I've tried softsynths like Hypersonic 2 and Bandstand and got tired wrestlng with the damn things. I think I was just lazy and wanted to do everything on one screen - Sonar, soft synths, the lot. But I spent 95% of the time faffing about with audio settings, frozen applications, unknown conflicts and all the other cr*p you get with bloody computers. I've seen the error of my ways and am now concentrating on working with - and learning - my brand new Roland Fantom X6. It's connected to Sonar via my midi interface and NEVER glitches. They play together perfectly. I'm back to making music again. If you can afford it - go for a hardware synth every time.

Hi,

I think the subject must be better "Soft synths vs Hardware Synths". Soft synths are REAL synths too! Their quality is nowadays the same or very near to its hardware equivalents. I have took the time for comparing, for example, NI FM7 to a hardware unit DX7 and I can not tell the difference between them regarding sound quality.

John

ORIGINAL: rockdawg

Are there any soft synths that can compare in sound quality to a real synth?

There are loads of soft-synths, free-, share- & payware, that have the same quality as hardware. If you're asking about 100% accurate emulations, I just take the word of the lads at Sound On Sound who have reviewed many of them over the past few years. More often than not, the comparisons have been close enough.

I tried the Edirol VSC that came with sonar three and wasn't very impressed.

Not surprised ! It's a basic GM sample player to be used mainly as a sketch pad or midi review system.

Unless you're a dyed-in-the-wool analogue-head with plenty of experience (in which case, you're gonna have to cough up $), take a few of the free, cheap & mid-range soft-synths for a spin. Check the KVR database if you hsave a few month to spare !

Accuracy of emulations doesn't bother me (no previous hardware experience), I'm just interested in how it sounds.

You can't replace your hardware, so don't even try. You will find yourself very frustrated if you do. However, you can add interesting and unique flavors with softsynths. NI, Arturia, Cakewalk's synths, all good. Spectrasonics is great. Atmosphere is like buying a large collection of Eric Persing's greatest pad patches for Roland, only better quality, because that is what it is. But it doesn't replace the Fantom. Maybe others' experiences are different, but I think you get yourself into a box when you try to emulate the accumulated sound design of the past 20 years of Korg, Roland, or Yamaha. I gave up trying and I gave up waiting for it in software. I love my soft synths, but they cannot replace what you are buying with a hardware workstation, a substantial amount of sound design.

They're all soft synths at this point.

ORIGINAL: Sid Viscous

They're all soft synths at this point.

Good point.

ORIGINAL: Sid Viscous

They're all soft synths at this point.

I'm having some trouble interpreting what you mean by that, Mr. Viscous. Please elaborate.

ORIGINAL: mosspa

ORIGINAL: Sid Viscous

They're all soft synths at this point.

I'm having some trouble interpreting what you mean by that, Mr. Viscous. Please elaborate.

What's so confusing about it? A modern synth is a cpu/dsp with a soundcard running some synth software in a box with a keyboard. The only difference in a computer based soft synth is the keyboard and what else the box might be doing at the time.

A modern synth is a cpu/dsp with a soundcard running some synth software in a box with a keyboard. The only difference in a computer based soft synth is the keyboard and what else the box might be doing at the time.

I agree, the final output depends on the host program and souncard's "sound" .. the SOUND itself of the digital synths
that run in your PC can use exactly the same elements (OSCillators, LFO's, filters and logic opertaions , modulations..) and sound the same - regarding some sounds you should also think in samplers and "sound library" terms.. some presets just use close to plain samples without much processing (again, the PC can output both the raw samples and the processing anyways.. like any hardware synth)
thanks for saying the (sad?) truth here, the thread and some comments here just show lack of knowledge or experience with the better softssynths, I didn't want to argue with the Roland Fantom guys... ;)

what is it in its engine that makes it impossible for a software on a PC to do the same? nothing really.

you'll never go back to real synths again. I got rid of mine and now only have a controller.