I actually think the Gaia 2 is getting somewhat overly harsh treatment. It's intuitive and fun to play which is exactly what hardware is for. If you were to compare it to other digital synths like the minifreak or the wavestate that sound great but are easier to use as plugins with amidi controller I think this excels as a piece of hardware
After spending US$ 50,000 in software for the last 5 years, I started to buy hardware again. Less install, reinstall, updates and upgrades. The feeling to have a hardware synth, for me, is phenomenal. I like both. But when I want to sit and play, a good hardware makes some difference.
I have stopped using software as well. The constant upgrading, incompatibility, need to configure MIDI controllers to map to software to all the joy out of making music. I now have a Gaia 2, and MC-707, a Blofeld, Hydrasynth Explorer, a JunoX and a Zoom R8 recorder. I'mmaking significantly more quality output in the last 9 months than I did with in 3 years with Analog Lab V, my NI suite, and a whole bunch of $20-$40 subscriptions to software and loop libraries. My idols were OMD, New Order, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, and the Human League. I can do everything they produced on my hardware and the limitations are actually freeing.
Hardware is for the hands-on control (and never going away, nor paying for subscription BS). Digital or Analog considerations are waste of time. And not just know, that analog modelling means the difference is only self-delusion ("I can clearly hear it") and falls down on blind testing. Lots of classic synths are digital (DX7 or D50 for example), same for classic drum machines (e.g. the classic Alesis unit, or the Roland one Autechre and Aphex were fond of).
This is a really interesting discussion. Unlike the usual "influencers", haters, marketing speaches...This is a balanced point of vue. Many thanks, I encourage you to do the same for other pieces of gear.
It's actually a mixture. The overall architecture of Zen-Core/Zenology is analogue-style subtractive, and the oscillators have a VA mode, but they also make use of sample-based PCM, particularly for a lot of the vintage-inspired sounds and those that aren't traditional 'synth' tones.
Great review. The SH-101 model is very useful. Effects are great. The rest of synth maybe not immediately inspiring but I think I need more time with it to judge. Sequencer is very easy to use. I like this synth.
I now understand why the love hate of the Gaia's and other digital hardware. Digital is the ONLY way to get higher polyphony counts on a synthesizer, for those who are masters of keyboards, who want to play with both hands like we do on acoustic pianos, digital is the only choice. But digital is a nightmare to sound design on with menus. Throughout digital history, we have only had the JD800 and JP8000 as hands on synths. Then the Gaia some 13 years ago, and now this new Gaia2, full sized keys, lots of control means SUPER fast sound design. Boutiques are welcome too, but don't have the surface size like the Gaia's to include all sorts of control. We have only 4 synths now in digital history that have surface control and fast sound design with full sized keys made for the keyboard master's need of polyphony. Comparing Gaia's to plug-ins (VSTs/software synths) is not fair. I don't want to design with a mouse and computer, any more than analog folks do. There is no comparison, we have 4 extremely rare synths here and only one is left, Gaia2. So, it was no brainer for me, extremely rare, I will buy it. A rare synth that I can sound design on 10x faster than any menu or plug-in synth PLUS play gigantic two handed chords (with a slow release) with 22 voices. Name me an analog synth that can do this....22voice...I'm waiting.....surface control....still waiting.... 22 voice is a minimum for a keyboard master. The original Gaia is still just as valuable today, no menu and 64 voices, I can make this synth do what no other in history can do: 1) super-fast sound design. 2) Huge chords stretching 3 octaves or more, AND slides. Sound design with computers or hardware menus makes me physically ill, my brain is designing at one speed but to actually achieve the parameter change takes 10x longer. Plus when people talk about computer synths, they call them cheap, they are far from cheap after upgrades, new hardware, new OS's. You are forced with plugins to upgrade synths, meaning another learning curve, or complete loss of a synth, no longer supported. Software synths are the most expensive and time thieves of all. Not to mention troubleshooting the computer. Sound. My studio is 100% hardware no computer, 75% digital, 25% analog. The analogs are only used for solo (mono) play and recording into a sampler to build/layer/create gigantic synth patches. I have no down time, my hardware 24 track recorder has never failed, never froze or corrupted. The sound quality of modern digital synths are equal to most analogs, except maybe in mono play at higher pitches. Big chords on analog polys don't work in a mix unless there is a high-pass filter. Analog sounds better sitting all alone in front of you, but in practicality, in a mix, it doesn't matter any more. For very simple orchestrations like dance, a big analog bass, plus a midrange sequence and drums work well, there is plenty of space for the big analog sound here. But the Boutiques taught me in unison mode (mono/ACB) they are just as big, and a tiny bit of EQ is all it needs if not. (I am a solo pianist performing my own compositions using whatever piano is on stage. 56 years organ/piano + 40 years synths + 35 years recording engineer). Synths are a hobby of orchestration and recording, sound and effects design, and just fun.
very good explanation....I love hardware..I hate mouse on the daw. Im thinking of buying a synth for techno style..im not a key player so ill mix with a hardware/software sequencerThinking in this one..or ASM hydrasynth that is great for mix with modular gear(I have got a Moog dfam).I have a Roland sh-101 and I enjoy a lot sequenced by TR-707.
That is my biggest complaint. I wish it had more keys and PolyAT. It's a shame because the keybed is quite nice, but I keep running out of notes and also trying to do articulations on the keys. But, on the bright side, I do love the control it has through the interface.
I would like to remind everyone that the only way anyone can ve objective, is if money is not involved in any way or form. Forget these guys, their content depends on money. And they might ague and try prove that there's no sponsoring going on, whatever. Just remember there's always interest.
bla bla bla...gaia 2 is simply a fantastic alround synth...the gaia 1 on stereoids. And it's NOT yeat another zen core thing, but actually a new developed engine
It's tragic that all Roland seem interested in these days, are plugins in a box. Where's the innovative leader from the 80s? They seem stuck in a retro tribute simulation hell.
I have a Hydrasynth and love it, but frankly it's just a plugin in a box too. That's not a hot take - it's a fact. The entire Minilogue, Wavestate, and OpSix are also on linux boards. Just plugins running an OS in a box. When did putting a clever synth on your computer in a physical format become a crime?
I think people are nuts. It doesn’t have the “prestige” of offerings from other company’s, but it sounds good and seems fun to use. I regret not getting the original Gaia as my first synth. Price maybe a little high but everything is jacked up right now.
I have to disagree with some of this…paraphrase: “my digital synth has a digital filter that sounds digital” - This is a wavetable synth first and foremost, not a virtual analog synth trying to sound analog. But I don’t blame you for the assessment because Roland calls it VA in the marketing. That’s where the trouble starts, Roland sending the wrong message about what the synth is. There is nothing remotely Analog about wave table synthesis… Even Dave’s wave table oscillator is digital. But let’s not go comparing a $2800 synth to a $750 synth. This Gaia (😅) is supposed to sound like a VST, with the added benefit of knobs.
I think software synths took the life and breath away from music. As do platforms like Spotify. Thee we say is coming when everything in the cloud will disappear whereas hardware has much more staying power. The Gaia especially now its price has dropped to £600 is a real bargain for what it does.
One thing is certain , the novelty of analog emulation (programmed randomization , acb emulation) tires very fast on the ears , when digital is used for abstract sounds is when this stuf works best
I have gone through the hardware to software journey three times. Every time it started with me realizing that most of the sounds in my music were made with software synths. After selling off my hardware, it then ended with me realizing that working entirely inside the computer doesn’t give me enjoyment to make music any more. I have come to the conclusion that hardware synths are inspiration generators.
No sample or waveform import which makes this less future proof. Why no mod matrix? And those wheels are too small. These are the compromises. Cool sounds, but it’s sorta a digital ice chainsaw.
I actually think the Gaia 2 is getting somewhat overly harsh treatment. It's intuitive and fun to play which is exactly what hardware is for. If you were to compare it to other digital synths like the minifreak or the wavestate that sound great but are easier to use as plugins with amidi controller I think this excels as a piece of hardware
After spending US$ 50,000 in software for the last 5 years, I started to buy hardware again. Less install, reinstall, updates and upgrades. The feeling to have a hardware synth, for me, is phenomenal. I like both. But when I want to sit and play, a good hardware makes some difference.
I have stopped using software as well. The constant upgrading, incompatibility, need to configure MIDI controllers to map to software to all the joy out of making music. I now have a Gaia 2, and MC-707, a Blofeld, Hydrasynth Explorer, a JunoX and a Zoom R8 recorder. I'mmaking significantly more quality output in the last 9 months than I did with in 3 years with Analog Lab V, my NI suite, and a whole bunch of $20-$40 subscriptions to software and loop libraries. My idols were OMD, New Order, Depeche Mode, Kraftwerk, and the Human League. I can do everything they produced on my hardware and the limitations are actually freeing.
Hardware is for the hands-on control (and never going away, nor paying for subscription BS). Digital or Analog considerations are waste of time. And not just know, that analog modelling means the difference is only self-delusion ("I can clearly hear it") and falls down on blind testing. Lots of classic synths are digital (DX7 or D50 for example), same for classic drum machines (e.g. the classic Alesis unit, or the Roland one Autechre and Aphex were fond of).
Is digital hardware a waste of money? If it floats your boat, I don't see why it should be a waste of money =D
This is a really interesting discussion. Unlike the usual "influencers", haters, marketing speaches...This is a balanced point of vue. Many thanks, I encourage you to do the same for other pieces of gear.
Zencore is not sample based OSCs. Its VA
It's actually a mixture. The overall architecture of Zen-Core/Zenology is analogue-style subtractive, and the oscillators have a VA mode, but they also make use of sample-based PCM, particularly for a lot of the vintage-inspired sounds and those that aren't traditional 'synth' tones.
Great review. The SH-101 model is very useful. Effects are great. The rest of synth maybe not immediately inspiring but I think I need more time with it to judge. Sequencer is very easy to use. I like this synth.
I now understand why the love hate of the Gaia's and other digital hardware. Digital is the ONLY way to get higher polyphony counts on a synthesizer, for those who are masters of keyboards, who want to play with both hands like we do on acoustic pianos, digital is the only choice. But digital is a nightmare to sound design on with menus. Throughout digital history, we have only had the JD800 and JP8000 as hands on synths. Then the Gaia some 13 years ago, and now this new Gaia2, full sized keys, lots of control means SUPER fast sound design. Boutiques are welcome too, but don't have the surface size like the Gaia's to include all sorts of control. We have only 4 synths now in digital history that have surface control and fast sound design with full sized keys made for the keyboard master's need of polyphony.
Comparing Gaia's to plug-ins (VSTs/software synths) is not fair. I don't want to design with a mouse and computer, any more than analog folks do. There is no comparison, we have 4 extremely rare synths here and only one is left, Gaia2. So, it was no brainer for me, extremely rare, I will buy it. A rare synth that I can sound design on 10x faster than any menu or plug-in synth PLUS play gigantic two handed chords (with a slow release) with 22 voices. Name me an analog synth that can do this....22voice...I'm waiting.....surface control....still waiting.... 22 voice is a minimum for a keyboard master.
The original Gaia is still just as valuable today, no menu and 64 voices, I can make this synth do what no other in history can do: 1) super-fast sound design. 2) Huge chords stretching 3 octaves or more, AND slides. Sound design with computers or hardware menus makes me physically ill, my brain is designing at one speed but to actually achieve the parameter change takes 10x longer. Plus when people talk about computer synths, they call them cheap, they are far from cheap after upgrades, new hardware, new OS's. You are forced with plugins to upgrade synths, meaning another learning curve, or complete loss of a synth, no longer supported. Software synths are the most expensive and time thieves of all. Not to mention troubleshooting the computer.
Sound. My studio is 100% hardware no computer, 75% digital, 25% analog. The analogs are only used for solo (mono) play and recording into a sampler to build/layer/create gigantic synth patches. I have no down time, my hardware 24 track recorder has never failed, never froze or corrupted. The sound quality of modern digital synths are equal to most analogs, except maybe in mono play at higher pitches. Big chords on analog polys don't work in a mix unless there is a high-pass filter. Analog sounds better sitting all alone in front of you, but in practicality, in a mix, it doesn't matter any more. For very simple orchestrations like dance, a big analog bass, plus a midrange sequence and drums work well, there is plenty of space for the big analog sound here. But the Boutiques taught me in unison mode (mono/ACB) they are just as big, and a tiny bit of EQ is all it needs if not.
(I am a solo pianist performing my own compositions using whatever piano is on stage. 56 years organ/piano + 40 years synths + 35 years recording engineer). Synths are a hobby of orchestration and recording, sound and effects design, and just fun.
very good explanation....I love hardware..I hate mouse on the daw. Im thinking of buying a synth for techno style..im not a key player so ill mix with a hardware/software sequencerThinking in this one..or ASM hydrasynth that is great for mix with modular gear(I have got a Moog dfam).I have a Roland sh-101 and I enjoy a lot sequenced by TR-707.
Be nice to have a Stage version instead of table top studio model
That is my biggest complaint. I wish it had more keys and PolyAT. It's a shame because the keybed is quite nice, but I keep running out of notes and also trying to do articulations on the keys. But, on the bright side, I do love the control it has through the interface.
I would like to remind everyone that the only way anyone can ve objective, is if money is not involved in any way or form. Forget these guys, their content depends on money. And they might ague and try prove that there's no sponsoring going on, whatever. Just remember there's always interest.
Personally I think the modulation system is incredibly powerful, elegant and easy to use. It's way too negative the way you are spinning it.
bla bla bla...gaia 2 is simply a fantastic alround synth...the gaia 1 on stereoids. And it's NOT yeat another zen core thing, but actually a new developed engine
People should stop trying to make RnB with this and stick to what this is meant for, EDM.
It's tragic that all Roland seem interested in these days, are plugins in a box. Where's the innovative leader from the 80s? They seem stuck in a retro tribute simulation hell.
I have a Hydrasynth and love it, but frankly it's just a plugin in a box too. That's not a hot take - it's a fact. The entire Minilogue, Wavestate, and OpSix are also on linux boards. Just plugins running an OS in a box. When did putting a clever synth on your computer in a physical format become a crime?
What a load of bull. Of course hardware synths are no a waste of money.
HORRIBLE diction - left side guy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stoped at 1.35. NO WAY!
Stoped?
I desperately want to snuggle with Simon. 😇
"Bad Gear" did a video on this synth this week. Hilarious and insightful.
I think people are nuts. It doesn’t have the “prestige” of offerings from other company’s, but it sounds good and seems fun to use. I regret not getting the original Gaia as my first synth. Price maybe a little high but everything is jacked up right now.
I have to disagree with some of this…paraphrase: “my digital synth has a digital filter that sounds digital” - This is a wavetable synth first and foremost, not a virtual analog synth trying to sound analog. But I don’t blame you for the assessment because Roland calls it VA in the marketing. That’s where the trouble starts, Roland sending the wrong message about what the synth is. There is nothing remotely Analog about wave table synthesis… Even Dave’s wave table oscillator is digital. But let’s not go comparing a $2800 synth to a $750 synth. This Gaia (😅) is supposed to sound like a VST, with the added benefit of knobs.
If having a "Plug-in" in a box helps avoid CPU overloads, then yes! I'd rather have a digital hardware synthesizer.
Modern cpus can handle a lot, and the price of this synth can pay for a decent computer upgrade
@monomorte nothing in software can replace the hands-on interface that hardware provides
I think software synths took the life and breath away from music. As do platforms like Spotify. Thee we say is coming when everything in the cloud will disappear whereas hardware has much more staying power. The Gaia especially now its price has dropped to £600 is a real bargain for what it does.
One thing is certain , the novelty of analog emulation (programmed randomization , acb emulation) tires very fast on the ears , when digital is used for abstract sounds is when this stuf works best
I have gone through the hardware to software journey three times. Every time it started with me realizing that most of the sounds in my music were made with software synths. After selling off my hardware, it then ended with me realizing that working entirely inside the computer doesn’t give me enjoyment to make music any more. I have come to the conclusion that hardware synths are inspiration generators.
No sample or waveform import which makes this less future proof. Why no mod matrix? And those wheels are too small. These are the compromises. Cool sounds, but it’s sorta a digital ice chainsaw.
Analog and Digital hardware synths have their place (and if I had the funds that place would be in my collection).
Boring
Please stop constantly picking your nose throughout the video. If you nervous just drink a cup of alcoholic drink before shooting the review hahah
Blablabla
People who use “so” as their crutch word 🤢
It beats the American bad habit of misusing the word literally. 😉