Those synth test answers in full

OK, here are the answers to the Do you have any idea what synths actually sound like? test:
1: Guesses included: Absynth, Waldorf Pulse, Korg Polysix. Equally matched analog/digital guesses. It was actually a Memorymoog.
2: Guesses included: Access Virus, Moog, Roland Alpha Juno. Most people said 'Digital Hardware'. They were right, it was a Nord Micro Modular.
3: One person guessed Roland SH101, everyone else said "digital". They were right, it was a Roland MC505 Groovebox.
4: Guesses included: Minimoog, Novation, Juno 60, something by Nord. A majority (5 to 3) thought it was analog. They were wrong, it was Subtractor, the VA synth in Reason.
5: Guesses included Juno 106, Basstation, something digital from Alesis. A large majority (5 to 2) thought it was digital. They were wrong, it was a Jupiter 6.
So... have we learnt anything?


Comments:
Yes, but I'd have to use an analog blog. There's a few on the analog internet.
 
Even an analog internet would sound shitty through these speakers here.
 
Yes, we learned that it doesn't matter, and that you should just use what you like.

But if we all knew that, what would they talk about on the Analog Heaven list?
 
we've learned that Jesus exists in many different guises. None of which are synths.
oh and that anyone who got any of the answers right, shouldn't be allowed out of the house.
In fact they probably don't leave the house out of choice.
 
I think we learned that anyone who thinks they can Identify any synthesizer by its sound is probably full of S#$%. Someone should do a similar test to all the dorks in the audio engineering world who think they can tell the difference between a Urei 1176 and the plug-in version :)
 
i'd still take a jupiter over reason any day
 
Yeah I always gave Subtractor a hard time. "God you're boring!" I'd say to it. "You're turquoise Dammit act like it!!!" That kind of thing.

Poor thing! i'm gonna fire herr up again and see if I can't diddle her phase knobs again. a little more carefully this time. ohhhh...
 
id like more tests like this to quench the voices of the bitches who cry about plug ins. I'd, as everyone, prefer to have the real synths, but, like everyone, can't afford or find them all. A real synth is better to play, and due to the fact that you're 'playing' it the sound feels better, so plug ins will NEVER replace hardware, but who cares how a sounds made once it's in a track

ballsneck FACEMEAT
 
I learned a little,listen harder.
 
The short percussive "bass" sound used for the sequence is very easy for a digital synth to get away with. While the test wasn't really about the limits of digital versus analogue, you would notice a digital synth sound aliasing when dealing with more complex modulation and harmonics.

I no longer own any analogues, and I believe a lot (sometimes a lot more if you can't afford modulars) can be done with digital, so this isn't mean to be an elitist statement. I'm just being objective. In the end, it's not what you use, but how you use it that counts.
 
4: Guesses included: Minimoog, Novation, Juno 60, something by Nord. A majority (5 to 3) thought it was analog. They were wrong, it was Subtractor, the VA synth in Reason.

Brilliant. A while back, I did a remix entirely in reason (admittedly, mixed down through the cubase sx mixer with plugins - but all the sounds came from Reason). I have a friend who is a colossal "pro-audio" snob, who absolutely loathes Reason. He heard this remix and raved about it enormously. I took great joy in telling him what I'd used to do it.
 
Nice test. You need more different sounds in order to determine which is analog and which is digital/software. If you really sit down and try each synth yourself and experiment with it and make your own snaps I'm sure you will be able to tell the difference. A lot of the sounds made on software synths sound similar but lack the depth in timbre I think analog has. I've used softsynts for years because I haven't had the money for an analog but I am always very unsatisfied with the sounds they make, because they lack real depth. I've heard digtal hardware synths that sound real good so I would go for that if I couldn't get an analog. But one day not too soon I'm going to buy the great Andromeda A6!
 
Oh, I meant presets when I said snaps, I'm a Reaktor user ;-)

""David said...

The short percussive "bass" sound used for the sequence is very easy for a digital synth to get away with. While the test wasn't really about the limits of digital versus analogue, you would notice a digital synth sound aliasing when dealing with more complex modulation and harmonics.""

-That's what I meant.
 
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