Alchemy: Features, discussion e.t.c

[hakey]

Yeah, I get what you're saying, but it's Alchemy's first video, there's obviously more to come - looks similar to the Omnisphere teaser campaign (I think the first of Spectrasonics vids was pretty much devoid of hard facts), but hopefully without the bombast and high fromage content.

[neverfall]

Spectrasonics iz de besst!!!!

Siriusly.

[bmanic]

On a pure "synthesis" power scale Omnisphere is definitely up there with the most complex beasts (Alchemy also).

Anyhow, it'll be impossible to compare these two as Omnisphere will not have a demo available. Perhaps in a music shop it would be possible to try these against each other and see which one suits you better.

My money is on Omnisphere, mainly because I know Eric has a huge amount of experience and that means a lot. You cannot "buy" experience or achieve it in any other way than through life. The fact that he has created the content for a rather large bunch of hardware workstations that I have either owned or still own, is a big plus in my book. It makes it easier to "guess" what kind of sounds omnisphere is capable of. Especially when he talks about finally being able to create that dream synthesizer without any real limits (except custom sample loading, which is a big omission). Now if they would only license the filters from FabFilter I'd be a 100% happy camper.

Cheers!
bManic

[kuniklo]

Hard to say much with so little information available at this point. I'm inclined to favor Alchemy because I think Camel audio caters more to my tastes and musical styles and I'm very impressed with the specs and UI but I guess we'll know a lot more on Monday.

Honestly though I haven't been that impressed by the sounds I've heard coming out of either one so far. The Alchemy demos have a grainy, plastic quality that puts me off and the Omnisphere sounds are overproduced stuff that would be great in a soundtrack but have no place in my music.

[instred]

Makes me wonder, if Cakewalks new Synth that was to come out at Winter NAMM 08 was but on hold after Cakewalk so Omnisphere demo. I'm thinking yes, hey we can add those features. Could be an interesting fall for sure. Alchemy looks very interesting to me cause I have Rapture, Dim Pro and being able to load all those SFZ's into it seems unlimited potential.

my .02cents worth
Ed

[pdxindy]

Let's just wait until both products have shipped?

That would be the sensible option, but it wouldn't be any fun.

Anyway, even once they're both shipped it'll still be arguments based upon nothing more than subjective opinions.

BTW, If musicians only care about 'information regarding the product and sound examples' then there's obviously no need for those videos - just post a spec sheet and some audio samples. Spectrasonics obviously decided that the teaser campaign and videos would be good marketing. I think they were probably right - they have managed to generate a great deal of interest including this post.

Much of the speculation I've read in threads here is of the 'OMG this is major advance in the history of western civilisation' hyperbole. Maybe I'm in a minority, and rationally I shouldn't allow my dislike of such hype and those cheesey vids to prejudice my view of Omnisphere, but I can't help and it does.

But if you compare Omnisphere's teaser videos to Alchemy's, then you can clearly see where one is done to inform the public about a product, where the other is basically completely devoid of any information whatsoever. That's what I mean--go ahead and be entertaining if you want, but at least be informative too. Of course they'll release more videos later, but what's the point of doing a video that contains zero information whatsoever? Shouldn't each video promo you do present a bit of information other than the name of the product?

Ha! The Omnisphere videos say almost nothing... And they have been putting them out for months. The Alchemy video is recently out and followed by a solid spec list which you can go read on their website.

[pdxindy]

On a pure "synthesis" power scale Omnisphere is definitely up there with the most complex beasts (Alchemy also).

Anyhow, it'll be impossible to compare these two as Omnisphere will not have a demo available.

It is the lack of a demo that means Omnisphere will not even be on my 'interested to purchase list'. That and no sample import lost my interest.

[setAI]

COME ON!

sure- Alchemy looks and sounds like it will be an amazing synth- but it's sound is no more amazing than other Camel products or something like Melohman or Zebra or Absynth etc- all of these are great within the current milieu of softsynths

BUT Omnisphere- the psychoacoustic core library combined with the steam engine makes sound of qualtiy I have only ever heard in big budget hollywood Foley studios! there isn't anything out there with that density and depth of sound or smoothness of timbral modulation- you cannot really compare them

[ckatrun411]

psychoacoustic core library

What makes a sound: psychoacoustic?





I think a rusty, creaking door, in an old haunted farm house can be psychoacoustic. Actually, anything can be psychoacoustic. Something is not psychoacoustic just because the marketing says it is.

[biomechanoid]

But if you compare Omnisphere's teaser videos to Alchemy's, then you can clearly see where one is done to inform the public about a product, where the other is basically completely devoid of any information whatsoever. That's what I mean--go ahead and be entertaining if you want, but at least be informative too. Of course they'll release more videos later, but what's the point of doing a video that contains zero information whatsoever? Shouldn't each video promo you do present a bit of information other than the name of the product?

I take your point, and I completely agree that a video promo should contain information, and the forthcoming promo video's do indeed include an abundance of information. But that wasn't the intended purpose of the teaser video... (Websters online dictionary - Teaser(noun) 2 : an advertising or promotional device intended to arouse interest or curiosity especially in something to follow ) - It was intended just a fun way to say hello, that's all.

Having said that, I would still argue that the teaser does impart a fair amount of info, altho' admittedly it isn't exactly spoon fed to you.

Anyway, the teaser has now been backed up with plenty of solid information.

[biomechanoid]

psychoacoustic core library

What makes a sound: psychoacoustic?

[pdxindy]

COME ON!

sure- Alchemy looks and sounds like it will be an amazing synth- but it's sound is no more amazing than other Camel products or something like Melohman or Zebra or Absynth etc- all of these are great within the current milieu of softsynths

BUT Omnisphere- the psychoacoustic core library combined with the steam engine makes sound of qualtiy I have only ever heard in big budget hollywood Foley studios! there isn't anything out there with that density and depth of sound or smoothness of timbral modulation- you cannot really compare them

yup yup... none of those other synths like Absynth or all the other outstanding synths available today have ever been used in big budget studios. In fact, those studios have never used a synth until now because only Omnisphere is good enough... in fact, no great music has ever been made with synths until now. It is truly the dawn of the synthesizer. Finally we will all have a truly worthy instrument...

geez... the hype is ridiculous...

[Igro]

in fact, no great music has ever been made with synths until now. It is truly the dawn of the synthesizer. Finlly we will all have a truly worthy instrument...

[bogh]

psychoacoustic core library

What makes a sound: psychoacoustic?

If it was on fire while it was sampled...

[tconrardy]

If it was on fire while it was sampled...

We have a burned Dx7 and a burned Yamaha cs5 that was sampled for the Alchemy library as well as a scorched Peavy T-60 guitar. Does that count?


Tim