Personal preferences for analog and digital

The Lounge Other Gear
#22

Coming back to this, I think that ‘the speed at which I can translate an idea into sound’ should be stricken from that list. Yes, it’s a benefit of a good workflow, but there’s also something to be said for accidental occurrences. I wouldn’t say I can quickly get specific sounds out of my head through a modular, but that particular kind of workflow provides room for experimentation and feedback/response from the system itself.

So maybe a more accurate blanket statement would be that I prefer expressive interfaces–ones that allow me to ‘express’ ideas as well as ones that ‘express’ their own ideas back at me. Sometimes they are digital, sometimes they are analog.

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#23

Wholeheartedly agree. Except sound waves aren’t analog, they’re acoustic.

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#24

I don’t think there is any logical reason to root for “true” analog over virtual analog in 2017, yet my modular is all analog and my only other synth is the A4. I think the reason is my preferences are leaning more and more towards “less is more”. I want instruments with personality and their own recognisable sound. Digital ones tend to be a bit of everything. Lots of different filter types, synthesis options, fx, etc., which is cool in its own way, but not quite my thing atm.

In the software world I much prefer the philosophy of, say, Madrona Labs Aalto to Native Instruments Massive. Same principle in the hardware world. But I couldn’t care less if the A4 had a DSP chip or analog circuit inside.

#25

I think this is my problem with both the Prophet-6 and OB-6. Too much of a throwback to the past and deliberately crippled with limited modulation. I feel exactly the same way about Roland’s System-8. It’s an unsatisfying nostalgia exercise to me.

I don’t think that Dave Smith is really the problem here. If you look at his other synths (Evolvers, P’08, P12, Pro 2 etc.) they are all much more forward-looking and more than capable of pushing analogue or hybrid synthesis in interesting modern directions. I’d take a Rev2 over P6 or OB6 every time.

The problem is the continued fetishising of '70s and early-'80s synths. Give me a great UI and a mountain of modulation possibilities and I don’t really care if it’s analog or digital if it sounds good.

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#26

I got the P12, and it has tons of modulation options, i have choosen it over the Virus TI, because of lot more possibilities to tweak the 4 digital oscilators. Not everything is great on it, if you drive it too hard, it will sound harsh, but with low drive, it sounds very smooth. Ok it is a digital synth anyway - and sometimes you might want harsh sounds, because your track demands it. I wanted a synth for pads, and its just very good at it with 4 envelopes, 4 LFO and x-modulation. Interface is fast and very well thought out.

It can listen to different midi channels, so you can stack or split it, having 2x6 voices, enough for a pad and a melody. Can not compete with Virus TI multimode, and Virus has a built in reverb. But for me the P12 sounded better, so i went with it.

#27

I can appreciate everyone’s angle on this. I use both digital and analog equal. Whatever fits/inspires at the time. When new stuff gets announced I’m normally looking primarily at features. I guess for me the OB6 is kind of exception to that rule. Seems like the only thing available in production that will give you that sound. Which is a sound I love. So if I had the ££ it’d be instabuy. But yeah, some more modern features to accompany that sound wouldn’t have hurt. Though simplicity can still be interesting/affecting with a good composition etc.

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#28

Forget about whether something is analog or digital and use your flipping ears to listen to the sounds.

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#29

most listeners hear ‘a synth sound’ regardless

#30

I thought this was a US/UK difference? Probably UK people have started dropping the ‘ue’ after spending lots of time on American sites…

#31

i like my guitar pedals to be made with wires and gadgetry, and prefer them to have a hot glass vaccuum tube in there if at all possible.

however, i know that if i ever buy a reverb pedal, it would be total folly to buy anything other than a proper digital modelling reverb unit.

and yet, Spaceman Effects make an all analogue Spring Reverb pedal.

edit - had to add the ‘ue’ to the word :smiley:

#32

Yeah, it’s just a British vs American English variation. People probably use “analog” here more because we’re an international lot and that’s how Elektron spell it in their :elan: product names.

#33

We are out of the EU so have dropped those letters maybe?
:stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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#34

Anyone caught spelling it “analogue” is an unpatriotic enemy of the people and will be burned at the stake by Daily Mail readers. :wink:

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#35

Agreed! It’s up there with people who refer to Ableton’s Push as “the Push”. Things like “I like to work on the Push…” drive me up the wall!

Anyway, I think Elektron have tapped into something interesting with Overbridge. Something that can marry analogue with digital seems a nicer future state to me than multiple revisions of the same old “classics”.

There’s a place for both but when layering heaps of FX on to an analogue synth I kinda think whats the point to be honest. You’re just as well saving a fortune and going with something digital.

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#36

I was severely reprimanded by the old girl in the Post Office last week for “crossing my 7’s in a Continental style”
I may go and post a bit of this morning’s anal-log and see how she likes stamping that! :poop:

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#37

I get the idea I may have inadvertently caused this thread :grinning:

So just to clarify : I love analogue. My 2 x Mother-32s are incredible for that sound, my SEM is just one huge sweet-spot of lovliness …606 hi hats are unbeatable & I’d probably litererally kill
a man to ever own a mint Elka Synthex. I have a skiff load of Erica Synths Fusion modules incoming too very soon, because…mmm tubes…& all that non-linear awesomeness that even
the best digital still can’t emulate 100% - nor should it bother trying.

However… digital instruments are incredible & open doors analogue circuitry cannot even dream of. And very often they do it cheaper & more reliably to boot.
Some of the greatest pad sounds I’ve ever created came from various Yamaha DX instruments & I’m seriously considering getting hold of a Modor NF-1 because that thing
is unashamedly digital & proud, rather than slavishly following all the VA conventions in an attempt to sound analogue for the sake of it. IMHO of course.

It’s all about different flavours.

Buy my post was specificially about Elektron analogue - & like I said I don’t want to upset anyone & this is all purely subjective personal opinion.

To me both the A4 & the Rytm share the same unfocussed, ‘wooly’ sound. I just can’t descriibe it better than that. I struggled for well over 18 months with the A4, replaced if with Moog & boom, happy days.
( I’ve had the exact same problem with ‘the DSI sound’ too I must add, this isn’t just Elektron ). Similarly after battling for over 2 years with the RYTM I had to give it up : the same wool was there… none of the sparkle
or silky boom of classic Rolands. Yes - I appreciate the RYTM has its own sound, it never said it was a TR( X0X ) but I just don’t like that sound. And yes it could be my programming, but in truth I’ve never heard anyone else
coax the sort of sounds from either an A4 or a RYTM that I like to use in my music either. Plus, if I can’t program the sounds I want then de facto the machine in question is no good for me, regardless of what anyone else can do with it.

Now the silver boxes - wow they sound good. Peak Elektron. for me, anyway & whilst I’ve never owned an Octatrack, whenever I’ve heard something done on one it sounds really really good. Wool-free.

And that’s all my point - if it was one in fact - is : I prefer digital Elektron to analogue Elektron. And of course YMMV - & good luck to you if it does.

Happy music making all & peace - we’re just talking about electronic music instruments here :wink:

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#38

Looks like I’ll be chopped to pieces before my family…

I’ll be cremated to avoid any typos on my headstone, which makes me think of this video…

#39

I think a great sound is a great sound no matter if analogue or digital. I love deep warm moog basses etc or the sound of the complex oscillators in euro, but I really use digital sounds more often and if I think about it, a lot of my favourite music is mostly digital synthesis. For example: Autechre is mainly digital, Trent Reznor mostly used Nord Lead and Nord Modular on the Fragile, I prefer the Aphex records, which he did on the laptop, I love the sound of the early Apparat records… I recently went into Eurorack and bought only digital sound sources so far… Fm and Wavetable stuff is awesome. The A4 is still magic, however :wink:

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#41

I always play on the Prophet 6 when I’m at my dealer’s. For the love of me, it’s the best synth I’ve ever played. Such a piece of beauty, inside and out. I’ve never rationalised why I think this is so. Nor will I ever. Nonetheless, for me, I know it’s true.

#42

i switch ed the ob 6 on a few times, different set ups… mono, stereo… dry, effects… as ive mentioned, its not for all people… and if you dont like that sound you really dont like it… if it had been £500 then yes i wouldve kept it … but that price tag – just glad i got rid