# What is today's hardware worth compared to plugins?



## lychee (Mar 6, 2021)

After seeing an intervention by @Tim_Wells on a MODX thread, the idea for this post came to me.

Coming from the time when virtual instruments did not exist, I used expanders (Yamaha MU100R, Roland JV1080...) that I own and still use today.
Then the VIs arrived always more realistic and powerful, but always asking for more resources and computer disadvantages in return (bugs, crash...).

I have a question that torments me and which would be to know if it would be wise to go back to the hardware and replace my aging machines?
Not knowing for a while about the hardware side of the force, do you know some instruments or hybrid solutions capable of covering a wide musical spectrum with the realism of today's plugins, all at a reasonable price (god, why didn't you made me a kid of rich? )?


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## Tim_Wells (Mar 6, 2021)

Hey lychee!

I'm more of an in the box person and not really a hardware guy. If for no other reasons than I'm both cheap and lazy... My comments regarding the MODX were strictly limited to the advantages of having quick sounds at your fingertips for practicing, getting some ideas down quickly, gigging, and just playing for fun.

I wasn't thinking of using the MODX as a main sound source. Although I'm sure it has sounds that are up to the job. I seriously doubt that it would have all the bases covered. I think it would be very limited compared to VIs.

Depending on the type of music you're making, hardware synths may be a viable option. But the cost may be thousands... or even tens of thousands of dollars higher. I prefer the cheap and lazy route...


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## chillbot (Mar 6, 2021)

lychee said:


> do you know some instruments or hybrid solutions capable of covering a wide musical spectrum with the realism of today's plugins, all at a reasonable price


Not even remotely close. Hardware is super fun and you can get killer sounds and it's "always on" with almost zero latency, but it costs a ton and offers very little flexibility and certainly doesn't do anything orchestral unless you're after that 80s DX string sound. I am surrounded by dozens of synths that I adore and can't seem to let go of but I use them less and less every year, sheer laziness combined with the flexibility/magnitude of omnisphere/zebra. Though I am still all for hardware... get yourself some faders, knobs, preamps, mics, audio interfaces, verbs, all the fun stuff.


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## lychee (Mar 6, 2021)

I started this thinking because my computer (or I don't know what in the process) generates pesky click, dropout and co.
After a while it gets tiring, and of course I plan to update all of this, but with COVID and cryptominers, it's difficult to get material.
But to come back to the hardware side, with memory capacities and DSP increasing in power from year to year, I am amazed that the quality of synths or other racks does not approach or equal those VSTs in your opinion.
However, when I listen to the Roland Integra 7, the quality of the romplers seems to have increased a lot.
I understand that some Roland products could download plugins to increase their sound capabilities.
Also, I saw somewhere here external "boxes" capable of playing VSTs, and thus relieving our main computers.
In short, it is on all this that I would like some to update me, there are surely things that I am missing.


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## chillbot (Mar 6, 2021)

lychee said:


> Roland Integra 7


I have this it is fantastic. Great keys, pads, leads, synths, etc. Not strings though. For that I use my 4-space rackmount synth with 160GB RAM that runs kontakt and vepro. Ok it's a rackmount slave computer but isn't that basically what you're asking? For the price of the Integra-7 you can get a respectably decent computer that runs a virtually infinite amount of programs, samples sold separately.

Once upon a time there was a Muse Receptor which is basically what you are referring to, an external box capable of playing VSTs. You could even hook up a keyboard and a mouse and a video display to it... because in the end it was just a rackmount computer.


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## Double Helix (Mar 6, 2021)

lychee said:


> However, when I listen to the Roland Integra 7, the quality of the romplers seems to have increased a lot.


For many years I performed live with a Roland XP-80 (which was replaced by a Kronos nine years ago)
I bought the XV-5080 plug-in because I missed the patches of the XP-80.
Though I have a modest collection of string/orchestral libraries, the XV-5080 complements the sampled orchestras nicely.
Further, I regularly use a Moog Subsequent 37 and a Korg Radias in addition to a few plug-in synths. I suppose at heart I am a synth guy, but I joined VI-Control to expand my horizons.


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## lychee (Mar 6, 2021)

I kept my JV-1080 and bought a MU100R to revive my old sounds lying around in my computer.
I will keep the Yamaha for the electronic part of the sounds, there is also a track dedicated to the integrated chipset for a physical modeling instrument derived from the VL1.
I realize that the sound of the JV remains a good vintage despite the years and that it is difficult to part with it (I would have done it if Roland would not had the idea of this damn subscription to their cloud ).
That's why I looked at what gives his decendent, the Integra 7 (which includes the sounds of the JV, XV as well as more modern things).
What is interesting with the Integra 7 is the editor in the form of VST which gives access to the parameters of the rack directly in the DAW.
Too bad the USB connection does not transfer the sound to separate tracks.
If no one has any alternative solutions, I think I'll end up falling for this Integra.


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## Double Helix (Mar 6, 2021)

lychee said:


> (I would have done it if Roland would not had the idea of this damn subscription to their cloud ).


Could not agree more--the only subscription I have is to _The New Yorker_.
Though I can (kinda) see cloud subscriptions in general having their place, I object in principle.


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