KVR Audio

Arglebargle · Post by **Arglebargle** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:21 pm

I only own RMX on the Spectrasonics side, but I do prefer it to the Native Instruments interfaces. My complaint with Spectra is they hide really important things from the user, like, um, how to move the fricken library to a different drive. Took me a long time to figure out how to freely move the lib around.

rcat · Post by **rcat** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 3:39 pm

Have you ever done an engine rebuild on a Volkswagon Rabbit?! Germans.......and I'm German. I'm sorry, but we Germans overbuild/design/engineer everything. Sometimes it's a good thing, but often not.

Restless · Post by **Restless** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 4:10 pm

rcat wrote:Have you ever done an engine rebuild on a Volkswagon Rabbit?! Germans.......and I'm German. I'm sorry, but we Germans overbuild/design/engineer everything. Sometimes it's a good thing, but often not.

I am an engineer and have worked for a very big German multinational and I tend to agree. Germans tend to complicate things unnecessarily. A few years back I was working with some German engineers on some software they developed and was trying to understand why would they be using hundreds of lines of code to do something that could be done in less than a hundred. His only explanation was that that was the way they did things. It had been like that for a long time and no one was going to change it. basically they could be shown a better way of doing it, but they'd still do it their own way.

I no longer work for said company, and now besides the German equipment I also work with plenty of American stuff. The American stuff can be set up in a fraction of the time of the German stuff, and it usually does the same job. In fact, it could probably be set up by a reasonably smart monkey, while the German stuff still takes me days looking trough thousands of pages of manuals. Still sometimes the German stuff pretty much outperforms anything else, and is no coincidence that Gemany is where it is. I admire the dedication of the German people a lot. If only they could keep it simple...

Anyway, regarding the NI stuff:

I have komplete 5, haven't upgraded to 6 yet, and also have omnisphere, which I bought a few months back. I much prefer Omnisphere, although it certainly won't replace batery or kontakt. For the type of music I am making (ambient electronic stuff), omnisphere is a lot more inspiring. Most of the presets in the NI stuff sound way too harsh for my taste and I find the omnisphere one's are much better starting points, and even ending points actually, since many I don't even modify.

I also don't particularly like the omnisphere interface. Some of the buttons and labels are unnecessarily small and there's too much wasted space. I don't mind big GUI's as long as things are nicely visible, but that's not always the case with omnisphere.

Still, it is now my favorite soft synth and I'm looking forward to trying this new update.

spectrum · Post by **spectrum** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:20 pm

Arglebargle wrote:I only own RMX on the Spectrasonics side, but I do prefer it to the Native Instruments interfaces. My complaint with Spectra is they hide really important things from the user, like, um, how to move the fricken library to a different drive. Took me a long time to figure out how to freely move the lib around.

Hide? Not sure what you mean by that.

I believe that's covered in the Reference Guide. It's quite comprehensive. Have you read it?

Do you know about Support Knowledgebase?

http://support.spectrasonics.net/

In RMX Troubleshooting section, that's one of the first few topics.

spectrum · Post by **spectrum** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:29 pm

Restless wrote: I also don't particularly like the omnisphere interface. Some of the buttons and labels are unnecessarily small and there's too much wasted space. I don't mind big GUI's as long as things are nicely visible, but that's not always the case with omnisphere.

Could you be more specific? What do you feel is too small?

Almost the entire page of Omnisphere is used for displays and parameters, but not on every page of course. The Browsers and Mod Matrix pages use nearly the entire screen.

We've put several years into the design of the interface and figuring out how to best represent the huge amount of parameters, but I'm always interested in feedback on how people would prefer it presented and why.

Still, it is now my favorite soft synth and I'm looking forward to trying this new update.

Cool! Glad you are enjoying it.

Arglebargle · Post by **Arglebargle** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:33 pm

spectrum wrote:
Arglebargle wrote:I only own RMX on the Spectrasonics side, but I do prefer it to the Native Instruments interfaces. My complaint with Spectra is they hide really important things from the user, like, um, how to move the fricken library to a different drive. Took me a long time to figure out how to freely move the lib around.
Hide? Not sure what you mean by that.

I believe that's covered in the Reference Guide. It's quite comprehensive. Have you read it?

Do you know about Support Knowledgebase?

http://support.spectrasonics.net/

In RMX Troubleshooting section, that's one of the first few topics.

I guess that would explain it, I bought RMX secondhand and didn't get a reference guide.

Brittlestem · Post by **Brittlestem** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:34 pm

spectrum wrote:
Restless wrote: I also don't particularly like the omnisphere interface. Some of the buttons and labels are unnecessarily small and there's too much wasted space. I don't mind big GUI's as long as things are nicely visible, but that's not always the case with omnisphere.
Could you be more specific? What do you feel is too small?

Almost the entire page of Omnisphere is used for displays and parameters, but not on every page of course. The Browsers and Mod Matrix pages use nearly the entire screen.

We've put several years into the design of the interface and figuring out how to best represent the huge amount of parameters, but I'm always interested in feedback on how people would prefer it presented and why.

Still, it is now my favorite soft synth and I'm looking forward to trying this new update.
Cool! Glad you are enjoying it.

How about getting rid of the big "Omnisphere" banner above the "Mixer-Fx-Live-Stack".
That's valuable space that could be used to increase, at the very least, the very cramped patch/multi browser.

spectrum · Post by **spectrum** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:38 pm

Arglebargle wrote:I guess that would explain it, I bought RMX secondhand and didn't get a reference guide.

It's electronic and you do have it.

In the Utility Menu, click "Help".

It's over 62,000 words and the most comprehensive source of information on RMX.

There's also an online version here:

http://support.spectrasonics.net/rmxmanual/

Definitely check out the support knowledgebase too, there's tons of useful info there as well.

spectrum · Post by **spectrum** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:44 pm

re_mute wrote:How about getting rid of the big "Omnisphere" banner above the "Mixer-Fx-Live-Stack".
That's valuable space that could be used to increase, at the very least, the very cramped patch/multi browser.

Will consider that idea, but that would only add about four more patch names to the list.

Brittlestem · Post by **Brittlestem** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:50 pm

spectrum wrote:
re_mute wrote:How about getting rid of the big "Omnisphere" banner above the "Mixer-Fx-Live-Stack".
That's valuable space that could be used to increase, at the very least, the very cramped patch/multi browser.
Will consider that idea, but that would only add about four more patch names to the list.

It would be more useful to increase the Category-Type-Genre displays rather than the actual patches.

cryophonik · Post by **cryophonik** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:52 pm

spectrum wrote:
...the vast majority of feedback is exactly the opposite of what you said. Our customers really appreciate the size and readability of the controls.

I agree. It may not be perfect (what plugin is?), but I like Omni's GUI and workflow just the way it is, so two thoughts come to mind: 1) you can't please everybody, and 2) if it ain't broke....

spectrum · Post by **spectrum** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 5:53 pm

re_mute wrote:It would be more useful to increase the Category-Type-Genre displays rather than the actual patches.

Yes, I tend to agree about that...been thinking of ways to improve that since the attribute displays are so important.

JavaJ · Post by **JavaJ** » Wed Nov 11, 2009 6:55 pm

I read all the posts- and what comes to mind is how investing in Omnisphere would be such a smart thing- look- Eric is continually posting in this thread- he doesn't have to- and through the various blasts and complaints- he is taking serious notes and asking questions on how to make his synths better. I am also on NI's forums and thankfully EW is there to help- but I don't know if the higher ups are actively engaged like Eric is. What a smart investment- I can't wait to do it myself (not that I have switched to Mac). It is definately a long-term investment (unlike my Komplete 5 which had a few synths discontinued)- how long was Atmosphere around- and Omnisphere is just in its infancy- imagine what Eric will do to it in the next few years.

ew · Post by ew » Wed Nov 11, 2009 8:31 pm

klagga2 wrote:
I think you are absolutely right.

NI take note:
- Spectrasonics give away free video tutorials, NI make no (or awfully expensive) video tutorials.

You mean like the ones for Kontakt that are part of the installer? Or the Battery ones available through the Service Center? Or the various NI YouTube channels?

- Spectrasonics focus on ease-of-use. NI focus on making things overly complicated, so that snobs can feel special for (maybe) understanding it.

What do you find overcomplicated? Yeah, you might have to read the manual, but shouldn't you do that anyways?

- Spectrasonics has a basic customer friendly attitude with patience towards questions, something that NI could learn from, too. Nice attitude = good business. Greedy, snobby and impatient attitude = not so good business.

Where do you find this greedy, snobbish attitude? Explain please...

ew

Kriminal · Post by **Kriminal** » Thu Nov 12, 2009 7:08 pm

spectrum wrote:
Kriminal wrote:prob cos a 40+GB sample library means its a ROMpler...nothing to be ashamed of, i see no reason to hide it.
Nope. Not in my understanding of how that term is generally applied.

"Rompler" has lots of negative connotations and is often a euphemism for:

• Inflexible
• Preset Playback instrument
• Not for Sound Designers
• Boring
• Not a real synthesizer
• Not powerful
• If you get it you will sound like everyone else

Wouldn't you agree?

Examples of famous Romplers: Korg M-1, Sound Canvas, etc

"Rompler" is a dirty word around here at Spectrasonics, because Omnisphere doesn't fit that description at all. It is very much the opposite of all the above.

well, its all about how you perceive it...i mean, samplers arent samplers anymore are they..they play back samples, but they dont sample

omni is a rompler/sample playback machine basically...sure, it can do other stuff, but thats the core of it, otherwise why would you include a 40gb library?

NI could learn from Spectrasonics