this post was submitted on 25 Jun 2023
3 points (100.0% liked)
synthesizers
156 readers
1 users here now
A community about synthesizers. Hardware (analogue and digitial) and software plugins fit into the discussion.
founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
view the rest of the comments
so how's that sh 4d working out? looks nice from the promo vid.
I love it. I am not experienced in synthesis but am able to make some sounds as they come from my mind. I find it much easier than my JD-08, which feels complex even though I understand its main principles. I have used so far my Yamaha MODX6, which has plenty of menu diving, even though it is fantastic and software plugin synths. Having direct control with all the knobs over simpler synths is a different feeling. All 11 synth engines are relatively straightforward and not too deep, while it is possible to create complex sounds. Although the JD-08 can create more complex sounds with a single engine, I totally prefer the SH-4d.
sounds like a blast - I was just watching some videos on it. I've been doing a little messing around with SurgeXT and bitwig - having something you can work with on the desktop like that would be the way to go though.
SurgeXT is definitely a lot stronger and combined with the grid of bitwig (which I haven't used much) is a killer system. While I am pretty sure that you won't get any more synthesis capabilities with the SH-4d, it feels fantastic using it and I have only scratched the surface. It feels great that Roland gives you good old SH-101 and Juno-106 with plenty of presets to get you going with tweaking. Overall, while I cannot justify having it, considering everything we can do with the software synths, I really love it. To me, it has this "real-thing" feel that I cannot put down in words.
It's just a lot easier to work with a physical analog control interface than it is with a mouse and software. Bitwig is very strong for sequencing and arranging relative to Ardour but I find Bitwig a lot more complicated to set up and use - and given the really limited time I have to play right now due to other stuff, being able to sit down and make noise at a moment's notice would be ideal. One of these days I'm going to get something really nice like that SH 4d just for the fun of it - I was watching the demo video and the way the controls switch function depending on the selection is very cool - it looks like a great piece of gear.