I guess it's the same reason that when I want tape wobblyness, I record the sound over to a cassette tape and back instead of using a digital tape simulator plugin.
It's to me not primarily about what is the best sounding. It's about that I know I recorded that sound onto a cassette tape and it makes me happy that I did.
So, on one side, super good to be aware about confirmation biases (can help save tons of money on audio equipment when making the realization expensive doesn't mean better).
But also, never sacrifice valuing things that make the process more fun just because it may or may not be placebo.
@Nifflas Same for me as a guitar player, hearing things like the squeak of the player's fingers sliding up and down the fretboard. Although we don't actually want to be letting this stuff – the artefacts / glitches of the physical process of playing – be too audible, I just like to know that "there was someone in there doing the same process I do".
@Nifflas One the one had you have the danger of GAS, but as long as the gear sparks joy and makes you more creative (and you have the space and funds for it) I think it's ultimately good :)
@Nifflas I like things that lean into their mediums, so to speak. An analog synth that leans heavily on its analogness is cool. A digital synth that goes all in on being digital is cool.
But a digital synth going to great lengths to be analog just seems like... wasted effort. I mean, sure, there are questions of being affordable and accessible, but, you're never going to be actually cool trying to be something you are not.
@WAHa_06x36 Yeah, I don't disagree! I do love virtual analog synthesizer plugins actually, I use em plenty. But I never pick those from how well they emulate real analog, I just use them if I like the sound (though that may actually be sounding convincingly analog - but I never look for it as a selling point).
For actual analog, I use my MiniBrute 2S, or even the monotribe!
@WAHa_06x36 Honestly, with software synthesis, at this point I just want to see anyone come up with basically any form of new synthesis that doesn't already exist. It's a rare celestial event that someone does, but it happens.
@Nifflas Oh yeah. I've been trying my hand at that myself, with very limited success because a) it's hard and b) I am totally clueless about it. But that feels like a good angle for coming up with something actually new? So far it's a lot of banging my head against various walls though.
I especially like synthesis that can run on resource-constrained systems, so that they feel like they are a good fit in the digital world because they are easy for a computer to do.
@WAHa_06x36 Oh absolutely! The Teenage Engineering Pocket Operators uses such lightweight synthesis they can run on a cheap calculator-looking device. Brought one to the cafe today to compose on it!
But also, I feel the need for everything to be realtime means there's 0 commercial room for hyper-resource-intense non-realtime synthesis (that requires rendering, like fancy 3D movie making software).
I guess that's an area I might want to explore myself!
@WAHa_06x36 Since I use my own software, I always render everything into a sampled instrument format in the end (though I have a realtime FM synth built into the software too).
So I can get away with any incredibly resource intense way to generate instruments that go into the software :) Or just weird nonsensical stuff, like my webcam feed based synth.
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