Synth vs. Rompler The Low down Pros & Cons

[HeresJohnny312]

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.

Incorrect. Nexus has the ability to change upload and import any samples it is just the many pro developers that gets to do this similar to how kontakt version and the only paid devs can actually import, sell commercially, and be compatible to play in any kontakt version(not just the free version). The same token it is just and paid upgrade that is only open to selected to keep the quality up to the highest standards. I can also show you many true synths that have much less functionality than some romplers so that is another point you are incorrect in assuming. Rompler is a synth that has a preset rom/sample bank to start off in place of an oscillator. Some users have mistakenly defined it as having no importing capabilities and less editing, when you just look at how it is made you will see that the capability is there just off for end users in most cases. This means the capability is there but only after it passes certain guidelines of quality via developer acceptance. Apple and oranges, no, maybe lemons and limes. Nevertheless no one would goto europa for strings because it lacks in comparison to romplers in that sense. For the sake of also furthering my point, the a user will still most likely favor the sound of the rompler synthesized sound instead of the true synthesized sound because of the high quality and professional sound design.

[Jackjackdaw]

I have zero interest in recreating acoustic instrument sounds. Also while a synth patch can be sampled, if it's got a ton of modulation and a ton of expression controlled modulation, all that gets lost as the sample is just a freeze frame of that. I love all the flavours of synthesis and I do a lot stuff with samples but when it comes to strings, pianos, kalimbas etc, you can keep them! I like cross modulating white noise with wavetables, wavefolding with velocity . Synth stuff.

[QVprod]

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.

Incorrect. Nexus has the ability to change upload and import any samples it is just the many pro developers that gets to do this similar to how kontakt version and the only paid devs can actually import, sell commercially, and be compatible to play in any kontakt version(not just the free version). The same token it is just and paid upgrade that is only open to selected to keep the quality up to the highest standards. I can also show you many true synths that have much less functionality than some romplers so that is another point you are incorrect in assuming. Rompler is a synth that has a preset rom/sample bank to start off in place of an oscillator. Some users have mistakenly defined it as having no importing capabilities and less editing, when you just look at how it is made you will see that the capability is there just off for end users in most cases. This means the capability is there but only after it passes certain guidelines of quality via developer acceptance. Apple and oranges, no, maybe lemons and limes. Nevertheless no one would goto europa for strings because it lacks in comparison to romplers in that sense. For the sake of also furthering my point, the a user will still most likely favor the sound of the rompler synthesized sound instead of the true synthesized sound because of the high quality and professional sound design.

There’s an actual definition of rompler. Here’s one source.
https://ask.audio/articles/do-you-know- ... ifference-

As far as Nexus loading samples, what you’re referring to is essentially a developer version. The consumer version of Kontakt loads samples. Very different. Again, anything that loads samples is a sampler. As far as a sound of a rompler being more desirable because of professional sound design... you don’t think synths have professional sound designers? I also didn’t say synths have more capabilities, rather that you have more control over sound. From a non developer perspective, if I have a sound in my head or one I want to replicate, I can create it from scratch with a synth. Usually not with a rompler.

[Oquasec]

Romplers are plugins that contain audio libraries from (Most of the time) certified sound designers.
Synths are plugins anyone can access that have all of the necessary controls to create the audio found in romplers.

[TheDragonborg]

Romplers can be synths... it just means that it uses samples instead of oscillators. There are different levels or romplers as well... some so deep they are definitely synths like the Kurzweil VAST based romplers, but I think those sample as well but I count it as a rompler as is has those samples on the synth's ROM that don't have to be loaded from disk/disc.

I own a few romplers in hardware form: Roland JV-2080 and am E-mu Proteus/1... the Proteus is pretty much just a sample player but the JV-2080 can get really complex. It has filters, LFOs, many envelopes and it has that classic 90s sound that works so well for pads, leads, and even basses. The fact that it can also do that piano house sound is bonus.

Things like Nexus are there for those that are too lazy to program their own sounds and have money to burn... you can find so many suitable synths for trance music out there that the cost of Nexus is just too much in my opinion.

[scratchnsnifff]

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!

I’ll try to find what I’m talking about

In the mean time look up karplus strong synthesis and physical modeling

[deigm]

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

Would you happen to know where to point someone looking to learn the 'universal language of synthesis' as you put it?

I've read a bunch of tutorials but it hasn't clicked for me yet. Still lost in a sea of knobs

I'd love to learn though!

[Jackjackdaw]

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

Would you happen to know where to point someone looking to learn the 'universal language of synthesis' as you put it?

I've read a bunch of tutorials but it hasn't clicked for me yet. Still lost in a sea of knobs

I'd love to learn though!

Basicly synthesis is 1.A sound source 2.An amplifier.

Then you have envelopes and lfo's to modulate. The simplest modulation is the amp envelope which lets you press a key and hear a note. Without that you get a constant tone because the sound source is just emitting sound all the time. The envelope is like an imaginary finger that turns the volume knob up and down every time you press a key. The finger follows the envelope shape over time.

Lfo's are like another imaginary finger but one that moves the knob back and forth constantly.

Filters sit in the middle of the sound source and the amp and filter out harmonics from the sound source. So a subtractive synth is basicly 1.Sound source (oscilator) 2. Filter 3. Amplifier

The best way to learn is to stick to a single synth so you don't get overwhelmed with knobs but learn how the signal flows through the device and what you can modulate. Pick one and read the manual! Europa is a great synth to learn. It's well laid out, contemporary and has a lot of depth to grow with.

[deigm]

Thank you for taking the time to explain this. I will take your advice and focus on learning just one synth for a while. I really appreciate ReasonTalk as a whole. How lucky we are to have such a community.

[Periwinkle]

Synths every time. Infinitely more creative IMHO. Most of the sound sculpting in romplers come from envelopes, filters, effects and other synth elements. I also feel that there is a danger of pretending to be what we are not rather than capitalising on new possibilities. Having said that, I do use romplers from time to time. To be honest, it’s only a matter of time before modelling synths will be able to emulate traditional instruments perfectly.

[dvdrtldg]

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

This is pretty much how I use them. Fast and easy, great it you're pushed for time or just want some quick inspiration

I use Layers quite a lot in this respect - occasionally I'll swap it out for something else further down the track, but mostly it stays in. Great bread & butter sounds, quite tweakable, I like it

[scratchnsnifff]

Would you happen to know where to point someone looking to learn the 'universal language of synthesis' as you put it?

I've read a bunch of tutorials but it hasn't clicked for me yet. Still lost in a sea of knobs

I'd love to learn though!

Basicly synthesis is 1.A sound source 2.An amplifier.

Then you have envelopes and lfo's to modulate. The simplest modulation is the amp envelope which lets you press a key and hear a note. Without that you get a constant tone because the sound source is just emitting sound all the time. The envelope is like an imaginary finger that turns the volume knob up and down every time you press a key. The finger follows the envelope shape over time.

Lfo's are like another imaginary finger but one that moves the knob back and forth constantly.

Filters sit in the middle of the sound source and the amp and filter out harmonics from the sound source. So a subtractive synth is basicly 1.Sound source (oscilator) 2. Filter 3. Amplifier

The best way to learn is to stick to a single synth so you don't get overwhelmed with knobs but learn how the signal flows through the device and what you can modulate. Pick one and read the manual! Europa is a great synth to learn. It's well laid out, contemporary and has a lot of depth to grow with.

Sorry for the late response.

But learning the reason micro tutorials and the James Bernard Reason tips series was crazy huge for my learning
And the content translates elsewhere


Just recreate sounds you see on tutorials

Thor is a brilliant synth to learn with because it does most forms of synthesis.

Each oscillator type is a different sound engine. And the filters are just ways of shaping the sound. Or you can use filters to have movement in a sound


Mod Matrix is where you route an LFO, Evelope, velocity, or external modulators; to some kind of parameter. Such as a LFO modulating the Pulse width of an analog oscillator using the square wave


Get inspired by other artists, look up online how to make a sound, and try using stock devices.

Following massive tutorials helped me branch out a lot. I would watch a NI massive bass tutorial and route malström inside of Thor to create various basses.

Just understand that the forms of synthesis and filters are universal, doesn’t matter what software you use. The concepts apply. A low pass filter is just a low pass filter


You can even recreate some xfer serum sounds using stock Reason 11 devices


Only thing Reason doesn’t have is a nice multiband upward compressor

But you can download OTT for free on xfer’s site

That will get you ahead for sure

[Timmy Crowne]

If the question is comparing the value of a synth against that of a rompler that has samples of synth sounds, I would prefer the synth. But I don’t think that’s a particularly useful comparison.

Now if the question is whether I would be more likely to use a new synth or to use a new rompler that has realistic acoustic sounds, I would prefer the rompler. There’s always a new synth. Can we get a new Orkester?

[Chizmata]

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?

i have nothing against romplers, they can yield amazing results and be quite easy. while a synth allows for more individual sound design, its become quite hard to come up with something actually new. the strength of synths imo are complex modulations and transformations over longer spans which systematically change the base sound to the core. romplers are limited in that regard.

[demt]

erm slightly of topic but loopers thrive on samples and sum fantastic acid sounds can b had chopping them up with a nice kick to tie it all together etc etc.... just won hit of the pad can give you an arpegiated trance lead whilst the next just a hit on a symble recording over the lead with just a hit give you so mutch versatility as a looping sound source that every won should have a good go instant top grade dj being the result IF youve picked the right kit to show of any of the genres available. clasical is a laugh!