I could never get rid of my hardware synths, including the AN1x and a Nord G2 Engine, for my VA fix. But the laptop experience is getting more positive for some things. In Pure floyd (www.purefloyd.co.uk) I use NI B4 on a Vista (spit) laptop for the Hammond and Farfisa sounds. I run a stirpped down Vista partition with all the eye candy turned off, and the overall OS and B4 run on average at 15% load and at 8ms latency through an EDIROL USB MIDI/Audio interface which hooks the laptop up to my rig.
After running a modelled organ, I could never go back to ROMPLER orgran sounds.
Touch wood, the laptop and B4 has been as reliable as the hardware rig. I have a few extra soft synths in the studio which may need to migrate to the laptop for live use for another project. I have the Arturia Prophet V and Minimoog which are awesome and as good as any hardware lump in their sounds (and certainly when in a mix). I also have the Korg LCDE, which is also a good source of sounds.
So, I'd happily use whatever is best suited for the job.
But the AN1x will still be in my studio for as long as it's working!
Cheers
Derek
--- In AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com, "Ed Edwards" <gleobeam@...> wrote:
>
> Agreed about the reluctance to produce hardware synths. My buddy plays a
> wind synth and that list is alive with many players who go play in venues
> for money with nothing but their wind synth and a laptop (and the house PA).
> I remember a time when people would tremble with horror when we mentioned
> that we used Cakewalk live to change synth patches on all our equipment.
> Everyone was SURE Microsoft Windows would crash. and it did sometimes. But
> that was 10 years ago.
>
>
>
> _____
>
> From: AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com [mailto:AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf
> Of spaceanimals
> Sent: Monday, November 02, 2009 9:19 AM
> To: AN1x-list@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [AN1x] AN1X vs AAS Ultra VA
>
>
>
>
>
> I went nuts last week and bought a virtual analog vst plugin. I found some
> things were very nice about computer synths, mainly getting all the lfos,
> effects, etc to sync with the music.
>
> The VST sounds more like a real analog synthesizer. I personally like the
> AN1X sound better, but I haven't explored the VST synth in depth.
>
> I know how to use the ribbon controller on the AN1X which gives it a huge
> advantage. I suppose I will have to trudge through the owner's manual and
> learn how to use the controller on the VST.
>
> Also, although there are plugin amp simulators, the AN1X through a low watt
> tube amp and a 2X12 cabinet is a glorious sound.
>
> Given that the plugin was marked down to $15.00 it's easy to see why
> companies might be reluctant to put hardware synths on the market.
>
> Rainbow Jimmy
>
>
>
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>