Super VA synth (Future Analog)

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

I am dealing with subtractive synthesis since 2013 and considering that, wavetable direction is most likely to be developed further ,i wonder about future of virtual analog synths,which seems get to the point,where things will go amazing or ugly in near future...i mean developers will start to make more powerful and useful tools or will stop making it at all,considering entire world economy failure.
I would like to offer few ideas and will be glad to hear some of yours, if have such for a futuristic VA synth,what options you need or think are not developed the way you like them to be.
What would you like to have in next generation VA synths as feature,options,modulations,so on?
Here are some of mine:
1.Minimum 4 osc,which allow wavetable and waveform combination.Why?

As designer i like to combine typical old school waveform methods like phase manipulation with more modern wavetable modulations for evolving sound,so,for the job i need at least two waveforms and two wavetables loaded and combined.
Simple and effective,unfortunately have only one (popular)synth capable of that,which not gonna advertise and have to go modular,but hate cables,so stick with popular one.
It's rediculous,but there is just few popular synth with 4 or more osc,i mean this should be standard.

2.Filter section with minimum 3 or4 filters.Why?
Filtartion is essential for any subtractive synth.The better filters,the better sound,the more filtration option,the more diverse sound.
More filters means more color,more dynamic and more harmonics.
Again 3-4 filters should be new standard,two is kind of limitation.

3.Analog in digital environment at all to me means,analog-ish behaviour.
But could developerd extend that behavior far beyond (enemy lines,joking:):):) what was considered and developed as analog till now and to offer more flexabilities and customization - osc drift,fine detuning,phase modulations was analogizers till now,but what new can be done in that direction,not just to achieve more analogish sound,but something more futuristic ,beautiful and useful like different de tuning modes or internal layers or i don't know...my imagination is limited by what i know and use now,just last 200 years every next generation do all ''impossible things' for old ones and think that,just some random guy could give most brilliant idea for next 40 years.
So what you think is the future of VA synths and which stuff you think should be improved?

[seafire]

Fine as it is, have more than enough for my needs.

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

I am trying to make futuristic analog sound right now and i spin in same circle of old virtual analog-ish stuff i know work fine,but the ambition to make something new and better tease me,so why not to talk about future analog or prabably analog in the future music

[egbert101]

Korg Modwave already has four oscillators, each with either wavetable or samples or merging between two wavetables as waveforms. It has multiple filter types, including a multimode filter. You can check out Ian Dixon's various tutorials on how he manages to design just about every famous sound you can imagine.

https://youtu.be/dpeCTV3Oxb8?list=PLXxO ... 3Vh6dHMEdT

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

Thanks for pointing it seems my thoughts are common in community and hardware developers do something about it:)

[kv331]

SynthMaster 3 has all that and more

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

SynthMaster 3 has all that and more

Yep,i used sm2 for that purpose till now,but two layers slow the process,that's why asked in your topic about hypothetical merge of them into one page structure,but anyway sm3 could offer more interesting stuff to experiment with.
The future analog conception is interesting as practical usage and development.

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

i start such future analog soundsets with Sylenth1,Synthmaster 2,Icarus 2.5,Imposcar2,bx_oberhausen,Thorn and Vital for late 2024 (if the planet is still habitable hahahah dark humor :):) which reminds me to ask,if there is other people around with such ideas,what synth you prefer if need some future analog sound?
Addicted to coffee,can't stop moving :):)

[zerocrossing]

I am dealing with subtractive synthesis since 2013 and considering that, wavetable direction is most likely to be developed further ,i wonder about future of virtual analog synths,which seems get to the point,where things will go amazing or ugly in near future...i mean developers will start to make more powerful and useful tools or will stop making it at all,considering entire world economy failure.

Such hubris to believe you’re at the end of the story. Luckily, you’re not. The economy is actually fine, though it could be better for middle and lower income folks. Not a great idea to let rampant corporate consolidation, but word on the street is that at least the current administration is working on enforcing antitrust laws. If it’s Chat GPT you’re worried about, just make sure you have some actual skills and you’ll be OK. Remember, companies need people to have money because those people are the people who buy their stuff.

So what you think is the future of VA synths and which stuff you think should be improved.

In the software world, what I’d like to see is better audio rate modulation. There are a few stand outs, like Massive X, RePro, Legend, Model 72, etc, that do things like Filter FM really well, but it’s not like you can use its oscillator section as a mod source for everything. Dune 3 offers that, and while it’s one of the best, the update rate of the mod matrix isn’t quite there to get clean modulation throughout the audio range, not even when set to “highest quality.” I picked up Cherry Audio’s Dreamsynth (Humble Bumble $20 deal) and it’s OK when you have it up at 4X oversampling, but that’s not quite enough and you can hear a weird beating that shouldn’t be there, but it actually sounds pretty cool. VCV Rack can do this very well, but modular isn’t very efficient and it’s very CPU intensive to get a good result with any decent level of polyphony.

This isn’t just an issue with software. Hardware hotties sometimes have issues with this as well. Neither my Nina or 3rd Wave do a good job of this. Of course, pure analogs do this a lot better, but they tend to be pretty simple affairs, compared to software.

I’d also like to see per-voice distortion get better. The only ones that does a really great job are Spire and MSoundFactory, the latter requiring a lot of setting up so that the quality and oversampling settings are high. Lots do light to moderate saturation OK, but I’m talking about blistering, harmonically rich full on distortion. Spire really takes first prize on this front.

Other than those features, I’m pretty happy with the state of things. I find that I don’t really tend to make super complex sounds, but what I do want is a lot of options available, even if I don’t use them all in every sound. I didn’t list analog modeling up there because I feel like actual analog is so cheap now, and the modeling of vintage stuff generally sounds very good, that I never feel like I can’t make a great traditional analog sound.

[VELLTONE MUSIC]

zerocrossing you seems very passionate about music and sound,i have same emotions about music things i like,but listen other opinions too,probably have different experience and taste,but that's normal.
I am bit disappointed how soft developers act sometime to friendly gesture from users,especially newbies,which are not aware of anything and all of us once was,that's why don't hurry to send my hard earned money to their pockets
Consider to continue with hardware at some point,if hardware catch up.
I am having enough synths not to buy anything next 10 years,but anyway i support developers with well made products.
Discussion is always difficult if people disagree on some topics and cross opinions,but it's better than everybody to scream hallelujah buy now :):)
On topic i think future analog direction is more promising,than the title suggest,mostly because dynamics,color and saturation are 50% of beauty and could be achieved different ways.
If all important components are build-in we have super va synth,probably very lite external fx touch will be needed.
I use mostly layering inside the daw to achieve solid analogish sound and my view about internal layers of synth architecture is bit different,than i see in popular synths,but it's long topic.
Anyway,better sound isn't necessary more complex one,usually it's what fit better,despite if experienced designer do complex sound inside the mix,probably will be better,cuz he knows wht's doing and why:)

[zerocrossing]

Consider to continue with hardware at some point,if hardware catch up.

Hardware isn’t really “behind” as much as it’s sometimes better at different things. For instance, I’m a big fan of the 8 bit vintage wavetable style synthesizer, ala the PPG Wave or Microwave 1. However, those instruments are too simple and scarcity has driven up the prices so high that they don’t interest me, but I yearn for that sound. So I ended up buying a Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave because it gets pretty close to that sound, but also because it blows away all the software options, like PPG 3, Prophet VS V, impOSCar 3, etc. More envelopes, filters, LFOs, etc. In the analog realm, my Prophet 6 beats out all the emulations with the analog high pass, sub oscillator, etc. I’m sure I could mimic all the features of my PolyBrute with something like MSoundFactory, but it would never get the analog character right. I know. I’ve tried.

Of course, I could make great music using only software, and I’m sure never exhaust my options, but I also like to have a big variety of choices.