Quote:
Originally Posted by
Matt Dairy
So what exactly (if anything) can analogue filters do that digital definitely cannot? Besides the whole "warmth" thing. Anything? - or is it all hype?
Analogue filters seems to be the most important (or even mandatory?) part of a hybrid synth, where as oscillators doesn't make as much of an impact? Could analogue filters on digital oscillators be better somehow than analogue on analogue?
Does filtering wavetables versus waveforms make a difference?
Osc are more important than filters IMO.
Most notably if things like FM, Osc Sync, Ring Mod, etc. are coming into play, analogue osc can yield better results (particularly at higher registers). At 192khz sample rates and up maybe such will start becoming less of an issue, but as stands that doesn't tend to be the norm and subsequently I still find it to still be a bit of an issue generally speaking (not an overly huge one, but it's there).
Granted, I find Osc sources and their potentials more important than filters in the greater general. With the right Osc, one won't even need filters.
Not quite sure why filters are brought up so much more frequently than Osc.
Have noticed that there does seem to be more of a focus on Osc and their potentials coming up today though. Notably Wavetables (of the Palm sort) and otherwise continuously morphable waveshapes seem to be quite the rage, but it's coming up in other ways as well.
Digital Osc tend to grant considerably more overall flexibility than analogue Osc in the area of waveshape generation and (specified controlled) manipulation, so not sure I'd say analogue filters on digital osc sound better as much as digital osc tend to grant more flexibility in what sort of controllable waves can be done with them (in practical fashion) than analogue Osc.
It'd be nice to see areas like Zplane filters and other areas analogue filtering has a trickier time with explored more.... while that also seems to be a "wee" bit on the rise, it's still something rarely explored in general. Not sure why really.
The special thing with analogue is mostly that "perfect (analogue) fidelity" isn't having to be chased down (IMO), one is just there. Beyond that, not really sure what's overly special about it.