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-- FAAAT leads ... Software vs Hardware


Posted by coby on Mar-25-2003 15:26:

FAAAT leads ... Software vs Hardware

Ok ... I was just wondering , in the making of fat leads, that are in use in almoset every trance.. The realy good sounding proffesional sounds... Can they be made with software ?!
But im talking the realy not crapy good sounding FATTT ass sounds ...

Cuz My real question is : Is it worth 2 go out and buy a bunch of hardware synths for so much money ( That I can use that money for stuff like a mixer, monitors and a new comp )Or should i keep the money ( wich i dont have enyway ) and just stick with softsynths ?!..
My only gole is Fat sounds .. and im not realy shur if u can compare the software sounds 2 hardware sounds ...

Sooo ... If it is posible can anyone tell me what synths ?! and mabe post a sample ?!

Thnx... Coby


Posted by Trancevision on Mar-25-2003 23:35:

ok...phat leads...you could asked probably DJ Shokk, Flutlicht and those guys from swizzerland...they do their lead sounds with VAZ Modular, Absynth and other soft synths...

the shokk tunes should show that "phat sounds" are possible with software only...

Other producers ( --> Airbase, Parker ) use samples from hardware synths (...from their own synth, but also from sampling cds and sources from the web ) in order to get phat leads.

One of the most famours "trance leads" is the "supersaw" of the JP8000, the base for lots of leads of uplifiting tunes, if you have this multisampled in a software sampler ( was available @ prodcution ftp, now down ) you can make really phat ferry, cosmic gate, rank1...melody sounds.

In order to get high quality phat sounds it is important to know about eqing ( you can ruin a sound completly with wrong eq settings but this should be clear )and perhaps use an exciter / psychoacustic plugin in order to make it real crispy...

I don't have a hardware synth yet but someday I will have one I think.
Till then I use Reason sounds and samples of hardware in
the NN19 sampler with quite satisfying results...

I've posted THIS EXAMPLE some months ago...

Trancevision


Posted by hey cheggy on Mar-26-2003 07:50:

Yeah, Giotto DJ uses Vaz Modular to make those famouse SHOKK lead sounds. It's all a matter of what you can do with a synth. The problem with softies that I find is that you don't get the control you can get from a hardware synth.

I bought one of those evolution controllers with the 12 dials that transmit midi data to try and solve this problem. It kinda helps, but I keep forgetting which dial is for which parametre.

I also have a virus C desktop at home which punches out some fat sounds, although the ones I make aren't really trancy. If you know the song Air Frog - Bon Voyage (Adam Bayer mix), then you'll know the kind I'm putting out.

But if you're saving money and using soft synths, then you don't really need that much hardware. I especially don't see the point in a hardware mixer if you're not using hardware instruments and fx. Just use Cubase or Logic. I use Cubase SX and it works wonders.

So definitely have a look for Vaz Modular 2010. Other softies include stuff by Native Instruments, Pentagon and reason, although I personally think the reason synths suck. I only use it as a drum machine. There's always the classic rebirth for acid and basslines, and I read that Roland are releasing all their classic TR's and the TB on software, emulated to perfection, although I get the fealing it will be TDM and not VST


Posted by coby on Mar-26-2003 18:07:

No i ment a midi mixer 2 control the cubase mixer

So in general ur saying that its possible 2 make the same sounds in software and in hardware... but the only diffarence is that hardware has more controle ... ?


Posted by TranceInMySoul on Mar-26-2003 19:53:

I love Native Instruments Pro-53 for lead sounds, just activate that unison feature

That's a good point actually - whack your weedy sound through a phat chorus effect (essentially what unison mode on a synth is)...


Posted by CrackedLcd on Mar-26-2003 22:54:

quote:
Originally posted by TranceInMySoul
I love Native Instruments Pro-53 for lead sounds, just activate that unison feature

That's a good point actually - whack your weedy sound through a phat chorus effect (essentially what unison mode on a synth is)...


I use the pro-52 which is pretty much the same thing. I noticed I can get some phot leads and basses out of it. Heres another way to get phat sound out of it. If you don't have it in unison and detune it and play a chord, it sounds gigantic...


Posted by DJ Sound on Mar-27-2003 10:28:

OGAAA BOOOOGAAAAAAA!#!#((#


Posted by Passiva on Mar-27-2003 10:48:

quote:
Originally posted by DJSound
OGAAA BOOOOGAAAAAAA!#!#((#

wtf?!!


Posted by coby on Mar-27-2003 11:27:

quote:
Originally posted by DJSound
OGAAA BOOOOGAAAAAAA!#!#((#


lol


Posted by Haimoimoi on Mar-28-2003 00:27:

I collect free VST synths like there's no tomorrow, and I have been considering reentering trance production (my first few attempts were disasterous, so I've been working on some sappy techno/synthpop stuff). There are TONS of freebies out there, and many are extremely good. Usually, what you get with a comercial VST is more flexibility with a synth and lower amount of time fidgeting with the knobs. I'm fairly confident there is nothing that the commercials can do, that you can't do with combinations of free VSTs, it's just a matter of how much time you can put towards it.

That said, for trance leads, these are my favorite freebies:

Claw (use multiple claws and sculpt the sound with envelopes)
FreeAlpha (Best freebie by LinPlug, but their commercial instruments are better)
Crystal (it's a ambient machine at first glance, but can make some wicked leads. Very much like absynth, but the interface is less friendly. Massive learning curve.)
JX220 (good foundation for leads, but requires a lot of effects)

Commercial instruments:

LinPlug Albino (absolutely sick instrument for trance leads. This will be providing my leads for two of my tracks in progress. Possibly my favorite soft synth to date.)
Absynth (it does a little of everything, and all of it well. HUGE learning curve like Crystal, though not quite as bad)
Pentagon (Ugly, but very usable interface. Does a lot of everything. Very analog sounding for the price.)


Now, the part where VSTs need to come a long way, ironically, is effects. I think there is a lot of nuance in a good analog harware effects processor that is practically ignored by dsp-coders (freebie coders anyways). Good analog reverb, compression, and distorsion/modulation is almost always much better in hardware. I have yet to try the high-end software effects plugins (that tend to run better than $500 US), but my guess is, for that price, a multi effects processor is the better buy. A friend's studio is all hardware, while mine is all software. Our synth quality is pretty much even until we start piling on effects. His stuff comes out warm and crisp, while mine tends to sound flat and boring.


Posted by quddha on Mar-28-2003 09:42:

If you're computer is strong enough, you can easily make sounds as phat as hardware using software. The key is in effects. Hardware has effects built in, and they use that dedicated external hardware power to process them.

Effects like chorus, delay and reverb. Don't forget, that if you compose using harmonies, and chords, the sounds will naturally be richer, than just a 1 voice melody.


Posted by DeZmA on Apr-05-2003 16:07:

I'll post some an1x sounds soon.. Powerfull much-underrated synth capable of all trance sounds you're all after. Cheap ass 2nd hand


Posted by DJ-Fuq on Apr-05-2003 19:24:

Z3ta+ is a great synth with excellent built in effects which have a lot of flexability.
Having used more or less all the 'big' synths (like absynth, junglist, pro 53, muon tau, pentagon, fm7, vaz etc) id have to say this is the best. Brilliant for leads, basslines and fx. I havnt really tried making pads with it yet as ive only had it for a few days so i cant say how good it is for that.


Posted by Flotser on Apr-05-2003 20:18:

quote:
Originally posted by DJ-Fuq
I havnt really tried making pads with it yet as ive only had it for a few days so i cant say how good it is for that.


I mostly use it for pads
its great! but it eats up cpu
thats why i prefer to use it for pads, where you dont need to skip between different notes all the time too frequantly


Posted by DJ-Fuq on Apr-06-2003 22:48:

Well my athlon xp 2100+ doesnt go beyond 10% with z3ta+ playing a complicated tune in fl 3.56. I have limiter on as well as delay, reverb, chorus and eq inside z3ta+, and fruity flanger and compressor on top so ive no worries about cpu with it


Posted by Flotser on Apr-07-2003 10:27:

quote:
Originally posted by DJ-Fuq
Well my athlon xp 2100+ doesnt go beyond 10% with z3ta+ playing a complicated tune in fl 3.56. I have limiter on as well as delay, reverb, chorus and eq inside z3ta+, and fruity flanger and compressor on top so ive no worries about cpu with it



yami !!
i always try to use only fruit's vst effects, its less cpu right?


Posted by coby on Apr-07-2003 15:06:

I also use the +z3ta for my fat sound ... Its good , but it eats up all my fuckin cpu !


Posted by DJ-Fuq on Apr-07-2003 23:19:

quote:
Originally posted by Flotser

yami !!
i always try to use only fruit's vst effects, its less cpu right?


Not necessarily



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