# Dark Matter 2 - OUT NOW!



## STRING AUDIO (May 29, 2017)

*We’re happy to offer all students and educators 15% off all products!*
*http://www.stringaudio.com/educational*





​
*THE LEGENDARY STRING AUDIO SIGNATURE SOUND POWERED BY OUR MOST INNOVATIVE ENGINE TO DATE.

DARK MATTER 2* is the ultimate tool to create outstanding textures, atmospheres, drones, soundscapes and pulses.

*Dark Matter 2* Engine is divided into five sections: Main, Color, Motion, Effects and Reamp.

*35+GB* of state of the art String Audio original sample material (21GB using Kontakt's lossless sample storage compression).
Almost all sample content of Dark Matter 1 (owners of Dark Matter 1 don't need to re-download it) *plus 15+GB* of brand new sample content  (11GB using Kontakt's lossless sample storage compression).
5000+ high-quality samples.
6 layers.
340+ pre-programmed Snapshots.
Main Engine: Individual layer controls for pitch, volume, pan, solo, mute, effects bypass, layer lock, adsr, layer boost and cut, pan and amp LFO send.
Powerful randomize function.
Dedicated "Motion Engine": Arpeggiator, Pan and Amp LFO.
Dedicated "Color Engine": six separate convolvers, 120+ convolution Impulse Responses, Randomize function.
Dedicated "Effect Engine": skreamer, lo-fi, chorus, tape saturation, delay, chorus and distortion (controlled by the modulation wheel, Randomize function.
Dedicated brand new "Reamp Engine": add punch and saturation to each layer and boost low, mid and hi frequencies.




*PRICE*

*https://www.stringaudio.com/darkmatter2 (DARK MATTER 2): $169

https://www.stringaudio.com/darkmatter2_upgrade (DARK MATTER 2 UPGRADE) $89

TO ALL DARK MATTER 1 OWNERS:*

No impact or any changes to Dark Matter 1 after the installation of Dark Matter 2 you can continue to use Dark Matter 1 as before. Is like having two completely different libraries, the only link between them is that they share part of the samples.

The upgrade process is the easiest ever: you have to just move the downloaded Dark Matter 2 folder inside your existing Dark Matter 1 one, that's it, no renaming or deleting, overwriting of existing file or folders. After this simple installation, you will be able to load both Dark Matter 1 or Dark Matter 2 in Kontakt without any other task to do.
*Minimum System Requirements*
*Requires FULL retail version (sold separately) of Kontakt 5.5.1.*
*This library is NOT supported by the FREE Kontakt Player.
Please refer to Native Instruments website for the latest system compatibilities.*
*



*
*Main Engine






Color Engine






Effect Engine






Reamp Engine





*
Thanks for your support in our libraries!
*
-- 

STRING AUDIO*
Signature Sound Tools
Los Angeles, CA


----------



## pfmusic (May 29, 2017)

Nice one - love Dark Matter 1 so looking forward to trying out 2.

Cheers


----------



## Thorsten Meyer (May 29, 2017)

Dark Matter 2 allows you to generate a variety of different cinematic sounds. Compared to Dark Matter (One) it has added some elements to the interface but still comes with a minimalist look that is easy to use and get's you results fast that sound good.


----------



## Rohann (May 29, 2017)

I'm legitimately considering full Kontakt purely for these synths.


----------



## RCsound (May 29, 2017)

Thanks for the update, it comes to the right moment!.


----------



## jtenney (May 29, 2017)

This looks really interesting. I missed DM1 first time around... One thing I might ask for, is a somewhat more detailed walkthrough that features the sound sources in isolation, so that we could get a better idea of the raw materials.


----------



## Brian2112 (May 29, 2017)

I think the title of this thread should be "No-brainer of the Millennium "
I'm extracting now. I have quite a few $600 plus libraries I would give up before I would give up my String Audio stuff. I think they are the most imaginative and original libraries out there. And yes, it's worth having the Full version of Kontakt just for this. 
..my 2cents


----------



## Iskra (May 30, 2017)

Nice!!!


----------



## STRING AUDIO (May 30, 2017)

jtenney said:


> This looks really interesting. I missed DM1 first time around... One thing I might ask for, is a somewhat more detailed walkthrough that features the sound sources in isolation, so that we could get a better idea of the raw materials.


Soon we will publish a new video about that, with 1 layer in Solo mode and all other 5 muted. Thanks for your interest in our libraries!


----------



## Mornats (May 30, 2017)

Does Dark Matter 2 completely replace Dark Matter? That is, if you buy Dark Matter 2 is there any reason to buy the original too?


----------



## STRING AUDIO (May 30, 2017)

Mornats said:


> Does Dark Matter 2 completely replace Dark Matter? That is, if you buy Dark Matter 2 is there any reason to buy the original too?


Dark Matter 2 include all sample material of Dark Matter 1 + 15GB of brand new samples. Dark Matter 1 has a different engine compared to DM2, for example, is a 4 layers engine compared to the 6 of DM2 and has many other differences so the sounds are similar but not the same. My suggestion is, if you already own DM2, to take a look at http://www.stringaudio.com/alchemist_cinematic_bundle (Alchemist Bundle) that is loaded with completely different sample material.


----------



## sostenuto (May 30, 2017)

STRING AUDIO said:


> Dark Matter 2 include all sample material of Dark Matter 1 + 15GB of brand new samples. Dark Matter 1 has a different engine compared to DM2, for example, is a 4 layers engine compared to the 6 of DM2 and has many other differences so the sounds are similar but not the same. My suggestion is, if you already own DM2, to take a look at http://www.stringaudio.com/alchemist_cinematic_bundle (Alchemist Bundle) that is loaded with completely different sample material.



...... and of course, if one grabs the Bundle NOW, will there be an attractive Upgrade path to DM2 ??
Serious inquiry ... hoping for prompt Reply as Bundle's in me Cart


----------



## STRING AUDIO (May 30, 2017)

jtenney said:


> This looks really interesting. I missed DM1 first time around... One thing I might ask for, is a somewhat more detailed walkthrough that features the sound sources in isolation, so that we could get a better idea of the raw materials.


As promised:


----------



## ChazC (May 31, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> ...... and of course, if one grabs the Bundle NOW, will there be an attractive Upgrade path to DM2 ??
> Serious inquiry ... hoping for prompt Reply as Bundle's in me Cart


I'd be interested in picking up the bundle as well as DM2 if there's an incentive.


----------



## jtenney (May 31, 2017)

STRING AUDIO said:


> As promised:



Thanks very much!


----------



## byzantium (Jun 4, 2017)

@STRING AUDIO Thanks for continuing to upgrade your products, much appreciated. Could you explain a bit more about the Dark Matter 2 upgrade process and outcomes though - in particular the impact of Dark Matter 2 on Dark Matter (1)?

(1) What is the impact of a Dark Matter 2 upgrade installation on an existing Dark Matter installation?

i.e. I presume I can continue to use the original Dark Matter interface and any existing Dark Matter presets or user saved sounds, after installing Dark Matter 2? I don't see this information / confirmed.

(2) If DM2 is sharing sample content from DM1, what does the folder structure look like afterwards?
- The DM2 installation must presume or ask you where DM1 is currently located?
- Does the DM2 nki just sit beside the DM1 nki file folders?
- Does the new sample content for DM2 go into the sample folder for DM1?
(In this case, as my current folder is called 'Dark Matter 1', that would mean that Dark Matter 2 sits inside the Dark Matter 1 folder?)
- Or does DM2 sit entirely separately 'beside' DM1 (and not change anything within DM1) and instead reference into the DM1 sample folder? (by virtue of assuming that it is going to be installed directly beside it?)
- In any case the folder structure for a DM2 upgrade will look different to a DM2 product bought outright.

Thanks.

PS I happened to notice from a user video (I did not notice this in String Audio's videos or see it listed in the official features) that with DM2 you can explicitly choose the sound source for each layer? (Even in the very useful 'Solo' video (and thanks for doing that) the sound sources (if that's the right word) seem to be selected by hitting the Random button(?)). The ability to select them directly (by clicking on the layer button) sounds like be a reasonably-sized and pretty useful feature change/upgrade from DM1. Just incidentally in general it looks like it some of the rationale/thinking with DM2 is to standardise the UI to look and behave similarly to Alchemist (?).

[EDIT - I've just noticed on a re-watch that there is one or two instances of selecting the sound source using the Layer button in the 'Solo' video. Still though, it's very hard to spot, and I'd suggest it would be worth making this useful feature more obvious. Perhaps have a 'Differences between DM1 and DM2' section, and also explain what happens DM1 after a DM2 upgrade. Thanks.


----------



## Thorsten Meyer (Jun 4, 2017)

See here:
http://vi-control.net/community/threads/dark-matter-2-review.62382/#post-4095798



byzantium said:


> @STRING AUDIO Thanks for continuing to upgrade your products, much appreciated. Could you explain a bit more about the Dark Matter 2 upgrade process and outcomes though - in particular the impact of Dark Matter 2 on Dark Matter 1.
> 
> (1) What is the impact of a Dark Matter 2 upgrade installation on a Dark Matter 1 installation?
> 
> ...


----------



## Mornats (Jun 4, 2017)

STRING AUDIO said:


> Dark Matter 2 include all sample material of Dark Matter 1 + 15GB of brand new samples. Dark Matter 1 has a different engine compared to DM2, for example, is a 4 layers engine compared to the 6 of DM2 and has many other differences so the sounds are similar but not the same. My suggestion is, if you already own DM2, to take a look at http://www.stringaudio.com/alchemist_cinematic_bundle (Alchemist Bundle) that is loaded with completely different sample material.



Er, was that a yes or a no?  I don't own any of your libraries and was wondering if I bought DM2 would I ever need to buy DM1 too? Thanks!


----------



## pfmusic (Jun 4, 2017)

Upgraded yesterday and was a little confused too about the DM 1 and 2 crossover in the folders.

Dark Matter 1 is still in the folder and you can still use this when DM 2 is installed within the DM 1 folder.

I am a little confused about the content of Dark Matter 2 - what is new and what is Dark Matter 1?

Overall, Really impressed with the sounds and the endless variations you can create. Well done String Audio!




byzantium said:


> @STRING AUDIO Thanks for continuing to upgrade your products, much appreciated. Could you explain a bit more about the Dark Matter 2 upgrade process and outcomes though - in particular the impact of Dark Matter 2 on Dark Matter (1)?
> 
> (1) What is the impact of a Dark Matter 2 upgrade installation on an existing Dark Matter installation?
> 
> ...


----------



## pfmusic (Jun 4, 2017)

Similar to what others have said about Spitfire Audios BT Phobos synth. It would be a great future update, if you could use your own wav samples in the Dark Matter or Alchemist engine like Omnisphere?

What's your thoughts on this?


----------



## byzantium (Jun 4, 2017)

Thanks pfmusic. 

Thanks for clarifying about DM1 still being available after DM2 upgrade. 

Yes also confused about "what's different" about the content. Apart from the features, which are easier to understand, it's hard to get a feel for what 'sound-wise' is the difference between DM2 and DM1. Unless String Audio could confirm otherwise, it sounds like DM2 may be just more (similarish) variants on the existing set of sound sources that is already within DM1, but you may have more control over them with the newer DM2 features (?).

I think this might go some way to answer (but it's only a guess, unless String Audio could confirm) Mornats question above - i.e. you will probably not need DM1 if you buy DM2 because DM2 has DM1 soundsources, but it uses a different set of manipulators for them, and you will probably be able to get the DM1 sounds out of DM2, but you might have to make them yourself (?). i.e. It is not clear to me if DM2 contains snapshots which provide the same starting sounds as were provided by the DM1 nki files. 

Again this is where a 'Differences between DM2 and DM1' section / explanation would be useful. 



pfmusic said:


> Upgraded yesterday and was a little confused too about the DM 1 and 2 crossover in the folders.
> 
> Dark Matter 1 is still in the folder and you can still use this when DM 2 is installed within the DM 1 folder.
> 
> ...


----------



## pfmusic (Jun 4, 2017)

Yeah byzantium, same thoughts too. I'm positive that String Audio will come back and clarify this.

I had originally thought that the upgrade would have meant overwriting Dark Matter 1 but I'm happy it's still there.
I was wondering how the patches would have worked in the new engine with DM 1 patches only having 4 sound sources and DM2 having 6. Also the new snapshots are named differently to DM 1's

I wonder if new customers get the old DM 1 interface and material with the full DM 2 buy?



byzantium said:


> Thanks pfmusic.
> 
> Thanks for clarifying about DM1 still being available after DM2 upgrade.
> 
> ...


----------



## pfmusic (Jun 4, 2017)

Well I'm off for a few more hours to play with Dark Matter 2 - it's an awesome library!


----------



## byzantium (Jun 4, 2017)

Yep I'm pretty sure String Audio will come back and clarify as well.

Yes that's an interesting idea about including the DM1 interface within the full DM2 product. I doubt that is the case, as that would mean extra work and maintenance for them, plus it may be a bit confusing for users.

However, having said that DM1 is currently still available as a separate product anyway (in terms of maintenance). I guess it depends on whether they will phase out DM1. That may be a question that a potential new DM1 purchaser might have?

Another option might be to provide snapshots (or nkis) within DM2 that mimic the DM1 nkis? That might mean they could possibly technically phase out the DM1 product (but DM1 users might not be so happy to be forced to upgrade). The DM2 DM1 snapshots/nkis would need to be pretty exact to be compatible with users' projects that use DM1. But having said if there was to be full backwards compatibily (or is it forwards) they would also have to allow user DM1 nkis to run on DM2 in the same way, so I think that means you'd be looking at keeping the DM1 interface within DM2.

I guess String Audio may have already gone around all these options and impacts internally in deciding to revamp DM in such a radical way (i.e. moving from nkis to snapshots, more layers/features) so that DM2 is not backwards compatible with DM1.

They'll probably keep both products going for quite some time, but it would be good if String Audio could explain a bit more about about the differences and impacts, and perhaps provide recommendations and future plans for the different user communities:
- those that don't have either DM1 or DM2
- those that have DM1 already




pfmusic said:


> Yeah byzantium, same thoughts too. I'm positive that String Audio will come back and clarify this.
> 
> I had originally thought that the upgrade would have meant overwriting Dark Matter 1 but I'm happy it's still there.
> I was wondering how the patches would have worked in the new engine with DM 1 patches only having 4 sound sources and DM2 having 6. Also the new snapshots are named differently to DM 1's
> ...


----------



## STRING AUDIO (Jun 4, 2017)

Mornats said:


> Er, was that a yes or a no?  I don't own any of your libraries and was wondering if I bought DM2 would I ever need to buy DM1 too? Thanks!


No, you don't need to buy Dark Matter 1, if you buy the full version (not the upgrade) of Dark Matter 2.
Dark Matter 2 contain all the sample content of Dark Matter 1 plus 15GB of brand new sample material. That's why owners of Dark Matter 1 can purchase the discounted "Upgrade" version that contains only the new 15GB of sample material, they don't need to re-download Dark Matter 1 samples.


----------



## STRING AUDIO (Jun 4, 2017)

byzantium said:


> @STRING AUDIO Thanks for continuing to upgrade your products, much appreciated. Could you explain a bit more about the Dark Matter 2 upgrade process and outcomes though - in particular the impact of Dark Matter 2 on Dark Matter (1)?
> 
> (1) What is the impact of a Dark Matter 2 upgrade installation on an existing Dark Matter installation?
> 
> ...


Thanks for your interest in Dark Matter we will try to answer in detail to all your questions:
*(1) What is the impact of a Dark Matter 2 upgrade installation on an existing Dark Matter installation?*
No impact or any changes to DM1 after the installation of DM2 you can continue to use DM1 as before.
Is like having two completely different libraries, the only link between them is that they share part of the samples.
*(2) If DM2 is sharing sample content from DM1, what does the folder structure look like afterward?*
The upgrade process is the easiest ever: you have to just move the downloaded Dark Matter 2 folder inside your existing Dark Matter 1 one, that's it, no renaming or deleting, overwriting of existing file or folders. After this simple installation, you will be able to load both DM1 or DM2 in Kontakt without any other task to do.
*PS I happened to notice from a user video (I did not notice this in String Audio's videos or see it listed in the official features) that with DM2 you can explicitly choose the sound source for each layer?*
Yes absolutely, for each layer you can select with a dedicated menu the sound you want. We will soon publish a detailed video that clearly shows this. Thanks for bringing to our attention that it is not clear in our previous videos.

Hope this help to clarify, please let us know if you have any other questions!


----------



## byzantium (Jun 4, 2017)

Thanks String Audio for coming back so quickly, especially on a Sunday. Great service.


----------



## MillsMixx (Jun 5, 2017)

Honestly what's the difference between Dark Matter 2 and Alchemist Cinematic Textures? 
Yeah, I know one is more atmospheric stuff but to me they look and feel very similar, almost the same.


----------



## STRING AUDIO (Jun 5, 2017)

MillsMixx said:


> Honestly what's the difference between Dark Matter 2 and Alchemist Cinematic Textures?
> Yeah, I know one is more atmospheric stuff but to me they look and feel very similar, almost the same.


Hi thanks for the question. Here are the main differences:

Dark Matter 2 is loaded with more than 21GB of sample material (Alchemist only 7GB) and this make a huge difference is the almost infinite amount of combinations and different sounds you can get from it.
Alchemist is a "sound design" tool perfect to create cinematic textures and soundscapes. With Dark Matter 2 you can create a huge variety of sounds from the most complex evolving soundscapes to a minimal hi pitched sound to a punchy and aggressive pulse. 
Alchemist works better with all 6 layers active (in order to have complex and deep textures), Dark Matter 2 sounds great also when you play only one layer at a time. Here is a 17 minutes preview of single Dark Matter 2 instruments: 


Even if the engines are similar Dark Matter 2 engine is a step beyond compared to Alchemist with a lot of new functions and optimizations. Here are the most important:


Brand new Reamp engine to add punch and saturation to each layer and boost low mid and hi frequencies. This is very useful if for example you want to make “stand out” a layer against the others. As you will hear is not like just simply increasing the volume but is like adding deepness and character to the sound

Now in the Effect Engine you have the possibility to Randomise almost all parameters (this function was missing in Alchemist)

Now from the Main Engine if the “Color” button (just below the RNMD one) is engaged you will randomize also the Color Engine parameters without the need to navigate to that page.
Now to almost all parameters in the Main Engine and in the Color Engine have been pre-assigned a CC# for the MIDI automation. There is a full MIDI LIST in the manual with the name of the parameter and his corresponding CC#
 Hope this can help!


----------



## charlieclouser (Jun 5, 2017)

v2 is a great update for Dark Matter - snapshot mode instead of folders full of separate instruments seems to be the way forward for this type of instrument with tons of internal sample content, and works well in this case. I like.

I used DM v1 all over the 2017 installment in the SAW horror movie franchise, and got v2 just in time to use it on a couple of cues as well. 

As before, highly recommended!


----------



## Rohann (Jun 5, 2017)

charlieclouser said:


> v2 is a great update for Dark Matter - snapshot mode instead of folders full of separate instruments seems to be the way forward for this type of instrument with tons of internal sample content, and works well in this case. I like.
> 
> I used DM v1 all over the 2017 installment in the SAW horror movie franchise, and got v2 just in time to use it on a couple of cues as well.
> 
> As before, highly recommended!


Have to say the professional recommendations for this are what initially intrigued me -- first Inon Zur and Jesper Kyd, now you!

How would you compare its application to something like Omnisphere (or other analogue synths)? Do you find something like this more useful for creating an atmospheric backdrop? It seems like an instrument one would have difficulty growing tired of hearing (nevermind recognize [in a "canned" way] in cues).


----------



## MillsMixx (Jun 5, 2017)

STRING AUDIO said:


> Hi thanks for the question. Here are the main differences:



You sold me. Thanks for the info I'm off to purchase the upgrade and download now. My first thought when this came out was why are us first time loyal supporters/customers being charged so much for an upgrade but now that I see there so much more extra content it's almost like a new instrument. That and the new engine features make it more than worthy. I has so much fun with DM1 as it was my favorite new instrument over the last year and unlike anything out there.


----------



## charlieclouser (Jun 5, 2017)

Rohann said:


> Have to say the professional recommendations for this are what initially intrigued me -- first Inon Zur and Jesper Kyd, now you!
> 
> How would you compare its application to something like Omnisphere (or other analogue synths)? Do you find something like this more useful for creating an atmospheric backdrop? It seems like an instrument one would have difficulty growing tired of hearing (nevermind recognize [in a "canned" way] in cues).



I tend to go for Omnisphere when I "know" what I want - like, I'm thinking, "I want that bowed piano sample with the granular engine messing it up". But I go to Dark Matter when I'm not exactly sure what I need, but I know I want it to be creepy and ambient. It excels at very wet, long-envelope, quasi-acoustic sounds as opposed to "synth" type sounds, for which I tend to go to other plugins.

When I want pulsing type stuff I tend to go elsewhere because I actually don't usually want arpeggiator or sequencer-style repeating note-on events. I prefer having longer ambient sounds processed through stuff to give a pulse, like putting Tantra on an EXS24 and then scrolling through my library of EXS patches until I find a combination I like. The only exception is when I know I want repeating note-on events or something that does sound like an analog synth - in those cases I'm as likely to just use ES2 as I am something from U-He or Arturia. That said, I did use a couple of arpeggiator / sequencer type things from Dark Matter v1 on the latest SAW score, but they were high frequency things with little blips and blobs of sound, not driving bass pulses.

But the inherent sound quality of the sample content in all of the String Audio stuff is quite good and very "finished" sounding, so it's often less of a process than working with Omnisphere or other Kontakt libraries.


----------



## Tinpig (Jun 5, 2017)

I'll echo the love being spread for this instrument, I've used Dark Matter 1 since it's release and have just got V2. The implementation of the Alchemist GUI and controls certainly helps when using this version of Dark Matter and I feel it's pushed the library further in to being a useful creative tool. Things like slightly de-tuning a layer (of which there are six) using a CC controller adds loads of motion and eeriness to a sound. Also there are tons of great presets and the Random button is there for those with sonic OCD, infinite possibilities indeed.
I love it!!


----------



## Rohann (Jun 5, 2017)

Thanks all for the input! This is an exciting release.



charlieclouser said:


> I tend to go for Omnisphere when I "know" what I want - like, I'm thinking, "I want that bowed piano sample with the granular engine messing it up". But I go to Dark Matter when I'm not exactly sure what I need, but I know I want it to be creepy and ambient. It excels at very wet, long-envelope, quasi-acoustic sounds as opposed to "synth" type sounds, for which I tend to go to other plugins.
> 
> When I want pulsing type stuff I tend to go elsewhere because I actually don't usually want arpeggiator or sequencer-style repeating note-on events. I prefer having longer ambient sounds processed through stuff to give a pulse, like putting Tantra on an EXS24 and then scrolling through my library of EXS patches until I find a combination I like. The only exception is when I know I want repeating note-on events or something that does sound like an analog synth - in those cases I'm as likely to just use ES2 as I am something from U-He or Arturia. That said, I did use a couple of arpeggiator / sequencer type things from Dark Matter v1 on the latest SAW score, but they were high frequency things with little blips and blobs of sound, not driving bass pulses.
> 
> But the inherent sound quality of the sample content in all of the String Audio stuff is quite good and very "finished" sounding, so it's often less of a process than working with Omnisphere or other Kontakt libraries.


Thanks for the insight!


----------



## sostenuto (Jun 5, 2017)

This is clearly COMMERCIAL Announcement Thread and I honor that ... but need some pre-purchase concern calmed in terms of String Audio GUI ?? I feel Dark Matter 2 meets many needs interests, but the videos are so different from typical Kontakt5 usage. How do supportive Users feel about their transition when first adopting String Audio libraries ??


----------



## charlieclouser (Jun 5, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> This is clearly COMMERCIAL Announcement Thread and I honor that ... but need some pre-purchase concern calmed in terms of String Audio GUI ?? I feel Dark Matter 2 meets many needs interests, but the videos are so different from typical Kontakt5 usage. How do supportive Users feel about their transition when first adopting String Audio libraries ??



It's all very obvious and self-explanatory. Despite the minimal looking interface, everything is clearly labelled and the purpose of all controls is pretty obvious. 

The only minor issue is that the on/off controls, like for mute, solo, etc. appear grey when off, and black when on - but mousing over them causes them to appear black, to highlight that you have moved the cursor into their active area. This can be slightly confusing - if a control is on, it appears black, so you click it and it turns the control off, but if you let the cursor remain positioned over the control it will still appear black, which can lead you to mistakenly believe that the control is still turned on. Moving the mouse cursor slightly away from the control will let it turn grey again to reveal its true status.

A very minor issue. I prefer the minimal look of the interface to more complex, colorful, and crowded user interfaces.


----------



## byzantium (Jun 5, 2017)

Yes, agree with all the above. No major issues. It took a little bit of getting used to, particularly with the first version of Dark Matter, but with each revision, it got clearer and easier. I would say the GUI is just not an issue in terms of whether to buy this product or not, and you'll probably get to really like it. The GUI is better with Dark Matter 2 than 1 in a number of ways, not least in 2 that you can choose what your sound sources are for each layer (although it might not be immediately obvious that you can (or how) to do this - but it's just by clicking on the layer name), rather than only relying on the random function to do so (which is also good of course).

In my very brief time with it, I actually found only using 1 sound source and muting the rest to be very useful, as with 6 layers it can get very complex very quickly and less 'pure' if that is what you are after. What I'd like to do is to be able to control it more in real-time, and CC-mapping to controls (even just basic volume and EQ) in theory allows all that, but I haven't been able to try out much of that yet.

However, note that it does generally live up to its name, you're not going to find the Carpenters Greatest Hits in here.


----------



## sostenuto (Jun 5, 2017)

charlieclouser said:


> It's all very obvious and self-explanatory. Despite the minimal looking interface, everything is clearly labelled and the purpose of all controls is pretty obvious.
> 
> The only minor issue is that the on/off controls, like for mute, solo, etc. appear grey when off, and black when on - but mousing over them causes them to appear black, to highlight that you have moved the cursor into their active area. This can be slightly confusing - if a control is on, it appears black, so you click it and it turns the control off, but if you let the cursor remain positioned over the control it will still appear black, which can lead you to mistakenly believe that the control is still turned on. Moving the mouse cursor slightly away from the control will let it turn grey again to reveal its true status.
> 
> A very minor issue. I prefer the minimal look of the interface to more complex, colorful, and crowded user interfaces.



Many thanks ! Likely overreacting after recently adding eDNA 01 Earth, Glass and Steel. A bit overwhelming at first, and slim progress so far .... my shortcomings for sure. 

Appreciate the heads-up re. grey/black controls ...

Staggering when first moving to cinematic libraries and trying to sort from so many capable offerings.


----------



## sostenuto (Jun 5, 2017)

byzantium said:


> Yes, agree with all the above. No major issues. It took a little bit of getting used to, particularly with the first version of Dark Matter, but with each revision, it got clearer and easier. I would say the GUI is just not an issue in terms of whether to buy this product or not, and you'll probably get to really like it. The GUI is better with Dark Matter 2 than 1 in a number of ways, not least in 2 that you can choose what your sound sources are for each layer (although it might not be immediately obvious that you can (or how) to do this - but it's just by clicking on the layer name), rather than only relying on the random function to do so (which is also good of course).
> 
> In my very brief time with it, I actually found only using 1 sound source and muting the rest to be very useful, as with 6 layers it can get very complex very quickly and less 'pure' if that is what you are after. What I'd like to do is to be able to control it more in real-time, and CC-mapping to controls (even just basic volume and EQ) in theory allows all that, but I haven't been able to try out much of that yet.
> 
> However, note that it does generally live up to its name, you're not going to find the Carpenters Greatest Hits in here.



THX! The '1 sound source' advice sounds encouraging and working forward from there.


----------



## STRING AUDIO (Jun 7, 2017)

charlieclouser said:


> It's all very obvious and self-explanatory. Despite the minimal looking interface, everything is clearly labelled and the purpose of all controls is pretty obvious.
> 
> The only minor issue is that the on/off controls, like for mute, solo, etc. appear grey when off, and black when on - but mousing over them causes them to appear black, to highlight that you have moved the cursor into their active area. This can be slightly confusing - if a control is on, it appears black, so you click it and it turns the control off, but if you let the cursor remain positioned over the control it will still appear black, which can lead you to mistakenly believe that the control is still turned on. Moving the mouse cursor slightly away from the control will let it turn grey again to reveal its true status.
> 
> A very minor issue. I prefer the minimal look of the interface to more complex, colorful, and crowded user interfaces.


Thanks Charlie good observation we will improve that for sure in the first update of Dark Matter 2!


----------



## MillsMixx (Jun 7, 2017)

STRING AUDIO said:


> Thanks Charlie good observation we will improve that for sure in the first update of Dark Matter 2!



That would be great. yes this has always been my only quibble as this part can get very visually confusing. Because of the cool sparse interface it's really hard to tell if a button is engaged or off . A great idea would be to add one more color like a cool red button for something like that so we know without a doubt it's turned on or off.


----------



## Rohann (Jun 7, 2017)

charlieclouser said:


> I tend to go for Omnisphere when I "know" what I want - like, I'm thinking, "I want that bowed piano sample with the granular engine messing it up". But I go to Dark Matter when I'm not exactly sure what I need, but I know I want it to be creepy and ambient. It excels at very wet, long-envelope, quasi-acoustic sounds as opposed to "synth" type sounds, for which I tend to go to other plugins.
> 
> When I want pulsing type stuff I tend to go elsewhere because I actually don't usually want arpeggiator or sequencer-style repeating note-on events. I prefer having longer ambient sounds processed through stuff to give a pulse, like putting Tantra on an EXS24 and then scrolling through my library of EXS patches until I find a combination I like. The only exception is when I know I want repeating note-on events or something that does sound like an analog synth - in those cases I'm as likely to just use ES2 as I am something from U-He or Arturia. That said, I did use a couple of arpeggiator / sequencer type things from Dark Matter v1 on the latest SAW score, but they were high frequency things with little blips and blobs of sound, not driving bass pulses.
> 
> But the inherent sound quality of the sample content in all of the String Audio stuff is quite good and very "finished" sounding, so it's often less of a process than working with Omnisphere or other Kontakt libraries.


PS -- I noticed you mentioned you'd be picking up Thrill by NI. Do you find the two instruments (Thrill and Dark Matter, if you've had a chance to play with Thrill) overlap, or is Dark Matter (what I suspect) more about evolving atmopsheres and subtlety?


----------



## charlieclouser (Jun 7, 2017)

Rohann said:


> PS -- I noticed you mentioned you'd be picking up Thrill by NI. Do you find the two instruments (Thrill and Dark Matter, if you've had a chance to play with Thrill) overlap, or is Dark Matter (what I suspect) more about evolving atmopsheres and subtlety?



I haven't actually gotten Thrill yet. Maybe this week.


----------



## Rohann (Jun 8, 2017)

Looking forward to your opinion on it, should you choose to share it .



STRING AUDIO said:


> Thanks Charlie good observation we will improve that for sure in the first update of Dark Matter 2!



I'm sold on this library (I'm buying Kontakt for it if that's any indication). However, I'm not sure if finances will check out before the promo is over. Does String Audio typically do periodic sales, i.e. Black Friday, etc?
EDIT: Sorry, just noticed you mentioning you don't flex prices around. I respect that!


----------



## STRING AUDIO (Jun 9, 2017)

Rohann said:


> Looking forward to your opinion on it, should you choose to share it .
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Hi Rohann, we don't plan to do periodic sales (like Black Friday), we only apply discounts during the intro price sale period (Dark Matter 2 will ends soon : June 12) and we apply discounts for bundles.


----------



## pfmusic (Jun 9, 2017)

Love Dark Matter 2 - this new update takes the library to a whole new level.

Excellent work String Audio.

Looking forward to your next library


----------



## Rohann (Jun 9, 2017)

STRING AUDIO said:


> Hi Rohann, we don't plan to do periodic sales (like Black Friday), we only apply discounts during the intro price sale period (Dark Matter 2 will ends soon : June 12) and we apply discounts for bundles.


I respect that; there's nothing more frustrating than buying a library at 20% off after which it goes on sale for 80% off.

Just bought it, looking forward to using it!

EDIT: Re: extraction. I downloaded multiple files, and if I'm not mistaken the instructions say to simply extract the first volume into its desired location, but not others. Does one not need to extract the other .zip files? It's currently shown as 19.1GB.


----------



## markleake (Jun 9, 2017)

Rohann said:


> EDIT: Re: extraction. I downloaded multiple files, and if I'm not mistaken the instructions say to simply extract the first volume into its desired location, but not others. Does one not need to extract the other .zip files?


Hi Rohann, I don't have Dark Matter (I'm seriously looking at purchasing though), but usually the way multiple zip files work like that is extracting the first one actually extracts all of them. They are linked, so you only need to extract one of them.


----------



## STRING AUDIO (Jun 9, 2017)

Rohann said:


> I respect that; there's nothing more frustrating than buying a library at 20% off after which it goes on sale for 80% off.
> 
> Just bought it, looking forward to using it!
> 
> EDIT: Re: extraction. I downloaded multiple files, and if I'm not mistaken the instructions say to simply extract the first volume into its desired location, but not others. Does one not need to extract the other .zip files?


No you have to open only the first file the app will extract all the other files automatically. To decompress the library you will need a ZIP extractor application, we strongly suggest you Keka for Mac and 7-Zip for Pc, they are free and 100% compatible with our ZIP archives.


----------



## Rohann (Jun 9, 2017)

markleake said:


> Hi Rohann, I don't have Dark Matter (I'm seriously looking at purchasing though), but usually the way multiple zip files work like that is extracting the first one actually extracts all of them. They are linked, so you only need to extract one of them.





STRING AUDIO said:


> No you have to open only the first file the app will extract all the other files automatically. To decompress the library you will need a ZIP extractor application, we strongly suggest you Keka for Mac and 7-Zip for Pc, they are free and 100% compatible with our ZIP archives.


Thanks! I haven't encountered a string of zip files before.

I extracted with 7zip and the full extracted file is only 19.1GB -- am I missing any components?


----------



## heisenberg (Jun 12, 2017)

Looking at Dark Matter for the first time. A bit confused now there is a Dark Matter 2. Is Dark Matter 2 an upgraded library or are Dark Matter and Dark Matter 2 completely separate libraries with a similar sound palette?

Hope when I wake up the discount is still valid.


----------



## Rohann (Jun 12, 2017)

heisenberg said:


> Looking at Dark Matter for the first time. A bit confused now there is a Dark Matter 2. Is Dark Matter 2 an upgraded library or are Dark Matter and Dark Matter 2 completely separate libraries with a similar sound palette?
> 
> Hope when I wake up the discount is still valid.


Pretty sure it ends...today?

I think this was answered earlier, but from what I understand DM2 expands on the first library, adds new engines and adds more layers of effects, as well as new samples.


----------



## heisenberg (Jun 13, 2017)

Thanks. Picked them up. Sonority in these libraries is astounding!


----------



## STRING AUDIO (Jun 13, 2017)

heisenberg said:


> Looking at Dark Matter for the first time. A bit confused now there is a Dark Matter 2. Is Dark Matter 2 an upgraded library or are Dark Matter and Dark Matter 2 completely separate libraries with a similar sound palette?
> 
> Hope when I wake up the discount is still valid.


Hello, due to a problem related to the time zone of our servers we have decided to extend the intro price until tomorrow.
DM2 has a completely different engine compared to DM1, the only link between them is that they share part of the samples. DM2 is loaded with almost all the samples of DM1 plus 15GB of brand new samples. Each library has it's own character so It's like having two different libraries.


----------



## colony nofi (Jun 14, 2017)

I picked it up yesterday (I was tossing up between it and Thrill... thrill looks a slightly different beast that I think can wait till KU12!) - and I've just finished downloading this morning. Cannot wait to try it out. 
But I get the feeling its going to be exactly what I'm after!


----------



## Rohann (Jun 14, 2017)

colony nofi said:


> I picked it up yesterday (I was tossing up between it and Thrill... thrill looks a slightly different beast that I think can wait till KU12!) - and I've just finished downloading this morning. Cannot wait to try it out.
> But I get the feeling its going to be exactly what I'm after!


Good choice! DM2's sounds excited me more than Thrill's quite honestly, and I've heard from a number of people that DM2 is considerably more unique in practice after one gets past the novelty of the XY UI in Thrill, though that's obviously subjective.


----------



## Thorsten Meyer (Jun 14, 2017)

Both Thrill and Dark Matter 2 are unique, good choice to go for DM2 )


----------



## mac (Sep 19, 2017)

@STRING AUDIO I understand they share part of the same sample source, but do dark matter 1 and 2 have different presets?


----------



## STRING AUDIO (Sep 19, 2017)

mac said:


> @STRING AUDIO I understand they share part of the same sample source, but do dark matter 1 and 2 have different presets?


Yes, they have completely different presets and because of their different engines is almost like having two different libraries. 
You can listen and preview them here: 

http://www.stringaudio.com/kontakt/darkmatter2
http://www.stringaudio.com/kontakt/darkmatter

DM1 and DM2 are available in a discounted bundle:
https://www.stringaudio.com/bundles/darkmatter_bundle
or in an "upgrade" or "crossgrade" if you already own one of them:
http://www.stringaudio.com/kontakt/darkmatter2_upgrade
http://www.stringaudio.com/kontakt/darkmatter1_crossgrade

Hope this can help!

-- 

STRING AUDIO
Los Angeles, CA


----------



## mac (Sep 19, 2017)

STRING AUDIO said:


> Yes, they have completely different presets and because of their different engines is almost like having two different libraries.
> You can listen and preview them here:
> 
> http://www.stringaudio.com/kontakt/darkmatter2
> ...



Yep, it certainly does, thanks


----------



## sostenuto (Sep 19, 2017)

The DM2 (or Bundle) Crossgrade from LIGHTless is ready to go momentarily ... right ??


----------



## Vastman (Sep 19, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> The DM2 (or Bundle) Crossgrade from LIGHTless is ready to go momentarily ... right ??


Are you expecting to get a BIGGER discount just because u bought LIGHTless?

FWIW, I too bought LIGHTless awhile ago AND just bought the DM and alchemist bundles for the bundle prices... there is NO listed special price for us just because we got LIGHTless...

When I queried them about this they hadn't come up with the everything bundle and have no crossroads system... they told me...

"_Hello, Vastman thanks for your post we are really happy you liked LIGHTless.

Regarding the prices, we try to keep them as low as possible. Please consider that there are on the market single libraries similar to Dark Matter 2 or Alchemist Bundle that cost as (or even more!) that the price of our "everything bundle", and there are 4 libraries in that bundle: Alchemist Textures - Alchemist Impacts - Dark Matter 1 - Dark Matter 2

Are you a student or a teacher/educator? We offer a 15% cut on all libraries (bundles included) in our educational program.

Please let me know, we are musician/composer too and we know how is difficult, we are here to help everybody if is possible_!"


----------



## sostenuto (Sep 19, 2017)

Vastman said:


> Are you expecting to get a BIGGER discount just because u bought LIGHTless?
> 
> FWIW, I too bought LIGHTless awhile ago AND just bought the DM and alchemist bundles for the bundle prices... there is NO listed special price for us just because we got LIGHTless...
> 
> ...



No harm asking AFAIK ..... 

Hopefully LIGHTless will do most of what is desired ...


----------



## STRING AUDIO (Sep 19, 2017)

Vastman said:


> Are you expecting to get a BIGGER discount just because u bought LIGHTless?
> 
> FWIW, I too bought LIGHTless awhile ago AND just bought the DM and alchemist bundles for the bundle prices... there is NO listed special price for us just because we got LIGHTless...
> 
> ...







sostenuto said:


> No harm asking AFAIK .....
> 
> 
> Hopefully LIGHTless will do most of what is desired ...



Hi, thanks for the reply.
This is our discount policy: 

"Our goal is to produce awesome libraries available at the best price and to treat every customer equally.
Almost all our customers have bought the same library or bundle at the same price.
We like to build discounts directly into the prices we publish openly to everyone so there's no guessing or uncertainty around what you're buying and how much it costs.
We prefer to sell our libraries at the right price from the very beginning, instead of selling them at a higher price and then drop the price after one or two months. 
We think is more honest and serious.
We offer discounts during the first two weeks of the release of the library and for the bundles."
We offer a 15% educational discount on all our products and offers, discounted bundles and discounted intro prices included and we think is pretty fair. In this way, a student or educator can reach a 35% - 40% discount on the already discounted Bundles and Intro price offers.

Thanks for your support in our libraries!

-----

STRING AUDIO
Los Angeles, CA


----------



## sostenuto (Sep 19, 2017)

STRING AUDIO said:


> Hi, thanks for the reply.
> This is our discount policy:
> 
> "Our goal is to produce awesome libraries available at the best price and to treat every customer equally.
> ...



Thank-you. 
Early purchaser of LIGHTless and quite pleased todate.


----------



## Vastman (Sep 19, 2017)

STRING AUDIO said:


> Hi, thanks for the reply.
> This is our discount policy:
> 
> "Our goal is to produce awesome libraries available at the best price and to treat every customer equally.
> ...



I luv u guys... Am thrilled to now own all your wonderful libraries and appreciate/respect your approach...

One idea, used by a few of my favorite small developers, is to offer an "update your everything bundle" price to encourage and reward those of us who have purchased all your stuff.

Thanks for your amazing creations!


----------

