What workhorse synth would you buy if you couldn't get Omnisphere?

[noiseboyuk]

I'd love to reccommend Falcon, but I just can't. In theory it should be the perfect Omni competitor but it's such a miserable experience even browsing the bloody thing and has such an uninspiring library and workflow that it's best completely avoided imo.

I then thought about Komplete, thinking there's a half price sale due before long. But I think you'd get a lot out of their cinematic instruments, and they're almost entirely in Ultimate. Very not cheap.

Perhaps the best bet therefore is Avenger in the next sale. It's certainly not like-for-like with Omni, but there is a half-decent selection of samples in there and some woweee engines to muck about with them. Pigments could be another option. Both of these are fun to program and use imo, and sound great. Avenger probably does analog better if that matters to you.

[wayford]

Perhaps the best bet therefore is Avenger in the next sale. It's certainly not like-for-like with Omni, but there is a half-decent selection of samples in there and some woweee engines to muck about with them. Pigments could be another option. Both of these are fun to program and use imo, and sound great. Avenger probably does analog better if that matters to you.

Thanks for the suggestion!

Avenger does seem like the perfect synth for me, but the "internet connection needed once in a while to prove license ownership" really bothers me. Where I live, internet connection can be a bit unstable sometimes, so I guess that's a no go for me. And it doesn't feel like you "own it" when you have to authorise it to prove you do several times a year.

[zvenx]

.....

Avenger 2 unfortunately requires internet connection (not frequently, but still), which for me is a no go.

Ahh.. if you said that in your original post, i missed it.

Avenger is the only workstation (which I interpreted your workhorse to be) that can be programmed and has the sound quality of omnisphere to me anyway...
Maybe Korg Triton, though very dated and you can't add your own samples etc..

I personally though I own quite a few of the others (Falcon, Phase Plant, you name it), I don't find they have the sound quality of omnisphere..

I would have suggested nexus but that also needs internet connection at some point and not very programmable..

ymmv.
rsp

[zvenx]

.....
Is there anything which will give me the realistic sounding sampled instruments from Omnisphere? I really wish there was an alternative for that....

For me, Eric is God when it comes to sampling (and sound design etc) but specifically sample content in this convo.
rsp

[zvenx]

Where I live, internet connection can be a bit unstable sometimes, so I guess that's a no go for me. And it doesn't feel like you "own it" when you have to authorise it to prove you do several times a year.

I know Avenger 1.5 and later required internet connection every, was it 30 days or 90 days... does avenger 2 as well?
I am not sure if I know the answer.

What I do, is once in a blue moon, (maybe every month or six weeks, I just click on the button on v whatever it is called and good to go for however long again..
Since your internet is spotty... just do it when you have internet ever so often.
But yeah, does Avenger 2 require the X days sign in?
rsp

[cryophonik]

Alchemy is the next best thing to Omnisphere (or vice-versa) IMO, but it's obviously tied to Logic on a Mac and it's also a different paradigm (but covers/overlaps similar sonic territory as Omni). If you're on a PC, then I can't think of anything else that really comes close to Omni, but I've never used most of the ubersynths (e.g., Falcon, Avenger) mentioned here. If you're on a Mac and not using Logic, that's an option for $199, but Alchemy is tied to Logic and can't be used in other DAWs.

[zvenx]

I never quite got people's love with Alchemy beyond features... I definitely think it sounds quite different from the omnisphere camp.
Omnisphere like Avenger has a hear me roar sound... Alchemy also reminded me of vanilla...
ymmv.
rsp

[wayford]

Alchemy is the next best thing to Omnisphere (or vice-versa) IMO, but it's obviously tied to Logic on a Mac and it's also a different paradigm (but covers/overlaps similar sonic territory as Omni). If you're on a PC, then I can't think of anything else that really comes close to Omni, but I've never used most of the ubersynths (e.g., Falcon, Avenger) mentioned here. If you're on a Mac and not using Logic, that's an option for $199, but Alchemy is tied to Logic and can't be used in other DAWs.

I have a Mac and I'm using Logic. Alchemy...feels much more clunky to me compared to other synths. Hopefully I'm wrong.

I have explored every corner of Logic, except Alchemy, so maybe I shouldn't avoid it and maybe actually give it a try again.

[noiseboyuk]

Avenger does seem like the perfect synth for me, but the "internet connection needed once in a while to prove license ownership" really bothers me. Where I live, internet connection can be a bit unstable sometimes, so I guess that's a no go for me. And it doesn't feel like you "own it" when you have to authorise it to prove you do several times a year.

If your problem is ideological, I can't help you. If it's practical, it's very simple. The authorisation has been done all in the background for me for ages and I haven't had to think about it, but the worst case is you launch the V-Man once in a blue moon and refresh. It's a tiny amount of data.

[Korg Supporter]

Icarus is my go-to (shoutout to Warlock, Gladiator, Rayblaster, and Nemesis), but I also recommend Rob Papen's Blue 3 and Albino 3 Legend. If you have Windows, Viper is awesome!

[egbert101]

Omnisphere uses iLok so you're going to have to go online for that too.

EDIT: Oh my bad they no longer use it.

https://www.spectrasonics.net/support/k ... egoryID=23

[wayford]

Icarus is my go-to (shoutout to Warlock, Gladiator, Rayblaster, and Nemesis), but I also recommend Rob Papen's Blue 3 and Albino 3 Legend. If you have Windows, Viper is awesome!

Thanks for the suggestions, I was the designer for Viper's latest skin, shoutout to Adam Szabo! Very kind person.

[wayford]

Avenger does seem like the perfect synth for me, but the "internet connection needed once in a while to prove license ownership" really bothers me.

If your problem is ideological, I can't help you. If it's practical, it's very simple. The authorisation has been done all in the background for me for ages and I haven't had to think about it, but the worst case is you launch the V-Man once in a blue moon and refresh. It's a tiny amount of data.

I don't mind the activation, Avenger is just also very very expensive for me. I'll try searching for a decent price around here.

[zvenx]

Omnisphere uses iLok so you're going to have to go online for that too.

EDIT: Oh my bad they no longer use it.

https://www.spectrasonics.net/support/k ... egoryID=23

Omnisphere never used ilok..
Eric is very anti dongle.. and has been for quite awhile.
rsp

[el-bo (formerly ebow)]

Alchemy is the next best thing to Omnisphere (or vice-versa) IMO, but it's obviously tied to Logic on a Mac and it's also a different paradigm (but covers/overlaps similar sonic territory as Omni). If you're on a PC, then I can't think of anything else that really comes close to Omni, but I've never used most of the ubersynths (e.g., Falcon, Avenger) mentioned here. If you're on a Mac and not using Logic, that's an option for $199, but Alchemy is tied to Logic and can't be used in other DAWs.

I have a Mac and I'm using Logic. Alchemy...feels much more clunky to me compared to other synths. Hopefully I'm wrong.

I have explored every corner of Logic, except Alchemy, so maybe I shouldn't avoid it and maybe actually give it a try again.

In your shoes, I'd try to get my head 'round Alchemy while saving for Omnisphere.