That's exactly right. When you try to compare midi/synths to real recordings you're getting deep into recording art. The answer is the classic "it depends". Midi can sound very, very realistic but not always. Emulating solo instruments that are supposed to be right out front in a recording or performance is the most difficult. The two biggest ones are horns and guitars including a steel guitar. Very difficult to fool a good listener that you're hearing a real person soloing on those instruments. But, as soon as stuff is in a complex mix then you can't tell at all with good equipment and synths. Movie soundtracks have tons of midi all through them. Strings, horn sections, rhythm sections, all of it. Put a real soloist, vocalist or lead player on top of that and it sounds awesome. Whats $20,000 worth of synths and studio gear and maybe two killer players compared to hiring the LA Phil for a week for your movie project? Remember Miami Vice and Jan Hammer? That was all done by him in his house 25 years ago with one or two real soloists like I said. The stuff is way, way cheaper and much better now.

The new midi Supertracks will sound great through a high quality synth but notice PG hasn't released any jazz, rock or country soloist sax, horns or guitars Supermidi tracks? They probably won't because even with a great synth they still won't sound that great, good maybe but not that real. Pianos, vibes, strings can sound pretty good.

To get down to the real world in your house John a good decent synth for a few hundred bucks will probably be good enough for you but again "it depends". It depends on how picky you are and how much you want to spend.

Bob

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