Cheap vs. Expensive Analog: Can You Tell? 👂

Howdy! Today we're here for a battle between my most expensive analog synth, my cheapest analog synth, and a free plugin - turns out it's not so easy to tell them apart!
▼ Gear in this video ▼

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▼▼▼TIMESTAMPZ:▼▼▼
0:00 Fire Bars Bro
0:24 Howdy
0:41 Meet The B1
1:26 What We're Doing Today
2:12 The Lineup
2:29 Making Vital Fair
3:08 Test 1
3:42 Test 2
4:16 Test 3
4:48 Test 4
5:16 Test 5
5:54 The Results
6:11 Thoughts On The Test
6:50 Closing Thoughts

Stay classy!

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#sounddesign #synth #musicproduction

[VenusTheory]

How many did you get correct? 😅
EDIT: Looks like Donner has since changed the price a bit - sorry about that! This video was filmed over a month ago and they didn't bother to tell me... 🤷‍♂
New video coming next week - finally published this now that they're back in stock!

[simonpreston]

As with any of these tests. They're pretty much always blind guesses. And sums up what we probably all already know: only synth heads really give a sh*t about what synth was used in a song. Your listener at home won't know or care, as long as it sounds good.

[Babe-mhgw]

It’s great to see Penus Theory making excellent content as always

[nickthane]

I could definitely tell me my expensive analogue synth versus a free plugin in a blind test. Mostly as my analogue synth crackles every time you look at, the right channel is twice as loud as the left and the background hiss is deafening

[darksiderahb]

I think what this video reminds me is that if you already have a blip bloop device, go make something with it. Yep, it’s nice to have a $3000 synth. But you can own a $150 synth or a free plugin and make stuff now. Don’t fret over “the sound” cause even professionals can’t really tell the difference and the tools matter less than what you make with them. Great video.

[rainbowkrampus]

There were distinct characteristics to each. The problem was that I didn't know which characteristic belonged to each synth beforehand.
The B1 always had this weird resonance way up in the top end. The Vital was always a little on the dark side compared to the Polybrute, kinda like the difference between a ribbon mic and a condenser.
They each sounded fine though. It's not the kind of thing that makes or breaks an instrument once it winds up in a mix. I did find that resonance from the B1 irritating though. Not sure if that was a B1 thing or a me thing but I noticed it right away and it's hard to ignore.

[GeorgeL]

One of the most lush pad sounds I've ever heard was a 90s Casio plugged into a moderate-high end reverb pedal. It broke me as a man and made me re-evaluate my moral compass. I mean... It wasn't even a cz-101 or something actually synthie. It was like one of those rompler ones. Never underestimated the power of effects and context after that...

[krazywabbit]

This is a great video. I actually opened two windows, one with your video paused on the results and the other playing back after I failed this test. What I thought was the Polybrute was the B1. Personally, I like the sounds of the B1. Someone else will love the Polybrute. These videos are really good to show that the gear is really not that important. Nicely done sir.

[ZaneAlexanderNC]

After owning my 1st synth for 1.5 years, I found the UI to be even more important. If you dont enjoy the interface, it probably doesn't matter how good it sounds and, for the sake of your wallet, you may be better off with a great controller.

[AndreasR]

I'm also a bassist and guitarist. There's also lots videos comparing this bass or guitar to that or whatever. And don't even start on "tonewood" on electrics. Here I think the same thing as with those videos:

First, there's going to be some differences in the sounds and characteristics.
Second, the average listener isn't going to hear them or care.
Third, I'm probably not going to pick them out in a blind test myself.

[JH-pero]

Just listened casually on laptop speakers, no repeat listens. I knew they were different, but without any familiarity with the synths in question or using cues like volume or noise levels as a lot of comments did, I stood no chance.

There was a video I saw here on YT years ago ("How I Made My $200 Minimoog") where someone demonstrated how they customized a generic MIDI knob controller into a fake-woodgrain Minimoog panel driving a VST by printing out some stickers. I think that kind of placebo is exactly what a lot of gear addicts need. You can make a cool looking and practical control surface by setting up an easel or floor desk with a bunch of controllers, macro pads or shortcut remotes, and a little portable touchscreen or a drawing tablet(for that Synclavier light-pen feeling). When you get bored with it, rearrange or swap out a piece. It's not the actual gear, its capability or vintage, it's the Hawthorne Effect: change up the workspace and you feel happier with it.

[najati]

Really interesting video. I didn't try to guess which was which, but instead I listened to each test a few times, listening for which one I liked the most, marking down my preference order, going through a few times to try to make sure it was consistent and ... 5/5 I liked the B1 the most, which was ... really surprising given how much I've been jonesing for a Polybrute.

The PB obviously has much more in terms of ... everything, so I wonder if it could be shaped into something more pleasant to my ears than these kinda raw tests.

[jigawatt]

Lol the poly brute was what I guessed right every time. It sounds amazing and has the perfect amount of warmth. Very pleasing to MY ears

[Milan____]

I was literally just thinking about watching some Strong Bad emails, so thanks for that intro!

[jfklmk]

I've had a debate years back with a synth head and I basically arrived at the conclusion that once the synths are in the song & mixed there's basically no way you can tell one from the other (it's still possible)

[Wayne_Robinson]

The actual sound used in a mix would presumably be tweaked in the patch and with EQ to suit the context. I'm not sure how much the basic sound would mean in that case but this was still an interesting comparison that makes it clear that the character comes from the filters as you said.

[avationmusic]

I got 7 correct and to be honest I can only really tell the difference between them with the filters (of course) and when you get to super low notes. the analogue synths seem to handle and play those low notes a lot smoother whereas i could hear the wave's individual oscillations in quite an unpleasant manner with vital. Interesting results!

[DmitryPuffin]

I stopped caring about actual sound of the synths and started to focus on features and reliability. Nowadays digital stuff can sound as awesome as analog, but with more neat features to play with.
I always hit around 50% mark in blind tests like that, so that means that its just pure luck 🤷‍♂️

[beyondalldreams]

I thought you were still on the vacations, good to have you back ! 💪🏻

[vgodeva]

Like a number of others have said, this is an interesting video for so many reasons. In the end, it always comes back to the same thing: the music. You can make great music with almost anything I suspect. Your video is also a good reminder that there's a lot of marketing out there, but once you've got the basic set of 'things' on your palette, you really don't need to keep buying stuff! Thanks for the really honest video, we all need to see and hear more of this.