Hey,

Every now and then I'll get an urge to have something more physical than just my keyboard and mouse to make sounds with.

I have seen some nice Hard synths for a few hundered quid, and wonder how many of you guys have gone from soft to hard synth?

Did you enjoy the change?

Did it help with your learning of synth programming, etc?

Well I used to use vanguard, Z3ta+ etc.

I used to design a sound from scratch and think it was great until I A/B'd it with a pro track.

Just over a week ago I started using a waldorf pulse I bought for £175 with the vengeance soundset, which I think is an absolute bargain. To be honest the track I'm writing just now uses the presets but I have done a bit of sound design on the pulse. After my first track I'm gonna delve into the mod matrix a lot more.

The pulse is monophonic, which means no pads, but I could buy another three and connect them to be polyphonic. But instead I'll eventually buy a used virus and the roland sh-201 (am I right in thinking that's just a re-release of the JP-8000?).

Total for pulse, virus b + sh-201 = roughly £975, less than a Ti desktop but you get a keyboard, no-fuss supersaws, flexibility and sound of the virus b and cracking bass + leads from the pulse.


Pros and cons of my move to hardware:

Pros

Pulse creates beautiful, real analog sounds.
Bass is out of this world.
Cheap but well built.
Can control filters etc from controller keyboard and cubase.
Nice sounds inspire nice melodies.

Cons

I have a small room.
The pulse is monophonic.
Switch from vstis can be painful at first, because of recording and setting up sequencer etc.

That's all I can think of right now. I'm gonna do my very best to never touch a vsti again in my life!

If you do move to hardware, take your time to research the various synths. The harmony-central reviews can be helpful, as well as listening to the vengeance soundsets for the various synths. Then of course trying them out at shops if you can.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Arguing against this point is futile, because I will never change my mind until soft synth designers get their act together:

To have access to lots of big, fat, warm, thick, creamy sounds you need hardware.

Download the mp3 samples from vengeance sound, hear what they do with soft synths and hear what they do with hard synths. Big difference, and you can't say it's their sound design limitations.

BTW, is the last sound on the virus set 'incubation v3' the most beautiful synth sound ever or what?

BTW I'm not sure where you stay, but if it's southern england - check the readers ads of Soundonsound magazine because loads of people in the london area sell synths for excellent prices

http://www.soundonsound.com/readers...rowse.php?Cat=7

I wouldn't ever have anything from sos posted to me but if you can pick-up you're laughing.

Last edited by Synchronicity on Jun-25-2006 at 16:05

quote:

Originally posted by dj_palm ive been drowling on this abit myself but as i see it, its a simpler synth than the jp8000 but with same sounds (osc-part) tho it got the usb plug and online editing on computer which is great. i think that will be the new supersaw synth yeah. its good price, easy to use and the sound is probably the same as jp8000. tho i see some limits on it, so im not sure its anything for me when i already have a jp8080. not sure tho. its looks realy nice, the sh201

Yeah I think I'll get the specs for both and A/B. I'm not saying all it does is supersaw either in case anyone took it it that way.

Now I use a novation supernova 2 along with my VST's, and I'm quite happy with it. For me it's definitly not as versatile as a VST, and the best solution I've found is recording my sequences to WAV from the supernova. But I will definitly be using it quite a lot, as I think it's got a nice fat sound

___________________

Why would you need hardware when software can emulate hardware


even some cheaper hard synths emulate real hard synths


there called analog modelling synths


if i owned a studio or if i was in a rock band id buy a bunch of hard synths and a guitar a set of drums etc, for clients who wanted a certain sound but theres no need for it when you have software when your possibilities are endless.

Absynth
Reaktor
Mini Moog

just to name a few but im sure theres a lot many out there.

It's not really the sound I am after, its more the feel and ease of use. Such as making sounds and stuff and chaning things on faders, etc in real life as appose to automating a filter envelope or whatever.

It just seems like your more likely to spontanously create new sounds as appose to sitting in front of a screen with your mouse moving tiny knobs, dont get me wrong... I LOVE soft synths, but sometime hardware seems appealing.

You could do that with a midi controller.

quote:

Originally posted by Synchronicity BTW, is the last sound on the virus set 'incubation v3' the most beautiful synth sound ever or what?

which sound is that ?

Last edited by -_1_--Ben--_1_- on Jun-26-2006 at 07:47

quote:

Originally posted by -_1_--Ben--_1_- which sound is that ?

This is a demo of the vengeance patches for the virus. The very last sound on this mp3 - it's a dark, screaming sound.

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