Originally Posted By: Notes Norton
I prefer external sound modules to soft-synths.

I have a few, and the one that has the best GM sound set is the Ketron SD2.

Advantages:
  1. They never get orphaned by an OS or specification change. My 1987 Yamaha TX81z and Korg DDD-5 worked with my Atari ST, Pre-Windows DOS, and Mac classic II. They still work today
  2. I've since added synths from Roland, Korg, Edirol, Peavy, Akai and Yamaha without losing anything. A few of the great sounds on my TX81z are still perfect for some songs and have not been improved by different kinds of synthesis found in newer computers.
  3. Since they do not require the computers CPU do 'do the math' for every note and every nuance they sounds can be stored in ROM and much more realistic and complex
  4. Also since they do not rely on the computers CPU I can hook a dozen of them up at the same time, choose the best sound from one to be the bass, another for the guitar, another for the kick drum, another for the snare, another for the piano, and so on
  5. They have no apparent latency. Actually it's about 5ms +- 1ms so you can mix them together without adjusting the tracks for the different latency amounts of each different soft synth. Soft synths can have a latency of almost a half second.
  6. Since there is no latency to speak of, you can record live parts at the same time.

Disadvantages
  1. You need an external amp/speaker set
  2. They take up desktop or rack space


But there is more than one right way to make music. This is my way.

Insights and incites by Notes


I agree 100%. Sooner or later I always run into problems with software synths, hardware is bullet proof.

Tony