Synth vs. Rompler The Low down Pros & Cons

[HeresJohnny312]

I am a vst/RE/plugin junky. So I just wanted to see what others thought about this, this is open for a debate:

Is a synth as good as a rompler at cinematic scoring? no
Is a synth as good at a rompler at drums? no
Is a synth as good as a rompler at low cpu usage? no
Is a synth as good as a rompler at having great sound out of the box? no

Can you make a totally new sound in a synth that you cant in a rompler? Yes (but then theoretically you can them import it into a rompler anyway with less cpu hit anyway)

You might argue that "Oh I don't have all that space on my hard drive for a rompler, 5gb is sooo much!" but well ok then you dont have space for one or two 4k movies then and that's sad.

Anyways, it's just my opinion, and don't get me wrong I absolutely love synths (well some of them) but I'd like to see how other professionals feel about this?

[Loque]

Considering there are billions of ROMplers or sample packs just recording synths, i take the synth...

[MrFigg]

Considering there are billions of ROMplers or sample packs just recording synths, i take the synth...

Every time. No contest.

[Miguel da Wu]

the main reason why synthesizers are more flexible than romplers is, that a synth allows you to go deeply in the sound and you can adjust the Sound structure as you want.
with the rompler you have to use the sound as it was sampled. you can only make superficial changes, such as filters or envelopes.
but i work with both. synth for my own signature sound and the rompler for acoustic instruments and some drums.

[Yonatan]

If sample based synths are 24 bit/48kHz with x amounts of gigabytes, it is getting a no no as the emulation is just in mega bytes. But if a rompler are having lots of usable 16 bit/44kHz samples that makes sense, then it can be a good option. A lot of down talking of sampled based devices are just a bit snobbish and I doubt the music listeners would tell any difference in the end of the day. But, yes there are a lot of uninspiring romplers out there, but that goes for synths as well. When it comes to big libraries, I must say I would prefer physical modeling or a combi of that and samples, which can be the best of two worlds and takes not as much disk space or loading times (which makes sense if wanting to use them cross platform on ipad-laptop-desktops, and using them more "live".

EzDrummer is a good example how 16bit/44kHz is a much smarter alternative than its bigger brothers. If a very transparent compression format could downsize the sample packs, that would be good. Refills and even RE:s are often smaller in size despite same quality content, and that is a good thing.

In here I often think that synths gets an overly high status. But if you look at it, synths starts with sine wave or square wave etc, and that lack a lot of character, so to make interesting sounds with those, you try to add harmonics and amplitude and manipulate those into something. With real samples, it goes the other way sometimes, to either strip them off and manipulate them in other directions.
I would not think a synth or a sampled device, with otherwise same controls and effects, differ that much. Philosophy is the same.
To put sine waves or square waves on a piedestal is not very convincing. A sampler with synth controls and effects should be the best possible device. That is why I rather would see a comprehensive new sampler (a´la Kontact) in Reason than yet another synth.

If RS releases a synth, everyone wants it to add ability to load ones own samples. Why not make a great sampler that would surpass NNXT Where you could also make your own wave forms as in Europa. Parsec started as a synth, but then added samples to also become partly a rompler.
Why not make that super device that can be whatever you want it to be? All from Additive, Subtractive, Granular, FM, Physical Modeling, to a full featured multi layered sampler. The ease of use would be the key, but still as complex as you want and need it to be.

[Reasonable man]

Dont Listen to Mr Figg whatever you do. He will only talk you into buying more romplers. He loves them , uses them in all his tracks, every single one. He dosn't use anything else but romplers for his sound designing. I personally think he's a secret salesman for rompler manufactueres. Awfull man. Stay clear.

[MrFigg]

Dont Listen to Mr Figg whatever you do. He will only talk you into buying more romplers. He loves them , uses them in all his tracks, every single one. He dosn't use anything else but romplers for his sound designing. I personally think he's a secret salesman for rompler manufactueres. Awfull man. Stay clear.

Hahahahaha. Don’t you have anything better to do?

[jwd606]

If I wanted to make progress on a track I'm working on, then a well curated rompler wins for me. The Monotone bass and Rytmik are great in Reason 10. The vast majority of the sounds are usable, not having to wade through 100s of squonks and warks.

[Jackjackdaw]

If sample based synths are 24 bit/48kHz with x amounts of gigabytes, it is getting a no no as the emulation is just in mega bytes. But if a rompler are having lots of usable 16 bit/44kHz samples that makes sense, then it can be a good option. A lot of down talking of sampled based devices are just a bit snobbish and I doubt the music listeners would tell any difference in the end of the day. But, yes there are a lot of uninspiring romplers out there, but that goes for synths as well. When it comes to big libraries, I must say I would prefer physical modeling or a combi of that and samples, which can be the best of two worlds and takes not as much disk space or loading times (which makes sense if wanting to use them cross platform on ipad-laptop-desktops, and using them more "live".

EzDrummer is a good example how 16bit/44kHz is a much smarter alternative than its bigger brothers. If a very transparent compression format could downsize the sample packs, that would be good. Refills and even RE:s are often smaller in size despite same quality content, and that is a good thing.

In here I often think that synths gets an overly high status. But if you look at it, synths starts with sine wave or square wave etc, and that lack a lot of character, so to make interesting sounds with those, you try to add harmonics and amplitude and manipulate those into something. With real samples, it goes the other way sometimes, to either strip them off and manipulate them in other directions.
I would not think a synth or a sampled device, with otherwise same controls and effects, differ that much. Philosophy is the same.
To put sine waves or square waves on a piedestal is not very convincing. A sampler with synth controls and effects should be the best possible device. That is why I rather would see a comprehensive new sampler (a´la Kontact) in Reason than yet another synth.

If RS releases a synth, everyone wants it to add ability to load ones own samples. Why not make a great sampler that would surpass NNXT Where you could also make your own wave forms as in Europa. Parsec started as a synth, but then added samples to also become partly a rompler.
Why not make that super device that can be whatever you want it to be? All from Additive, Subtractive, Granular, FM, Physical Modeling, to a full featured multi layered sampler. The ease of use would be the key, but still as complex as you want and need it to be.

I think there is a big difference between a sample based synth and a rompler. I understand a rompler as a preset device with very little control over shaping the sound. As in sounds loaded onto a Rom chip. Typically highly compressed and sterile sounding. I don't consider even a detailed multi sampled instrument to be classed as a rompler.

I would have liked a great sampling device in Reason but I don't think it's coming so I bought Halion 6 which is very much like the 'super device' you described and features multi sampler, wavetable, granular and subtractive synthesis all in one device.

[Yonatan]

If sample based synths are 24 bit/48kHz with x amounts of gigabytes, it is getting a no no as the emulation is just in mega bytes. But if a rompler are having lots of usable 16 bit/44kHz samples that makes sense, then it can be a good option. A lot of down talking of sampled based devices are just a bit snobbish and I doubt the music listeners would tell any difference in the end of the day. But, yes there are a lot of uninspiring romplers out there, but that goes for synths as well. When it comes to big libraries, I must say I would prefer physical modeling or a combi of that and samples, which can be the best of two worlds and takes not as much disk space or loading times (which makes sense if wanting to use them cross platform on ipad-laptop-desktops, and using them more "live".

EzDrummer is a good example how 16bit/44kHz is a much smarter alternative than its bigger brothers. If a very transparent compression format could downsize the sample packs, that would be good. Refills and even RE:s are often smaller in size despite same quality content, and that is a good thing.

In here I often think that synths gets an overly high status. But if you look at it, synths starts with sine wave or square wave etc, and that lack a lot of character, so to make interesting sounds with those, you try to add harmonics and amplitude and manipulate those into something. With real samples, it goes the other way sometimes, to either strip them off and manipulate them in other directions.
I would not think a synth or a sampled device, with otherwise same controls and effects, differ that much. Philosophy is the same.
To put sine waves or square waves on a piedestal is not very convincing. A sampler with synth controls and effects should be the best possible device. That is why I rather would see a comprehensive new sampler (a´la Kontact) in Reason than yet another synth.

If RS releases a synth, everyone wants it to add ability to load ones own samples. Why not make a great sampler that would surpass NNXT Where you could also make your own wave forms as in Europa. Parsec started as a synth, but then added samples to also become partly a rompler.
Why not make that super device that can be whatever you want it to be? All from Additive, Subtractive, Granular, FM, Physical Modeling, to a full featured multi layered sampler. The ease of use would be the key, but still as complex as you want and need it to be.

I think there is a big difference between a sample based synth and a rompler. I understand a rompler as a preset device with very little control over shaping the sound. As in sounds loaded onto a Rom chip. Typically highly compressed and sterile sounding. I don't consider even a detailed multi sampled instrument to be classed as a rompler.

I would have liked a great sampling device in Reason but I don't think it's coming so I bought Halion 6 which is very much like the 'super device' you described and features multi sampler, wavetable, granular and subtractive synthesis all in one device.

Ok, I see. Rompler as something simplified with little ways to sculpt the sound.

Must check out Halion 6 then. Know of the name but have not tried it. Thanks!

[Jackjackdaw]

I went with Halion because I already have Cubase and they both need the dongle. Kontakt and UVI falcon are good alternatives. But then Reason as a whole fulfils a similar function in that you can combine all these elements.

[QVprod]

I think there is a big difference between a sample based synth and a rompler. I understand a rompler as a preset device with very little control over shaping the sound. As in sounds loaded onto a Rom chip. Typically highly compressed and sterile sounding. I don't consider even a detailed multi sampled instrument to be classed as a rompler.

A rompler is really any sample based instrument with presets based on samples without the ability to sample. Doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not flexible. Many of them function just like synths making the “oscillators” available, all the way to filters and fx such as some hardware keyboards do. Some people still don’t like them because they feel they can tell a sample with a start point apart from a synth. You’re definitely right most wouldn’t consider a multisampled single instrument as a rompler, though some here still do when it comes to sampled synth emulations.

As far as the comparison though, a lot of romplers really are thin sounding with synth patches as sampling doesn’t really maintain the same level of warmth natively. However it’s a cases by case thing.

[HeresJohnny312]

Romplers are clearly better in every way. Id like to know what type of modulation or effects that is specifically available to a synth and not a rompler (besides wavetable shapeshifting which in reality is closer to a rompler in any case)? Anything a synth can do can be sampled into a rompler so my point is there are none. There are none the, the argument that a synth is better is baseless. A synth starts with a square, triangle, or sine or saw or whatever basic waveform which is easily achievable with the most basic of programming. In my opinion everyone want a synth that can sample......which is the definition of a "sample based rompler". I think there is a saturation of simple and redundant synths that fill zero void in the reason spectrum. However the romplers add real sounds in cahoots with real sampled synths....now the trick is to have the sampled content looped and high quality so it is of high quality. There are a lot of old schoolers that dont support romplers but the youth embrace the newer technology. Now I love synths they are indisposable but the next level to a synth is a rompler synth, a true hybrid.

[HeresJohnny312]

Considering there are billions of ROMplers or sample packs just recording synths, i take the synth...

So I take it you think synths can compete with romplers in terms of strings? How about flutes? Pianos? Guitars? Choirs? What about sound effects? Oh ok didn't think so. But yeah Synths are great for say super saws. Honestly lets see if nexus 3 has better super saws then your synth of choice.....matter of fact what is your synth of choice? Just curious I'd like to see you back up your pov.

[HeresJohnny312]

Considering there are billions of ROMplers or sample packs just recording synths, i take the synth...

Every time. No contest.

Whats your synth of choice just curious?

[Loque]

Considering there are billions of ROMplers or sample packs just recording synths, i take the synth...

So I take it you think synths can compete with romplers in terms of strings? How about flutes? Pianos? Guitars? Choirs? What about sound effects? Oh ok didn't think so. But yeah Synths are great for say super saws. Honestly lets see if nexus 3 has better super saws then your synth of choice.....matter of fact what is your synth of choice? Just curious I'd like to see you back up your pov.

Do you really think i said that? Or is just your interpretation?

[scratchnsnifff]

Synth wins every time

RomplerS are perfect for sounds that you know how to make, like when you have been at it for hours and don’t want to take the time to make a vibrato lead

Synths are great because that invite more creativity once you are past the learning curve, once you understand the universal language of synthesis, each synth is a playground of ideas


Romplers don’t do FM

RomplerS are great for when you are creatively drained, but still want to finish making a track

Nothing wrong with them, but if I’m stranded on an island and had to pick expanse or hydronexus, it’s expanse every time

Or for vst users
Nexus or serum

Serum every time, because you can go outside of the box

Synths make romplers
Chicken or egg

[scratchnsnifff]

So I take it you think synths can compete with romplers in terms of strings? How about flutes? Pianos? Guitars? Choirs? What about sound effects? Oh ok didn't think so. But yeah Synths are great for say super saws. Honestly lets see if nexus 3 has better super saws then your synth of choice.....matter of fact what is your synth of choice? Just curious I'd like to see you back up your pov.

Do you really think i said that? Or is just your interpretation?

As far as synthesis is concerned, karplus synthesis can make string sounds
And with the right processing, you could get it to a cinematic level


And there’s even that hardware synth that has the newer form of karplus strong
synthesis that allows for the modeling of the saxophone:D case out end of last year? Or was announced at that point.

Part of me thinks
That I’m mixing up karplus and physical modeling.

But the point is that any sound can be synthesized, weather it’s additive resynthesis or karplus or physical modeling

And the processing afterwards can make it fit into any cinematic studios quality

Interesting topic

[HeresJohnny312]

Do you really think i said that? Or is just your interpretation?

As far as synthesis is concerned, karplus synthesis can make string sounds
And with the right processing, you could get it to a cinematic level


And there’s even that hardware synth that has the newer form of karplus strong
synthesis that allows for the modeling of the saxophone:D case out end of last year? Or was announced at that point.

Part of me thinks
That I’m mixing up karplus and physical modeling.

But the point is that any sound can be synthesized, weather it’s additive resynthesis or karplus or physical modeling

And the processing afterwards can make it fit into any cinematic studios quality

Interesting topic

Send the link I have yet to hear synthesized strings that sounds remotely close to real ones.... but I would happily take a listen, sounds cool by the way!

[HeresJohnny312]

Synth wins every time

RomplerS are perfect for sounds that you know how to make, like when you have been at it for hours and don’t want to take the time to make a vibrato lead

Synths are great because that invite more creativity once you are past the learning curve, once you understand the universal language of synthesis, each synth is a playground of ideas


Romplers don’t do FM

RomplerS are great for when you are creatively drained, but still want to finish making a track

Nothing wrong with them, but if I’m stranded on an island and had to pick expanse or hydronexus, it’s expanse every time

Or for vst users
Nexus or serum

Serum every time, because you can go outside of the box

Synths make romplers
Chicken or egg

Sounds like your going to be on an island with some computer game techy vibes then, I'd hapily go with Hydronexius or Nexus for the pristine bells and strings, not to mention cinematic quality brass. Id only goto serum for dubstep wavetable modulation.

[HeresJohnny312]

So I take it you think synths can compete with romplers in terms of strings? How about flutes? Pianos? Guitars? Choirs? What about sound effects? Oh ok didn't think so. But yeah Synths are great for say super saws. Honestly lets see if nexus 3 has better super saws then your synth of choice.....matter of fact what is your synth of choice? Just curious I'd like to see you back up your pov.

Do you really think i said that? Or is just your interpretation?

No you didn't say that but I thought Id clarify the irrationality of your choice so others could identify it.

[HeresJohnny312]

I went with Halion because I already have Cubase and they both need the dongle. Kontakt and UVI falcon are good alternatives. But then Reason as a whole fulfils a similar function in that you can combine all these elements.

Kontakt and uvi are monsters I love those romplers! They are actually the leaders in the industry adn theres no guessing why...

[xboix]

I don't really distinguish between them. If it sounds good and fits the song I use it.
I'll also happily use the "wrong" microphone or the "wrong" headphones if they get an end result I like.

[selig]

Horses for courses, IMO.
I like real strings, I like sampled strings, I like synth strings. They all have their place IMO, and I'd hate to be limited to only one of the three.
Not sure I'd say it makes any sense to try to play them against each other, in the same way you can't put electric guitars against acoustic guitars, or electric pianos against acoustic pianos to name a few.

We are all free to choose the instruments that we feel work for us. I personally love them all!

[QVprod]

Kontakt and uvi are monsters I love those romplers! They are actually the leaders in the industry adn theres no guessing why...

There's a bit of a confusion here. One, you're including samplers in your romplers argument. Kontakt is a sampler. One can indeed of course create a sample based synth with Kontakt, which I'd still call a synth from a functionality perspective. Also, while there are preset libraries made for it, those who actually own Kontakt have access to change and adjust the samples. A Rompler doesn't have that functionality.

Secondly, I think comparing the ability to use realistic string sounds as plus for romplers against synths doesn't hold up well. No one is gonna load up Europa if they want realistic strings and horns. It's simply not meant for that, just the same as how a hammer is not a screwdriver.

Lastly, use case in general. Romplers are meant to cover a lot of ground, but for many of them, like Nexus, you're limited to the presets that come with it. And yes for some, you can buy expansions. For most things that's probably fine, however you have less control of tweaking a preset on a rompler than you do on a synth. Or if you have a certain sound in mind, you can simply create that sound on a synth instead of hoping to find it in a rompler's preset library. Most people aren't looking for just one tool to do everything, but will acquire multiple tools that cover different areas. Saying one is better because it covers more ground, again doesn't really hold up since it does't cover everything the other does.

Ultimately, neither is better than the other. People who are heavy into sound design won't find romplers nearly as useful, while people who primarily are preset based probably will equate them about the same. This is really an apples to oranges comparison. Both are fruit and both are generally healthy. The major difference is taste.