The Great HARDWARE vs SOFTWARE SYNTH Debate 

As both a guitarist and synth player I've learned over the years not to get too attached to your instruments. You are the real instrument that transcends all the others when they break, get lost or stolen, or become obsolete. Have a sort of nomadic attitude for them.

One thing that people simply fail to understand is that a midi controller, audio device, and computer with a DAW or Host.... is.....a hardware synth. The output at the 1/4 inch outs of my Focusrite audio device is no different that the 1/4 inch outputs of any hardware synth. The true power of a computer based synth is the ability to layer up any combination of VSTi's and play them simultaneously without the need for extra midi cables, audio leads and power plugs. If we look at each VSTi as a separate "Oscillator" in a larger synth we realize that incredibly complex sounds are possible that hardware could only dream of making.

Embrace it. We live in a fantastic to be a musician, especially a synth/keyboard player. To be able to have vsts that emulate classic synths and create new futuristic synths is just mind boggling. I love booting up my computer DAW and just loosing myself in the plethora of synthesis. At an affordable price too. Love it. Great videos Woody 👏👏👏

The quality of VSTs over the hardware synths are almost identical and it’s good in musical production point of view but for a performer or an enthusiast, you will never get the same experience and satisfaction you get from playing the real synth, it’s just like this, why we would love to go to a live concert if we can listen to the same song in our media player.

You can't underestimate the 'good to go in seconds' on a hardware synth. I had a Korg M3 which took minutes to start up and it was such a pain. I have a Kawai ES8 now and it turns on almost instantly. When I want to play, try a new idea etc I can sit down and do it immediately.

Its never bothered me. If a sound sounds good..who cares where it came from..

I started building synths in 1973 and I own several hardware and software synths. "One hammer is not enough for a good cabinet maker"

Generally agreed, but disagree one last point - you can and do connect with certain VST's and they become essential parts of your musical repertoire.

I disagree with one of your points about user interface. The original DX-7 has a horrible user interface for modifying the sound. Dexed, the free VST surpasses the original in so many ways. I now program in the VST and export the patch to the hardware, purely to offload the CPU load from the PC. The reliability of hardware is not as high as you suggest. A broken F string on my CP-70 still haunts me 30 years later. That is as hardware an instrument as can be... Love your channel. Thanks for inspiring, thoughtful content!

My computer starts up fast due to an SSD and 6 core 12 thread cpu... My krome takes 1 min to start up ... But I like both vst and hardware. I can combine all of them so to me they all are just tools. Great video, thanks.

I tried software for live gigs and it wasn’t a great experience. Then I discovered the proper device for the job. iPad. Rock solid, cheap, portable, touch screen really adds to real time control. Some great cheap and free synths available. Works great in combination with hard synths using an external dac/mixer board and a USB hub. Can do some crazy midi control and routing with the right software making hardware and software blur and expanding both.

I learned a long time ago to have a dedicated PC for my music with a dedicated drive just for the operating system, most of the time it is not connected to the network so I can pick when it updates the OS and software. The system is a dual boot with Linux as the main OS and Windows 8 for when I cant use Ubuntu which isn't very often, I can't remember the last time it crashed!

Some of those arguments, to me, sound like they are coming from someone with an emotional connection to hardware that attempts to rationalize it. There are generalizations, exaggerations, half trues, and some inaccurate statements. We just have to accept that for the most part, the desire to own hardware is just emotional, and not logical. And in some cases the sad truth is that we have to budget accordingly, even if we might not want to. If someone don’t want to play music on the same device they surf the web, and do their mails, perhaps considering getting a cheap laptop/tablet-hybrid, powered by Atom or similar is a solution. Such computers are often fanless, so they can be used next to the studio computer even when recording audio, if there is a need to have such services near the music making computer. Perhaps one should keep any such services away from the music making environment (except for the occasional tutorial, and then having a separate computer makes it much easier). It can also help to keep the system stable. If one is able to keep the music making computer offline, except for the occasional update, I would recommend that as well, but it does mean that back-ups have to be local, or uploaded from a server/separate computer that doesn’t make a direct connection for the studio computer to the web. Start-up times, well, there are several of synths that have a bit of startup times themselves. And some analog takes several of minutes to warm up. So the idea that the hardware synth is instant isn’t correct, in some cases it almost is, in others, far from it. A modern computer can start up really quickly. And if the goal is to quickly be able to start and just play, there are possible solutions, like the DAW can be put in the auto start scheme, and one can even start a session with instruments loaded as templates, to have the sounds load on start-up (yet again an argument for having a separate music computer, because having the DAW auto start may end up being irritating on ones internet/mail computer). There are software that comes with content similar to the hardware workstation. But Native Instruments with their Kontrol solution is building something that can be used as a workstation, but where the sounds might come from instruments and libraries that offer deeper levels and more realism than would be found in a workstation. Some synths have great interfaces, but many don’t. Several require digging through menus, with an interface that is way behind in terms of usability to a big screen VST. Some uses multi-function controls/softknobs, and Native Instruments NKS offers a similar experience for software synths (there is the VIP software by Akai and the other brands in the same group, as well as Novation’s solutions that also offer similar experience). Latency, depending on the system, may be noticeable with software, but in many cases it isn’t. Even though it probably is higher than on the hardware synth, if it isn’t noticeable, it isn’t noticeable. Sound switching, depending on how it is carried out, however might take longer on the computer, and some workstations lets the notes keep sounding while switching sounds. Hardware is often quite a bit more expensive compared to software, and they can easily drop in price as much or more than a software over time, especially if a newer version is introduced of the hardware, the fact that the software drops to 0% so that the percentage is higher doesn’t matter, it is the loss in actual money value that matters. Hardware can suffer from bugs. Sometimes they are fixed with software updates, other times not. With software fixes usually comes quicker, but it is also easier to move on, and cheaper, compared to having to sell a second hand product with a bug. Sometimes even hardware synths need a re-boot, just like the computer. Bugs and the need to reboot are occurring more often in computer based solutions, for sure. But in most cases it isn’t a big issue. Hardware can break to a state where it can’t be repaired, and that doesn’t have to take decades. So it isn’t given that hardware will last longer than software. And given the higher price of hardware, it is usually cheaper to buy a few replacement softwares over time. I’m a hardware software hybrid person, so I’m not writing this to say that hardware is pointless, because I too like to have hardware. But in most cases there is software counterparts to the hardware that does the same thing, perhaps even better (polyphonic sounds, where the hardware is monophonic, or higher sound quality and more features when it comes to various digital hardware synths). I’ve come to accept that hardware is often about the emotional connection, which perhaps doesn’t justify the price (rarely does). Sometimes it is about the interface, though, but then I’m talking hands on subtractive synthesis (analog or virtual analog), other form of digital synthesis if it exist in software form, will most likely be easier to use with the mouse than digging through menus. One can have endless debates about the sound quality. But I will leave it at; even if software would not do a perfect job, it would in most cases do a good enough job for the sounds to sit in a track (there is the exception with really poor software, but then we are talking about poor software, not some snobby opinion on software from for example Arturia) I would recommend someone that wants to get in to synthesis to get a hardware synth with good hands on controls. For that I would recommend any of the Korg Minilogues (perhaps the XD module, in order to not have to have a mini keyboard, that may not be used), or getting the Studiologic Sledge, that is digital, but offer better polyphony. Both also integrate in a cool way with the Omnisphere software. There are more expensive offerings, that would be even better, but I would not recommend someone starting out to spend a lot on a hardware synth. It is great to have something to touch and play around with, with a lot of dedicated hands on parameters. But when one has learned and understood, sometimes one might forego the hands-on experience for the extended capabilities of software. I would absolutely recommend going down the computer and software route primarily. An iPad could be an alternative to a traditional computer, and here I mean iPad and not tablet in general. For those that stumbled upon the concept of Dawless music making, I would say that should be a side project for someone that also makes music in the computer, as it isn’t very effective and quite expensive. And some of those dawless sequencers are actually computers running inside of a hardware that doesn’t look like a computer. Workstation keyboards are in some cases also computers. Today computers are simply much more effective when it comes to creating and recording music than specialized hardware, and they have been for some time. One thing that I think would help the synth community is for people to accept that a synth is a sound source and a separate way of controlling it. The controlling aspect sometimes is a built in keyboard, but the keyboard only sends signals to trigger the sounds in the sound source, there isn’t a physical trigger like the hammers hitting strings in the piano, it is just a signal. Sometimes the controller part is a midi-in connection on the sound source (software or hardware based, depending on if it is hardware or software), and it could even be a different interface than the piano styled. A synth isn’t an instrument, like an acoustic, where it has to be built in to a unit and there are many advantages to this; The sound source can be so many things, analog, virtual analog, sample based, physical modeling and so on, and it can be in the form of hardware or software (in a computer or tablet). And the controller doesn’t have to look a specific way, it can be piano styled, or grid based, or a ribbon controller, or anything else someone comes up with. And one can even use the same controller for several of different sound sources, if one finds a controller that suits them, whereas one can’t play ones favorite acoustic piano action and combine it with the sound of different brands of acoustic pianos. The controller + sound source in separate units is just as much an instrument as the synth with the sound source and the controller built in to a single unit. Thinking that having separate units, is somehow less of an instrument, could very well lead to misguided purchase decisions. A great interface is a great interface, and hands on controls can be part of that, but when actually playing, often a limited amount of hands on controls are needed, so, a midi controller might very well cover that if it has some programmable ones (the midi controller may then control software or another hardware). In some cases using foot controllers are even better, and the number of synths with built in foot controllers, is almost down to zero. Programming each software with similar parameters to react in a similar matter to the controls, takes less time, than learning where those controls sit on different hardware, and when it comes to soft-knobs, that may require setting it up in the hardware synth as much as it does with the software. If someone thinks an instrument has to be self-contained, they should take up an instrument where that is actually the case, rather than project that idea on to synthesizers, because that simply isn’t true for synthesizers.

My Roland JUNO DS has a built-in audio interface, so basically I connect my laptop to it, and the sounds from my laptop comes right out from the JUNO DS's L/R outputs. So convenient!!!

Reason, augmented with select pieces of hardware does it for me. I have an affection for the old synths from my younger days (Yamaha, Roland, Ensoniq), and so I like to keep them around. But some of the VA's in Reason are becoming classics themselves.

Plastic plants V real plants, and when to use them.

As much as I love your channel, I have to disagree with some of your cons of software synths. 1. Reliability. It's not exactly true that your computer fails you during the concert. I play softsynth on gigs during 2011 and it never failed. Of course, you have to be careful and treat your computer well, disable wifi and other things and have strong computer, but I guarantee you, it will not fail if you know what you're doing. On the other side, I've seen a lot of hardware synth going down during concerts, including flagship yamahas and korgs. Btw do you know that korg kronos is running on a pc unit? Open it and check, there is a computer inside, running on a custom operating system and it reboots like forever and crashes from time to time. 2. Tweaking and checking the sound on the computer are no more inconvenient: Arturia keylab have instant integration with software without mapping anything, it's ready to go on a fly. The same for NI komplete. Not mention about Omnisphere's hardware integration dedicated to hardware synths. 3. Distractions when playing? Just set simple rules: when I practice the piano on vst, I turn down the monitor. No distractions. 4. I do gigs when I use emulation of about 20 classic hardware synths. Imagine what cost and effort it would be if I would have to carry 20 synths with me? :D instead of this, I have 2 midi controllers and everything is easy and clean. Unless you have 20 technicians to do this job for you. I don't want to sound like not agree with all your thoughts, just this some :) At the end, I want to mention that I had yamaha dx7 and oberheim obxa, so I know the feeling of playing on a hardware synths, so I know both worlds :)

The background music examples from your devices are amazing!

Omnisphere with hardware integration... can't be beaten imo. Even without the hardware integration I love it.

Some hardware synths in the workstation class take longer to boot than your mac takes to boot. Which sort of makes you realize, that in fact, the Kronos is a great set of software on a shitty computer that lives inside the synth case.

I love both. Neither can really entirely replace the other. Why debate which is better when you can embrace both?

This is such a good video! You mention so many awesome points. There seems to be endless pros and cons. For us as an indie synth-pop band, we like to have access to both hardware and software. So ultimately we get the best of both worlds. Thanks, Woody, enjoyed this one so much I'm going to watch it again. ❤♪♬♫🎤♩🎹

I can't resist echoing the musical sentiments below, "what a time to be alive"! I grew up in the 50s and 60s playing piano, trumpet, and guitar. Got married in the 70s, lusting after Synths that were financially out of reach for me then. Now I have more Synths than I need, but love, love ,love every one of them. Currently: Hardware: Triton Exterme, KingKorg, Akai MPK249 Software: Reason Studio, Korg Synth Collection 4, Arturia Synths V Collection 9, Dune 3, ... The low cost of software these days, and what you get for your money is rediculous, especially if you wait for holiday deals, etc. As I do not perform, I find myself using software mostly because of it's convenience, versatility, and space savings. So I don't get lost in options, I make extensive use of favorite patches, etc. and can get lost playing these instruments for hours! Whatever you choose, Enjoy! There has never before been a time like Now for those who love to play and collect instruments!

Amazing video Woody! You broke down the two worlds perfectly. I am right there with you as far as utilizing both. Both have their advantages and disadvantages. I love and use both Hardware and VST's. Thank you for always having fun and informative videos. Oh! and I love the plants. Brings a very colorful and peaceful vibe to the video.

You reinforced my thinking here. I'm glad of that. The way I see it, DAWs are for composition, refinement, design, while hardware is for performance, practice, and improv. They're both excellent solutions... for different uses. There's also the matter of hyper-niche VSTs or hardware devices: I'm probably not gonna find a Plasma Drive or Motor Synth on PC.

Great test. The best is the music you play in the video. I like the pad sounds.

Software for me is a gateway to understanding hardware .I use voltage modular and hope to migrate what I learn to when I get to hardware modular .

“software has much higher latency” i mean if you don’t know what you’re doing, sure

The "focus" part is too true!! You look for a simple string sound, but have 8 different vsts that you can browse and get it from... Then you start to feel like damn, im neglecting this vst, why did I even buy it..

I asked once upon a synth. He says your video needs more plants

Woody, software got my attention first. I started using soft synths in 1985 on my Amiga 1000. Does anyone know anyone else that has been using software synths for 35 years? And 35 years later, I still prefer them to hardware over all but prefer to combine and use both. I had a MIDI interface, and a Casio CZ-101 as a MIDI controller. The Amiga platform had dozens of great soft synths. Even full emulations of hardware synths, like the Ensoniq Mirage which I was able to buy 30 Mirage floppies and load them right into my Amiga. It's a same Steinberg didn't choose wisely back then and start the VST format on the Amiga, the only computer capable of doing this sort of thing for many years. I used my Amiga 1000 in my early rock bands to save money on expensive hardware synths, samplers, etc. By the early 90s with my Korg M1 and other hardware synths, I had pretty much switched over to all hardware. Around the mid 90s Dave Smith of Prophet V fame developed "Reality" which I started using on a PC. I also had a wavetable soundcard with an Ensoniq chip that produced a better grand piano than my M1. In the late 90s I also bought Gigasampler & Bitheadz Retro-AS1 analog synth software. Then finally around 20 years ago, I started using VST synths in my bands, and I use them more now than ever. Sure I have a collection of hardware synths, but overall, I think software is the better route. I only perform live in bands. I don't record music. A few years ago I sold my prized 1973 ARP Pro Soloist analog synth, used by bands like Genesis, Styx, Kansas and others. Why? Because in A/B tests, my soft synth version of it sounded almost identical. And the few sounds that don't, are ridiculously close. Trying to gig with antique synths is very impractical. I play only classic music from the 80s & 70s. I can have a laptop full of almost any classic synths I need which get ridiculously close. I don't have to carry them or maintain them. I typically trigger 3 MIDI keyboards to the laptop at once. As for soft synths lasting. I still use many that are nearly 20 years old. With few exceptions, you can either get them working on newer computers, an update will be available, or someone else with mimic the same classic synth. Also, let's say they don't. You can always take a tiny netbook which would have enough power to run the old synths in addition to your laptop, just to keep them going. Still hardly anything to carry or setup vs a boat load of classic synths. And so many computers have been sold, that getting an older laptop/netbook working properly would be a much easier task them keeping classic keyboards running. As for the user interface, many keyboards included automap abilities for those that don't want to map soft synths themselves. I still highly recommend using a hardware synth in addition. Always have a backup plan. For that matter, have software synths that can backup your hardware synths in case they fail. Nothing is 100% reliable. I bought a MODX6 like yours, mainly for backup at shows in case the laptop crashes. I can quickly just to it and get in the ballpark of almost any sound. But still, if you want the sounds near exact to famous songs, the software route is best, cheaper & much easier.

I've pretty much stopped using my hardware virtual analogue synths in favour of Serum or FM8, but I've found myself using my hardware analogue synths more. With VCV rack you can now do some pretty amazing things integrating modular hardware with virtual modules. I like fiddling with things while making music, or having physical things to play. Most of the VST synths I use are because I'm looking to automate a lot of parameters or get a very specific (usually FM) sound. The big advantage (in my mind) to using hardware synths is the hardware effects pedals that you can use with them. There are some great digital VST effects (echo boy, Valhalla's range) but nothing comes quite as close as setting up a good physical effects chain on an analogue synth. The sweet spot is definitely a combination of both.

Why does it sound like that u like hardware more and the points are emotional

Editing patches on a digital synth, even a new one, still involves a relatively small screen pointed at the ceiling. It was fine when that’s all there was, but we don’t need to torture ourselves anymore. Also, VSTs can bring you the sounds of synths & other instruments you will be hard-pressed to ever encounter in your lifetime, and hardware keyboards are not yet evolved enough to hold.

honestly who had the space and money to buy hardware... not many of us.

Thanks Woody. Good video. You are right, it depends on the use or preference.

I love the ease of use of vsts, with hardware there always the fucking around with midi - which is documented woefully bad. I press play and suddenly 3 synths start to bang away, and it takes me a while to solve that. So often I forsake recording midi for hardware and go old skool audio recording several takes and do a composite. But I’ll take a physical synth over software anytime. As it gives a certain tangible tactile experience that sparks creativity. And you’re more likely to cause happy accidents in making patches. Hitting a pot or slider by accident as you reach of another one, has often caused me to explore new sonic possibilities

When Inspiration strikes, you can plug in your smartphone in a midi keyboard within a breeze an play almost instantly, within 10 seconds.

Compromise, get a Yamaha Reface CS so you can jam without wires and even without headphones on the couch, but also get Synth1, Tal Noisemaker, VCV rack and whatever soft synths you like. That way you have a fantastic keybed to play whatever way you prefer. Btw I don't remember hearing you talk about Midi CC Learn which lets you use physical knobs to control soft synth parameters. Makes it less awkward to tweak a soft synth. Great video!

I have both cheap and expensive Software and Hardware sythersizors and to Me niether is better then the other so long as your computer is powerful enough. I have mostly always been a software guy but I have been wanting some real physical sythersizors so I got a cupple from Navation the MiniNova and The Peak.

I've just sold all my hardware synth gear and 'gone digital'... I spend FAR too much time faffing about with settings, tweaking sounds and browsing through millions of patches and not enough time actually making music now 😂😂😂

At 14:00 you said exactly what I wanted to hear, thankyou. I feel like it is the next step to taking my music production to the next level. Thanks! :) I know there is a difference, my ears say different when people say isn’t any difference between vst and hardware. Even if there isn’t it’s the fact that it has lower latency better keys etc so you can get more in touch with the instrument thus being able to compose better . Thanks again for allowing me to finally decide to get a Roland jd-xA

You can buy dedicated midi controlers for many vst synths.

For me, software is pretty much the main option. Hardware synths require a lot of space that I don't have and are way more expensive than soft synths, simply can't afford them. I do love hardware synths, have a few, but for now, it's primarily software for me. :-)

I've been using analogue for 35yrs, - personally i stick with hardware for modular and all things monophonic, but i don't mind using plugins for pad sounds and atmospheric textures...

Serum Vst is better than all analog or digital synths. You can pretty much recreate any sound from a synthesizer in Serum. Best to use a synth as a midi controller and make custom sounds in Serum.

As someone who has and uses both, I just see it as a means to an end. As long as I get the sound I want at a particular instance, that's what should matter. I will say that if you pick the right MIDI controller, you can develop that sentimental relationship with it just like with the hardware. For instance, I upgraded my controller from a Novation ReMOTE 61SL to the Arturia Keylab 61 Mk2. I already own the V Collection (currently 7) and thus I love having a keyboard that will access directly 20+ synths. In a way, it's like having any synth you want within one keyboard. (Whoever has the real estate to accommodate that many synths? =] ). The key aspect (no pun intended) is whether the controller can be just as responsive as any other instrument. This also will add to the sentimental bond with the instrument (both controller and software). All in all, good job as always =]

I'm moving to hardware because the crashes and latency issues. FML when I'm jamming out then suddenly dddddddddddddddddddddddddddd and an error.

I use kontakt 6 with sound from motif Roland and so on. With some tweaks I can't hear that difference. Hardware looking good though when you see it in your studio.

It all depends on your use-case. If you are playing live gigs and need to be on the go, then Hardware synths are the best way to go. If you are in a studio, producing music, then the versatility of Software is your best option. Also, I have to take (another) issue with you on how software synths work and produce sound. With a synth like Helm, ZynAddSubFX/ZynAddfusion, FluidSynth, or any of a number of other synthesizers, you can make any sound you want and are not at all limited by what is provided to you with Hardware. I suggest you take a look at videos from Unfa or Underbelly who are fantastic at creating whatever sound they need using synths. All of the software synths I mentioned are free and open source, so there is no cost involved unless you want to contribute to their developers. I think most people that look at these things from a PC (Windows) vs MAC perspective forget that there is another "PC" operating system out there with plenty available for producing and playing music... Linux (which is also free and open source in most cases). Of note, there are also excellent soft synths for Android and iPhone. Latency is only an issue if you are using an under powered computer. I love your videos, but a lot of the things you attributed to software synths in this video are not an issue anymore with modern computers.

Dear Woody, it was one of the best videos I have seen for a while. Currently I play my Genos and had a few other arrangers throughout the years, as well as some DAW software systems, but I always preferred the real, physical keyboards. Thanks so much for sharing your ideas with us here.

I can understand that we are in a different era, where software is sometimes easier, and much cheaper. But the thing to understand, which you pointed out in this video, is that hardware is very reliable, built well, holds its value, increases in value from time to time, and it’s so nice to have the actual synth to play, touch, and have a sense of excitement that you own something that made music what it was, in the case of the vintage gear. I still believe in using hardware for studio use, and gigs as well. You have a clean, crisp sound, and you know it won’t let you down with a great feeling key action, we’ll built metal case, and an easy to use interface. If you want different sounds, you can always load them in through midi using sysex. I don’t know about you, but I feel so much satisfaction of owning vintage synths and being able to own a piece of gear that made music history. I will never sell my synths, and will make the best of them to the best of my ability! Ps, I know I have said this before, but I would die to see you start buying vintage gear again, and making videos. I was and still am so inspired by you. I have always loved playing the piano, and have always had a soft spot for professional synths, and your videos made me want to have them all! They sound so good, and I have many that you have had and others that you haven’t featured yet, and I hope you can maybe do the videos that inspired SO MANY PEOPLE! Including me, very much including me! I hope this comment finds you and others well! Have a good night Woody!

Just use both, you haven’t got to sit one side of the fence or the other. Yet so many people really like to argue on the subject, I just see it as different tools in a toolbox. My main gripe with virtual instruments is the availability of pirated versions, not only does that affect the plugin developers but it has a massive impact on synth hardware sales and thus retailers. It also pushes the mentality that you need high value products to produce music because piracy pushes people to seek out products they normally couldn’t afford. Sadly with that mentality people are bypassing the longer term enjoyment you get from slowing down and learning an instrument - no matter how cheap, instead are always looking to the next ‘big’ thing that will make them great.

I use both and they have their pros and cons. Software these days comes really close to Hardware and I doubt anyone would noticed the difference in a mix. For live stuff Hardware is still better, I just prefer real controls even over midi controllers. Just look at Dr Mix stuff, just listing I couldn't tell if he used hardware or VST. I really like Arturia's Analog lab and Apple/IOS has tons of great stuff. I use the Ipad a lot to work out an idea, sequences, etc using AUM. Then I control the hardware using AUM so I can have all that Analog knob turning goodness. Really you could do everything on a Ipad and a good Midi controller and the apps are so cheap.

(For the fun of arguing) I'll demonstrate the contrary of your first argument. A hardware synth needs to be switched on, the amplifier too, the mixer too, the Fx too, you need to wait. To hope there will be no bad cables. You need to tune the synths. Then you can play. And then you have an idea a good idea. But alas, you have nothing to record... idea is lost. My computer is always on. My differents daws and synths are one click away on the desktop, I'm working, I've got an idea, I can immediately play, record, leave and go bac to the work I was doing. Between my screen and my PC keyboard I'v got a small Korg keyboard. This way is the quickest to play and keep ideas when they come. This software way beats hardware on this point. I've got big keyboard, mixers, 4 eurorack modular synth, beatbox, numerous hardware synths. And I'm old... I know what is a 4 tracks tape to record music... I know what is a Revox. So when I tell you software is helping creativity I think it is something that must be heard :-)

Thanks for this video Woody!!! Your so right about "focus"... What I do most of the time is play and compose my song and some little arrangments in my Motif's pattern sequencer, then move all pieces to Reaper so I can experiment in the software with new and more complex arrangements, add new instruments, and render the motif's sound to tracks, add voices, and so on. For me, it's a good mix between the two worlds...

Very nicely done, Woody. 👍 As for my own preference, I love using both VST (Omnispeher and Alchemy Player) and harware (Roland, Arturia).

Nice hair cut Mr Shack. It's taken years off you. 😁 I decided to go completely into the box. Nobody is making free hardware synths.

I was searching around for soft synth vids and found your great comparison - the music at times was more foreground than background - intentionally I suppose - I did notice you using the electric sunburst guitar as an example of a soft synth - I am new to this for sure (about 6 months) I thought that vst plug-in was more of a sample library - I love your style , delivery and attitude - keep doing what you’re doing - I’ll love adding you to my list of music production RU-vid channel subscriptions

for me: plugout synths with hardware and boutiques for u.i hardware and price. i have 3 setups 1. DAW with plugout synths and some arturia synths 2.Fa-06 with hardware synths - roland boutiques, minibrute, nanozwerg 3.rc505 looper with roland jd-xi, system 1 and roland td30 e drumkit plus a yamaha multi 12 pad set up too

You do not have to worry about nearly as much as you attempt to make us believe that operating systems and software will fail sporadically. You can turn off updates, you can disable internet, you can force your interfaces to have extremely low lag. Under 10 milliseconds in some cases. And if you have to worry about verification servers that much, you bought the wrong software.

Have to agree that the hardware version of synths tends to favour the creative moments and are more intuitive in a live performance. That being said I do appreciate soft synths having license ownership of the Arturia V collection and KORG collection, though sometimes having too many options/patches can work against the flow (but they sure are incredibly fun to tinker with).

Hmm talk about severely bias. They both have a place but just focusing on the software synths for those who are new here are a few pointers. 1. Turn off your internet connection and any other background programs running while using your DAW if you are using a fairly standard or a basic computer specification. This will stop any issues of PC/Mac hardware running simultaneously when using the processing power of your DAW. Also sorts out a lot of latency issues. 2. Like all instrument tools you get what you pay for. If you invest in a decent midi controller those with the extra sliders etc and programmable buttons. Once you have set up your preferences, you can actually use the Midi keyboard the same as a hardware synth and then some. Your computer screen becomes the keyboards screen with far more capabilities and less menu diving than navigating on a tiny keyboard screen! So time factor is not an age at all. The higher end Midi keyboards can be configured specifically to what DAW you are using and trigger all the key inputs directly to use on the fly just like a hardware synth. 3. Fun fact, with software synths you can do far more and create far more intricate and melodic sounds than the confides of a hardware synth generally speaking. Soft synth have far more comprehensive algorithms plus a far more powerful chipset ie; your computer. This allows far more complex wave and digital complexities that go far beyond the hardware keyboards. So much more, plus you can save your patches, scenes etc indefinitely and without losing the risk of integral memory issues unlike a hardware keyboard. 4. Have laptop and midi keyboard will travel. Midi with USB direct to laptop and your good to go. Use USB as power to laptop and battery is used on laptop should give you quite a few hours of fun with out hauling around a heavy power hungry heaven hardware keyboard. Plus you could always use an iPad these days as well as they have some phenomenal synth software programs. 5. If you use a hardware synth you’re likely to use the midi connections so it acts as a controller for an other hardware or indeed DAW based software, so at the end of the day you are like to use it for both....😉 6. Ps. If you need your emails and social feeds - just keep your smart phone switched on - Job Done ✅

I went from hardware to all software many years ago in hopes of simplifying my studio life...but you know what happened? All the joy and creativity in sound creation went out the door. I'm happy to say that years latter I am back to a room full of hardware synths with glorious real knobs and sliders....and have never been happier. :)

Very informative and interesting, even helpful considering my situation ...

I love the plants on your videos, man! Thanks for this video.

Great video, loved it. Perhaps a little bit biased towards the hardware synths...

I began this journey in 1980 with a little Moog Prodigy, which went through various trades - Yamaha CS30, SCI Pro-One and Roland JX3P. So I had what are now analogue classics the first time round and … they weren’t all that. Then there was this period around the late 80s early 90s when hardware stopped having knobs and you just peered at a little window to change parameters. Then there’s all the mess of wires and cables everywhere. I went off synths for a bit. I built my first music PC in 1995, painstakingly assembling components and using SMPTE to synch them all. Then Cubase VST came along a couple of years later and did in software what I was trying to do with hardware. But one bit of software got me back to knob-twiddling again - even if it was via a mouse and that was Reason. It’s grown to become a real mad professor’s Lab. So I’ve got what are now regarded as the best softsynths - and I’d regard the finest to be from Spectrasonics and U-he. But now I have the disposable income, I have a hankering for hardware with knobs again - and it’s made a return. I bought a Novation Summit, and one of the hidden benefits is that Omnisphere has hardware-profiled it so that you can use the knobs to control other models like Moogs and Prophets. The other hybrid is the Roland System 8, which has kind of reversed the trend, being essentially hardware storage and control of Roland’s own swapped analogue ‘plug-outs’. Want to swap the Jupiter 8 for an a System 100? You can in one bit of hardware. I really like that idea as it’s the best of both worlds. In idle moments, I look at the prices of your Prophets and Moogs (which ain’t cheap), but have to stop and ask myself whether they’d be better than what I have in the computer. It’s really just the nostalgia of when I was young and those names were everywhere. Not sure where I was going with that ramble. But if you’re in a band, get hardware. If you’re not, the computer is not inferior in any way.

sorry woody but your wrong there are many workstation vsts..halion 6/halionsonic3/hypersonic 2/sampletank 4/xpand 2...etc most of these beat there hardware counterparts.

I have run VST's at gigs for a year. Glitchy from time to time. I doubt it's the brand new Legion. Brand new MAudio pro 3 for a controller as well. Being an old synth player, I purchased a MODX7 to bring me up to new school.. Down the rabbit hole of menu diving I go. The tradeoff is no expensive laptop, cheap feeling controller and a bunch of extra cables to carry to the gigs. I am able to reproduce some of the old school synth sounds, with lots of patience. We shall see how the next year goes. I think the VSTs are best suited for the studio.

Love that piano in the intro

Wavetable synth on Ableton Live with Push 2 is effectively a hardware synth, given that it is so well mapped to the control surface.

I enjoy your argumentations ! Thanks for the video !

I could have bought some sick software synths but instead I got a Korg Minilogue XD with which I'm very happy.

Hardware for me is always fun to play live without waiting for computer/laptop to boot. Just fire it up and it ready to play keyboard and touch all the knob right there in front of me. I do have Ableton, Cubase and some interesting VST, but it's good only for recording.

Nice vid, I'm actually looking at getting my first hard synth. Thanks for giving me perspective

I feel a connection & relationship with my NI Massive software synth that's stronger than most of my dozen or so hardware synths (that go back to the 80s). The only synths I've fallen & stayed in love with as thoroughly as Massive have been my Nord Lead and my Access Virus C. The hardware knobs are awesome for live/improv performing, but for producing something truly special in my studio, Massive is my favorite go to synth. And I just started using an S61 Komplete Kontrol interface which feels like the best of both worlds. Of course, the all time winner of instant-on, immediate gratification, never lets me down (except for occasional intonation issues), has to be my actual acoustic piano.

I still have the Yamaha PSR-320 and the Roland PC-200 Mk II midi controller, both 20 over years still working well, especially the Yamaha, although the LCD is fading but still have great e.piano 2 and warm pad sounds.

If you already work in a DAW, software is usually faster and easier to set up and recall. With hardware, you have to set up MIDI and audio tracks and routing, Program Change messages etc. (and keep track of which preset you used in which track, if you modify it), where as a plugin is just a click or two, and then all the synth parameters are saved with your DAW session. Automation is also easier with plugins. Of course you could ditch the DAW completely and get a workstation keyboard, but that's an entirely different thing, IMO. I use both, but software more than hardware. With hardware synths, I tend to commit to audio much earlier in the process, which leads to a different (and sometimes more creative) workflow. With software, you can tweak the MIDI and parameters right to the end which can be a good or a bad thing.

playing real hardware synths is a joy in itself.

Although with Komplete Kontrol NKS you can have all VSTs pre-mapped

Some good points and useful stuff for a newbie. I have to say that you can also "develop relationships" with software just like you can with a hardware synth (like any newbie, I played with some synths but when I found Falcon things changed a bit, as fits my thinking very well. The same can be said about a high quality, high end MIDI controller (I have a Studiologic SL73 with a great metal construction and wonderful keybed and I love it, while I couldn't care for the plasticky NI KK M32). All that being said, I find a MODX to be very tempting indeed.

Such a beautiful video, Thanks so much very well done.

I'm gonna have to go out and get some plants. Haha love it! Your own piece of paradise.

The background music is beautiful, but too loud. For the rest of it, I totally agree with everything you said.

I don't doubt that it is more "fun" to play on a hardware keyboard, but I've been pretty satisfied replacing several of mine with VST's. It's not hundreds, it's thousands of available VST's in Windows format. Far less for Mac, but the majority of the most popular ones. You really have to be pretty strong with computer to get the best of what VST's have to offer, and to deal with any problems that may come up. People without a strong computer background should avoid them. I replaced my ARP Pro Soloist analog synth from 1973 with a VST. It's been gone for 7 years, and I feel it's never left me. I use the VST just as much, for the identical sounds. My Korg M1's are now in storage most of the time, but I have one setup at the moment but will go back into storage soon. My Roland JV-1080 based Vintage Synth module, DX-7, and lots of keyboards that I would have otherwise bought but don't feel the need to buy them now. I A/B tested every one of them to my VST equivalents before selling them, or placing them into storage. For my use of live performance only, I find the sound differences if I could even hear a difference (rarely), so minimal it really didn't matter. I prefer working on the computer vs even more menu diving on the tiny screens of the hardware synths. It's not as fun, but more logical. VST's are a dream for live performers. It's literally like having several truck loads of keyboards, a road crew and a repair tech without needing those things. The other huge benefit is on the wallet. Models of almost every classic synth that ever existed are now available in software format. Roland's latest technology in their Fantom's, Jupiter 8 & System 8 keyboards are available in VST format (except Super Natural sounds, V-Piano or the B3 organ engine). Korg offers most of their classic synths, and even some that are not that ancient and still widely in use like the Triton Extreme as a VST. The B-3X organ VST is made in part by the Hammond organ company, and probably beats out my dedicated organ synthesizer keyboards. Having unlimited space and unlimited options can be overwhelming, but really is not a disadvantage compared to being limited to what hardware keyboards can do. I still recommend having at least one decent modern hardware keyboard in your setup, but I use VST's just as much or more. As I cover famous 80s & 70s music, VST's include patch memory and you can get pre-made patches of famous sounds much easier than you could on the original synths they replicate. Even if I had some of the original synths, especially the analog ones, I'm more likely to be able to get the patches I want than I would if I had the original hardware synths. I don't recommend sharing your computer for web browsing or other tasks. If you perform live with the computer or are doing any serious recordings with it, you should have a computer dedicated to music and it's setting optimized for professional audio, Internet connections turned off but available if you needed to authorize software.

I've been gigging with my laptop for a couple of years now and I've only had a couple of minor issues, barring a forced Windows update that destroyed my hard drive - luckily not at a gig, and I was able to use some vintage hardware for a couple of weeks while I had the repair done. I like the convenience of soft synths - having four Korg Polysixes and an Arp Odyssey in a live setting is rather good - and I'm very pleased with how they sound in a mix. After my Ableton Push 2 had a drink I learned not to get too attached to controllers and I now use affordable and replaceable Novation kit - great gear and perfect for my synth pop gigs. I use a dedicated music laptop now (sold a Fender Rhodes to pay for it...) and I also use Ableton's native amp sims when I'm playing live guitar because again, in a mix, they sound just great. I'd still like an additional hardware synth, though. On top of all other considerations it looks a lot cooler than "checking your emails".

Definetly pros and cons of both worlds. I personly say, a sample workstation is the best solution for live useage. In the studio the 2 worlds blends together, but live and software synths ... even things have become better, I still wouldn't trust it unless I had a complete backup system with me for when the systems crashes .. not "if" .. but "WHEN"..

Hardware keyboard for live performance , VST for music production, that's it.

Here I thought you were going to ask us which plants were real and which ones were synthetic? Seriously, the greenery does add to the ambience and certainly makes for some creativity assistance. While I held off until about a year ago from buying the boxed instruments, I have traveled down that trail and have not been overly disappointed with the better VSTis that I have found. Your comment that those VSTS packs aimed at reproducing a single instrument or type of instrument are far better than the all-in-one-box could not be more true. I still fall back to the hardware for gigs and software for home paradigm and may someday change, but for now, that's the way it goes. Thanks for another insightful video.

I have a Roland XP-50 work station but it has gotten old. I need to perform maintenance on it take it apart clean out the audio jacks & pods. You hear a lot of unwanted noise now a days not when it was new when I bought in 1995.I use the Arturia Keylab MKII Controller & V Collection 7 + Roland Cloud amazing soinding.The Software is reliable it is stable but I don't play live.I just record at home

Excellent video Woody! The best of both worlds fused together. Mastering the instrument and system. Removing clutter in the studio and mind helps create inspiring musical art. Thx!

That was exactly what I I needed to know. I use both. Great videos. Keep them coming. Thanks

Zebra 2 offers absolutely ridiculous value , such an unique beast in terms of software synths.

Nice video Woody, my two cents: I was always a hardware synth kinda guy, forked out a lot of money for my Nord Stage2, and other "workstation" type synths, and sometimes I regret this as there are limited options regarding sounds - yes I can download new ones, but ... the variety is not there. If I could turn back time (if I knew what I knew now) I would invest in a really good 88key weighted midi controller and throw the rest of the Money towards good quality plugins, that I already now own (Omnisphere, Keyscape, Diva, Repro, Korg Collection, NI Ultimate Collection etc etc). In fairness my needs have changed too, and with the variety of new software available there are plenty of options. I notice your a windows user?, I am a Mac user and have never had issues with drivers or software updates interrupting or anything like that, its super quick to turn on, load my DAW and everything is ready to go, I think its only going to be problematic if you are constantly changing computers or uninstalling/reinstalling software all the time. Once its installed, all it takes is launching the daw.. A lot of performers still use laptops on performances live too, but as you point out - always risks there too LOL. ps: Tal u No LX is one of the best ! Juno 60 FTW.

Woody, Now that VCV Rack has matured to version 1.0 it might be nice to give it some attention by a video from you.

Like some other commenters, I am old enough to have owned ‘vintage’ gear when it was new, and some of it I definitely regret selling (others were too fiddly, heavy and unreliable). BUT - as you mention, having the knobs and sliders right there to tweak allowed me to explore sounds in a way I simply don’t do in a soft-synth ... even the same models I had long ago! But at the same time, I love pulling up a VST in Digital Performer to use a sound type I have used in the past or to remake old stuff with newer sounds.

Yeah for me I got frustrated with software, you can buy the DAW, the software instruments and effects, then you update your operating system and DAW find that your software instruments no longer works. As you mentioned, it's difficult to resell software due to licenses. So while hardware is expensive, if you find that you no longer like or use a synth in your collection you can put it up for sale and get back some of the money you spent on it. Ultimately, use gear that enables your creativity and workflow and not fighting against it, it's likely gonna be a combination of software and hardware. Stability for computers is a real issue so if you are taking it live on stage you want hardware.

Personally I'd like to add the third option: an iPad in combination with a midi keyboard and / or a pc with a DAW. I really like the conveince of a small portable device which I can interface with midi and create ideas on the device itself or use the device as instrument. I've really grown to like Korg Gadget a lot for capturing ideas without the hassle of PC DAW, but sometimes I use it as a multitimbral VST instrument when conncected to my PC with a midi interface. I simply use Cubase to record midi and sent it to an iPad app and record back the audio in the PC. It gives me a lot of flexibility and not much hassle. Synth wise the only hardware synth that I have is reface DX which I have connected to the PC to use a as synth / midi keyboard combo. I sometimes connect the iPad to an old general music WX2 keyboard with a midi interface if I want to kind of play it as if it where a hardware synth. What I find a mayor hassle with VST's is Windows, even with a decent audio interface such as a Steinberg UR-242 the operating system is probably the part get's most in the way of the flow. Somehow iOS works really well for audio stuff. I've sometimes thought of the idea of having a OS specially designed for audio applications, I mean Steinberg easily have the resources to develop their own OS for dedicated for DAW's. In the past they have created their own multitasking kernal on top of the Atari ST, why not have a mondern day equivaltent.....😎 That could be nice. Modern workstation synths like the Korg Kronos and the Yamaha Mod-X all have and embedded PC's / arm based computers in them running some sort of embedded linux or BSD based OS which runs custom software. Imagine beeing able to run a full DAW on them..... a futuristic pipe dream or a real possiblilty in a few years from now? The iPad is kind scrathing that itch.

One other point I want to address is the notion that all Hardware retains it's value. For example I bought a new Ensoniq ESQ-1 for around $1,200 in the late 80's which is probably closer to $1500 dollars or more in today's money and I was lucky to to get $150 when I sold it on. Some rare hardware like a Yamaha CS80 or Roland Jupiter have escalated a great deal in value but most hardware will lose value at a rate similar to that of VSTi synths.