# Omnisphere 2. A must buy?



## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

I've been meaning to buy Omnisphere 2 for a loooooong time and I was thinking this might be the week I finally pull the trigger with no bills looming over my head for a change. What are people's thoughts on Omnisphere 2 especially with so many Soft synths in existence these days. To me it looks like a beast and being able to import my own audio is a massive draw to me. 

Thoughts? Feelings? Would other things do the same thing? Would love to hear your opinions...


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## Anders Bru (Jul 12, 2017)

It's a beast. What really does it for me is the vast sound-library that comes with it. Metals, strings, voices, sampled synths, buzzing electronics and more, that can be easily manipulated and turned into something cool. It does take some time to get into, but it's well worth it  It's not as "digital" sounding as Serum, but has a lot more "organic" type sounds, that I really like. I think you'll love it!


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## lucor (Jul 12, 2017)

The mustest buy of all must buys, IMO. Hasn't aged a bit, and you could probably continue to write different sounding tracks the rest of your life just with O2.


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## gtrwll (Jul 12, 2017)

I'm pretty sure I haven't produced a single piece without using it since I bought it when it came out.


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## StevenMcDonald (Jul 12, 2017)

gtrwll said:


> I'm pretty sure I haven't produced a single piece without using it since I bought it when it came out.



I came to say this as well.


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

This is what I want to hear. A few people have said everyone sounds the same with it so how true is that? I guess all of us could sound the same if we just used the same presets but I'm interested in the Audio Import. Is it possible to complete twist out my own audio? Play my own audio with a keyboard of iPad?


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## oboemaroni (Jul 12, 2017)

I think it depends what kind of music you're producing, I bought it recently after being persuaded by the Keyscape crossover patches but have hardly used it, can't exactly say why but I find the Omnisphere aesthetic just doesn't gel with what I'm aiming for... In fairness though I've built up such a huge collection of VSTs that I'm completely overwhelmed by options when I'm making a track, and maybe that's another reason why Omnisphere hasn't really broken through for me.


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## Johann F. (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> A few people have said everyone sounds the same with it so how true is that?



That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a while, these people have no idea what they are talking about. Even if you are a preset guy, there over TWELVE THOUSAND sounds to choose. The interface is very intuitive and easy to tweak, so no way "everyone sounds the same with it". No freaking way.

Omnisphere is going to be your most regret-free purchase, trust me.


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## Quasar (Jul 12, 2017)

Anders Bru said:


> It's a beast. What really does it for me is the vast sound-library that comes with it. Metals, strings, voices, sampled synths, buzzing electronics and more, that can be easily manipulated and turned into something cool. It does take some time to get into, but it's well worth it  It's not as "digital" sounding as Serum, but has a lot more "organic" type sounds, that I really like. I think you'll love it!


It takes some time to get into on its deeper levels, but part of the brilliance of Omnisphere 2 is that you have thousands of great sounds out of the box ready to go, so it can be as simple or as complex as you choose. It may be the best designed software package, for any use in any field of endeavor, I've ever seen.

If you're even asking the question, then you should absolutely get this.


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## Ashermusic (Jul 12, 2017)

I don't believe in the "must buy" as a concept, but if there ever is one, it is Omnisphere 2.


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

Johann F. said:


> That's the most ridiculous thing I've heard in a while, these people have no idea what they are talking about. Even if you are a preset guy, there over TWELVE THOUSAND sounds to choose. The interface is very intuitive and easy to tweak, so no way "everyone sounds the same with it". No freaking way.
> 
> Omnisphere is going to be your most regret-free purchase, trust me.



Yes well please don't mistake what I have said as being something I think. If I gave other other people my exact Guitar setup they and I wouldn't play or sound the same so the philosophy is similar.

Sod it. I'm buying it.


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## Quasar (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> ...A few people have said everyone sounds the same with it...


LOL. The only sonic limitation you'll find with O2 is the mortal lifespan of the human being, which isn't nearly enough time to explore all it has to offer.


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## David Chappell (Jul 12, 2017)

It's truly amazing. I was a bit unsure what it was used for at first. Since getting it I don't really use it much as a softsynth, but what it's properly incredible at is the kind of stuff where you think "That's too organic to make in a synth, but I wouldn't know where to find it in a sample library". I've lost count of the amount of times I've thought "How can I make that sound?", and then been able to make it in omnisphere. One of my best purchases for sure.


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)




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## Greg (Jul 12, 2017)

You're gonna really enjoy it! I love the choices of waveforms and how easy it is to try their unique sound design instead of synth waves. Only thing I don't like are a lot of the effects, that's how patches start sounding similar. Be sure to learn how to create projects and manage your sounds so you don't get overwhelmed


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## Parsifal666 (Jul 12, 2017)

(Preparing for the razing)...not if you have and have mastered Zebra/HZ.

Go ahead, folks (taking cover).


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

Zebra and Omnisphere are two different animals and both worthy of being in the tool box. I've been meaning to buy both for a couple of years but the truth is I haven't because I generally make all my own electronic stuff from manipulating my Guitars and other things so just as I go to buy them, I end up having to spend my money on something else. Like a bill or a new Spitfire library. Which reminds me. After I get Zebra, Phobos will be the next one and to be honest, I can't imagine buying another synth unless it's hardware.


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## Living Fossil (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> A few people have said everyone sounds the same with it so how true is that?



In my opinion this statement has to do with the fact that Eric Persing as a master of sound creation for sure has a personal style, which is recognizable as the style of a composer.
(In fact, many of his complex sounds are instant mini compositions that have been used over and over again.)

Still, this statement has not to be true. It depends very much on how one uses the sounds.

Said that, i'm still fine with Omnisphere 1, it's still a goldmine for lots of interesting sounds. 
For sound creation i prefer other synths/samplers, specially Zebra (HZ).


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## Parsifal666 (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Zebra and Omnisphere are two different animals and both worthy of being in the tool box.



I respectfully disagree, once I mastered Zebra I sold Omnisphere, and never needed it since. There was a short cue I was paid to write last year, and the director actually demanded I use Omnisphere . I told him sure, did the cue up with Zebra, and spent my money.

There are differences, however I would venture to say that you could do quite well with one or the other. I have. 

I know quite a few folks who have both and never learned how to use either of them.


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

To borrow a line from HZ,,,,,,,, Omnisphere will buy you a house one day 

I also recommend the Omni Moog Tribute library and down the road don't forget Keyscape patches can be played and programmed in Omni 2.


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

Zebra is definitely the next one. Can't wait. Learn one at a time though otherwise I'll just flirt with this stuff and not master it.


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## Parsifal666 (Jul 12, 2017)

synthpunk said:


> To borrow a line from HZ Omnisphere will buy you a house one day



Forgive me for being dumb, I don't know what that means.


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

Parsifal666 said:


> I respectfully disagree, once I mastered Zebra I sold Omnisphere, and never needed it since. There was a short cue I was paid to write last year, and the director actually demanded I use Omnisphere . I told him sure, did the cue up with Zebra, and spent my money.
> 
> There are differences, however I would venture to say that you could do quite well with one or the other. I have.


Without having ever heard any music from you, despite many asking for a link of something you have done, I'm not really sure what to think of your advice on this. No disrespect intended but how do I know you know what you are talking about without hearing something you have done with either Omnisphere or Zebra? I'm buyin both. Choice is king in my opinion. And different clients want different stuff.


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

synthpunk said:


> To borrow a line from HZ Omnisphere will buy you a house one day


Classic


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

I'm going to torture you a bit and make you think about it. 



Parsifal666 said:


> Forgive me for being dumb, I don't know what that means.


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

Then Diva, Then Pro-1, then Bazille.  Synthmaster is also very good. Make sure you check out the demo versions of both.



jononotbono said:


> Zebra is definitely the next one. Can't wait. Learn one at a time though otherwise I'll just flirt with this stuff and not master it.


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

synthpunk said:


> I'm going to torture you a bit and make you think about it.



That's some harsh stuff going on right here.


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## sostenuto (Jul 12, 2017)

Posting this again ..... but not much can convince of Omni2 capabilities better than series of PluginGuru.com 'Livestream' videos, now available on the site. Incredible power of Omni2 taught/demo'd/uncovered in each of these recent Livestreams. 
'Caveat' .... John is highly talented, but laidback and it's important to not be putoff by his casual style. Live audience (global) is growing quickly and he responds to chat posts as they come in. Huge benefit in recorded versions as one can fast forward as desired !!  

Bottom line .... Omni2 is a powerhouse still being unleashed. Worth checking out IMHO.


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## Johann F. (Jul 12, 2017)

Parsifal666 said:


> Forgive me for being dumb, I don't know what that means.



It took me a few reads to get it lol It's missing a comma


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## Parsifal666 (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Without having ever heard any music from you, despite many asking for a link of something you have done, I'm not really sure what to think of your advice on this. No disrespect intended but how do I know you know what you are talking about without hearing something you have done with either Omnisphere or Zebra? I'm buyin both. Choice is king in my opinion. And different clients want different stuff.



All respect, but what you think of my advice isn't anywhere near as important to me as getting my view out there, so young composers don't rush to buy the most recent gear because it's "new" and "oh dear everyone is buying this". Real concerns.

No one is obligated in the slightest to listen to anything I have to say; if you don't want to take what I say with some measure of faith, it matters little to me. I just want to help, and provide different perspectives. And that's what you do on a forum.

I did expect some enmity when I wrote my original post btw. Take it however you like, hopefully you'll do what's best for your music.


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## Parsifal666 (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> That's some harsh stuff going on right here.



Nah, it was a good one, @synthpunk


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

Parsifal666 said:


> All respect, but what you think of my advice isn't anywhere near as important to me as getting my view out there, so young composers don't rush to buy the most recent gear because it's "new" and "oh dear everyone is buying this". Real concerns.
> 
> No one is obligated in the slightest to listen to anything I have to say; if you don't want to take what I say with some measure of faith, it matters little to me. I just want to help, and provide different perspectives. And that's what you do on a forum.
> 
> I did expect some enmity when I wrote my original post btw. Take it however you like, hopefully you'll do what's best for your music.



I haven't rushed out to buy anything and nor have I ever. The simple fact is, is that you have personally said that you have "Mastered" Zebra. I would like to hear some of your music because that's an amazing synth and if you have mastered it then you must be amazing and I think it would be a very cool thing to share your experience and knowledge. Why would anyone listen to what you have to say based on "Faith". This isn't believing in God. It's music production and when someone says they have mastered something, it really shouldn't be a problem for them to demonstrate their masterful ability. Then people won't listen to your advice based on "faith", they will listen to you based on respect because of what you can do. Take that however you like. I have said or done nothing wrong.


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

Parsifal666 said:


> Nah, it was a good one, @synthpunk


Yeah I was joking.


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## Parsifal666 (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> I haven't rushed out to buy anything and nor have I ever. The simple fact is, is that you have personally said that you have "Mastered" Zebra. I would like to hear some of your music because that's an amazing synth and if you have mastered it then you must be amazing and I think it would be a very cool thing to share your experience and knowledge. Why would anyone listen to what you have to say based on "Faith". This isn't believing in God. It's music production and when someone says they have mastered something, it really shouldn't be a problem for them to demonstrate their masterful ability. Then people won't listen to your advice based on "faith", they will listen to you based on respect because of what you can do. Take that however you like. I have said or done nothing wrong.



I never said you did anything wrong, and I'm both grateful and flattered by your words. However, besides the fact that I happen to like you @jononotbono I think I made a mistake throwing Zebra into this conversation and not concentrating on the plus side of Omnisphere, which indeed is quite a large side of that synth. They're both great, so I'm going to take a powder.

Good day to you, my friend, I hope your greatest masterpieces are ahead of you!


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

Good day to you to! I'll start a thread soon on Zebra. See ya there


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## higgs (Jul 12, 2017)

Just picked up Diva and it's super yummy! Omni + Zebra/HZebra + Diva + Serum = I'm done buying soft synths.

Ahh pffft, who am I trying to fool?


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## sostenuto (Jul 12, 2017)

Parsifal666 said:


> I never said you did anything wrong, and I'm both grateful and flattered by your words. However, besides the fact that I happen to like you @jononotbono I think I made a mistake throwing Zebra into this conversation and not concentrating on the plus side of Omnisphere, which indeed is quite a large side of that synth. They're both great, so I'm going to take a powder.
> 
> Good day to you, my friend, I hope your greatest masterpieces are ahead of you!



No mistake re. Zebra. Little doubt the same longer term time and effort with Omni2 would have resulted in similar 'mastery'. Having BOTH is a great scenario, yet _Yin Yang_ likely enters in at some point. Hard to be 'best' at both, but one surely becomes more a personal fav ?? 
Will add Zebra2 /HZ someday ..... then Omni2 will have to 'share'.  (only 24 hours in a day) .....


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

Are there any recommended walkthroughs on Omnisphere? Thought I'd ask before wading through You tube. Man, I'm so excited I finally own this!


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## Johann F. (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Are there any recommended walkthroughs on Omnisphere? Thought I'd ask before wading through You tube. Man, I'm so excited I finally own this!



music-courses.com and Groove3 tutorials are great!


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## Fleer (Jul 12, 2017)

+1 on Synthmaster and Synthmaster One. Or get the Everything Bundle.
As for Omnisphere 2, gotta love the integration with Keyscape as well.
But do check pluginguru.com as you'll see why it's so special.
His latest packs are just, well, unbelievable.


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## imagegod (Jul 12, 2017)

I compose mainly (but not exclusively) classical music...I could spend a lifetime using just the 'plucks' in Omnisphere...when you need a good harp, there's nothing like a great classical sound library, but the options offered by O2 (specifically but not exclusively with plucks) is breathtaking and has given me options that literally keep me up at night, eager to keep working. Enjoy!


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## rvb (Jul 12, 2017)

synthpunk said:


> Then Diva, Then Pro-1, then Bazille.  Synthmaster is also very good. Make sure you check out the demo versions of both.


Without derailing the thread to much: I just bought synthmaster and it is indeed (for me unexpectedly) very very good, especially considering the price I paid for it!!!


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## oxo (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Are there any recommended walkthroughs on Omnisphere?



https://www.spectrasonics.net/video/videos.php?p=3&f=&q=&InstrumentID=1&VideoTypeID=all


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## sostenuto (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Are there any recommended walkthroughs on Omnisphere? Thought I'd ask before wading through You tube. Man, I'm so excited I finally own this!



Many, many, so to start the fun .... Huge FX capability in Omni2 ! Just for hek-ov'-it
go here: https://www.pluginguru.com/videos/ __ _then_ _ P4 of 13 _ choose 'Distortion Fun with Omnisphere 2' (3rd one over). Bypass John's intro stuff and go to 6:30 on video and to somewhere past 13:00. Lemme kno if it added any _excitement_.


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

Just remember to put it in the correct sub forum this time please Jono, although to be fair Omni is both samples and virtual synth


ps when you guys get sick of this story tell me and I'll stop telling it LOL but did you know Eric offered Atmosphere back in the original days to Roland and Roland's answer was what are we going to do with a piece of software?



jononotbono said:


> Good day to you to! I'll start a thread soon on Zebra. See ya there


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## Mike Fox (Jul 12, 2017)

Dang, this thread is making me want to buy O2! I just bought a Peavey 6505+, and vowed to never buy a sample library again. Have I shot myself in the foot?


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

And if I can please pitch my fellow programmer and friend @Vin patch sets for Omni they just fit music like a glove, he also offers a free set that works with 1/2..
http://midissonance.com/



Fleer said:


> +1 on Synthmaster and Synthmaster One. Or get the Everything Bundle.
> As for Omnisphere 2, gotta love the integration with Keyscape as well.
> But do check pluginguru.com as you'll see why it's so special.
> His latest packs are just, well, unbelievable.


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## dpasdernick (Jul 12, 2017)

I have Omnisphere but have not upgraded to the 2.0 version. The sample input wasn't a big deal for me seeing as, if I recall correctly, you can only have a single sample across the keyboard. Alchemy allowed a multi sample file which allowed you to avoid the stretching issues.

I also thought the upgrade price was a little steep in my opinion. 

I suppose one day I will upgrade but there's just so much out there to consider for the $200 investment especially considering I have most of omnisphere already.


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## Geoff Grace (Jul 12, 2017)

Johann F. said:


> It took me a few reads to get it lol It's missing a comma


A comma can be an important thing! Consider the difference between these two sentences:

"Let's go eat Grandmom."

and

"Let's go eat, Grandmom."

Best,

Geoff


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## Fleer (Jul 12, 2017)

Guess I wouldn't have upgraded to Omnisphere 2 if I had the original, although running custom made sound sources by PlugInGuru does push the envelope. On the other hand, a lot of the sound sources added by Spectrasonics were EDM style patches, which doesn't tickle my fancy.


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

When you grow up on my side of the tracks we eat commas for breakfast 

[QUOTE="Geoff Grace, post: 4110057, member: 3414"]A comma can be an important thing! Consider the difference between these two sentences:

"Let's go eat Grandmom."

and

"Let's go eat, Grandmom."

Best,

Geoff[/QUOTE]


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## sostenuto (Jul 12, 2017)

Fleer said:


> Guess I wouldn't have upgraded to Omnisphere 2 if I had the original, although running custom made sound sources by PlugInGuru does push the envelope. On the other hand, a lot of the sound sources added by Spectrasonics were EDM style patches, which doesn't tickle my fancy.



True ... but THX for The Unfinished, Luftrum, Plughugger, MIDIssonance, Soundescape , et al, who do great work apart from dance .... 
PluginGuru works in areas closely related to EDM, but most Libraries are truly usable across a wide range of genres.


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

Not sure what a guitar amp has to do with Omni but anyways 




mikefox789 said:


> Dang, this thread is making me want to buy O2! I just bought a Peavey 6505+, and vowed to never buy a sample library again. Have I shot myself in the foot?


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## moosethree (Jul 12, 2017)

You can load your own samples, and you can morph sounds in varying ways.


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

I'm loving how generous everyone has been with links and stuff. Thanks so much This is gonna be, and I rarely even mutter this word let alone say it often, an EPIC journey. Ok, I'm in the middle of Decorating a house, covered in Paint and basically on an extended Tea break. I have a lazy question before googling. Can I import sounds I make with my guitar, mangled and twist the hell out of it in Omnisphere and can those parts be playable on a Keyboard controller inside Omnisphere or is that something I map to, for example, Kontakt?


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## Fleer (Jul 12, 2017)

sostenuto said:


> True ... but THX for The Unfinished, Luftrum, Plughugger, MIDIssonance, Soundescape , et al, who do great work apart from dance ....
> PluginGuru works in areas closely related to EDM, but most Libraries are truly usable across a wide range of genres.


Be sure to check those PlugInGuru so-called MegaMagic packs like Dreams, Pads, Bells and Guitars. I'm not into EDM, and I love them!


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## David Chappell (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> I'm loving how generous everyone has been with links and stuff. Thanks so much This is gonna be, and I rarely even mutter this word let alone say it often, an EPIC journey. Ok, I'm in the middle of Decorating a house, covered in Paint and basically on an extended Tea break. I have a lazy question before googling. Can I import sounds I make with my guitar, mangled and twist the hell out of it in Omnisphere and can those parts be playable on a Keyboard controller inside Omnisphere or is that something I map to, for example, Kontakt?


Yes, you can play them within omnisphere, but you can only import/ play one sample at a time which gets pitch shifted accordingly whenever a key is pressed. The reference is middle C, I believe. It's a little primitive, I guess. But you can roughly emulate velocity layers by mapping a little volume & filter cutoff to velocity, and round robins by randomising the sample start position a little.


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

It's limited in this way because Eric has said Omni is not meant to be a sampler. It can lead to varying result. I have not had that much success myself but check out recent soundsets by Vin as I mentioned above (his newest) and also by Pendle he recently did one for Omni using external sound that's quite unique as well. These might show you what is capable.

Funny it must be that time of the year I'm painting our hallway this week as well 



David Chappell said:


> Yes, you can play them within omnisphere, but you can only import/ play one sample at a time which gets pitch shifted accordingly whenever a key is pressed. The reference is middle C, I believe. It's a little primitive, I guess. But you can roughly emulate velocity layers by mapping a little volume & filter cutoff to velocity, and round robins by randomising the sample start position a little.


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## higgs (Jul 12, 2017)

mikefox789 said:


> Have I shot myself in the foot?


Whatever you do, don't look down.


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## Jaap (Jul 12, 2017)

higgs said:


> Just picked up Diva and it's super yummy! Omni + Zebra/HZebra + Diva + Serum = I'm done buying soft synths.
> 
> Ahh pffft, who am I trying to fool?



Yes this, best of all worlds and aim to complete that list Luke  And while you at Omnisphere, be sure to check out some nice presets from @TheUnfinished . Added Colossus 2 to my Omnisphere 2 sounds and it an absolute great adition!


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## Mike Fox (Jul 12, 2017)

synthpunk said:


> Not sure what a guitar amp has to do with Omni but anyways


It has to do with where I've been putting my money. Can't buy'em all.


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

Colossus 2 is..... great.



Jaap said:


> Yes this, best of all worlds and aim to complete that list Luke  And while you at Omnisphere, be sure to check out some nice presets from @TheUnfinished . Added Colossus 2 to my Omnisphere 2 sounds and it an absolute great adition!


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

Buying Omnisphere Feels like I've just opened some kind of sonic Pandora's box. And the kicker, I don't get it till Monday. I love how much love people have for it.


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

This will come in handy for you. Setting up multi output instance of Omni in Cubase. I love having instant access to 8 different single Omni patches when working on a project.

https://www.spectrasonics.net/support/knowledgebase_view_topic.php?id=451&categoryID=85

* note you will have to sign into your spectrasonics account.


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## GonzoFB (Jul 12, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Buying Omnisphere Feels like I've just opened some kind of sonic Pandora's box. And the kicker, I don't get it till Monday. I love how much love people have for it.




It really is a delight. I recommend a separate special money jar for pennies towards O2 expansions for Black Friday


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## jononotbono (Jul 12, 2017)

@Parsifal666

Trying to PM you but it won't let me? Please don't feel like you can't contribute to this thread! You are obviously most welcome to man! In other words, respectfully, give me your Omnisphere tips and tricks


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## jtnyc (Jul 12, 2017)

synthpunk said:


> And if I can please pitch my fellow programmer and friend @Vin patch sets for Omni they just fit music like a glove, he also offers a free set that works with 1/2..
> http://midissonance.com/



I haven't grabbed these yet, but the demos and walkthrough sound fantastic. There are so so many Omni sets out there and TBH I feel like a lot of them cover the same ground over and over again, these sound fresh and crisp (not drowning in reverb). Top stuff. 

I'm not sure what I'm waiting for...


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## creativeforge (Jul 12, 2017)

Am I wrong that most Omni libs today work in Omni 2 ONLY?


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## JonSolo (Jul 12, 2017)

Just to add to the Zebra/Omni discussion. I have both. If I were proficient, I am sure I could do so much more with both. Being a preset pusher, I LOVE having both. I would be lost without either as they make it into most of my productions. Sometimes they are merely a pulse. Other times they are the lead or the backbone of the production. 

You will love Omnisphere. And if you don't have Zebra...get it.


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## sostenuto (Jul 12, 2017)

JonSolo said:


> Just to add to the Zebra/Omni discussion. I have both. If I were proficient, I am sure I could do so much more with both. Being a preset pusher, I LOVE having both. I would be lost without either as they make it into most of my productions. Sometimes they are merely a pulse. Other times they are the lead or the backbone of the production.
> 
> You will love Omnisphere. And if you don't have Zebra...get it.



Kinda guess the answer ...._BUT _how big a deal is HZ at same time? Makes for free Update later, but really wonder how much it adds right up front ??


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

The main attraction of HZ is the lush Diva filters. YMMV.



sostenuto said:


> Kinda guess the answer ...._BUT _how big a deal is HZ at same time? Makes for free Update later, but really wonder how much it adds right up front ??


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## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

I would say most of the new ones are. Many of Matt's The Unfinished Omni soundsets work in Omni1.



creativeforge said:


> Am I wrong that most Omni libs today work in Omni 2 ONLY?


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## creativeforge (Jul 12, 2017)

What in the.... Synthmaster!  I never really looked into this synth.



Does Zebra 2 have sounds like these as presets?


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## rJames (Jul 12, 2017)

Yes.


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## Geoff Grace (Jul 12, 2017)

While I realize Omnisphere is more of a synth than a sampler, I don't think soft synths are exactly in the same ballpark. I don't know of another VI that mixes samples with synthesis so deftly; and because of this, the spectrum of what Omnisphere does well can range from acoustic to synthetic productions and everything in between. I think that's why Omnisphere is so widely used by so many of us.

I've been a user since Atmosphere 1.0, and each version of its evolution to Omnisphere 2 has remained one of the most important plugins in my setup.

Having said that—while Omnisphere 2 is among my top plugins—Diva is my go to VI for getting an analog synth sound. Omnisphere is far more wide-ranging, but Diva does that one thing really well.

Similarly, there are plenty of sample libraries that can claim more realism; but again, that mixture of sampling and synthesis is Omnisphere's forte. The fact that its realism and synthesis are both independently good as well is the icing on the cake. 

Best,

Geoff


----------



## synthpunk (Jul 12, 2017)

I would advise you try the demo version of both and determine which one fits your taste best.



creativeforge said:


> What in the.... Synthmaster!  I never really looked into this synth.
> 
> 
> 
> Does Zebra 2 have sounds like these as presets?


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 13, 2017)

Geoff Grace said:


> While I realize Omnisphere is more of a synth than a sampler, I don't think soft synths are exactly in the same ballpark. I don't know of another VI that mixes samples with synthesis so deftly; and because of this, the spectrum of what Omnisphere does well can range from acoustic to synthetic productions and everything in between. I think that's why Omnisphere is so widely used by so many of us.
> 
> I've been a user since Atmosphere 1.0, and each version of its evolution to Omnisphere 2 has remained one of the most important plugins in my setup.
> 
> ...



This is a great post. I shall look into Diva when I have at least played with O2 for a while as I find having too many things to play wth generally detracts from how good I get with each one. I generally only buy things when a project comes up that is basically calling for it and this approach helps with this type of thing. Monday can't come soon enough.


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 13, 2017)

I just had a thought, what's Omnisphere 2 like with a Seaboard Rise?


----------



## Ned Bouhalassa (Jul 13, 2017)

Omnisphere is my desert-island software synth, as it's so versatile and sounds so good. The FX are some of the best in the biz, and the presets are really well-programmed. New sound sets keep this baby fresh.


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## jononotbono (Jul 13, 2017)

I'm really curious about using my Seaboard Rise with it. This could be the best thing ever!


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## synthpunk (Jul 13, 2017)

https://support.roli.com/article/using-the-seaboard-with-omnisphere/

The plugins that Roli includes with the Seaboards are also very powerful and of course are optimized to work with them. My Roli Block will be hopefully here in August.



jononotbono said:


> I'm really curious about using my Seaboard Rose with it. This could be the best thing ever!


----------



## Vanni (Jul 13, 2017)

Not adding much, but to me O2 is THE single plugin i would choose if i had to choose one and only one. For my use case the reason is very simple:

1- Insanely great presets spanning a universe of genres, and most importantly...
2-...the actual easiness of finding them. It's not only a matter of how many presets are there or the quality of them: O2 browsing is fantastic, and the Sound Lock feature to me was something like a turning point: to use an analogy close to your workflow the increase in usability (for me) was as big as, say, the visibility features of Cubase when dealing with templates (By the way...thanks a lot for your hard work on sharing your Metagrid expertise!).


----------



## Jetzer (Jul 13, 2017)

Question. Is Omnisphere considered 'quicker' vs Zebra? I am fairly quick programming patches (on Zebra), but I don't have many presets other then the HZ ones, when writing for library's or very short deadlines creating 10-20 patches per track sometimes just takes too much time if it needs electronics.


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## sostenuto (Jul 13, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> I'm really curious about using my Seaboard Rise with it. This could be the best thing ever!



_PluginGuru.com_ (John 'Skippy' Lehmkuhl ) just added one a few months back. On a few recent Livestreams, he mentioned it, especially the quietness vs typical MIDI Keyboard/Controllers. Just a few comments re. neat capabilities with its touch/pressure/slide features. His site has a Contact Link and he is usually pretty good about brief responses to questions.


----------



## Reid Rosefelt (Jul 13, 2017)

@jononotbono While you're waiting for your Omnisphere 2 to arrive, I recommend watching this set of 15 brief YouTube videos from That Audio Guy. 
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLGXi4N3sqAnHcWraVYrE6MZngVzaQ64YY

I think it's an excellent intro to the basics of Omnisphere 2... and it's free.


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 13, 2017)

This thread is a gold mine. Thanks everyone. Hurry up Mr Postman!


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 13, 2017)

Vanni said:


> (By the way...thanks a lot for your hard work on sharing your Metagrid expertise!).



Hey man, you're welcome but I'm no expert. I'm just that sad person sitting in the heat of summer trying to work this stuff out!


----------



## creativeforge (Jul 13, 2017)

synthpunk said:


> I would advise you try the demo version of both and determine which one fits your taste best.



I wasn't aware of a demo. Now I need to slow down a bit more. But since then I also made a list of other players on the mat.

- Serum
- Falcon
- Synthmaster
- Sylenth
- Tyrrell
- LuSH 101 (I did get that one on sale)

and there are more I'm sure. 

Still, I find them all to be more Zebra-like, while Omni stands out as a more "rounded" synth for people who don't have the means to get them both. I have Omni 1, to go to Omni 2 is still $250 in Canadian funds. But I'm more and more leaning toward waiting and go for it when the time comes. Zebra was tempting, though, but then again, out of the box, I'd need to get more patches. Omni will see me do this too (TheUnfinished and Luftrum in particular, Synthmaster, I enjoy Stockhausen's stuff too).


----------



## Fleer (Jul 13, 2017)

Aaah, that Synthmaster Everything Bundle!


----------



## creativeforge (Jul 13, 2017)

Hmmm... 


and:


----------



## Jetzer (Jul 14, 2017)

Jesse Heslinga said:


> Question. Is Omnisphere considered 'quicker' vs Zebra? I am fairly quick programming patches (on Zebra), but I don't have many presets other then the HZ ones, when writing for library's or very short deadlines creating 10-20 patches per track sometimes just takes too much time if it needs electronics.



Anyone who wants to chime in on this?


----------



## Vastman (Jul 14, 2017)

I've got all those other "synths" and O2 eats them for lunch. 

I really don't know why this is even a question anymore. As a platform, nothing comes close!


----------



## Living Fossil (Jul 14, 2017)

Vastman said:


> I've got all those other "synths" and O2 eats them for lunch.



Really like Omni, but disagree with this statement.
When it comes to the quality of the filters, u-He and Native Instruments (and probably some others too) have better stuff. If ithat's important for someone, is a personal question of course. For me it is.


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 14, 2017)

Living Fossil said:


> Really like Omni, but disagree with this statement.
> When it comes to the quality of the filters, u-He and Native Instruments (and probably some others too) have better stuff. If ithat's important for someone, is a personal question of course. For me it is.



I love all the Synths in Komplete and Reaktor is just such a fantastic beast. I will check out Uhe, Zebra in particular, as well because so many people seem to love their products. What an amazing time to be alive!


----------



## SoNowWhat? (Jul 14, 2017)

higgs said:


> Just picked up Diva and it's super yummy! Omni + Zebra/HZebra + Diva + Serum = I'm done buying soft synths.
> 
> Ahh pffft, who am I trying to fool?


...you forgot Avenger.


----------



## vicontrolu (Jul 14, 2017)

I hate the loading times on Omni, other than that it's awesome. I guess it all comes with a price


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 14, 2017)

vicontrolu said:


> I hate the loading times on Omni, other than that it's awesome. I guess it all comes with a price



What about having it on an SSD?


----------



## Reid Rosefelt (Jul 14, 2017)

Living Fossil said:


> Really like Omni, but disagree with this statement.
> When it comes to the quality of the filters, u-He and Native Instruments (and probably some others too) have better stuff. If ithat's important for someone, is a personal question of course. For me it is.



But you previously said that you never upgraded to Omnisphere 2, which has 8 new filter types. Perhaps Persing and Co. agreed with you and felt there was room for improvement.

Did you take a test run on Omnisphere 2 and find all the new filters lacking?


----------



## synthpunk (Jul 14, 2017)

My O2 is on a Samsung 840 and it helps allot. Not perfect, but much better than a spinner.



jononotbono said:


> What about having it on an SSD?


----------



## synthpunk (Jul 14, 2017)

After you install Omni and open a instance the first thing you will see is a Check for updates button, make sure you're connected to the internet and Omni will check for any software, sample content, patches updates.


----------



## Living Fossil (Jul 14, 2017)

@TigerTheFrog: In fact, you make an argument. So far, i never had my hands at Omni 2. However, when it came out, i listened to many, many demos (as i was evaluating if i'd go for the update).
Since the filters in Omni 1 had always been something i didn't like, i carefully focused on these when listening to demos and still didn't like them. Don't get me wrong, they are not bad in any way. But as soon as the sound of the filter (-resonance) gets an integral part of the sound, they have something (a touch of plastic maybe) which i don't like that much. While the filters of u-He and those in Reaktor 6 are really sexy.
p.s. if somebody has or know demos which highlight specifically the qualities of the new filters, please post links!


----------



## SoNowWhat? (Jul 14, 2017)

My load times for O2 are excellent. Running off an external SSD. Better than kontakt FWIW.


----------



## Reid Rosefelt (Jul 14, 2017)

When you're looking at a piece of software like Omnisphere 2, you could start with any of there over 10,000 sound sources or drag any piece of audio you want into it. And then you can mess with it in trillions of ways, notably in the envelopes, LFOs, and filters, plus wavetable and granular synthesis And then you can adjust how your various controllers will impact the sound in myriad ways, . There are a ton of effects, including some really unusual ones like Innerspace. Each sound preset can have an A & B component and then you can make Multis, which have up to 8 presets, layered anyway you want. 

So you can do quite a lot. But that doesn't mean that if you want a Zebra 2 type sound, that it might not be a hell of a lot easier to just do it in Zebra 2. 

I only got Omnisphere 2 quite recently. I have largely done two things with it. There are a few patches that I love, like "Glorious Guitars" or the various "Jazz Stacks" and play them for hours at a time. I'm sure these are all corny to all of you guys, but I'm having the time of my life making music with some of these patches. 

The other thing I've done is set up one man band arrangements using multis, using some of the options in PluginGuru's PERCUSSA and OMG and others. It's a lot of fun to set up a beat by hitting one key and then play other sounds on the right side of the keyboard split. 

IMO Omnisphere 2 is popular because you can use it any way you want to--as simple or as complicated. You can just play the presets or you can get deep into programming. As it is based on A & B sounds, it's pretty simple. If I liked the bowed electric guitar layer in "Glorious Guitars" it's no big whoop for me to combine that with any other sound I can think of and make a new preset. A bowed guitar with a piano, for example. That takes a few seconds to do. 

I've also been fascinated (as I've learned from John Lehmkuhl) by the way that envelopes in Omnisphere are not ADSR, but can be really complicated, allowing for trancegate pulses to true weirdness. And you can drag MIDI files into them. Watching PluginGuru videos is a way to gradually learn more about the potential of Omnisphere 2.


----------



## sostenuto (Jul 14, 2017)

TigerTheFrog said:


> When you're looking at a piece of software like Omnisphere 2, you could start with any of there over 10,000 sound sources or drag any piece of audio you want into it. And then you can mess with it in trillions of ways, notably in the envelopes, LFOs, and filters, plus wavetable and granular synthesis And then you can adjust how your various controllers will impact the sound in myriad ways, . There are a ton of effects, including some really unusual ones like Innerspace. Each sound preset can have an A & B component and then you can make Multis, which have up to 8 presets, layered anyway you want.
> 
> So you can do quite a lot. But that doesn't mean that if you want a Zebra 2 type sound, that it might not be a hell of a lot easier to just do it in Zebra 2.
> 
> ...



 Very well stated IMHO ... Would emphasize two major features added after Omni1: User Import and PHR Libraries. For me, PHR Libraries made Upgrade a no-brainer given content breadth, quality ..... cost if purchased separately (https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/index-legacy.php). 

...... _personally_ , would never begin Zebra2 comparison as both are right at the top of proven synth offerings and competent users can do wonders with either / both


----------



## Fleer (Jul 14, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> I love all the Synths in Komplete and Reaktor is just such a fantastic beast. I will check out Uhe, Zebra in particular, as well because so many people seem to love their products. What an amazing time to be alive!


The things you can do with Massive and Reaktor are mind boggling.
Just have a look at this Reaktor clarinet: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/reaktor-community/reaktor-user-library/entry/show/7854/


----------



## synthpunk (Jul 14, 2017)

Want to also recommend the Spectrasonics Omnisphere Moog Tribute Library 800 additional patches for $100 all the funds go to the Bob Moog Foundation/Moog Museum.
https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/tribute/


----------



## Reid Rosefelt (Jul 14, 2017)

The other Spectrasonics instruments work within the Omnisphere ecosystem. You can combine all the sounds in Trilian and Keyscape as sound sources within Omnisphere 2 to make new presets. And when you get Trilian you get the VIP presets and multis
http://vi-control.net/community/threads/omnisphere-new-vip-library-available-now.16315/
and when you get Keyscape you get 1200 patches in the "Keyscape Creative" library.
It wouldn't surprise me to see Spectrasonics come out with more products in the future that showcase other kinds of acoustic instruments, and would include similar preset libraries. So Omnisphere is like Kontakt and Reaktor in that sense, that it is a unique holding area that opens the door to what Spectrasonics and Third Party companies bring out. Most recent PluginGuru libraries, for example, are largely composed from new audio content. 

Although Eric Persing generously put out a ton of content in the Phrase Library as part of Omnisphere 2, he still has a lot of great material after all his years in the business. There's a lot he could add to Omnisphere 3!


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 14, 2017)

Stop telling me all this. You are going to bankrupt me financially and take away years of my life playing with all this stuff!


----------



## vicontrolu (Jul 14, 2017)

SoNowWhat? said:


> My load times for O2 are excellent. Running off an external SSD. Better than kontakt FWIW.



Worst than any non rompler synth, that was my point


----------



## Reid Rosefelt (Jul 14, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Stop telling me all this. You are going to bankrupt me financially and take away years of my life playing with all this stuff!


Trust the force, Luke. You must buy everything that people tell you to on this forum. Today.  

Seriously though, I think I might have saved a few bucks if I had bought Omnisphere long ago. There are a lot of instruments I've paid $15 to $50 for that I might not have. I didn't imagine how satisfying I would find all the acoustic sounds, from guitars to chimes to vocals that are in this thing.


----------



## synthpunk (Jul 14, 2017)

Coming Soon: In 2026  Just After Stylus 2 

I know you like Skippy, but I have to think even John would cringe for you mentioning him in just about every post you make.



TigerTheFrog said:


> Although Eric Persing generously put out a ton of content in the Phrase Library as part of Omnisphere 2, he still has a lot of great material after all his years in the business. There's a lot he could add to Omnisphere 3!


----------



## Reid Rosefelt (Jul 14, 2017)

synthpunk said:


> Coming Soon: In 2026  Just After Stylus 2


You're so right, they really have to do Stylus 2 soon.

Noted. Watch the Lehmkuhl mentions.


----------



## Fleer (Jul 14, 2017)

He's da Guru!


----------



## Geoff Grace (Jul 14, 2017)

TigerTheFrog said:


> Noted. Watch the Lehmkuhl mentions.


But please don't Skip them altogether!

(Sorry. Couldn't resist.)

Best,

Geoff


----------



## SoNowWhat? (Jul 14, 2017)

vicontrolu said:


> Worst than any non rompler synth, that was my point


Sure. But on my system I notice no difference with load times between O2 and the following:
Any of the U-he's that I've tested, Pappen Blue 2, Dune 2, VPS Avenger, Electra 2, Serum or XILS.
This may well come down to individual system or set up but that's been my experience since recently installing O2. Thought it was worthwhile to post my alternative experience. The load times are quite quick enough, it certainly isn't holding me up.


----------



## vicontrolu (Jul 15, 2017)

Not here. Actually hard to believe for me when there are monster patches taking dozens of RAM GBs.Maybe you are using Preview while browsing? That would be cheating


----------



## SoNowWhat? (Jul 15, 2017)

vicontrolu said:


> Not here. Actually hard to believe for me when there are monster patches taking dozens of RAM GBs.Maybe you are using Preview while browsing? That would be cheating


Maybe I haven't hit any of those monster patches yet. That is quite possible as I've not had it for that long.


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## jononotbono (Jul 16, 2017)

Just getting ready for the mailman to deliver this beast tomorrow. Omnisphere 2 looks so incredible!


----------



## TheNorseman (Jul 16, 2017)

I would honestly say that if my parents told me I was only allowed to have one plugin, it would be Omnisphere.


----------



## Ben H (Jul 16, 2017)

TheNorseman said:


> I would honestly say that if my parents told me I was only allowed to have one plugin, it would be Omnisphere.



I would honestly say that if my parents told me I was only allowed to have one plugin, I would find new parents.


----------



## Fleer (Jul 16, 2017)

I would honestly say that if my kids told me I was only allowed to have one plugin, I'd renounce paternity.


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 17, 2017)

The day has finally come to let the excitement fully off the chain!


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 17, 2017)

Man, it's incredible. Words can't describe how much I love it so far.


----------



## synthpunk (Jul 17, 2017)

Now start playing some multi patches and let us know what you think 

Ps don't forget to do your check for updates.



jononotbono said:


> Man, it's incredible. Words can't describe how much I love it so far.


----------



## Vanni (Jul 17, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Man, it's incredible. Words can't describe how much I love it so far.



Looking forward to see what you'll do with Omni & the Seaboard


----------



## AmbientMile (Jul 17, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Man, it's incredible. Words can't describe how much I love it so far.


Don't forget to eat. You can get lost exploring patches for days.


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 17, 2017)

Just had a first play with the Orb on my iPad. I think I'm gonna need to get more iPads!


----------



## GonzoFB (Jul 17, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Just had a first play with the Orb on my iPad. I think I'm gonna need to get more iPads!


Welcome...to the otherside


----------



## synthpunk (Jul 17, 2017)

Very true that's one I forget about because I usually have Logic Remote and or Animoog always on mine. You can find used iPad 2's these days for about $125 usd.



jononotbono said:


> Just had a first play with the Orb on my iPad. I think I'm gonna need to get more iPads!


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 18, 2017)

I've just finished going through the first Omnisphere 2 MacProVideo Tutorial and my eyes are open to the scope of this thing. I love it. I've been wanting some way to drag and drop audio into Kontakt to instantly make my own sounds "playable" and now I know how simple it is with Omnisphere and then be able to use all of its features I'm struggling to understand why I would ever want to use Kontakt for that purpose ever again (unless it's to create my own Sample Libraries). It's truly incredible!


----------



## MisteR (Jul 18, 2017)

If your main goal is to mess around with your own sounds, have you considered Halion, Falcon, and/or Iris?


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 18, 2017)

MisteR said:


> If your main goal is to mess around with your own sounds, have you considered Halion, Falcon, and/or Iris?



It isn't my main goal. Just one of them. And now I have Omnisphere I am set for a very long time.


----------



## synthpunk (Jul 18, 2017)

As long as you're happy with "one" sample, why not.

As you can see from some of CH recent videos he still uses exs24 for custom libraries (ie electric cellos). Probably for a couple reasons 1) familiarity 2) ease of use although I know you're on PC/Cubase I believe.



jononotbono said:


> It isn't my main goal. Just one of them. And now I have Omnisphere I am set for a very long time.


----------



## cmillar (Jul 18, 2017)

Adding in here....I bought Omnisphere 2 last week (...after drooling about it for awhile, I just had to do it.)

My reasons?

- I figured that I'd rather devote my time to really knowing one great program, instead of learning how to work with 10 other software synths that meant learning 10 different ways of doing the same thing that could be done on one great program
- I was becoming a 'master of none'....(being a 'jack of all trades' is good, though!)
- I've wasted money on so many other synths/vst's that have just been collecting 'digital dust'
- I've became accustomed to Eric Persing's 'sound world' through owning a Roland XP80 and JV2080 and the SR-JV sound cards (any of which I will never, never sell!) and I learnt my synth programming and sound design from working with these machines the last 25 years. IMHO, some of my best sounding work is due to the Roland hardware.

I can actually save money now! No more impulse buys on those days when I'm feeling uninspired or dreading turning on the computer and thinking something will be better than my cup of coffee.... Omnisphere will be an endless fountain of exploration......and, I can buy better coffee with the savings!.....'cause I have to stay awake to play through all the presets alone and check out the possibilities!

Actually, buying Omnisphere has made me feel more appreciative of the whole synth/software world. We live in pretty amazing times.

I play live too, and need to integrate Omnisphere into my live projects.....(need more coffee!)


----------



## mc_deli (Jul 19, 2017)

I can't remember who (CH maybe) highlighted keeping Omni sound library on their Mac system drive for fastest browsing/loading FWIW...


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 19, 2017)

mc_deli said:


> I can't remember who (CH maybe) highlighted keeping Omni sound library on their Mac system drive for fastest browsing/loading FWIW...



It was @charlieclouser and it's because the Flash storage in the Mac Pro 6,1 is blazing fast. Something like 1000mbs

At the minute (yes, I'm now 3 days into my Omnisphere adventure and truly lost in it's wonderment) I have it installed on a Samsung 850 Evo plugged internally in a sata 2 Mac Pro 5,1 and the speed is fine for me. Something like 260mbs Anything to increase the speed of samples loading is a good thing.


----------



## mc_deli (Jul 19, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> It was @charlieclouser and it's because the Flash storage in the Mac Pro 6,1 is blazing fast. Something like 1000mbs
> 
> At the minute (yes, I'm now 3 days into my Omnisphere adventure and truly lost in it's wonderment) I have it installed on a Samsung 850 Evo plugged internally in a sata 2 Mac Pro 5,1 and the speed is fine for me. Something like 260mbs Anything to increase the speed of samples loading is a good thing.


My Evo 850 over Usb3 to my rMbp reports 280mbs but Omni (1) loading/browsing is slow... But then I am one impatient funker... At some point I will free up space and move the lib to my internal (790 mbs or something)... Could also be other factors of course... Jealous of O2 extra features I am


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 19, 2017)

Strange. The patches take no longer than a second to load. But then, maybe I haven't uncovered the heaviest of patches yet?


----------



## Reid Rosefelt (Jul 19, 2017)

I have never had any significant issues with load time on any Omnisphere patches. I have a Sandisk SSD on my main drive and my steam directory is on an EVO 850. 

Some of the Keyscape stuff and the more complex Multis load a little slower, but nothing like problems I've had with other libraries.


----------



## AlexanderSchiborr (Jul 19, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> The day has finally come to let the excitement fully off the chain!


hehe  Happy Luke!  Hope you will have good time with the toy


----------



## chimuelo (Jul 19, 2017)

Once you start using Keyscape you'll see load times longer than synth samples/FX.

I don't see any difference for M.2 NVMe Devices over SSD Streaming, except with Omnisphere.
I put the Steam folder on an NVMe M.2.
I load multis with Grand Pianos, Rhodes, synth patches, FX, etc.

My DAWg's must hunt or they're not much use.

Even the slower non throttling M.2s like older Plextors are 30% more random, and reads.
Perfect for Omnisphere/Keyscape and soon to be Stylus.

Congrats.

FWIW I've been doing 808 style rap grooves adding challenging Keyboards and FX.
I'm really seeing how Omni can be a fantastic production tool.

I send the 808 Bass out to a Tube Mixer with hardware DBX Compressor and back into the PC.
I'm booking myself with a local rap crew in Vegas to do some of the Clubs.
Waiting for the SE-02 for the final cog in my Wheel.

Omni has incredible low end.
Reminds me of my old Roland S760s.

Have fun JBo...


----------



## Nils Neumann (Jul 19, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> And now I have Omnisphere I am set for a very long time.


Don't lie to yourself


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 22, 2017)

Is it possible to record the Arpeggiator Midi data onto a midi or instrument track in Cubase? Am I right in thinking as there is no midi output it can't be done? And if so, why not? Being able to record the midi patterns and data would be so valuable.


----------



## sostenuto (Jul 22, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Is it possible to record the Arpeggiator Midi data onto a midi or instrument track in Cubase? Am I right in thinking as there is no midi output it can't be done? And if so, why not? Being able to record the midi patterns and data would be so valuable.



Ask PluginGuru.com _ if he can't help, not many can .... Contact link on his site and fairly good at responding .........


----------



## Quasar (Jul 23, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Is it possible to record the Arpeggiator Midi data onto a midi or instrument track in Cubase? Am I right in thinking as there is no midi output it can't be done? And if so, why not? Being able to record the midi patterns and data would be so valuable.


The ARP patterns don't come out as discrete MIDI events, unfortunately, so I do not see a way to do this... Would be great if we could.


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 24, 2017)

Quasar said:


> The ARP patterns don't come out as discrete MIDI events, unfortunately, so I do not see a way to do this... Would be great if we could.



Yeah, after a couple of days of wondering and asking various people, I realised this last night. Nevermind. It's a small issue in the grand scheme of things.


----------



## Jetzer (Jul 24, 2017)

This thread made me want it even more, just saw I can get 10% off any product at my local store. Getting it now


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## StillLife (Jul 24, 2017)

Which store is that, Jesse? One in the Netherlands?


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## Jetzer (Jul 24, 2017)

Yeah, bax-shop.nl (not local local, but based in The Netherlands)

Thought they where Dutch only, but maybe they've expanded in other countries as well.


----------



## Celestial Aeon (Jul 24, 2017)

I love Omnisphere 2. The price is steep but I got lucky and managed to get a proper discount as I owned the legacy Atmosphere. If you manage to get a discount I think it is a no brainer. The amount of presets it has and the possibilities it gives as a sampling machine are basically endless.


----------



## synthpunk (Jul 24, 2017)

Jono, you can always check in with spectrasonics as well:
[email protected]

To steal a line from Good Will Hunting, those guys are wicked smaht 

[QUOTE="jononotbono, post: 4113891, member: 10180"]Yeah, after a couple of days of wondering and asking various people, I realised this last night. Nevermind. It's a small issue in the grand scheme of things. [/QUOTE]


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 24, 2017)

synthpunk said:


> Jono, you can always check in with spectrasonics as well:
> [email protected]
> 
> To steal a line from Good Will Hunting, those guys are wicked smaht
> ...


[/QUOTE]

I'm now a member of an Omnisphere 2 Facebook group. Becoming a Groupie. They said it wasn't possible but something highly requested. Nevermind. It's fine.

I've been watching "The Unfinished" walkthroughs and yeah, his stuff is great. Am I right in thinking he has made all these patches with existing sounds and synths from Omnisphere 2 and not from his own "sounds"? If so, it just goes to should how versatile Omnisphere 2 is if you know what you are doing! It's actually insane really. I think by the time I buy Zebra as well, my brain is going to explode.


----------



## synthpunk (Jul 24, 2017)

I believe all of Matt's @TheUnfinished Omni sets use the internal sources for his sounds.

I also highly recommend @Vin midissonance and Pendle's Omni sets.



I'm now a member of an Omnisphere 2 Facebook group. Becoming a Groupie. They said it wasn't possible but something highly requested. Nevermind. It's fine.

I've been watching "The Unfinished" walkthroughs and yeah, his stuff is great. Am I right in thinking he has made all these patches with existing sounds and synths from Omnisphere 2 and not from his own "sounds"? If so, it just goes to should how versatile Omnisphere 2 is if you know what you are doing! It's actually insane really. I think by the time I buy Zebra as well, my brain is going to explode.[/QUOTE]


----------



## StillLife (Jul 30, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> I've been wanting some way to drag and drop audio into Kontakt to instantly make my own sounds "playable" and now I know how simple it is with Omnisphere and then be able to use all of its features I'm struggling to understand why I would ever want to use Kontakt for that purpose ever again (unless it's to create my own Sample Libraries). It's truly incredible!


I am a real noob in sampling, but couldn't you do that already (importing audio and make it instantly playable across the keyboard) with Cubase 9's Sample Track?


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 30, 2017)

StillLife said:


> I am a real noob in sampling, but couldn't you do that already (importing audio and make it instantly playable across the keyboard) with Cubase 9's Sample Track?



You can but it's very limited. The Cubase Sampler track is a great way of turning any sound into a "playable" instrument instantly but it doesn't have anywhere near the capabilities of Omnisphere 2 or Kontakt.


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## StillLife (Jul 30, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> You can but it's very limited. The Cubase Sampler track is a great way of turning any sound into a "playable" instrument instantly but it doesn't have anywhere near the capabilities of Omnisphere 2 or Kontakt.


Ah, thank you. Thought it must be something like that. Says a lot of the power of O2 that it makes Cubase, with all its possibillities to use effects to mangle your audio, feel limited in this respect.


----------



## jononotbono (Jul 30, 2017)

StillLife said:


> Ah, thank you. Thought it must be something like that. Says a lot of the power of O2 that it makes Cubase, with all its possibillities to use effects to mangle your audio, feel limited!



Well, I haven't said Cubase is limited, just the Sampler Track compared to Omnisphere and Kontakt.


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## StillLife (Jul 30, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> Well, I haven't said Cubase is limited, just the Sampler Track compared to Omnisphere and Kontakt.


Yes, it was poor wording by me. Just edited my post and added 'in this respect'.


----------



## Eduardo Macedo (Jul 30, 2017)

jononotbono said:


> I've been watching "The Unfinished" walkthroughs and yeah, his stuff is great. Am I right in thinking he has made all these patches with existing sounds and synths from Omnisphere 2 and not from his own "sounds"?



There you go. 

Oct 13, 2015
Colossus only uses the soundsources within Omnisphere 2. No samples of my own making in this release.

May 27, 2016
This *Omnisphere* soundset (Ferox) uses no external audio sources or original samples.

Nov 5, 2016
_Do you use new samples (in Colossus II)?_

No new samples, still having fun with the native soundsources.

Apr 19, 2017
_Matt, did you also use additional sound sources of your own (in Pangaea) or only what is already included in omnisphere?_

Still just the stuff in Omnisphere. There's so much in there, plenty I still haven't used. Not found a convincing reason to start using my own sounds yet, to be honest.


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## jononotbono (Jul 30, 2017)

Eduardo Macedo said:


> Not found a convincing reason to start using my own sounds yet, to be honest.



To create my own stuff that nobody else has is a good enough reason for me. Great to know how vast it is though!


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## moosethree (Jul 31, 2017)

looking at the Unfinished libraries: Colossus, and Pangea (ambient-ethnic), have Horizon series and many if Plugin Guru sounds: I will never reach the depth of what Omnisphere can do.


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## synthpunk (Jul 31, 2017)

Colossus II is awesome sauce. 

Vi-C Controls own. @Vin soundsets are great as well.
http://midissonance.com

The key to all these is that they just fit in the mix like a glove.



moosethree said:


> looking at the Unfinished libraries: Colossus, and Pangea (ambient-ethnic), have Horizon series and many if Plugin Guru sounds: I will never reach the depth of what Omnisphere can do.


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## Jetzer (Aug 5, 2017)

Finally!


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## Vastman (Aug 5, 2017)

Just listen to Skippy's OmniPulse2 live stream, just completed... If you don't get it, there's really no hope for you...


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## sostenuto (Aug 5, 2017)

Vastman said:


> Just listen to Skippy's OmniPulse2 live stream, just completed... If you don't get it, there's really no hope for you...




Well !! ..... it was good; _ hesitate to rank it among his best.
Incredibly talented, generous dude ... _but obviously on his own path_.

(edit) personal comments not useful


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## Vastman (Aug 5, 2017)

You are a bit strange yourself...  don't see what you see at all from his disclosure. Diversity among humans flows from the unique circumstances befalling each of us... And he is embracing his! I love his spirit more than nearly all others I come across....

Another reason if you don't have Omnisphere 2 you just DON'T get it...  There is NO OTHER synthesizer or platform that can do this...


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## sostenuto (Aug 5, 2017)

Vastman said:


> You are a bit strange yourself...  don't see what you see at all from his disclosure. Diversity among humans flows from the unique circumstances befalling each of us... And he is embracing his! I love his spirit more than nearly all over come across....
> 
> Another reason if you don't have Omnisphere 2 you just DON'T get it...




Have had all Spectrasonics (prior to Keyscape) since introduced.
Some of the very best, ever.

(edit) earlier personal comments not relevant


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## Steinmetzify (Aug 5, 2017)

Kind of interested in this. 

Anyone done a track with just this? Everything O2? 

I'm not a synth guy...yet. Don't really understand how they work and have no real interest in learning as of yet, but if this thing is banging with presets and I can layer it then right on. 

Just more focused on piano and The Orchestra and Damage atm...but if this could be used I'll toss it on the list...


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## sostenuto (Aug 5, 2017)

Steinmetzify said:


> Kind of interested in this.
> 
> Anyone done a track with just this? Everything O2?
> 
> ...



One of most capable tools out there, but so many others .... Gets tougher as no demos, compared with say ... u-he.

Personally ....Moving toward The Orchestra, BO_Inspire, Albions.
No question ... capable users can adapt Omni2 to enhance Cinematic, Epic, xxxx .... projects.
Could say same for Zebra2, some others.

Huge list of Spectrasonic, PlugInGuru, other videos ..... to get more exposure.

Piano interests depart notably __ Using IvoryII, NI Komplete11, Addictive Keys, OTS Rosewood Grand, some Spitfire content.


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## jononotbono (Aug 7, 2017)

Ok, so I'm currently writing some music and I just thought I'd have a break and wanted to come on here and say, I love Omnisphere. Still can't believe how great it is! It's never ending.


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## creativeforge (Aug 7, 2017)

Vastman said:


> You are a bit strange yourself...  don't see what you see at all from his disclosure. Diversity among humans flows from the unique circumstances befalling each of us... And he is embracing his! I love his spirit more than nearly all over come across....
> Another reason if you don't have Omnisphere 2 you just DON'T get it...  There is NO OTHER synthesizer or platform that can do this...




I-N-S-A-N-E... !


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## Vastman (Aug 7, 2017)

Steinmetzify said:


> Kind of interested in this.
> 
> Anyone done a track with just this? Everything O2?
> 
> ...




O2 will become the most significant purchase you ever make, bar NONE. Just go to pluginguru's website and look at any of his O2 libraries...LOTs of demos using just that library...it's stunning. Spend some time reviewing his excellent livestreams...ditto...


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## Quasar (Aug 7, 2017)

Vastman said:


> O2 will become the most significant purchase you ever make, bar NONE. Just go to pluginguru's website and look at any of his O2 libraries...LOTs of demos using just that library...it's stunning. Spend some time reviewing his excellent livestreams...ditto...


I dunno. Kontakt and the universe that opened up remains #1 for me, because the faithful emulation of traditional bread-&-butter instruments has primacy for my particular interests. But Omnisphere 2 is #1a or something...

...I agree about Pluginguru, his sound sets and his demos/tutorials. Though some of the EDM focus or whatever is not quite my cup of tea, the creativity is astonishing. I have a few of them and recently got Percussa 1, and it added yet another whole new dimension to an instrument that was already bottomless in terms of depth.


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## Vastman (Aug 7, 2017)

Quasar said:


> I dunno. Kontakt and the universe that opened up remains #1 for me, because the faithful emulation of traditional bread-&-butter instruments has primacy for my particular interests. But Omnisphere 2 is #1a or something...
> 
> ...I agree about Pluginguru, his sound sets and his demos/tutorials. Though some of the EDM focus or whatever is not quite my cup of tea, the creativity is astonishing. I have a few of them and recently got Percussa 1, and it added yet another whole new dimension to an instrument that was already bottomless in terms of depth.


I will agree with the HUGE caveat that Kontakt is a container platform that requires the purchase of very expensive libraries to be of any real use. For example, ive bought a large number of Spitfire and Orchestral tools libararies and EACH ONE OF THESE LIBRARIES is more expensive than Omnisphere! Personally I've spent way over $20K on such libraries...it is fantastic and the bulk of my money has been devoted to filling the Kontakt container. The basic Kontakt library pails in comparison to these libraries and comparing the included library to Omnisphere is, pardon my frankness... laughable! 

O2 is a deeeeep synthesis platform which Kontakt isn't, and it uses samples also... Fundamentally they are VERY different animals... I love Kontakt and yet you have to invest heavily in libraries whereas O2, with modest addition of inexpensive guru libraries, is truely mind-boggling.

I love then both but O2 gives you way more powerful artistic creativity across the realm of music generas for an invested dollar. Both are indespensible but O2 gets you to a universe beyond your imagination for a reasonable price whereas Kontakt will suck you dry for incremental improvements


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## Fleer (Aug 8, 2017)

Also appreciate those new ".omnisphere" files for adding third party patches into Omnisphere 2. 
An let's not forget the Orb on iPad. I regularly do. Forget, that is.


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## Quasar (Aug 8, 2017)

Fleer said:


> Also appreciate those new ".omnisphere" files for adding third party patches into Omnisphere 2.
> An let's not forget the Orb on iPad. I regularly do. Forget, that is.


I've been using TouchOSC for Kontakt libraries, had thought about seeing what might be available specifically for O2, and just found Omni TR at the Apple App Store. Thanks for the suggestion.


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## chasmanian (Aug 8, 2017)

Vastman,
could you please possible recommend a couple Plugin Guru libraries?


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## Ryan99 (Aug 8, 2017)

chasmanian said:


> Vastman,
> could you please possible recommend a couple Plugin Guru libraries?


The recent Percussa is a blast!


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## chasmanian (Aug 8, 2017)

thank you very much Ryan99.
what do you like so much about it?
and could you please possibly say anything about if there are other Plugin Guru libraries that you recommend and why you like them?


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## jtnyc (Aug 8, 2017)

I can highly recommend you take a listen to MIDIssoance's sound sets -* http://midissonance.com *
Really nice stuff -

And Untopia and Pre-Modernist by Sound Dust - http://dulcitone1884.virb.com/omnisphere
These are very creative and different


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## synthpunk (Aug 8, 2017)

+1 finely crafted by member @Vin and Pendle



jtnyc said:


> I can highly recommend you take a listen to MIDIssoance's sound sets -* http://midissonance.com *
> Really nice stuff -
> 
> And Untopia and Pre-Modernist by Sound Dust - http://dulcitone1884.virb.com/omnisphere
> These are very creative and different


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## Quasar (Aug 8, 2017)

jtnyc said:


> I can highly recommend you take a listen to MIDIssoance's sound sets -* http://midissonance.com *
> Really nice stuff -
> 
> And Untopia and Pre-Modernist by Sound Dust - http://dulcitone1884.virb.com/omnisphere
> These are very creative and different


I enthusiastically 2nd the two Sound Dust sets. I have both and think Pendle is sort of an eccentric genius.

The MIDIssoance is new to me. Thanks for the link.


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## Vastman (Aug 9, 2017)

chasmanian said:


> Vastman,
> could you please possible recommend a couple Plugin Guru libraries?


I own every one... what is best or serves your particular needs is for you to decide. Skippy does detailed walkthrus/livestreams on every library so start there.

I would say this... His knowledge of the platform as well as the team he works for, continues to explode exponentially and he freely shares all of this in his vids. If I were to start, I'd just buy the bundle during a sale... every one is amazing!

However, if cash strapped, I'd start with the latest and work backwards...as his skills have evolved... Personally I love so many for so many different reasons it's hard to pinpoint... but Airwave2 is pretty unique if you're into that sort of thing. I love arps so his latest... Perspektiv is just wow! Percussa is a total trip but really, they all are magical in their own ways and NONE are redundant... NONE!!!

And an important point, beyond what these libraries do, is that they add a huge amount of new and unique samples to the platform, which expands the multi universe of possibilities you can concoct by bringing together these and other samples in creating your own combos/multies...

I have to say that while I admire the foundation library, I generally start from the territory paved by the Guru... it's always new, fresh, mindblowing, and fun...and that's just the beginning as you can build on these or deconstruct them into their elements as he is now making each eliment/part available separately to be combined with others for totally original concoctions... this is a lot of work done to do it right for "us"...

Just shut off twitter, facebook, tv/vids and start watching the guru... you'll figure out what you want first... (ha ha... you'll want um all!)


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## chasmanian (Aug 9, 2017)

thank you so much to all of you, that replied.
Vastman, especially humongous thank you.
wow, sounds absolutely fantastic.


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## sostenuto (Aug 9, 2017)

Vastman said:


> I own every one... what is best or serves your particular needs is for you to decide. Skippy does detailed walkthrus/livestreams on every library so start there.
> 
> I would say this... His knowledge of the platform as well as the team he works for, continues to explode exponentially and he freely shares all of this in his vids. If I were to start, I'd just buy the bundle during a sale... every one is amazing!
> 
> ...



I agree with this enthusiastically ... (and also have almost everything John Lehmkuhl has produced). 
_Maybe fair to add_ .... I am a daily User, but not at all into the depth of Omni2 internal magic as many here.
This why the huge range of Spectrasonics videos, PLUS PlugInGuru's many tutorials, walkthroughs, Livestreams, are very important.
Having many top synths, I use Presets heavily to find the sound/characteristics desired, and learn from how Settings have changed. This is not the case with Omni2, as these Settings, Tweaks, FX choices are mostly 'below the surface', and it takes guidance to know where they are and why they are used in various ways.
This is not to criticize, just to set expectations. 

Omni2 is by far the most impressive and capable product of its type on my long list.
Hasten to add ... Zebra2 likely fits right there, but it also demands dedication which has been focused on Omni2.


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## chasmanian (Aug 9, 2017)

"Having many top synths, I use Presets heavily to find the sound/characteristics desired, and learn from how Settings have changed. This is not the case with Omni2, as these Settings, Tweaks, FX choices are mostly 'below the surface', and it takes guidance to know where they are and why they are used in various ways.
This is not to criticize, just to set expectations."
thank you very much for all of that.
how do you like the sounds, right out of the box? that is, without doing anything to them, no tweaking.....


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## sostenuto (Aug 9, 2017)

chasmanian said:


> "Having many top synths, I use Presets heavily to find the sound/characteristics desired, and learn from how Settings have changed. This is not the case with Omni2, as these Settings, Tweaks, FX choices are mostly 'below the surface', and it takes guidance to know where they are and why they are used in various ways.
> This is not to criticize, just to set expectations."
> thank you very much for all of that.
> how do you like the sounds, right out of the box? that is, without doing anything to them, no tweaking.....



For me, having used Omni1 early-on, OOTB sounds were already very impressive and diverse. Eric P was at top of his field and supported by many of the best and most creative artists, worldwide. With Omni2, strong new features were added, but my major attraction to Upgrade was addition of incredible *PHR* Library. If you check through this content, and also check Spectrasonics' Legacy Libraries ___

https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/index-legacy.php

__ you will find an expansive (_and expensive_) list of fabulous recordings such as: Heart of Africa, Heart of Asia, others, which content was made available in Omni2. No way to know how this impacts your needs/interests, but highly valuable for personal projects looking many years ahead.

Look here also (especially down center column for PHR ...

https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/omnisphere/omnisphere-library.php


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## chasmanian (Aug 9, 2017)

thank you again for all of that, sostenuto.


----------



## Fleer (Aug 9, 2017)

Yeah, thanks man, really useful.


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## jononotbono (Feb 22, 2018)

Just spent about 4 hours completely lost in my own world with headphones on and Omnisphere 2. Love it even more since when I bought it through this thread. 

I think I am ready to enter the U-He arena now!


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## creativeforge (Feb 22, 2018)

I love it too, and updated to the standalone version today. Lots of fun and work ahead...  U-He can wait a bit longer until I am fluent enough with Omni.


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## jononotbono (Feb 22, 2018)

creativeforge said:


> I livl it too, and updated to the standalone version today. Lots of fun and work ahead...  U-He can wait a bit longer until I am fluent enough with Omni.



It's a beast. Been messing about with x4 XY Pad/controllers and the iPad app! It's just endless!


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## synthpunk (Feb 22, 2018)

pick up @Vin Midissonance sounds as well. He has a free bank you can start with.


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## Zoot_Rollo (Feb 22, 2018)

jononotbono said:


> Just spent about 4 hours completely lost in my own world with headphones on and Omnisphere 2. Love it even more since when I bought it through this thread.
> 
> I think I am ready to enter the U-He arena now!



Which U-He would that be?


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## jononotbono (Feb 23, 2018)

Zoot_Rollo said:


> Which U-He would that be?



I think it's gonna have to be Zebra next! Time for more brain frying!


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## synthpunk (Feb 23, 2018)

Zebra HZ, the Diva filters are worth it Jono.



jononotbono said:


> I think it's gonna have to be Zebra next! Time for more brain frying!


----------



## PaulBrimstone (Feb 23, 2018)

Not to mention the latest The Unfinished soundsets for Zebra. Very tempting.


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## Henu (Feb 23, 2018)

I finally bit the bullet and bought it from a friend who couldn't use it anymore. Spectrasonics gave green light for the licence transfer and informed how to proceed. I've now waited for three days after paying the licence transfer for it to actually appear in my product list, yet nothing has happened. I sent them email earlier today about this, but it hasn't been yet answered. (which I find understandable as it's only late morning in California right now.)

I wonder if they are they always this slow and uninterested or is this just some weird mojo going on?


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## tehreal (Feb 23, 2018)

jononotbono said:


> Just spent about 4 hours completely lost in my own world with headphones on and Omnisphere 2. Love it even more since when I bought it through this thread.
> 
> I think I am ready to enter the U-He arena now!



Wow, how many hard drives do you own??


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## synthpunk (Feb 23, 2018)

Sometimes I wonder if people here realize 4TB drives are $100 now ? 



tehreal said:


> Wow, how many hard drives do you own??


----------



## MA-Simon (Feb 23, 2018)

synthpunk said:


> Sometimes I wonder if people here realize 4TB drives are $100 now ?


Need to get myself one of those...


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## tehreal (Feb 23, 2018)

synthpunk said:


> Sometimes I wonder if people here realize 4TB drives are $100 now ?



True. I only do SSD though. I've always assumed everything else is too slow. Maybe I should stop assuming that.


----------



## jononotbono (Feb 23, 2018)

tehreal said:


> Wow, how many hard drives do you own??



Well I can't remember how big Omnisphere 2 is but I think it's about 50gb. It's hardly a scratch when it comes to SSD storage. And besides, Omnisphere 2 is that amazing it could have it's own SSD if it needed to in my opinion.


----------



## LFO (Feb 23, 2018)

I didn't read the previous 11 pages of replies, but the answer is yes. Yes, yes, yes.


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## synthpunk (Feb 23, 2018)

Good 250G SSD's well under $100 also as I'm sure you know. But I do not think Omni requires one.



tehreal said:


> True. I only do SSD though. I've always assumed everything else is too slow. Maybe I should stop assuming that.


----------



## VinRice (Feb 23, 2018)

So I've got these fantastic 'analog' soft synths that take up half the processing on my machine and sound glorious. If I need a particular sound I'll spend an hour or so fiddling with those, then, somewhat resentfully, load Omnisphere and find just the right sound in a couple minutes. Damn you Spectrasonics!


----------



## VinRice (Feb 23, 2018)

Jesus Jono, you're fast!


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## Sopranos (Feb 23, 2018)

Not to detail the thread...

What external hard drive is capable of streaming Omnisphere 2? I have a 2012 iMac that could use an external drive for samples. I have an internal 750 flash drive that is about maxed. 

Cheers!


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## jononotbono (Feb 23, 2018)

VinRice said:


> Jesus Jono, you're fast!



Not as fast as an SSD unfortunately.


----------



## synthpunk (Feb 23, 2018)

I would recommend the Samsung T5 portable SSD (Usb 3.0, it also has usb-c you can use if you upgrade down the road). 



Sopranos said:


> Not to detail the thread...
> 
> What external hard drive is capable of streaming Omnisphere 2? I have a 2012 iMac that could use an external drive for samples. I have an internal 750 flash drive that is about maxed.
> 
> Cheers!


----------



## Sopranos (Feb 23, 2018)

synthpunk said:


> I would recommend the Samsung T5 portable SSD (Usb 3.0, it also has usb-c you can use if you upgrade down the road).


Thanks so much!

Is USB fast enough to stream samples from?


----------



## synthpunk (Feb 23, 2018)

Is your Imac the late 2012 13,1 or 13,2 model with USB3 ports ?

Yes, certainly.



Sopranos said:


> Thanks so much!
> 
> Is USB fast enough to stream samples from?


----------



## sazema (Feb 23, 2018)

Sopranos said:


> Thanks so much!
> 
> Is USB fast enough to stream samples from?



I have used long time ago external HDD (USB3) with mac mini and omni samples from there without any issues.


----------



## Daniel James (Feb 23, 2018)

I havn't read the whole thread and i'm sure its been answered. But to the initial question.

One million times, yes.

-DJ


----------



## sostenuto (Feb 23, 2018)

Daniel James said:


> I havn't read the whole thread and i'm sure its been answered. But to the initial question.
> 
> One million times, yes.
> 
> -DJ



Wow! I'm so far at other end of 'capability' spectrum, but so dang happy I chose Omnisphere many years ago.

Main nagging question 'today' is ….. with so many strong & knowledgeable Zebra 2 / Dark Zebra talents out there,
would I have been as pleased having made that initial choice instead ??? 
Will likely add Z2 at some point, but so much more Omni2 learning needed as well …..


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## synthpunk (Feb 23, 2018)

Imagine your a painter...

Omni is about about a million different color tones on your palette

Zebra can supplement and accent the sparkly, warm, fat, dark colors of your palette

make sense ?



sostenuto said:


> Wow! I'm so far at other end of 'capability' spectrum, but so dang happy I chose Omnisphere many years ago.
> 
> Main nagging question 'today' is ….. with so many strong & knowledgeable Zebra 2 / Dark Zebra talents out there,
> would I have been as pleased having made that initial choice instead ???
> Will likely add Z2 at some point, but so much more Omni2 learning needed as well …..


----------



## sostenuto (Feb 23, 2018)

synthpunk said:


> Imagine your a painter...
> 
> Omni is about about a million different color tones on your palette
> 
> ...



Hmmmm …… Sometimes a bit 'slow', but seems 'sparkly, warm, fat, dark' fits well within 'a million different color tones' ?? 
Have almost every Plug/Lib Pluginguru/ever produced, plus several by MIDIssonance, Luftrum, The Unfinished, Plughugger, Ilio ….. and don't feel truly capable with so much available to 'paint' with ….. even following weekly Livestreams . 

No doubts whatever about Zebra2 capabilities ! Just hesitating to add another very capable synth which likely distracts from Omni2 'learning' ….. 
Honestly _dunno_


----------



## synthpunk (Feb 23, 2018)

verbage slightly altered for you above 

this is supposed to be fun and not like getting a root canal
Free test drive, Zebralette
https://www.u-he.com/cms/zebralette



sostenuto said:


> Hmmmm …… Sometimes a bit 'slow', but seems 'sparkly, warm, fat, dark' fits well within 'a million different color tones' ??
> Have almost every Plug/Lib Pluginguru/ever produced, plus several by MIDIssonance, Luftrum, The Unfinished, Plughugger, Ilio ….. and don't feel truly capable with so much available to 'paint' with ….. even following weekly Livestreams .
> 
> No doubts whatever about Zebra2 capabilities ! Just hesitating to add another very capable synth which likely distracts from Omni2 'learning' …..
> Honestly _dunno_


----------



## Leon Portelance (Feb 23, 2018)

I can’t afford it, but I bough Omnisphere 2,


----------



## Geoff Grace (Feb 23, 2018)

U-he also offers Diva and Repro with a traditional subtractive synthesis user interface and the closest sound to analog in the soft synth world. The learning curve is minimal for users with a traditional synth background, and the rewards are great.

As with Omnisphere, third-party soundsets really add to Diva's range. We're a little early into the release cycle to have a huge selection of Repro third-party offerings, however. 

Best,

Geoff


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## sostenuto (Feb 23, 2018)

Leon Portelance said:


> I can’t afford it, but I bough Omnisphere 2,



You have such a _massive _amount of content to explore …. but make sure you check out the incredible PHR library brought in from legacy Spectrasonics !! These are amazing (and pricey) recordings now part of Omni2. 
Not gonna find that elsewhere …...

Enjoy!!


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## sostenuto (Feb 23, 2018)

synthpunk said:


> verbage slightly altered for you above
> 
> this is supposed to be fun and not like getting a root canal
> Free test drive, Zebralette
> https://www.u-he.com/cms/zebralette



Always fun here. Have all u-he demos and purchased Repro-1/5. 
Simple comment made .... _still huge amount of Omnisphere 2 to explore and learn._ 

What are you taking as root canal concerns?


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## Sopranos (Feb 23, 2018)

sostenuto said:


> You have such a _massive _amount of content to explore …. but make sure you check out the incredible PHR library brought in from legacy Spectrasonics !! These are amazing (and pricey) recordings now part of Omni2.
> Not gonna find that elsewhere …...
> 
> Enjoy!!


Sorry, what is PHR library?

Cheers!


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## GtrString (Feb 24, 2018)

Omnisphere is incredibly impressive, and this is partly due to the amazing mixing of the patches. For long I struggled to use the presets in context of my mixes, until I learned to tame the beast.

This is a really helpful video for learning that:


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## sostenuto (Feb 24, 2018)

Sopranos said:


> Sorry, what is PHR library?
> 
> Cheers!



You may have seen this page at Spectrasonics site ? These Libraries are ~~ $100. ea and contain some very cool samples/sounds.
.
https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/index-legacy.php

In Omni*2*, much of this content was added and can be 'searched' .... For example: Patch Browser / Directory / All Then: phr in Search bar. Then choose Human Voices in the Category menu. Lots of 'PHRases' in there from the Legacy Libraries.

Also great Distorted Realty content with distorted in search bar .... then pick Categories and check lower box for Patches. You are likely better _searching_ than I, but with only one word in Search bar, it takes some time.

(edit) Sorry _ one more try ....

https://www.spectrasonics.net/products/omnisphere/omnisphere-library.php

Click on the Library tab and scroll way down in the 2nd column until you see the long list of 'Phrases'.


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## Tjur (Feb 24, 2018)

May I borrow this thread to ask whether the upgrade from Omnisphere 1 to 2 is a must, too, or not? I've owned and used Omnisphere 1 for years and I'm still not tired of it.


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## Henu (Feb 24, 2018)

Henu said:


> I've now waited for three days after paying the licence transfer for it to actually appear in my product list, yet nothing has happened...



Sending email fixed it rather quickly, and I got the software installed earlier today. After fiddling around as a newbie, I really like the sounds but need to dig way deeper to have any sort of better opinion. Everything from Atmosphere and Distorted Reality is an instant win for me anyway, so every time I hit a familiar sound I was really excited, haha!

I was maybe expecting a bit more of multi- patches for instant inspiration (think Korg workstations and combi sounds) but I guess I just need to make my own. And I was supposed to learn those _previously bought_ libraries first....


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## C.R. Rivera (Feb 24, 2018)

Tjur said:


> May I borrow this thread to ask whether the upgrade from Omnisphere 1 to 2 is a must, too, or not? I've owned and used Omnisphere 1 for years and I'm still not tired of it.



I was wondering as well as I have version 1. Does the newer version overwrite the existing presets or does it complement them?

Cheers

CRR


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## Jaap (Feb 24, 2018)

synthpunk said:


> Imagine your a painter...
> 
> Omni is about about a million different color tones on your palette
> 
> ...



I would say Omni 2 is Dali and Zebra 2 + DZ is Van Gogh


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## lpuser (Apr 27, 2018)

I have bought Omnisphere 2 today because I needed High Sierra support and ... somebody should tell Spectrasonics that for a 200 EUR update, it is absolutely insane to demand that the customer has to "backup" the installer files or will be charged with an additional 10$ in case the installer is lost. Yes, Spectrasonics - hard disks can break and backups too.

In my opinion this a very bad way to treat paying customers - Mr. Persing should rethink the way he is doing business and learn from other companies who are charging much less for their products but do actually care about their customers!


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## lumcas (Apr 27, 2018)

lpuser said:


> I have bought Omnisphere 2 today because I needed High Sierra support and ... somebody should tell Spectrasonics that for a 200 EUR update, it is absolutely insane to demand that the customer has to "backup" the installer files or will be charged with an additional 10$ in case the installer is lost. Yes, Spectrasonics - hard disks can break and backups too.
> 
> In my opinion this a very bad way to treat paying customers - Mr. Persing should rethink the way he is doing business and learn from other companies who are charging much less for their products but do actually care about their customers!




Mr. Persing has been in this business for a loooong time and I don't think he's failed, so apparently he's been doing something right. Omni 2 is an AMAZING value for money and if you're really unhappy about anything I'd suggest contacting Spectrasonics support directly, they are usually very responsive because they do care about their customers


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## Quasar (Apr 27, 2018)

lumcas said:


> Mr. Persing has been in this business for a loooong time and I don't think he's failed, so apparently he's been doing something right. Omni 2 is an AMAZING value for money and if you're really unhappy about anything I'd suggest contacting Spectrasonics support directly, they are usually very responsive because they do care about their customers



+1. I'm a chronic complainer, but when it comes to Spectrasonics & Omnisphere 2, I got nuthin'...


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## JonSolo (Apr 27, 2018)

There are several companies that have similar practices. Software has always been an odd thing. On the other side, you can't warranty something forever. IK Multimedia offers downloads for a year. That is better than the warranty on my new big butt 4K TV.


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## lpuser (Apr 28, 2018)

Guys, I appreciate you defending Spectrasonics and that´s fine. I only wanna say that companies like Spitfire, EW, 8DIO and others have systems in place which do not require me to purchase a redownload in case my hard disks fail (which is sadly not uncommon).
Stressing the ONE download over and over and having a document named "User Guide" which is a 20 page description of the EULA and what you are allowed to do or not, does show that there is simply room for improvement, no matter how long a company already exists. So maybe we should just leave it at that


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## KEM (Dec 22, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> For people in the future who are thinking of buying Omnisphere, I would not buy it. It’s a good virtual instrument but is not worth $400. It should be a $200 soft synth and is priced twice what it’s worth. You can get it at guitar center for 20% off the $479 price. I think Arturia V collection is much better and Syntronik is cool too.



I disagree, Omnisphere is well worth it's price, if it was $700 I still would've bought it, I use it on everything I make.


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## Robo Rivard (Dec 22, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> For people in the future who are thinking of buying Omnisphere, I would not buy it. It’s a good virtual instrument but is not worth $400. It should be a $200 soft synth and is priced twice what it’s worth. You can get it at guitar center for 20% off the $479 price. I think Arturia V collection is much better and Syntronik is cool too.


Do you own it ?


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## holywilly (Dec 22, 2019)

To me, Omnisphere 2 is the new Kontakt, there are tons of amazing 3rd party libraries for instant sounds that I have used for many films. Even the stock presets are more than enough across all genres.


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## jononotbono (Dec 22, 2019)

It’s one of the best things I’ve ever bought. I’m not alone on this thought. Why are people tagging me and then advising people not to buy stuff? Weird.


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## shponglefan (Dec 22, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> For people in the future who are thinking of buying Omnisphere, I would not buy it. It’s a good virtual instrument but is not worth $400. It should be a $200 soft synth and is priced twice what it’s worth.



Given the sheer amount of sampled content that comes with Omnisphere, I feel it's well worth the price. Especially given the continued development and extra content the developers keep adding to the base product. The hardware integration with specific h/w synth mappings is especially nice; I don't know why more developers haven't tried that.



> I think Arturia V collection is much better and Syntronik is cool too.



Apples and oranges. The Arturia collection and Syntronik are about recreating virtual versions of specific hardware synths. Omnisphere is an entirely different focus with an emphasis on sampled sound sources, in addition to its synthesis capabilities.


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## sostenuto (Dec 22, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> For people in the future who are thinking of buying Omnisphere, I would not buy it. It’s a good virtual instrument but is not worth $400. It should be a $200 soft synth and is priced twice what it’s worth. You can get it at guitar center for 20% off the $479 price. I think Arturia V collection is much better and Syntronik is cool too.



To each his /her own, but this is as far from reality as is reasonable. I ask as well ... do you own it ? Omni 2.6 depth, updates, massive tutorials, even more massive, quality, 3rd Pty libs, make Omni the best $400. invested in decades. 
Arturia V Collection is a marvelous set of Synths, not truly comparable with Omni 2.6. I have Analog Lab 4, with great content, but nowhere close to what Omni offers. For Arturia V Collection ? ..... sorry ... Keyscape gets my $$$ every day.


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## Fleer (Dec 22, 2019)

I guess he doesn’t own it ...


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## Robo Rivard (Dec 22, 2019)

It's funny, because tonight I was just asking myself : what more products do I need for 2020?... As I've been buying stuff for more that fifteen years, I could only answer : CSW (Cinematic Studio Woodwinds), and 8DIO Century Woodwinds... 

And then I saw that thread, and it reminded me that I always wanted Omnisphere 2.6!... Time to get it!


----------



## Robo Rivard (Dec 22, 2019)

What is the absolute best hardware controller to get the most out of Omnispere 2.6 ?


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## Fleer (Dec 22, 2019)

I’m counting on the upcoming Nord Lead 5


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## chillbot (Dec 22, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> For people in the future who are thinking of buying Omnisphere, I would not buy it. It’s a good virtual instrument but is not worth $400. It should be a $200 soft synth and is priced twice what it’s worth.


What an amazing year old bump by a new member, awesome. Someone said they'd pay $700 for it? Knowing what I know now, I'd easily pay $3k-$4k for it, the price I've paid for a nice hardware synth.


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## Robo Rivard (Dec 22, 2019)

chillbot said:


> What an amazing year old bump by a new member, awesome. Someone said they'd pay $700 for it? Knowing what I know now, I'd easily pay $3k-$4k for it, the price I've paid for a nice hardware synth.


I paid 2700$ for a Yamaha DX7IIFD back in 1988, and I felt like the King of the Universe. I'm sick of snowflakes.


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## Cinebient (Dec 22, 2019)

For me Omnisphere also is still worth the price. It is not my favorite for pure synthesis and the FX are O.K. but not outstanding. It is also not my favorite as hybrid synth in general but the content alone is worth it and especially since i added the Keyscape sound sources, Omnisphere 2 is something i will not miss. But what i especially like is that it is a real performance tool and the .tun file support is important for me as well. Beside that Spectrasonics is a name i still trust which i cannot say about too much developers these days.
BUT.....of topic....WHERE THE HELL IS Stylus RMX v2?!?


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## FinGael (Dec 22, 2019)

Yes.

/thread


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## Braveheart (Dec 23, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> Save your money. I just feel OS2 is not worth more than $200. It’s a good soft synth but not for $400.


You clearly don't know what you're talking about. I have it for years and only scratched the surface. I own many synths and it's always be on the top contenders.


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## MartinH. (Dec 23, 2019)

Mike Fox said:


> Dang, this thread is making me want to buy O2! I just bought a Peavey 6505+, and vowed to never buy a sample library again. Have I shot myself in the foot?



Hey 2019 Mike, what do you think about 2017 Mike's vow now that you probably bought a ton of sample libraries in the meantime? :D


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## Saxer (Dec 23, 2019)

Omni is a flagship. Investment for years. Worth the price.


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## jononotbono (Dec 23, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> I know exactly what I’m talking about.



Cool.


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## Reid Rosefelt (Dec 23, 2019)

Here is a list of some of the movie and TV shows that have used Omnisphere:



Spectrasonics - Film and Television



If you have 20 or 30 years to spare you could find out about the pop, rock, dance, world, electronic, worship, all genres of music that have used it. A lot of hit records.

It is part of a larger sonic ecosystem with Keyscape, Trilian, and probably others to come.

Spectrasonics continues to improve it in major ways, all free since the release of Omni 2.

More than any other virtual instrument, Omnisphere has created an entire industry of people making patches for it, continually exploring new possibilities.

Despite that, when global warming wipes out the planet, we won't have gotten through .00001% of what it can do, because it is that deep. While it comes with a mere 14,000 sounds and 58 FX units, it is infinite, as you can drag your own sounds into it.

Omnisphere is easily the best purchase I've made since I started making music on computers in 1985. My only issue with it is I wish I bought it sooner. I lost a lot of money buying other stuff only to learn to my regret that Omni does it better.


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## jononotbono (Dec 23, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> Here is a list of some of the movie and TV shows that have used Omnisphere:
> 
> 
> 
> ...



The Unfinished Colossus stuff were great investments for me. There's so much stuff for O2. Kind of wish Spectrasonics would just realize a dedicated Hardware synth solely to use O2 on.


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## Braveheart (Dec 23, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> I know exactly what I’m talking about. You clearly either don’t own enough other soft synths, work for Spectrasonics or some dealership or are personally obsessed with OS2 and cannot make objective opinions.


None of the above. I can distinguish the good from the bad and O2 is regularly improving and remains one of the best synths on the market.


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## Mike Fox (Dec 23, 2019)

MartinH. said:


> Hey 2019 Mike, what do you think about 2017 Mike's vow now that you probably bought a ton of sample libraries in the meantime? :D


Bahahahaha!!!!


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## Mike Fox (Dec 23, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> Save your money. I just feel OS2 is not worth more than $200. It’s a good soft synth but not for $400.


With all due respect, this is some terrible advice.

Also, I don't think your continuous trend of necrobumping is necessarily helpful. I'm not trying to be a dick, but people usually don't take longer than a year to make a decision when it comes to buying sample libraries.


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## chimuelo (Dec 23, 2019)

Braveheart said:


> None of the above. I can distinguish the good from the bad and O2 is regularly improving and remains one of the best synths on the market.




I don’t care for Multis, but rather patches. So 2.6 was what I complained about and changeable screen sizes.
That and Keyscape proves why the man who has brought us great hardware and software for 30 years deserves every penny asked.

Also noticed the samples have that hardware sampler quality that blends so well with other players.
PianoTeq has always been beefy, mix their PhysMods with Omnisphere and it’s difficult to use one without the other.
When Omnisphere was a 2 Soundsource synth I needed ZebraHZ to beef it up.
Not anymore.

I’m not looking for anything because I have an SE-02 for Bass and Lead, ZebraHZ and Omnisphere for polyphonic work.
So when somebody says have you tried this I say no, I’m still getting what I need with these Masterpieces.

The addition of Keyscape puts Omnisphere a step ahead too.

Happy Holidays to us, and those like us.


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## jononotbono (Dec 23, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> My only issue with it is I wish I bought it sooner.



Totally. 

For me, and since creating this thread (it's amazing how time flies and how much you can learn - if you apply yourself), my lusting after all sorts of soft synths practically vanished. I obviously bought the main culprits at U-He (Diva, Zebra 2/HZ and Repro) because they are, in my opinion, equally as important as O2 but I just don't have a need for anything else. O2 is fantastic. Worth every penny!


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## shponglefan (Dec 23, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> Here is a list of some of the movie and TV shows that have used Omnisphere:
> 
> Spectrasonics - Film and Television



Ironically, this highlights the one arguable drawback of Omnisphere. Since it's so popular, it's not uncommon to hear its patches used in various soundtracks.


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## shponglefan (Dec 23, 2019)

Iswhatitis said:


> You clearly either don’t own enough other soft synths



Comparable soft synths would be other synths that use similar sampling+synthesis capabilities. Can you honestly name another soft synth with the equivalent sampled content that Omnisphere has?

The closest might be Falcon2, but once you factor in the various soundsets just to start to bring it to par with Omnisphere's content, you've probably surpassed the price of Omnisphere.


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## gsilbers (Dec 23, 2019)

For those who like Omni2 and zebra u guys should look into Arturias pigment2.
The first version was meh but this new release is pretty cool. Has dual granular engine wavetables and normal synth. Plus cool modulations.

Still, the amount of sounds that Omni2 comes w is insane. I’m planning a new Omni2 release w our own samples but w so many onboard options and modulation w effects I doubt it’ll get better.

zebra2 is cool but imo not for the newbies. Unless u rather just get a bunch of genre specific 3rd party soundsets and just tweak a few basic things.


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## dohm (Dec 23, 2019)

I was just going through the Keyscape creative library extras for Omnisphere. What a great library. Omnisphere is a must have, in my opinion. In fact, all the Spectrasonics instruments are worth owning.


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## jononotbono (Dec 23, 2019)

I don't work for Spectrasonics. Just putting that out there in case there's more confusion on the internet today.


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## chillbot (Dec 23, 2019)

TigerTheFrog said:


> Omnisphere is easily the best purchase I've made since I started making music on computers in 1985. My only issue with it is I wish I bought it sooner. I lost a lot of money buying other stuff only to learn to my regret that Omni does it better.


Also every time someone doesn't buy Omnisphere god kills a kitten. And that's really not fair to the kitten, it didn't do anything wrong.


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## I like music (Dec 23, 2019)

jononotbono said:


> I don't work for Spectrasonics. Just putting that out there in case there's more confusion on the internet today.



This user called Staypuft uploaded an Omnisphere 2 demo earlier. It sounded so good I shouted to myself "man, that sounds just like the LSO." Until he uploaded that, I had no idea how good Omnisphere's orchestral patches were.


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## sostenuto (Dec 23, 2019)

MODO Bass versus 'all' of Trilian' ? MODO Bass is very cool, but someone's credibility is sinking fast ! 

Next will likely be a major hit on StylusRMX .... which has amazing capabilities after decades without Update.
That is a serious ask from Spectrasonics ( yet lots if high expectations ) .....


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## Mike Fox (Dec 23, 2019)

jononotbono said:


> I don't work for Spectrasonics. Just putting that out there in case there's more confusion on the internet today.


Are you sure??? I mean, the comment you made about Omnisphere clearly indicates otherwise. There's no other explanation for it!


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## sostenuto (Dec 23, 2019)

I like music said:


> This user called Staypuft uploaded an Omnisphere 2 demo earlier. It sounded so good I shouted to myself "man, that sounds just like the LSO." Until he uploaded that, I had no idea how good Omnisphere's orchestral patches were.



Omni 2 brought cool list of PHR patches as well !


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## novaburst (Dec 23, 2019)

shponglefan said:


> Can you honestly name another soft synth with the equivalent sampled content that Omnisphere has?



I have Omni version 1 and still have not gone very deep into it. Omni has a great quality sound.

I think if i was forced to choose only one synth and i have quite a lot i think Alchemy the PC version would be my synth of choice and i still dont think it can be beaten, i dont know whats happened to it since Apple have taken ownership.

A synth can only help with what type of work you are doing and for the most part we will never require every content a synth has my guess is you will only need a very small part of it because the rest just will not make sense to you or it just want work with what your creating so the content you use will for the most part be very small.

Yes when we are passing time and checking out what the synth can do we say wow so much content but in reality we will never use half the content in our creation and music, and then suddenly the new version comes out, well you know what happens next...........


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## sostenuto (Dec 23, 2019)

novaburst said:


> I have Omni version 1 and still have not gone very deep into it. Omni has a great quality sound.
> 
> I think if i was forced to choose only one synth and i have quite a lot i think Alchemy the PC version would be my synth of choice and i still dont think it can be beaten, i dont know whats happened to it since Apple have taken ownership.
> 
> ...




Omni 2 / 2.5 / 2.6 are major enhancements; well beyond Omni1. Most current comments are likely based on these Updates __ or should factor them in.


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## shponglefan (Dec 23, 2019)

novaburst said:


> I think if i was forced to choose only one synth and i have quite a lot i think Alchemy the PC version would be my synth of choice and i still dont think it can be beaten, i dont know whats happened to it since Apple have taken ownership.



Alchemy is no more (unless you buy Logic Pro). Camel Audio as a company ceased to exist after Apple bought them. Sucks, because I'd always wanted to buy CamelSpace and now it's gone. :/

Back in the day, Alchemy was the most comparable sampler/synth to Omnisphere. Alchemy had the advantage of user imported samples while Omnisphere 1 did not.

This has since changed with Omnisphere 2, as now it allows importing of user samples. Meanwhile, Alchemy is no longer available as an independent VST.



> A synth can only help with what type of work you are doing and for the most part we will never require every content a synth has my guess is you will only need a very small part of it because the rest just will not make sense to you or it just want work with what your creating so the content you use will for the most part be very small.



Oh absolutely, there is far more content in Omnisphere than any one person will ever use. At the same time, that is what makes it so compelling. There is so much content in it that one will never run out of new sounds to play with or new patches to try.


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## novaburst (Dec 23, 2019)

shponglefan said:


> Alchemy is no more. Camel Audio as a company ceased to exist after Apple bought them. Sucks, because I'd always wanted to buy CamelSpace and now it's gone. :/
> 
> Back in the day, Alchemy was the most comparable sampler/synth to Omnisphere. Alchemy had the advantage of user imported samples while Omnisphere 1 did not.
> 
> This has since changed with Omnisphere 2, as now it allows importing of user samples. Meanwhile, Alchemy is no longer available.



So what your saying is Omni are finally doing what Alchemy did a a long time ago, .........Anyway not starting a war.

Truly respect Eric and the guys at Spectroscopic.

I still use the PC version of Alchemy from time to time but more into library's of late.


----------



## chasmanian (Dec 23, 2019)

I was going through some Keyscape Creative patches today.
the Keyboards patches.

Iswhatitis, highly recommend giving some of them a try.
there are some real beauties.


----------



## David Kudell (Dec 23, 2019)

I also remember buying the Roland expansion boards for my XP-50 back in the day and seeing the Spectrasonics logo on the box. Those were some of the best string patches you could find on a keyboard back then.


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## FarleyCZ (Jan 5, 2020)

Let me put a twist on this. I'm not a professional composer. Probably never will be. But I'm a nerd. I love synths. I love to learn about them, to learn all the techniques people developed over the years to get the most from them. I like the joy of taking a simple saw and making a badass patch out of it. May be even fuse it with some creative sampling and so on. I do own Trillian for it's amazing acoustic basses and bass guitars. I've also heard a lot of demos and walkthroughs. I think I get what Omni is about. And yup, the sounds are just beautiful. But they suffer from 2 problems.

1.) There is thousands of great patches, hundered of outstanding patches and tens of mindblowing patches. Usually those ten are the first ones people go use in their songs. I don't even own Omni and I can indentify the frozen pad and the lightbulb patch anywhere. And it's used a lot.

2.) You simply won't learn much. Now, that is not a con for some people. In fact, that is a huge pro for most people, cause you have amazing sampled base to build upon and thousands of great patches for instant use if you don't feel like tweaking. But you're still most of the time creating a form of derivative work. It's derivated from Eric's amazing collection of sounds, but still. You do it, because you can and it's comfy. Without it, you'd be forced to go out with a recorder and make some foley sounds to stuff into your granular synth.

That's the reason I've chosen Falcon in the end. For NOT having the sample library, because that way I'm forced to learn how to make my own. When I'm doing a lightbulb patch, I want it to be my lightbulbs. )

I'm not bashing on anyone who loves Omni. I get it and there are tones of reasons to do so. I'm just in love with making your own sounds, so Falcon made a bit more sense to me actually. And I can't afford both.

So for all the Omni users, if you're still a bit of nerd too, don't forget to drop your own sample into it here or there.


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## 2chris (Jan 5, 2020)

Iswhatitis said:


> Definitely want to get Keyscape. Not sure if it ever goes on sale. I have UVI Keysuite Electric which is good but not as lush and thick of a sound as Keyscape. I wish Keyscape has more pianos and more electric pianos.


The way I found a discount was by using a music store coupon. Spectrasonkcs rarely if ever does deals.


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## 2chris (Jan 8, 2020)

Iswhatitis said:


> Yeah, that’s how I got Omnisphere with a 20% off coupon. I’m hoping Keyscape comes out with a version 2 that doubles the number of instruments and then I’d get it for 20% off if they keep the same price. Thanks.


You never know, because Keyscape came out of nowhere. Originally, I was thinking - what problem is this solving? This is just a sample library of keyboards, and so many companies have done this before. Then I saw play throughs and tried it myself and realized the quality is high enough that the release of the product was indeed warranted.

My money is on them either FINALLY re-doing Trillian or Stylus next, because they are ancient at this point. Omnisphere seems to get the bulk of their time and attention, so that could be next too. I would never guess Keyscape is next, but who knows? They always seem to surprise me.


----------



## Guy Rowland (Jan 8, 2020)

FarleyCZ said:


> 1.) There is thousands of great patches, hundered of outstanding patches and tens of mindblowing patches. Usually those ten are the first ones people go use in their songs. I don't even own Omni and I can indentify the frozen pad and the lightbulb patch anywhere. And it's used a lot.



Oddly, as an Omnisphere user of 10 years or so, I don't know either of the patches you mean. So not sure it really follows that there's only a handful of patches that everyone actually uses. In fact, I usually specifically try to seek out stuff I haven't used before if I'm searching presets, though I can't help but gravitate to a few favourites, which by and large aren't especially showy. I never use the favourite ratings for this very reason.




FarleyCZ said:


> 2.) You simply won't learn much. Now, that is not a con for some people. In fact, that is a huge pro for most people, cause you have amazing sampled base to build upon and thousands of great patches for instant use if you don't feel like tweaking. But you're still most of the time creating a form of derivative work. It's derivated from Eric's amazing collection of sounds, but still. You do it, because you can and it's comfy. Without it, you'd be forced to go out with a recorder and make some foley sounds to stuff into your granular synth.
> 
> That's the reason I've chosen Falcon in the end. For NOT having the sample library, because that way I'm forced to learn how to make my own. When I'm doing a lightbulb patch, I want it to be my lightbulbs. )
> 
> ...



Well different strokes and all that, but I've always found Omnisphere one of the easiest synths to get under the hood with, wheras Falcon looks like raw computer code to me (and I've yet to hear a sound from it that I truly like). Its true that one of Omni's great strengths is that you can just use it as a preset machine if you really want, but then easily scale right from that to total control of everything, and any stage in between. Its a cinch to swap out a soundsource for a custom sample (which, good for me, I've done a fair bit) or wavetable.

It seems that a lot of people see the specs of 60gb of samples and assume all people ever do with it is use factory samples. In fact even in the factory library I think there's around 2-3,000 presets (from memory) that don't use any samples at all.

I think these are the reasons why many of us have it as our first port of synthesis call. It can handle pretty much anything you throw at it, in any way you choose to use it, and be as simple or as complex as you like.

But absolutely different strokes for different folks.


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## Guy Rowland (Jan 8, 2020)

Iswhatitis said:


> Definitely want to get Keyscape. Not sure if it ever goes on sale.



Spectrasonics have never had a sale. The only discounts you ever find tend to be retailer specific, and relatively modest.


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