[Jeezer]

I agree with the above.

The roland cloud synths, and System 8, are merely 'takes' on the real thing. They make sounds that are 'like' the synths they are emulating. That is they make a 2 dimensional photocopy of the sound.

I have a real JX-3P, Juno 106 and SH-2. The new 3P videos really don't have the character of the real unit at all, nor did the boutiques.

I've tried the others personally and they just do not compare. People are fooled because the tones they put our are in the ballpark of the original, so of course it 'sounds like an sh-2' in a superficial way.

What they lack is everything that real analog synths actually excel at, that people buy them for, character, mojo, depth, weight, punch and how they react when pushed with lfos, resonance and filter tricks.

The ACB stuff are just decent digital synths, but completely devoid of character because they are emulative. I'd rather go use other, non VA/ACB type DIGITAL synths if I'm going to use Digital because they have a character all of their own.

The easy way to spot how sub-par these emulations sound is not in a 1:1 raw waveform test, but both with complex/hard pushing of filters, the lack of 'roundness' and weight and playing chords, esp choppy ones, as they gang up voices it gets less and less convincing.

Multiply that over a real song/mix and the result is very often an insipid, flat, vibeless song with no real emotion from the synths. It depends of course how present the synths are in the track, types of sounds needed etc. Yes S8 can do plenty of useful sounds for songs just fine, like any digital can, but it'll never have that presence of real analog if and when it comes to anchor a track on it or showcase that aspect.

I've owned more analog and digitial (inc VA) synths than I've had hot dinners, those who've only had very few synths, esp analog, may well be more than pleased with the emulations. I'm not. They are not the same. The 106 is possibly about the closest as it's the least complex tone (other than the chorus) but still sounds nothing like how a real 106 has this beautiful weighty punch and shimmer even as my least favorite of the bunch I have (I much prefer my JX-3P and esp SH-2 which sounds mind-blowing when you dial it in just so), Jupiter 8 and SH-2, in the soft versions, are quite frankly a plastic sounding joke.

You really need REAL characterful analog to put next to them to spot this (if you don't have much experience) as otherwise your ears find things relative (they get used to sub par sound - just like if you play a bad mix you did over and over your ears go "ok.. it's not bad" but put it next to a pro mix? boom!, if all you hear is VAs and ACB emus then they are probably going to sound fine, good even, but compared to finished songs that used real analog they will always be a poor relation.

Also people who think nay-sayers like us are just scared because of 'expensive hardware' being reduced to nothing, we're not. I've actually REBOUGHT my analogs after stuff like ACB was already out. It's just not in the same league as real analog. I am not scared of losing money (JX-3P's are already dirt cheap anyway), and I'd never use the soft versions while I can have the real versions.

Proof of this is the Jupiter 8, it's a beautiful sounding synth (the real one) but I can't afford it, it's ridiculously priced these days (one just went for £11,000 on ebay! not even great cosmetically!), that's a no-go for me. Even so, I will not then go use the ACB version instead, i'd rather go without than settle for the sterile/plastic fake versions. That's how 'non analog' they really are.

Those who've only used modern VAs and soft synths really have no place to judge, they just don't get it. Older analog synths especially were just that good (sound wise). They just have something even many modern analogs find hard to get, so software has no chance. That same applies to diva, repro (compared this to my prophet 6 recently and the software was again plastic and weak and that's not even against an even more tonally great Prophet 5!)