I am trying to concentrate on drawing. Have drawn almost everyday since Inktober. Got idea for drawing project. Started drawing course for that. But for some reason I find other things to distract me from drawing. Setting homestudio and playing with synths have become really interesting.
This started from watching OB-X8 vs Arturia’s OP-Xa V blind test. OB-X8 is analog synth and OP-Xa V is software synth. Both sounded so similar guys couldn’t tell which one was analog and which was software. I couldn’t either. I have OP-Xa V. Wanted to do similar test. I don’t have OB-X8 but I have OB-6. I know those are two different synths. In blind test both synths tried to sound like OB-Xa. There very few times when OB-6 and OP-Xa V even should sound similar. Different modulation, filters and oscillators. That wasn’t the point. Both have Oberheim sound.
I wanted to test if OP-Xa V sounds analog or digital when compared to similar sounding analog synth. I was surprised how well it did. Have done similar test with Prophet 6 (analog) and U-He’s Repro 5 (software). Again different instruments which don’t try to sound like same instrument. That time test was short one. Prophet 6 just sounded better. This time it was different. OP-Xa V sounded more usable. OB-6 sounds magical but it doesn’t fit everywhere. Point is OP-Xa V sounded analog enough against OB-6. It sounded more processed but still analog.
Found it useful to have with OB-6. That is a big thing. Software sounded analog enough when compared against analog synth. Before this I felt software synths were good for sounds analog synths can’t produce but not good enough if you have similar analog synth. Now I know there are software synths which can hold their own against analog synths. OP-Xa V is one. Latest version of Arturia’s CS-80 V is another. I can’t compare it to similar analog synth. Those are really expensive. Arturia’s versions add functionality originals should have had. It is hard for me to justify getting analog clone of CS-80 now. Deckard’s Dream is closest to obtainable but at the moment I can’t see no point in getting one when CS-80 V does so good job.
Not saying all Arturia’s V synths can hold their own against analog synths. These two can, Can’t name third one. Haven’t tested all of them. Talking about Arturia’s V synths. Arturia hasn’t advertised it but some of the synths work with MPE. Not all. OP-Xa V and latest CS-80 V do. I was surprised to find that out. It is on manual but who reads those.
I have seen videos where software synths are compared against analog synths. In those they can be made to sound similar. It is different when you use the synths. This was the first time software synth sounded analog enough when I compared it against analog synth.