Roland Cloud vs Vintage Hardware 

*My opinions * Remember any two of the same hardware synths will sound a little different to each other, such is the nature of analogue. Also, the originals are between 36 - 40 years old and would have sounded different when they were new and at different points in their life dependent upon their service history and whether any components were replaced. In terms of raw sound, it’s remarkably close. Not always identical (depending upon what you’re doing and which instrument in question), but impressive nonetheless. In terms of behaviour and changing parameters in real time, I couldn’t hear any digital stepping and they were all responsive. The architecture of the Cloud versions has been upgraded as they’re not restricted by the limitations of the original hardware units. There’s loads of additional features like fully clockable modulation sources, additional envelopes and routing, additional keyboard modes, more complex arpeggiators, FX, scatter etc etc. The modulation sources also run positive or negative on the sliders. SH-2: I deliberately only used parameters available on the hardware to try to make it comparable. There’s some differences, particularly when setting up bass sounds, but there are times in the demo where it’s very difficult to hear the switches from the virtual and the real. TB-303: Pretty stunning. In a blind test I would struggle to tell you which was which. It responded exactly as you’d expect to parameter changes. Update: Having done some more comparisons I've found the hardware behaves differently if you tie multiple slides together (I was trying five). On the hardware the behaviour is quite distinct when you do that and I found the software didn't do the same things in that kind of phrasing. SH-101: The one I found a little different. There’s two envelopes and (unlike the other Cloud instruments) you can’t switch the second off and used a shared one. Combined with the positive/negative modulation setup, it was a little harder to get it to match my hardware 101. Also, you can send triggers (and therefore a rhythm) to the sample and hold on the hardware whilst simultaneously using a free-running LFO for PWM. Whilst the sample and hold was clockable with note values (crotchets, quavers, dotted quavers etc) there wasn’t a way I could find to send it triggers or a rhythm (apologies if there is!) There was no free-running LFO whilst you’re using sample and hold either. But in a straight out of the box test, the raw sound is pretty spot-on. It’s merely about how it behaved and how that had a knock-on effect when I was trying to match sounds. JX-3P: It’s actually better than the hardware because they overcome everything that’s weak about the original whilst getting the sound pretty much bang on. Two envelopes, proper control of all of the parameters over midi, a bunch of additional modes/functions and the hardware looks a bit tired by comparison. But I still love the hardware, of course! Overall: Given that the “Legendary Series” also contains Jupiter-8, System 100, Juno-106, Promars, JV-1080, TR-808, TR-909, D-50 and Sound Canvas, you’re look at tens of thousands of pounds worth of instruments that would need storage, insurance, cabling/mixers and a tech to maintain them. You’d also be reluctant to take any of them out to a gig! The Cloud gets you the sounds (and manipulation thereof) and overcomes those issues by being accessible and convenient. As you can load the instruments onto hardware synths like the System-8, System-1 and System-1m, you can have a hands-on hardware experience with them too if you wish. You can also use any midi controller of your choosing too. The experience of playing the originals is always going to be a very special thing, but the Cloud at least gets you the sound.

Man, that JX-3P performance was a super jam.

Did anyone else get some serious Erasure "Weight of the World" vibes off that jx3p track? Awesome stuff. I feel like this style of demonstration just further proves the point that emulation or hardware doesn't matter nearly as much as writing a good song. Which these were.

So it's settled. Software emulation can and does sound just as good and raw and analog as the original gear. That's fantastic! Why do I still prefer my old Rolands? I like the immediacy and hands-on experience. No computer to boot up, no midi-controller settings to go wrong. And I love to not have any doubts in my mind that I'm playing the real thing and no something that wants to be the real thing.

This was an exceptional video showcasing the plugins vs hardware. Thank you so much for taking the time to do this!

I was most impressed with your ability to create nice demo tracks. It is far better than the originals and plugins combined.

Thanks for taking the time and effort to do this, Alex. I personally will never, ever subscribe to software. I dropped Adobe when they moved to the cloud, and I've said goodbye to Roland as well. There are so many new, innovative VSTs out there that I can allow myself to refuse to encourage companies that adopt the subscription model. I hope they will change their ways, but until they do, I've got U-he, spectrasonics and NI to cover all of the synth capabilities I'll ever need.

Another great demo Alex! I was not surprised to read the varied comments and opinions that followed, and it struck a chord with me for so many reasons - analogue vs digital, subscription based model vs owning something, tweaking vs not tweaking knobs, software flexibility vs in the box restrictions its all covered in the comments and those that have commented in my opinion have all had something to offer to the debate in a sensible and open way. Excepting there will always be extremes of opinion, it seems there is a general acceptance that Roland Cloud instruments are up to the job and especially in the mix. After consideration of the sonic ability there are the secondary issues such as usability, convenience, costs that creep into the conversation. It's only natural that this happens, but interesting how much of an issue these things become. Personally I like virtual instruments - ALL THAT POWER in one small box - when I switch between an Arturia Fairlight and a Roland TB303 I think how lucky I am to have access to such an accurate reproduction of the sounds I used to listen to may many moons ago. However I don't like changing the parameters on screen much and there doesn't seem to be a 'one size' fits all programmer / encoder which allows me to do this, which perhaps is why the boutique range has proved so popular. Small form factor, great sounds accurately reproduced and a bit of on the fly tweakability. Point 1 - whatever happened to rack gear? Roland D550 with a programmer - imagine a 19 inch rack with all your roland faves stacked up with a programmer pad / screen. Sonic accuracy and dedicated processing with instant tweakability. This brings me onto my second point. The computer. I run arturia instruments with native instruments Komplete and Maschine, mostly running through Logic X. In theory I should have a sonic palette and recording capability to reduce most producers of yesteryear to tears, but the bottom line is my aging Mac is struggling and I can barely hear myself think over the noise the fan makes trying to cool itself with what I'm asking it to process. The sound libraries are mind blowingly fantastic but wow - how much storage they take up!! all in all I need a pretty expensive and high spec computer to get the most out of the things I've invested in. And I was not aware this would be the case when I invested in all the Arturia and NI families. I don't like subscription models personally and have tried the Roland Cloud, other have commented and I'm the same, I just don't use it enough to justify the ongoing cost. The result of all my experience and inane ramblings?? I bought a Moog Grandmother, hooked it up to a minilogue and drumbrute and I'm having a great time. Having to be creative to get something sonically interesting, limited parameters to force me to experiment, peeling back the layers to get some simple tunes together and I'm enjoying my music once more. I guess that's the main thing !! Thanks to Mr Robot Lover, Alex Ball for provoking such emotion in us muso's.

Great comparison Alex, exactly how it should be done imo. I'm no purist (shocking?) and I'd use a plugin anytime for a client. I'd even use it on my own tracks if it was the best solution at any given time. HOWEVER, the subscription model has ascended from Hell as far as I'm concerned and I absolutely loathe the concept and I''ll never subscribe to any kind of software. I think it's an important issue to address since all these plugins are part of such a concept. They do sound good though, no doubt about it, but for me the hardware is always more inspiring and hardware drives the creativity more than software, as software itself is more of a tool than a conduit for making art. ;-)

I'm glad the vst is as close as it is but I'm not selling my Jx3p and original programmer. There is a warmth to the analog gear and it gets warmer the further back you go.

Thanks for this! I've been quite impressed with the Cloud. As a former owner off ALL of the modeled hardware, I'm thankful to be able to pay $20/month for a near spot on replica of those instruments, and I can take them on the road with me without fear of having my 10000USD (plus) jup 8 snatched or damaged...

Shown in bg - the sh1000. I lost mine in a fire. Omg the memories I have of this. Tears. All it needed was a bit of reverb and space echo (also lost). The screen grab of you sitting in front of one is my new pin-up. This is a true jewel.

Awesome tunes! FWIW, I would happily buy these VSTs, like I have all of the Arturia V collection. But I won't rent a VST, so Roland Cloud is a no deal for me.

Whenever emulation is _this_ good and there *is* an audible difference in _one_ of the instruments, I don't attribute that to the emulation, but rather to the details of the sound patch, which should be quite tricky to get _exactly_ right on both ends of the comparison.

In the hand of a master they both sound good, cheers !

The changeovers were not noticeable to my ears. I love the Cloud! What a treat it is. Dancing around my apartment to your demo track :) Thanks always Alex!

For the money, there is NOTHING bad about the Roland Cloud IMO. Roland did a fantastic job actually on most of the software clones. I'll always prefer using hardware personally, but if you are on a budget one absolutely cannot go wrong in the Cloud.

I always hear the difference in the Bass. This is especially evident in a room with big speakers, you can really feel the analog electricity, luckily it’s all subjective since all musical taste is subjective too! An interesting test would be to see what someone would come up with using software only for 2 weeks and then with hardware only for two weeks and see which songs were judged better by an audience. You could do this a number of times and average the results….

Close enough for me and my budget. I would like to see a comparison between the cloud and the boutique series. I know the programming "should" be the same, but you have to consider the cheap I/O structure of the Boutique line and what affect it may have.

Thanks Alex. My grievance is simply in the spirit of renting your gear. The smell and the love is missing. And sometimes that is where inspiration comes from. "Lovingly dusting your Steinway" instead of using a sample pack. But yes you can still get the job done in the mix.

I really don't know why but every time I see your battle scarred 303 it makes me smile.

I'm really impressed with the Roland plugs. The prices are reasonable (especially when compared to Diva et al). Not entirely happy with the weekly Authenticator server requirement but I guess the internet is more than a passing fad. As long as you have a Roland login (subscription NOT required) they will work fine. The 'leasing' arrangement is really cool if you want nearly all the plugs and sound sets as it would take several years subscription if you bought them outright. The loyalty program result in some 'free' plugs per year.

Great comparison. Obviously, the hardware has a bit more “weight” at time, but in a busy mix that might be something you actually don’t want. If you want a taste of vintage but don’t want the hassle of maintenance and the general cost, these are a great alternative.

This goes to show that in a mix, you don't really hear a significant difference. It's only when you really put them side by side separatly. Since there are already tons of comparisons of this on RU-vid, seeing you put those plugins and hardware synths to use in a mix makes it very interesting to watch. In my humble opinion, I like the Roland plugins. They did a pretty bang on job of recreating those old classics. Although I've got a slight "hate" for the whole subscription thing for the Roland Cloud. I'd rather just buy them in one go, and never again. But hey, you get some great sounds!

The cloud synths all sounded a lot brighter, and when combined in the mix it sounds a bit more sterile somehow. It's subtle, but enough to make the difference between an awesome sound and a good sound.

I just started a trial of Roland Cloud. Availability of the TB-303, TR-808 and TR-909, is really what drew me in, as I no longer have access to what was my favorite software tool, ReBirth: RB-338. The sound is unmistakable, but I have found a bit of a learning curve using the Roland instruments, due to the fact that programming patterns on Propellerhead's software was quite different and much more intuitive... But I'm getting used to the Roland Cloud versions. Now I just have to update my Reason 6.5 to 11 - I had read that Roland Cloud only supported VST3 instruments, but after loading up Ableton Live 10, it seems that they have both VST2 and VST3 versions - at least for the 303, 808 and 909. I hope it actually works in there if I do upgrade. As for the synths, they sound fantastic, even though I have no hardware to compare them directly against. At this point, I'm hoping (and even sent Roland the suggestion) that they add the Alpha Juno series to the collection, given that it and the TR-707 are the only Roland instruments that I physically owned years ago. A lot of people didn't like the 707 compared to the legendary 808 and 909 that followed it, but with the snare roll during the TB-303 demo, you demonstrated the ONE thing that had to be appreciated on the 707 - the sliders for each instrument (vs. the small dials on the 808).

the quality of the music is more important than the tool it self as we can hear...

Imo the sounds of the digital versions just aren’t there yet. I closed my eyes and immediately gravitated to the analogs. I refuse to rent these recreations. Set a reasonable price for one off purchase, I might reconsider.

As a former TB-303 owner, while the Cloud version sounds awfully close, it sounds distinctly digital to my ears when you open up the filter with resonance on it. You get that crispy sheen of digital in the top end that you just don't get with analogue hardware. I don't know how else to describe it. Analogue sounds more 'buttery'. I think we're getting close with digital recreations of classic hardware, but we're still not quite there yet. It's also worth noting that the Roland Cloud stuff is an absolute pig on the CPU and you don't ever own it since you pay a monthly subscription. You don't have that problem with hardware - although the initial outlay and the upkeep can be off-putting.

Hi Alex, really great comparison. I use the Roland cloud and I own a System-8 as well as a few old Roland synths (MKS-80, JX-3P etc.). My impressions: First, in my opinion the plug-ins sound better than the plug-out versions in System-8, not sure if anybody else shares the same impression? Second, for me some virtual synths sound a bit "plastic style" and not so warm, e.g. the Jupiter-8. The virtual JX-3P is actually quite good. I believe these differences don't matter in a mix, but if you play along with a single sound real analog gear is more inspiring to me.

I noticed that in SH 2 plugin they made bass compensation when turning up resonance. In some cases bass sounds with resonance sounds too much boxy and i just skip em, but on my hardware without compensation resonant timbres are stil clear and pleasant. So i think in that particular case compensation is not a plus.

The issue is whether in 5 or 10 years time will my software subscription synth still work, where as 80’s hardware will always be there. I hope Roland invest in thie cloud for another 25 years but I very much doubt it because they wont be around to do it.

Thanks for your great video. We did a couple of comparisons between 808, 909, 606, 303, JP8 and 101 and the Aira / Boutique gear as well at our studio. The biggest difference in our opinion was that you can hear the analog machines, the sound of them for hours without getting tired. The groove of the old sequencers (rhythm, machines, 303) id full of life and fresh even after a many repeats. The digital versions are sounding great, but the groove is not the same and the sounds get flat and tiring after a short time.

Theyre definitely really good but certainly brighter than the originals.

Superb video, thanks a lot! For a couple of bucks you get access to all these legendary synths. I got a Roland Cloud trial subscription recently because I felt tempted. But I just don’t like a subscription model and the constant network telemetry traffic between the Cloud and my computer. I also experienced partially a very shaky user experience with stuttering audio and high CPU loads when using multiple of e.g. the Jupiter 8 plug ins. I am admittedly old school and like real hardware more. Of course I will never be able to afford and own these classics myself, but I would rather buy modern clones or similarly sounding and spec’d hardware instead.

Mix it with guitars, basses, live drums and vocals and the audience would have no idea.

They all sound great, especially in the context which you so artfully provided. The Roland SH-101, for being such a simple synth, still sounds so amazing in all of it’s incarnations.

Aww thank you Alex it's always very great to hear you use your 101/303

WOW! GREAT! Thank you! In my opinion, the SH-02 cloud version sounded a little bit more muddy, but the rest are just the same as hardware. Of course, hardware offers a hands-on approach to creating sounds and music that can not be compared to any software instrument. Oh yeah, your performance was out of this world!

Excellent comparison. If you run the cloud versions out of the computer through a DI or good preamp (like the rupert neve designs DI) the sound is even more sensational. Blind tests are good because many people have strange biases against digital. These are great tools at a great price. Thanks.

I'm never going to use the Roland Cloud, but it's certainly a tool in the box if you want as near as dammit withouth the liability of owning vintage kit it would appear. Thanks for the music Alex, a very positive vibe that was much needed today!

Emulation of single oscillators playing often sound very accurate. But something happens when you blend analog oscillators that seems to be hard to copy. There’s a musical complexity and richness of the sound, whereas the SW counterpart might sound a little harsh or “stiff”. It is subtle, but its there. Don’t know why that is.

You did such a great job performing and mixing/mastering that it all sounded amazing! The tracks were really fun. The hardware SH-101 sounded more robust than the cloud version in my opinion, but it all honestly sounded superb.

Pretty encompassing A-B test. My thoughts were the filters on the 303 and 101 sounded a little brighter on the originals, but that might just be me, and it's a minor niggle. I bought the D50 cloud VST and whilst the samples were all spot-on, I felt it somehow lacked clarity, but I'm not sure if it's the ROM samples, the filters, EQ or effects. It all just sounded a bit muddy compared to the original I remembered playing (albeit quite some years ago). I'd like to hear a test if you happen to have a D50. I would also be interested to hear an A-B-C test of the Jupiter 8 synth versus the Roland Cloud version and the Arturia JP8V.

Computing power always gets better as digital hardware becomes more powerful. Even since Roland Cloud launched there have been pretty massive strides in computing performance. 8 cores is now affordable thanks to AMD, and 12-16 cores is no longer out of reach. That means software audio plugins can become more complex and even closer to the originals. It's pretty safe to assume there will come a point where they will be really be truly indistinguishable.

I'll tell you what the difference is - a couple of thousand in your local currency. I've got a System 8 and can load Roland's old analogues into it. I used to own a JX-3P back in the day (a standard plug-out with it) and it made me a little teary-eyed at my lost youth. Always thought the JX was unjustly passed over for having no knobs, but back then I patiently programmed it one parameter at a time. To have it back again with the full programmer is a real pleasure (I swapped it for a Casio CZ5000 - it WAS the 80s).

What I hear is that the software versions sound more hi fi and pre-produced. This is the same issue in the world of guitar amplifier emulations. Digital amp models sound the way guitar amps sound on an album, after all the production and mastering, rather than how an amp really sounds on its own in a room with you. It really comes down to, if all you want to use the sounds for is to make recordings, then the virtual synths will save you some steps; but if you want to play an *instrument* and have it sound and feel like you are playing an instrument live rather than listening to it played back on a recording, then real instruments are what you want.

What I hear in most of the examples is that Roland Cloud has additional frequency content at air band. If you would gently roll off high frequencies with say 6dB/oct low pass filter starting from around 8-10khz, I'd assume there would be less difference. Also, which reverb did you use? Did you see the trouble of routing Roland Cloud through same reverb / Desk channel than external synths? I hear "untidiness" in HW synths that I miss in Roland Cloud counterparts, but not using analog desk and HW reverb would contribute to that as much as instruments themselves. All in all, listener expectations have changed during 30-40 years that have passed, and Roland Cloud equivalents hit these expectations very well. Great work, enjoyed this immensely!

yeah what he said ! thanks for the comparison.

Excellent video as always Alex. At one moment in time I had 3 versions of the Roland D-50. A D-550 rack, the D-50 emulator inside the V-Synth XT and the Roland Cloud D-50. In a mix I couldn't tell the difference. I sold the hardware and kept the cloud. I do prefer hardware but when you consider wiring up 30 year old synth (power cable, midi in and out and stereo audio cables) and not to mention, keeping it healthy the Cloud makes more sense to me.

First off - amazing playing and great tunes as always! Well done man! SH-2: The hardware sounds much better to my ears. TB-303: I can't hear much difference at all - if any. Good job Roland! SH-101: again the hardware sounds a bit better to me but not by a huge amount. JX-3P: The cloud is really good but yet again the hardware is ahead by a little bit in my opinion - on the pad sounds in particular. All in all the virtual instruments are totally usable and wouldn't get in the way of making great sounding tracks. I'd have no qualms about using them. Great vid. Thanks!

Sounds and implementations -- i think Roland did great with these VSTi. Great DEMO Alex!

Hey Alex, many thanks for doing this! I just got the Cloud and think it's pretty awesome. It's great to have all the classic sounds including th JV series without going back to rack. SH2 and 303 sound pretty nuts .. I would for sure fail the blind test on the 303 but also 909 ... the only interesting part is, that most of the time noise sounds pretty bad on the virtual version - well notable on the 101 - the JX3 demo piece sounds gorgeous, you're da man!

Still not there yet. Although it sounds close on some cases, the bass is not as fat or crispy. The highs are more piercing on digital. The analog has more 3D. I have tried so many softsynths and always resort to old hardware when possible. Maybe one day.

that jx-3p jam tho. the songs you make as throwaways strictly for demo purposes consistently blow my mind.

Always always the body of the sound is missing with VSTI's , the general tone is very similar but the depth, width, texture is off. As more and more is added in a mix VSTI's start to sound really flat and lifeless when compared to a mix of analogue instruments. I wish the manufactures would concentrate more on these aspects than obsessing over the base tone. Thanks for the demo :)

The only one I could identify all the time when listened to this blind was the SH101, it just doesn't sound right to me. The others easily pass as being within component tolerance of the original vintage gear.

Open and alive the hardware sounds.

May be it's me but hardware always seems to sound bigger, fatter … (add your own metaphors here) etc. I'd like to own the hardware, if the prices for these vintage bits of gear weren't so high. But how much longer will these things last. TBH the cloud versions were very close. I've seen a few originals v boutiques too (SH101 and TB303) and they've also been very close as well. I'm warming to Roland Cloud but just can't bring myself to subscribe when there's so many unofficial emulations. To be blunt (and I mean no offence), when the chips are down on the dance floor, no one really gives a shit if it was a real 303 or not. It would be interesting to listen to RolandCloud v Arturias V collection as an alternative comparison.

Sold my JX3P and bought the cloud version. Not missed it once

Many people forget how, even out of the factory, many of these devices sounded different. For example, the TB-303's pots had a variance of ~10% unit-to-unit if the rumor mill is correct.

I arrive 3 years after the battle, I thought I would buy the system 8 with the plug out of the SH-2. I'm afraid to buy the original SH-2. I think Roland has worked well with the ACB. Thanks for this comparison.

When they switched between the SH2 and the software you can immediately tell the difference. The software just sounds flat and 2 dimensional of course it it the same experiencing it at home with my gear.

I think they got pretty close to the overall “flavor” of each synth, the sound isn’t exactly 1:1 but I don’t think it’s fair to expect that when you’re looking at a virtual cloud service vs tens of thousands of dollars in gear. I use roland cloud stuff regularly and after processing and mixing I don’t think anyone would be able to notice it’s not “real hardware,” same as most good emulations that exist today.

Fantastic comparison video, many thanks - I'm pretty blown away by how accurate these sound, especially what with myself being a hardware fanboy. The JD800 to me was probably an easier synth to emulate, what with it being digital, so I imagine like most people, I was anxious to hear the analog emulation. The SH2 sounds superb, and I'm delighted that the JX3P is captured so well. So it now looks like my synth collection will now have the gaps filled with software versions! Can't wait to try the System 100! Thanks again.

I used to own the JX3P way back in the day, if memory serves me it was 5 note polyphony. Good comparison, how quickly things changed with the development of VSTi's!

Love the mashup of some of your early stuff.

Interesting test you‘ve made and I think they all sound okay. I got the Roland SH-101 and I think the digital version sound a little bit different. I really liked the song you‘ve done with the JX-3P, -sounds so fresh!

Cheers Alex, interesting comparison, but........an album is mentioned in the comments.....errr.....yes please?

Dang that’s really impressive. With the exception of the Sh2 I thought all the cloud versions sounded fantastic, the 303 especially. Though I thought the resonance on the cloud SH2 was pretty unpleasant.

Yess. Beautiful! Especially the last one. Superb

Can definitely tell a difference, nothing too massive though. That renting scheme is a nightmare. Thank goodness for torrents! ^^

This is a good sign as some one that has been looking into the newer Roland gear as even something like the high end workstation style keyboards are cheaper than going vintage for the sounds. Would I prefer the hardware, well yes but at the end of the day I'm out to make music not spend a minor fortune on buying and maintaining old gear. There where a few spots I could tell a difference but then again the hardware has a lot of years under it's belt so it's guaranteed the sounds has drifted a bit from the electronics getting old. All in all rather impressed with how good the plugins are.

Hey Alex, what drums did you use for the jx-3p? also great video!

The main takeaway I got is there’s more body in the sound of the physical instruments. The digital plugins still have an artificial sound, even if only slight.

Tools vs Instruments... Tbh that sh101 plugin doesn't sound so bad. Owing an Sh09 as well, I can def say that this type of rich pulsewidth mod isn't possible in the sh02 plugin. This pw mod just blows a cargo train out of it's rails. The subscription model is from a different japanese occupied planet 100 light years back into another galaxy.Thanks for a nice comparison.

I really appreciate you and your videos,..u got skillz and still humble,..i like it,...keep inspire us out here

SH-2: the kick in the hardware version sounds punchier in the low end while the cloud version has a different transient with some added high frequencies. The original TB-303 has more warmth to its sound with some lovely 80’s noise. The cloud 303 sounds to clean imho. Also on the SH-101 the noise artifacts are way different on the hardware versus cloud version. Overall most people won’t notice the difference if you use the cloud versions. I love Roland products. From their synths to keyboards and pianos to sound modules. The sound of Roland is always inspiring for me and it has a magical touch to it. Great video.

To my ears, the hardware is miles above. I own all the cloud stuff and it’s the best sounding vst synths by far but there’s a clear detail in the attack and shape of the envelopes in the hardware. Could be the pre amp or converters the hardware is going through idk but the difference that detail compounded over multiple synth tracks would make it a production would be massive.

😍😍😍 awesome a/b 😍😍😍

Thank you for this video !!

I bought the roland sh2 after trying the cloud and being dissapointed - I just couldnt get it to sound like the roland sh2 - it doesnt have the same qualitys

JX-3P sounded very close if missing some of the silk and 'airiness' of the original. 303 emu is thinner at all times and not very close at high resonance, nor when cutoff and EGamt are choked down with accent up to half or more. It could pass when going through OD/dist no problem, though. SH-2 emu just isn't as thick and lively, but it seems to cover the synth's pallette ok. The SH-101 emu was very surprising as I thought it would be closer than any of the others, but it turned out to bear the least resemblance of all.

There really doesn't seem to be a lot in it. I thought the software versions sounded a tad cleaner and thinner, but that's about it.

Is it just me.or.does the JX-3p sound really, really good? Pleasantly surprised! Not overly-thrilled about the others tho.

Now this is a great comparison and as many others say, it's hard to tell the sonic difference between hardware and VSTi's most of the time. But, once again, being able to tweak real knobs is always better than mouse on a screen imho :)

Anyone here looking into old sound module like the jv and xv series, see forum posts from like 2 years saying they got them for like $150 or so, calling it “pricey” and then seeing the absolute state of the prices today?

Subscription? No thanks, ever. Great comparison though Alex, methodical. Very much appreciated 🙂.

Wonder if there is difference between Cloud and Butique ! :) Awesome vid!

I mean for $200 a year you REALLY have to make use of these plugins. Which to me, a drummer sound great. Obviously theres digital signals and warmth of aged electronics and active elements. But with todays modern music, and everything being mixed down digitally anyways, no one will know. And if you process your music with plugins in the same analog step by step chain of vintage gear, you get that warmth back. I actually love the bass/ percussive keys the best. Thats always been my favorite synth sound because it goes with EVERY genre of music. That low end bass and gritty mid range sound is just the best.

They all sound close. I like the "condition" feature on the jx3p so if you really want it to sound like a busted up pos, you have that option! Lmao

the low end of the analog is quite good

To me, the cloud emulations seem punchier but missing dynamics overall. The hardware sounds more pleasing overall. Cloud seems better suited for a modern sound and is definitely more forward in the mix.

There's a huge difference in the low end on the real SH2, The Sh101s don't sound remotely like each other. The 303 and JXP sound very close.

I went somewhere to buy an expensive moog. An honest person(My usual guitar guy) told me to check out a $99 dollar vst instead. After the in store comparison, I was shocked. I didn't waste money on the moog. I ended up selling my old analog synths and I don't regret that move at all. We live in different times. If I need something live, ALL the old Yamaha's and my Old D-50 sound just as good if not better coming out of my Kronos that load all the .sysx files right up. The only keyboards I kept out of 14 of em were the Kronos 88 for the piano keybed feel and my jupiter-50 for the synth action feel. Now that excellent software is here to stay and conquer, what connects you to it is what's most important these days. That's just my opinion. On a different note, Not only is Alex talented, now I know for sure he's honest. Question is, will he be able to break the addiction to old hardware? :)

You’ve inspired me to try the cloud versions again. To be honest ( and in my humble opinion) For 99% of the time, particularly in a mix, it’s going to be virtually impossible to tell the difference. If you think or believe you can then save your pennies for the hardware. I’d be interested to hear what you think about the System 100 version. I think they done an impressive job on that one too. I love the sound you wrangled out of the SH2. I think one of my favourite in the SH series. For those that don’t like the subscription, I am pretty sure you can buy each VST standalone outright for about $200 each As always..brilliant mate

What other processing were you doing? I kept catching stuff going on with the noise around the edge of the notes (esp. on the SH-2) but that might have been whatever reverb was going on... The Cloud SH-101 certainly sounded like it had a blue case, against the obviously grey noise coming from the physical one. Gave up completely on the JX-3P. So much lush. Needed some earnest falsetto to top it off...

Great demo. The real analog stuff sounds much better, but if your on a budget the cloud will do.

All software models were thin cos they need preamp and transformer. If you got on one, or both of them before vsti, similarity will be very apparent.

I felt that the biggest difference can be heard when new notes are triggered on the monosynths. Somehow the envelope behavior and the pitch change in the oscillators seems different