DIFFERENT hardware/software question

[Cold Truth]

ok, ok, i know the whole debate is rediculous, but thats not my purpose here. i would like to know FROM THOSE WHO WORK WITH BOTH. how do the sounds we get from software compare to the keyboards and racks? i have a motif racl that i am more that happy with.....

i tend to use mostly organic sounds. strings, horns, pianos, guitars and organs. how does software handle these sounds? most of what i hear when i KNOW it is software tends to be synth.

i am considering a switch......... but trying to get information from various sources. i would appreciate it if you wouldnt reply if you just want to bash one or the other or simply have no knowledge to share. thanks.

[Fade]

This is a good question, so guys please don't let it get out of hand and into a software vs. hardware debate. Only replies from people who can actually answer the question. Thanks.

[milLion]

i like the hardware sounds -- the natural and acoustical type sounds -- however there are vst's that have very good sounds as well -- it all depends on what sounds good to you though

[light]

my advise to you is not to "switch" but to add. get more gear and software and use it all

[Cold Truth]

thanks for the support Fade!!

[BeatOff]

I had a korg triton and have messed around with the Motif and other hardware keyboards. The sounds to me dont sound any better than the sounds that come in VST or Sonic Refills For Reason. I swear the sounds on my sonic refil for reason sound better than the tritons. You cant tell computer made beats from hardware beats because they use more synths. Most of those synthy beats come from trance producers that have 10's of hardware synths laying around. I personally made the switch because hardware takes up too much space and is too expensive to keep adding on to.

I cant afford to buy a 2000$ synth vs a 200$ library that has the same sounds and different ones. Its all personal prefrence.

[Copenhagen]

I have no hardware sounds and can therefore only compare to you that I've heard who I know have hardware, the sounds I hear when playing around at my local hardware store and music releases...and my sample CD's with single sounds and all of my Reason refills have good/equal/similar sounds as hardware... according to me. Also, they are cheap so I've acquired a lot, which is nice apart from having gotten to the point that I can't find anything anymore without spending hours looking through all 40-45 Gigabytes... ;)

[vitaminman]

Hey,

I have yet to find any software which can replace sound modules for their ease of use and versatility, I think the only one is Sampletank and you need a pretty beefy machine to run it.

Most software synths are analogue emulators or hybrids, you'll have a hard time finding something with doesn't sound artificial. You can get a software sampler, but then you're stuck having to buy sample libraries for it to get your sounds, plus you'll need a heavy machine to run it.

If you already have a Motif, stick with it. If you're dead set on getting something in the software dept., get Sampletank.

As for how they sound, it's all just 0's and 1's, I think that they all sound the same, in an a/b test I couldn't tell the difference between software and hardware...

Take care,

Nick

[Cold Truth]

thanks. i'll likely remain with the motif and add an emu library later on. when i sell my first $10,000 beat ill get an xv 5080 to round it all out!!!!

[inrctyhoodmusic]

Originally posted by Truth Told
thanks. i'll likely remain with the motif and add an emu library later on. when i sell my first $10,000 beat ill get an xv 5080 to round it all out!!!!

keep doing your thing Truth.....xv 5080...I had the 3080 and that was a damn good machine I'm mad I had to let it go...It was either that or the mpc2000xl...I made the right choice But when I get some more doe that 5080 will be mine as well.....All I can say for the main topic of the post stick with hardware but learn the software...Together they can be a deadly combo