I had a tb-303, and have messed with many 303 emulators. some come fairly close, but they just don't quite match the noise created through resistor leakage. same with the moogs.

analog vs digital . I think no one is superior to the other, they are different. Every synth and fx has its own personality and i always find use for both, some things sound better in the mix digital some analog and its also personal taste. Some beauty of vst technology is you dont need analog equipment to have analog sound. My favorite vsts are ones that sample analog equipment like omnisphere,trilian,nexus,nebula...Ive got a couple hardware synths and fx but barely reach for them now with how good things can sound in the box whether its digital or analog, i love technology

I downloaded ableton 8 free for 30 days and had a little play , spent more time having fun than scratching my head which is a good sign.
But for any fetishists out there here is a couple of old boys self flagellating in their basement.



Out of interest what is a good vst 303 emulator>??

Novation Bass Station is great
Also Rebirth is King

haha that first pic looks like a space station , they need more gear!

jeez it"d take me half a lifetime to get to play all those , are you trying to frighten me????

you're right, it is a matter of preference; there's no "analog is better than digital" discussion here, just the characteristics of the analog sound missing from emulation software. anyone who's played with both can tell the difference, I'd take the pepsi challenge anyday.

a good integration of hardware and software is essential, which is why Richard Devine is a master in the art of sound design.

http://designingsound.or...cial-studio-tour-part-1/
http://designingsound.or...cial-studio-tour-part-2/

This is true, i have heard some fx that got them spot on the hardware counterparts but soft synth im yet to hear one thats not well soft. Something about the analog circuitry gives the sound that ooo yeh baby that u can feel not just hear. we are getting closer every day though itll prob come

the digital wave is basically like a riemann sum, that's all it ever can be. analog is a pure sine wave.

Ive started using fruityloops, its easy to use and it has a wicked plugin to transform your productions with very little effort, check out the tutorial! Its great!!

I can't remember the name of it but I've used a Juno vst that sounded amazing. If you want a 303 sound I doubt you will ever find it in a software vst, a x0xb0x Is as close as you will get but that's hardware

when ive got the cash i may buy an xoxbox, also been looking at domino eowave and the re release of the korg ms20 with usb- not too bad pricewise, for the time being i am arsing around with rebirth/cubase/rewire and fruityloops

Ableton Live (high quality software DAW which is VERY simple to learn/use), as many quality VST/VSTi plugins as you can get your hands on (the WAVES plugins are top notch), and a nice MIDI controller (preferably one with a keyboard but it's not 100% necessary just makes it easier, especially if you know how to play piano).

I am very well versed in music/audio production so if you have more questions please don't hesitate to ask.

I was using workstations back in the 90's, the Yamaha jv1000 and the xp50 with akai samplers and korg prophecies and things. I was a hardcore hardware dude.... Then I discovered cubase and it blew me away!

I've been using cubase for 10 years but I think I'm going to give ableton a try as some of my favorite producers use it and people on the nexus praise it so that's good enough for me

Hi guys, well i thought that i would follow up on this post from long ago. Seeing the last post in this thread from Demented does make me feel a little melancholic. I remember talking to him in the chat years ago when i had the time to venture there and i have fond memories of our interactions.
Anyways after spending years of getting inundated with various pieces of cracked software by friends and relatives and to be quite honest being quite overwhelmed with the variety of possibilities, i finally settled on buying a secondhand novation bass station 2 from the free ads.
It came with a free copy of ableton lite. I made a deal with myself that from there on in i would use this program with the hardware and finish with the cracked stuff.
More hardware synths followed as i found that the physical interaction with the equipment was more to my liking. Waldorf blofeld (interface is a bit minimal but every time i think about selling it , i come up with a noise i like and forego said sale), minilogue ( love it, nearly one nob per function and sounds good to my ears), 303 clone (yes and no, i dont really have the creative imagination to do anything more with it than making acid lines, i find the 303 software emulation that i have more usable). I also have a semi modular dreadbox erebus that i found cheap. I make a terrible noise with it, but it always sounds ok to my ears when i listen back to what i have recorded. My favourite is still the bass station, as it sounds very good and it was my first love.

I am by no means a hardware snob. Whatever gets the job done, i will use and i have not bought anything for the past 2 years in order to fully immerse myself with the gear that i already have.

We have have also started a band with a mate that plays the clarinet. I love it, probably because he is quite an adept musician. I play him something i've made and he bangs out something pretty cool over it. Usually on the first take. We sometimes have musical differences. The clarinetist wants to go more in a mellow easy listening direction in order to exploit the restaurant circuit.Whereas i would rather go in a more cerebral (his words not mine) and disturbing way. I am slowly bending him to my will, because, obviously , i know what is best for the 2 of us. We are not to everyone's liking but as a good friend once said to me "better to be in a shit band than no band at all......"