Another "Do I need Omnisphere?" topic.

[FarleyCZ]

Hi!

I've been tempted to buy Omnisphere for a really really really long time. Well, I believe I have money for it now, but when I look how big number it is, I'm starting to doubt a bit.

Thing is, that I've got pretty nice set of synths. Zebra, Massive, Alchemy, Sylenth and bit more. I love them for making pads and atmospheres from scratch already.

Becouse I love sounddesign, I'm not intersted too much in Omnisphere's patches, but rather in it's soundsources for mangling them. It seems to me from all the demo videos, that more than half of those soundsources are just bunch of Atmosphere's pre-made pad sounds. There seems to be some guitars, ethnic stuff and some inspiring experiments, but on the other side I've seen just like 4 real string patches in the demos ... Every string has this "Adagio strings" samples in them. Not much information about articulations or velocity layers of this source.

Eventhough I'm still tempted just becouse of Spectrasonics attitude, can't help myself from thinking if let's say East West's Goliath or even Symphony Orchestra wouldnt make better choice for me. Especially when I'll probably score few short amateur movies in the future.

It's freaking 500 bucks, so I have really bad time making this descision (for few days already). Do you have any idea, thought or advice that would help me deciding?

Thanks,
Martin.

[Doug1978]

This should help (another Omnisphere thread from April-May 2012):

http://www.kvraudio.com/forum/viewtopic ... sc&start=0

My decision - yes, you need it. You've got the money so spend it.

[osiris]

I'm in this boat also. Now I have the space and the power and I think Sweetawater has that pay in 3 installments deal....
Might as well, I have almost everything else ever made....

[FarleyCZ]

I feel like I'd use Omnisphere to "real-ish" instruments/synths. But for that there is may be too much synthsounds. Some EastWest could be much better for that. Or not? Is there any way for me to count ratio of real to synth sounds in Omni?

[osiris]

http://www.spectrasonics.net/products/o ... re-lib.php

[zvenx]

I am very biased as I loveeee omnisphere..........but I know spectrasonics are working on some stuff now.......I am hoping omnisphere is part of it. maybe they will include user sample import option.....I guess if I were you and you are concerned about the current soundsources.... put the money into a savings account and wait to see if omnisphere includes sample import soon, then I guess for you it may be a no brainer?

rsp

[FarleyCZ]

http://www.spectrasonics.net/products/o ... re-lib.php

Thanks. Know about this list, but their naming is so creative I have no idea at all what half of that sounds is.

I am very biased as I loveeee omnisphere..........but I know spectrasonics are working on some stuff now.......I am hoping omnisphere is part of it. maybe they will include user sample import option.....I guess if I were you and you are concerned about the current soundsources.... put the money into a savings account and wait to see if omnisphere includes sample import soon, then I guess for you it may be a no brainer?

rsp

Well, lot of sample fun in Alchemy also. But yeah, it would be nice. Another thing is that those guys are always working on something. I buy Omnisphere now and few months later they introduce something full of strings and stufff...

So damn hard to decide.

[zvenx]

for me it was a no brainer, and it has paid for itself so many times over already...but 'they' always say, but a product for what it is, not what it will be....I don't always listen to that.. but 'it is said'
rsp

[MFXxx]

Instant gratification for any player and genre, bass to leads, strings to keys, fx to booms and so on...

Personally I opted for both Trillian and the Moog expansion packs. Great synth alround tbh.

[Arrested Developer]

I like the combination of Zebra and Omnisphere very much; both provide lots of possibilities of creating organic sounds, which sound, as if they would be "real" (i. e. non "synthetic"), but in an unusual way.
In my experience the properties of both complement each other very well.

The "real" sounds in Omnisphere are limited, but have a really nice quality (choirs, guitars, those adagio-strings etc.)
Nevertheless, Omni for sure cannot (and doesn't want to) replace for example an orchestral library.
I would rather say, Omni perfectly fills the gap between "real" and synthetic instruments and can be
used as a connecting link (as mentioned specially in combination with Zebra (and for sure other synths), which also
blends in a great way with orchestral sounds)


Anyhow, if you buy omnisphere, you should take the time to explore the soundengine, since _your_ ability, to quicky
adjust sounds (or build them from the scratch) easily doubles its value (and frees you from beeing a slave of its presets).

[FarleyCZ]

I like the combination of Zebra and Omnisphere very much; both provide lots of possibilities of creating organic sounds, which sound, as if they would be "real" (i. e. non "synthetic"), but in an unusual way.

...

Anyhow, if you buy omnisphere, you should take the time to explore the soundengine, since _your_ ability, to quicky
adjust sounds (or build them from the scratch) easily doubles its value (and frees you from beeing a slave of its presets).

Well those "real-ish" sounds you talk about are something that I like to do very much. Also I forgot to say I already own Trilian (Got in really good local deal time ago.), so I know how it's engine work and what it's capable of.

Just can't decide, with Alchemy and Zebra already running, if Omni would make that much of a difference.

[tehlord]

Omnisphere stands on it's own against any other synth in my collection.

It's also worth pointing out that it's about the most inspirational 'instrument' in my software arsenal. You really shouldn't underestimate the power of all those presets. Most of which you just don't find in other plugins.

I certainly wouldn't buy it as a source of real sounding instruments though, it doesn't shine particularly well there, and isn't intended to. It layers under real instruments beautifully though.

Don't forget you can use it as a standard(ish) VA synth as well, you don't have to use the samples as starting points. But then you already have plenty of other synth to do that already.

I think Omnisphere probably works better as a Rompler than can do synthesis rather than a sound design tool. I think Alchemy (for example) is probably better overall at that task. Especially with the sample import.

[MFXxx]

Omnisphere stands on it's own against any other synth in my collection.

It's also worth pointing out that it's about the most inspirational 'instrument' in my software arsenal. You really shouldn't underestimate the power of all those presets. Most of which you just don't find in other plugins.

That pretty much positively sums it up for me . . .

[tehlord]

Expanding on that point a little further, it's one of those plugins that's perfect for just getting on with it and making music rather than fcuking about with knobs trying to be clever or different.

Not that there's anything wrong with that of course, I've lost many an hour with knobs in my hand

[FarleyCZ]

I certainly wouldn't buy it as a source of real sounding instruments though, it doesn't shine particularly well there, and isn't intended to. It layers under real instruments beautifully though.

...

I think Omnisphere probably works better as a Rompler than can do synthesis rather than a sound design tool. I think Alchemy (for example) is probably better overall at that task. Especially with the sample import.

Just out of couriosity, what you use for real instruments? (Except that guitar of yours. )

Anyway, that's the point with Alchemy. It takes a while, until you force it to sound good, but it have great possibilites. Omni, though, would allow much quicker "starts", but on the other side I feel I'd get lazy about other synths. Considering it's 500$, may be some EastWest real instrument libraries would make better variety, allowing me to do score music and stuff... Dunno, just dunno.