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Originally posted by Eric J Wow, I hope i didn't steer you in the direction of software unnecessarily.

I wouldn't go that far just yet.

My primary arguments against software instruments are still valid. I'm spending money for something that isn't really a tangible good. No one wants to buy used software. Even if they do, companies will charge you a fee to re-register. So it's a lose-lose situation. I have all my gear, it's all paid off, I have no significant debt to take care of.

I just never knew the software emulations sounded so close. I always assumed they were no where near. The physical instruments are still best for their usability and sound and buying software feels a lot more like wasted money then when I buy a physical item. The upside is they're a lot cheaper ...

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i dont know the true nature of the inner workings of a synth. but like you said they emulate, and are virtual, therefore ultimately they are a composite reality. Which you know anyways. And from my point of view most digital synths these days are basically almost/are VST like, in a sense, with the bonus of some knobs and buttons.

hence i think, thats why the sound structure is somewhat the same!

please kick me in the ass if wrong - im still learning

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Hardware or software, Virus is the greatest trance synth imo, i have yet to find a software equivalent for that.
Nexus helps, Sylenth does an ok job but the effects are no good, z3ta can sound a bit similar, but not Massive or Albino, or any other ive tried.

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quote:

Originally posted by alanzo I wouldn't go that far just yet.

That's good. Far be it from me to presume that what I do might be a pretext for forcing my preferences on another producer.

quote:

Originally posted by alanzo My primary arguments against software instruments are still valid. I'm spending money for something that isn't really a tangible good. No one wants to buy used software. Even if they do, companies will charge you a fee to re-register. So it's a lose-lose situation. I have all my gear, it's all paid off, I have no significant debt to take care of.

Debt free. That's a nice position to be in. Sometimes it is hard to keep myself from pulling out my credit card to satisfy my GAS (Gear Acquisition Syndrome), but my wife is pretty good at giving me a nice "reality check" when it comes to gear. Once you get a mortgage and a family, your priorities tend to change a bit.

The way I look at it, I have an "order of operations" when it comes to important parts of my studio. I try to make sure that I invest the most amount of money in equipment that will benefit me in the long run. Hardware synthesis is about number 4 or 5 on that list. The most important thing for me is "can I make good music that labels will want to sign with what I have?" Luckily, the answer has been yes so far.

quote:

Originally posted by alanzo I just never knew the software emulations sounded so close. I always assumed they were no where near. The physical instruments are still best for their usability and sound and buying software feels a lot more like wasted money then when I buy a physical item. The upside is they're a lot cheaper ...

Exactly, why I want to add just a couple of "choice" pieces to my existing setup. I still see myself primarily as a software-based producer, but tactile interface can be incredibly inspiring. That is a quality that is very important that cannot be easily replicated by software, especially when inspiration can something that is hard to come by.

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Originally posted by Eric J Exactly, why I want to add just a couple of "choice" pieces to my existing setup. I still see myself primarily as a software-based producer, but tactile interface can be incredibly inspiring. That is a quality that is very important that cannot be easily replicated by software, especially when inspiration can something that is hard to come by.

Then a Nord Lead 3 is your ticket. Un rivaled in the software world. Nothing sounds like it.

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Originally posted by alanzo Then a Nord Lead 3 is your ticket. Un rivaled in the software world. Nothing sounds like it.

Yeah, I'm toying with the idea of repurchasing it.

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Originally posted by Eric J Yeah, I'm toying with the idea of repurchasing it.

I've owned 3!

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Just wanna say thanks to alanzo, must have taken quite a bit of time to put all those demos together.
Nice to see how these various emulations compare to the hardware synths

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quote:

Originally posted by alanzo Then a Nord Lead 3 is your ticket. Un rivaled in the software world. Nothing sounds like it.

I'm hoping discoDSP will do some patches for discovery pro. I've never listened to an NL2 or NL2X but the patches used in discovery pro that claim to be from those instruments are great. i've actually read that discovery pro can share patches with nord instruments. discovery pro is basically the emulation of NL2/NL2x and maybe NL3 eventually. 64 voice with 2x over sampling. Absolutely love the lay out. It's very simple and straight forward subtractive which I love. Only complaint is the arp which really isn't a big deal. I always use an external arp (Ableton's) unless of course im dealing with multi-timbres.

To touch on another note regarding Hardware vs. Software - I'd like to chime in and give my opinion as somebody who is just approach one year of production experience. When I first started, I had no MIDI controller. When I got that, I thought wow, this is amazing and is going to make my work flow and knowledge of things so much better. When I got my Radias last week, the same exact thing went through my mind. There is NO substitute for hands on manipulation of sound and hardware is just so neat to have. I've found that I am studying my Radias MUCH more since I paid a lot for it when compared to softsynths. I'm much more dedicated to it, and because it is so diverse by the time I "master" it I'm going to be soooooo much more knowledgeable when it comes to synths, which you can't put a price on.

Even if it's just one piece of hardware (not a midi controller, a synth) I would recommend to every single producer to get one. Even if it's some second hand synth that you paid $100 for on eBay (Get a Korg R3). Using and starting to understand hardware has increased my knowledge of synthesis by a ton and I've just had the thing for a week. Maybe it's just me. Not everybody learns the same way, but again, I'd highly recommend at least giving it a try. It is without question worth the $.

And one more thing on hardware - Remember it's an investment. Hardware holds its value very well, so if you buy a synth and try it out and it just isn't for you and you want to stick to software, you can turn around and just re-sell it for around the same price you paid for it. Just find something you want to buy and don't rush into buying. Sit back and wait for the right deal. I got my Radias-R for $549 shipped with original box, CD, chords, free USB cable. (I could easily get $700 for it on re-sale) It looked like it came straight from sweetwater minus the candy. It was even wrapped in that white styrofoam. An average lad wouldn't even be able to tell it was a second hand product.

Alanzo thanks for all of the samples. I've been looking into picking up a hardware synth, but now I'm thinking maybe pick up some software to complement the ES2 which I love.

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quote:

Originally posted by Zild Alanzo thanks for all of the samples. I've been looking into picking up a hardware synth, but now I'm thinking maybe pick up some software to complement the ES2 which I love.

Its been a very informative thread!

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