Basicly I agree with cloakboy, Synths are for new sounds to create.

anyway;
If you want to emulate an instrument, specially string instruments it is pretty difficult if it is a solo.
In a mix/background you can get away with it though.

I am a guitarist playing synth's so I don't use my synths for guitars
Nevertheless I experimented a lot with the guitar emulations and sax emulations.
First thing you absolutely need is a joystick!
You won't be able to emulate these kind of instruments with wheels!
Secondly while you play a guitar you have to think as a guitarist. (hence I even try to bend my keys )
When you play a sax , you blow on your keys!
When you play a violin your arms/shoulder move while playing the keys.

What i'm trying to say is that if you want to emulate an instrument it helps a lot if you play or have played the instrument involved.

There are ofcourse instruments which are better on synths as the real ones!
Piano f.i.!
Never off tune and 10 different steinways in a box!
Sure it is a matter of taste but I prefer my kurz over any acoustic piano!

Cutting and past samples is a complete different matter.
I am a player so don't use this.
I don't think you can even come close to the sound of a real instrument by just using samples, unless you play the samples!
I think it is almost impossible to edit sampled sounds equally to played sampled sounds when you use realtime aftertouch and realtime pedals.
Each track would cost you a week of programming.

Interesting topic though.

Fred

I'm also a guitarist playing synths. Only these days I seem to do more synths than guitar.

...and another guitarist, using MIDI to prop up chops quickly showing signs of age.

For the stuff I can't play, I've begun the trudge away from synths and into the soft world. Take a listen to this jazz nylon guitar , and this steel string guitar . It's Edirol's SuperQuartet. It's a plugin for Cubase or Cakewalk, and it's pretty cheap (I paid $175).

While you're at it, listen to these solo strings . I will agree that synths generally sound like synths, and that folks have learned to treat pretend-a-orchestras from ROM-based synths as reasonable sources of sustain background sound in popular music, but I'd say we're getting close to the point where we don't have to settle for that anymore.

For me, live instruments are definitely prefered. Synths are fine for what they do - my personal tastes in electronic keyboards haven't, unfortunately, made it much past the Hammond B-3. Sample-based software is getting better, though, and for us huddled-in-a-corner-working music composers, it's close enough to the real thing to make it fun!