Software vs Hardware

[Mattchuw]

Why would anyone use a hardware synth in a studio? For a long time I thought about getting one, the microkorg, but then I just plugged my $100 casio keyboard into my computer with Reason 4 via midi. What are the advantages of using a hardware synth and how would you record one?

[TimOBrien]

midi out of computer to midi in of synth; then audio out of synth to audio in of computer soundcard. Arm a track and hit record.

The biggest reason to use outboard hardware used to be saving resources on the computer. Computers are so fast now thats becoming less of a reason. Now you'd use an outboard synth mainly for its unique voices.

[synthologist]

Why hardware? No latency, no driver issues, no dongles to lose, no crashes, etc.

For me and many people I've talked to, it's also the tactile response of a hardware synth's knobs, sliders and buttons that actually control and modify the instrument......not some sterile computer.

Let the debate(s) begin!

[RedEye]

Longevity and full integration into hardware are the biggest reasons. You don't have to worry about OS upgrades making your software obsolete and Hardware issues of trying to make knobs and faders do what they're supposed to. CPU cycles is an issue too, but, as stated, it's beoming less and less of and issue.

For live gigs, hardware synths are important. You can't afford to have a pc crashing stop your performance. For the project studio owner, software based synths are preffered. For bigger proffessional studios, having sounds that don't die is important. Having a giant library of sounds to add and create new things is also important. It's not so much that hardware synths are better for them, but at that point, they know when to use what tools and instruments are at their disposal. And despite their age, good hardware synths are a great investment. in music, what's old becomes new again, and vintage stuff is always coming back.

[DrSwiftus]

The physicality of a hardware synth is pretty hard to replicate with software; the way you interact with an instrument is as important as how it sounds.

And when it comes to analogue hardware synths, many have a character that's sometimes difficult to find with a software emulation; there's something delightfully messy and chaotic about certain analogue gear.

And of course, many people will find pleasure in owning a hardware synth; you don't quite get the same feeling from a box with a CD in it.

[synthologist]

And of course, many people will find pleasure in owning a hardware synth; you don't quite get the same feeling from a box with a CD in it.

Well said, Doctor.....

I've got several softsynths that sound great, but don't get used much.

Matt, I would recommend visiting a music store that caries a wide variety of hardware synths and workstations (especially some used ones). Take the time to play them and audition various sounds, especially with synths that have plenty of knobs on the panel (Nord Lead, Alesis Ion, Roland SH-201, etc.)

[synthologist]

Kinda thought we would get more responses with this one.

[BF]

I've pretty much said my peace on this one in two threads in as many weeks. Maybe I'll find them and cut and paste. I think both have a place and the boundaries are becoming blurred with software (integrated with ones DAW) controlled outboard. That being said, all it takes is a peek at my gear list to guess my feelings on the matter.

[synthologist]

So Matt.....get a chance to test-drive some decent hardware yet?

[Villa]

Great thread!
I would see this one from a software point of view.
A softsynth would give you everything the hardware can't but the sound quality.
Well, that was what I thought until I discovered L.G!

This is why I prefer software over hardware:
- Total Recall which means it saves all settings within your host/ project
- Seamless automation which you can draw yourself and edit surgically
- multiple instances with multiple realtime processing
- Saves HD space drasticly
- Cost a fraction of hardware

These features are important ones epecially for your workflow and to me counts more than analog feel!

[boogotop]

My 2 cents. I think it depend on the hardware, if we forgot whats confortable for u to use, there is still the sound. if u use old emu samplers or romplers u definetly got something called sound.

[shlomada]

I don't think it comes down to needing certain hardware synths to get a good sound anymore, but I do love hardware. It really is tough to write about because justifying the cost of harware is difficult right now for me. I consider my Mac may hardware. I guess what has already been said, knobs and buttons, no computer issues to deal with, has value. i would rather buy multiple computers and rum them like hardware, with each computer having it's own Novation Remote SL to control each synth. I think with new controllers like the novation remote SL hardware loses another major advantage, and as the controllers get better, well lets just say you will be tweaking knobs again. Trust me if you don't have a remote SL nad you love controlling synths with knobs you need to get one it changed the way I view software forever.

[boogotop]

I don't think it comes down to needing certain hardware synths to get a good sound anymore

Really ? I dont know, as I havent switch to software before, but I started producing my beats w/ Romplers and none of my coworkers on reason (or whatever soft ) could match this. And i made on my hards only a few tweaks. You mean you can find straight out the box a software that gave you the sound a motif or a fantom give you ? deal, give me the name

if you don't have a remote SL nad you love controlling synths with knobs you need to get one it changed the way I view software forever

really? Well Im planning on buying the SL too as I build a new mac based portable rig. Lol, ill tell you how i get with it...

[terry]

Well there are good points and not so good points. Soft synths don't break nor be come out dated. Hard ware synths don't or wont drag down the resources. But thats becoming a mute point. Hard synths are becoming harder to find or at least great quality at a reasonable price. the tactile aspect is valid as well live settings is almost a must. But any descent setup and well maintain PC will hold its own. as far as the tactile goes well any descent controller will take care of that. IE remote zero sl as an example.

[Villa]

I think the optimum feature software gives over hardware is the total control thingy which gives you greater workflow when you can store EVERYTHING within your host from patches to effects applied.

Lets say you have a good sound going like a fat groove including bassline/ percussion etc, and you want to really stick with this for more productions/ tracks to come.
With software you can just do a ¨save as¨ and a new tune can be prepared for with the same structure, groove and sound as the first one.
This is really a hassle with most hardware and with hardware you really want to know how to arrange music if you're going to get professional results out of it!

All that being said, I'm a huge fan of Access and really love the flavour of these synthesizers.
So having a top notch synthesizer or drum module can't be anything but a really good thing!

[Mattchuw]

I finally got a chance to play with my friends little phatty and his microkorg. It was a lot of fun. I see what your saying synthologist, it's hard to explain but there is a noticeable difference between software and hardware. However for me, I don't think its worth 400 bucks for the microkorg, which as far as i have heard is the cheapest "legitimate" synth out there. And its also hard to be precise on those tiny little keys. But if i had a couple grand to throw away, i wouldn't mind having a little phatty.

[sourgrapes]

whether you're an all-analog hardware synth gear junkie or an in-the-box super VI plug in addict, there's a case to be made for both i think

for example, i love my rhodes and have enjoyed playing it many times through my twin w/ the tremolo going and the reverb and the grit

but between the two of them, i'm lugging around 160lbs. of stuff just to do a quick track on someone's project or a weekend gig down at the local bar

but with my lounge lizard VI (and/or elektrik piano) and a good controller, i can achieve almost the same sound with a lot less stuff

it's not the same as playing the real thing, of course, particularly the absence of wooden keys/hammers and the way they react and respond, but the reproduced sound is very, very close and lounge lizard in particular is extremely editable

in fact, mixed within a track i find it difficult to notice a difference between the real thing and my VI's

and obviously it's a big plus to have it tracked as MIDI instead of audio

mind you i'm not selling my rhodes anytime soon, however...

IMHO, the same can be said about any old synth or keyboard - it's more about ownership and emotion and that visceral connection than it is about sound anymore

technology has almost all but closed the gap in terms of emulation

but i don't think anyone really loves and cares and proudly "owns" their computer like they would a '74 model D or a '72 MKII or a Mellotron or a 2600, etc...

[synthologist]

But if i had a couple grand to throw away, i wouldn't mind having a little phatty.

Glad you had the chance to check out some hardware.

Maybe at the NAMM show in January, Moog will introduce an inexpensive, scaled-down version of their synths.....and call it the "Big Skinny."

[acidhead]

My 2p worth...

1. IMO hardware usually sounds better. A dedicated DSP chip or analogue circuits being used to make audio will (usually [spit spit oberheim OB12]) sound better than a general purpose CPU trying to run an operating system, sequencer, email etc etc.
I havent ever heard of a hardware synth emulating a software synth yet alot of software synths all seem to want to emulate hardware synths.

2. The price of software synths are boardering on ridiculous.
How can manufacturers justify the cost of software emulation being 1/3 of the price of a good hardware rack ?
You can buy a used Virus B for about £250 , with that you get a control surface , a box and better sound quality. It will last you for as long as midi stays around but if you wish to sell it in a few years you wont lose much cash.. OR you can buy vanguard and some other flavour of the month software synth which will only last as long as it is compatible with the PC OS - at a good guess, unless you keep a whole PC to run your older synths, you will only have another 5 years general use before it's obselete and unsellable.

3. Control surfaces.. Pointing your mouse cursor at some tiny scroll bar to change sounds is a pain in the arse and time consuming. Programming your midi controller to do the job is also time consuming and usually doesnt have the same impact as having the legends written infront of you of what the knob actually changes.
Also I have a 24" 1920x1200 res monitor and trying to use some of the softsynths GUI is nearly impossible unless I sit right on top of the screen.

4. If my virus Ti were to crash it wouldnt wipe out everything Ive done that day on my sequencer, sampler, effects unit etc etc.. software has this nack of doing just that though.

5.Portability.... I can take a hardware synth to someplace comfy (my couch infront of the TV), chill with it with headphones on while reading the manual instead of sitting upright at my desk while paging through PDF files on my PC.

as you may guess , I dont like softsynths much. The sample playback synths like Hypersonic are great fun and I can see myself using them in the future. But if a hardware version is out there I believe the money is best spent going that route.
I can see the plus side of software, especially if you get free pirated versions as its an economical way to get professionally sounding noises for next to nothing. Other than that I would never spend £200-300 on a cd with a synth on when the same store probably sells a couple of decent hardware synths for that amount of cash (korg micros, walfdorf blofeld, Nord micro modular etc etc)

[Huerequeque]

Why hardware over software?

The same reason you close your eyes when you get a massage.

When you're creating sound with a synthesizer, there's an element to indulging in that creative experience and getting lost that requires minimal visual interference. Staring into a bright light will only reduce and distill my auditory experience.

At least this is how it feels for me... Thus far.

[markm]

I like both hardware and softsynths. What I really like about softsynths is that you can get some wild configurations that you would never see in hardware. A good example would be Reaktor. As far as sound, well. . .as long as a synth creates some useable sounds, then I like it. Perhaps many people don't like softsynths or digital VA synths because they want them to sound like a particular classic synth made in the past. Usually they don't measure up. Sometimes the manufacturers are to blame. They tout their new digital products as sounding like ARPs, Moogs, etc. That's what I like about softsynths like Reaktor or Absynth; they don't try and sound like a classic synth. The user takes them for what they are.

[Underground_Wisdom]

What I really like about softsynths is that you can get some wild configurations that you would never see in hardware.

Excellent point here. Softsynths have the capability to be much more flexible, but sometimes that flexibility can be a blessing or a curse. The thing about having absolute and infinite posibilities is that it can give you that "blank page" syndrome and actually get in the way. Hardware kinda forces you to work a certain way, and those limitations can be just as conducive to creative response as options can be.

That being said, the "sound" of harware vs software is not as much of a concern as it used to be. If you know what you are doing, and know what makes the hardware sound a certain way, it's not hard to get the same kind of sound from software+processing. The dedicated DSP running in a digital synth and the one in your computer don't "sound" different per cycle. The difference is the output stages of the synth.

This is of course, not the case for analog synths, which tend to have all kinds of imperfections lending to their character, but the digital ones? Nah.

[terry]

Underground_Wisdom

Well in the end would it not be better to have a blend of both. Lets say you have a bunch of soft synths for the creative juices and then some what run them threw your bread and butter effects processor. Or would that be senseless?? The reason I ask is I'm looking at a Lexicon MX400 Dual Stereo/Surround Reverb Processor to add to my system

[Underground_Wisdom]

Well in the end would it not be better to have a blend of both

Without a doubt the best approach !

I still use a Lexicon MPX 550 for my verbs and some delay work just because I know the unit so well, and how the effect will sit in the mix. I think I can get similar results with software, but it would definitely take longer for the way I work.

Kinda depends on what you're going for of course. I find if I'm in the mood for super long silly feedback-ing delaying granular effects, then for sure I'm going to software, but for standards like a plate or hall reverb I'm hitting the Lexi.

Then, there's the option of live work or even just jamming, then it's the Lexi all the way!

I'm finding that for me, hardware was an essential learning stage. I love it and always will drool over it, but I was brought up in the digital age, and have always been knee-deep in computers, so for me, software sounds processed with quality outboard gives me exactly what I am looking for. I can see the case for either, but my hardware list, once considerable, has diminished to a mere shadow of what it used to be.

But on that note, get the Lexi You'll definitely get your mileage out of it!

UW

[Tweak]

You know, 11-12 years ago, if you wanted to record audio, you had to either sing it or play it on a real instrument. Mixologists had to mix on a real mixer. Producers had to know (and pay) all these people. I think the answer lies in how large of a role you want the computer to have. A piece has a different vibe if there is a bass player and drummer playing than having reason spit out some patterned drivel.

But on the opposing side what is a workstation? Its a dedicated computer running softsynths! Except the software is burned into a rom. All the analog VAs can be considered as "soft". The Oasys is probably the perfect case. The little fatty and the voyager and the coming Dave Smith Prophet have analog signal paths.