpfull
I have decided to spend the ekstra 29 euro and go for the Operator. Seems like the best choise.

Cheers

I'd have to say that in the same situation I'd go for Operator It's a bit more confusing due to the fact that it's an FM synth, and I tend to think it has a wider palette of sounds.

Enjoy your new synth!

Thanks. I sure will

I would just like to add that Operator, while being an FM synth at it's core, has many subtractive synth properties, so learning it from head to toe will definitely get you on your way to getting familiar w/ many other synths.

IF Operator had two filters, there would not be a lot Analog does that couldn't be done using Operator. Unison would probably be the only thing standing between them.
But I think that having two filters (and 2 Amps) is pretty important for a lot of classic analog sounds. And that's something Operator might lack.

You can always add a filter device after it, although it won't really be able to respond to note events. For the sound of two oscillators each with its own filter, you can always load two Operators into an Instrument Rack

Incidentally, a friend hit me up for synthesizer/electronic music lessons recently, and lesson #1, which happened yesterday, was all about basic subtractive and FM synthesis using Operator. So I'm convinced that you can definitely learn with it.

Yay synthesizers

Warrior Bob wrote:For the sound of two oscillators each with its own filter, you can always load two Operators into an Instrument Rack

That's true. But sending OSC1 80% to filter1 and 20% to filter2, could give me a headache, using return tracks and all

Oh, I know it's not an ideal solution at all - operator isn't Analog and the routings are of course going to be different. They're there for different purposes. I mainly mentioned the racks because it's a fun way to use synths and try to work around their limitations, and (especially when learning) such methods aren't always obvious.

It’s much more than just filter routing and features. There is stuff going on behind the hood in Analog to give it that buttery tone.

Look at Operators middle C Sine Wave in Spectrum, now look at Analogs ... completely different

Listen to a 12db low pass filter sweeping down on a middle C square wave, with high resonance, in Operator.... now listen to that in Analog....(don’t blow your speakers)

See what I’m saying now?

Analog is a brilliant VA.
Operator is a brilliant DIGITAL synth.

definitely operator

wait what was the question