If you ask me - a professional keyboardist earns for living exclusively from playing and his music work - regarding “hardware workstations vs MIDI controllers + VST hosts”.
Many (most) people terribly fail to realize that exactly all those “hardware workstations” are exactly that - midi controlers with terribly underpowered miniature CPU’s, and even more terrible system and hardware limitations. For example - Korg Kronos is still based on the same x86 arhitecture from Oasys - meaning it can not adress more than 4 GB of RAM, with many system bugs from Oasys still present. Montage M uses Texas Instruments Sitara CPU, which is, compared to today’s technology standards, already ancient 40 nm litography.
All in all, although they are all called “hardware workstations” - the ugly truth is that they are nothing but midi controllers with crippled hardware under the hood which is around 20 years behind in technology world.
And regarding the comparison of the sound of VST platforms vs “hardware”. As someone who works in studio for almost 2 decades, let me tell you this - it can not even be compared. I fully understand that some people are “in love” with their Yamahas, Korgs, Rolands or Nords, or whatever - that is their choice. But it doesnt change the fact that all those “top notch hardware babayagas” sound like thin broken toys when they are on the same stage where my custom made workstation is present, one on one, on the same sound systems. From small gigs for 200 people to arenas with 20.000 people.
Btw, I have done more than 100 gigs since I finished it last year, and Gig Performer had zero fails, system had zero fails. And no, my Avenger M+ is not light weight at all - its 30,3 kg. And I carry it every single gig without complaining.
Having heard 1000’s of recordings using hardware synths, seen 1000’s of keyboard players using hardware synths ill go with what I hear. Never thought of the likes of a Montage M as sounding like thin broken toys.
You love what you have, thats great, and GP is a fantastic system to use, but knocking those that love something else, thats tried and tested in modern music, well, I have to just take it with a pinch of salt.
To be clear, it’s the sound reference im talking about, not the versatility offered by GP, which it totally agree with you on.
I don’t think he is arguing that they are objectively thin-sounding. My sense is he is arguing that they sound thin relative to how he has approached his system.
To give perhaps a simple example, suppose you have a physical Minimoog where we all know one can create awesome thick sounds using those three great oscillators, with the lower octaves very slightly detuned.
But in a software environment, I can instantiate five virtual Minimoogs and now I have 15 oscillators to play with. As you can imagine, you can get some real “oomph” out of that that simply can’t be achieved with physical hardware (unless you buy five Minimoogs!)
When I was touring with Security Project years ago, we used to play Biko (written by Peter Gabriel) and I did the solo using a bagpipe patch that I had for Kontakt. But I instantiated that library three times and arranged for each one to be just very slightly out of tune with the others. The resulting sound was just tremendous, almost shocking and incredibly powerful.
Workstations are very powerful, no question, but they can’t compete with the CPU power and RAM you can leverage on a decent laptop.
Yeah, I totally get and agree with all that. The ability to sound design in GP is way above what any single hardware keyboard can do, and as you with the right hardware () there isnt anything you cant do with it.
Taking your analogy. A MM has 3 oscillators. It’s got a sound and it’s a sound we all recognise. Now, layering 5 of them will most certainly make it something else, but it’s not going to sound like a MM, thats sound design IMO. The MM will not suddenly sound broken and not usable next to the 5 layer version.
I get what you are saying about Kontact etc. I find every brass patch I use I have to layer it with at least one or two others to get the sound I have in my head. You can do this with a hardware workstation as well though. Most, if not all have the ability to layer sounds, my MODX up to 8. ok, the note limitations would hit hard and its not something I would do, but I can for instance layer 8 Mini Moog samples and get a huge tone.
) there isnt anything you cant do with it.