Omnisphere - worth $500?

[zerocrossing]

though Omnisphere has no sub oscs.

Omni has subosvillators galore: just use the harmonia oscillators to serve
as such. Hence 1 patch in omni has up to 12 modulatable oscillators
(1 regular + 5 harmonia per layer times 2 layers) per patch times
8 parts per multi = up to 96 oscilators per multi.

Real analogue doesn't need all those oscillators to sound good... some digital sample based wannabe needs all that to cover up that 1 of them sounds like crap...

I guess you've just pointed out a blind spot in my Omnisphere knowledge... harmonia oscillator? Hm...

And are we comparing Omnisphere to a real analog now? Because we shouldn't. I'd put it up against a number of well regarded VAs, but I don't think Spectrasonics ever once said that Omnisphere was supposed to emulate a real analog. That said, I think it's got some of the better sounding filters out there. Also the most interesting filters.

[hibidy]

I'm a make a song in omnisphere tonight,

Are you channeling my great uncle Umberto?

One of those taco places in Phoenix, I guess it doesn't matter which one

[switchedonbach]

I just wish there were more tutorials/video on how to create EDM/trance sounds in Omnisphere, it does seem that most of the youtube videos I see on omni are pads and/or cinematic.

I mean, having the vast majority of videos/tutorials on omnisphere be that kind of sound makes it seems more limited as a synth than I think it is, it has plenty of oscillators, filters, modulation capabilities etc. so why aren't there more videos showing cool stuff that can be done with it? the only ones I've found are Pluginguru's but I wish there were more (esp. for trance/uplifting)

[GMusic]

I just wish there were more tutorials/video on how to create EDM/trance sounds in Omnisphere, it does seem that most of the youtube videos I see on omni are pads and/or cinematic.

I thought the same. Bought several 3rd party banks, geared toward EDM type music for Omnisphere. Didn't really sit well with the kind of EDM sounds I was after (progressive house, progressive trance). Basically I was looking for real smooth, plucky sounds and also some nice clean, loud, fat leads, bubbly arps, ect (but NOT overly-complex).

I bought Nexus and haven't touched my Omnisphere for a while Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of sounds in Omnisphere that can be used in EDM, but I didn't enjoy using it while creating EDM tracks.

IMO, Omnisphere has great psychoacoustic sounds, great drones, great basses (esp. with Trilian loaded up), but it left much to be desired for me in the EDM world.

[noiseboyuk]

I bought Nexus and haven't touched my Omnisphere for a while Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of sounds in Omnisphere that can be used in EDM, but I didn't enjoy using it while creating EDM tracks.

I bought Nexus 2 for much the same reason, Omni's presets are lacking some solid authentic EDM cliches. That's what Nexus 2 gives me really - a bunch of cliches, and sometimes I need them. I don't like working in Nexus much - although the basic front page controls are useful and simple enough, the other controls are much more fiddly and the patch browser is just awful.

But I think Omni is, given the right knowledge, perfectly capable of producing most of these sounds too. Pluginguru's Toxic expansion was a real eye-opener regarding what Omni is capable of at the aggressive end of EDM, that bank really sounds absolutely nothing like anything in the factory library or anyone else's banks. But that's dubstep / trap, we're still lacking some solid trance stuff. Although there are lots of EDM third party banks out there, they're not authentic (some are very poor imo). If someone releases a killer bank - and it's almost inevitable that they will one day - they'll clean up.

[pdxindy]

If someone releases a killer bank - and it's almost inevitable that they will one day - they'll clean up.

That is assuming lots of people who do EDM happen to have Omnisphere even though there aren't good EDM banks for it. And for anyone doing EDM who does not have Omnisphere, they are unlikely to spend $500 plus for one suitable bank.

[noiseboyuk]

If someone releases a killer bank - and it's almost inevitable that they will one day - they'll clean up.

That is assuming lots of people who do EDM happen to have Omnisphere even though there aren't good EDM banks for it. And for anyone doing EDM who does not have Omnisphere, they are unlikely to spend $500 plus for one suitable bank.

I'm not sure how many Omni users there are out there, but safe to say - a helluva lot. The idea that EDM won't be of interest to a significant proportion of them is a bit of a reach, shall we say. Many of us with Omni - certainly myself - would prefer to use it for absolutely everything we do, and the more ground it covers the better.

Don't get me wrong, there is EDM stuff in the factory library and it gets used, but it's not kept pace with the genre and it does need a new injection of patch love either in the factory library or from a third party. While most of the Spectrasonics bashing here is a tedious and (usually) ill-informed as it is predictable, this is one area where imo they have had their eye a little off the ball.

[elassi]

exactly !! which is why those that don't own it (or haven't demoed it extensively) can't really add much value to a thread like this

I hear you.

That's why I keep on asking if the main "reviewer" in this thread knows what he's talking about. No answer yet. Guess why.

[palle2]

[cfanyc]

While I'm looking at synths brought up, Blue 2. Fantastic instrument... but I find it a bit confusing to work in, but sure, amazingly powerful. But more capable than Omnisphere... it's a bit hard to say. I like Omnisphere's effect send/master buss set up a lot. 6 oscs in Blue 2 is a lot... but not compared to 16 oscs in Omnisphere, though Omnisphere has no sub oscs. I also like how LFOs in Omnisphere are just there for you to decide what they do. Omnisphere's performance mode is also unlike anything found in Blue 2, so again, it's hard to totally compare them 1:1, but sure, in terms of synthesis types Blue 2 wins.

So, I guess if you're looking for a good synth that comes with a little sample content, a healthy amount of synthesis types that has great effects and flexibility, Blue 2 or Electra2 are great choices. I really like them. But like other's have said, when you couple Omnisphere's feature set with that sample engine and content... I don't know, I just feel like I'm playing some amazing hardware ROMpler. I'd buy Omnisphere over a Fantom or Motif any day of the week.

Omni has subosvillators galore: just use the harmonia oscillators to serve
as such. Hence 1 patch in omni has up to 12 modulatable oscillators
(1 regular + 5 harmonia per layer times 2 layers) per patch times
8 parts per multi = up to 96 oscilators per multi.

Real analogue doesn't need all those oscillators to sound good... some digital sample based wannabe needs all that to cover up that 1 of them sounds like crap...

i do not know what this emoticon means. I take it that
you are joking?

[zerocrossing]

I'm a make a song in omnisphere tonight,

Are you channeling my great uncle Umberto?

One of those taco places in Phoenix, I guess it doesn't matter which one

Pick my uncle. He was a wiz at car repair and a Sinatra. Yup, cousin of Frank.

[Echoes in the Attic]

I'm looking to buy new toys and try to get some different instruments in my arsenal. One synth I have heard peers mention is Omnisphere. Everyone seems to own it. However, at a $500 price tag on the Spectronics site, it seems ludricrously expensive compared to synth purchases in the past. What warrants such a price?

What makes this synth unique?
What kind of envelopes do you have? 4 sliders or draw in like Fm8?

Am I going to make sounds with this that I can't make in Sylenth, Massive, FM8, or Absynth? Why?

I haven't read the whole thread but I'll chime in a bit on this. First about the question in the thread title. What makes it reasonable to charge that amount is mainly the sample content. Omnisphere is a reasonably versatile synth but I'd say on it's own the synth would be more in the $100-150 range. However it is also largely aimed at the scoring community who like to have big sample sets of organic sounds for sound design. If you look at similar sample libraries for Kontakt for example, you'll see that it is common to charge this much for far less content. And in those cases you have to use Kontakt, which has one big draw back - You can't very easily change the multi-sample sets loaded while leaving intact the modulation, effects and other settings of the patch. With Omnisphere you can load the multi-sample set independently of the patch settings. This is quite a bit more useful since you can try different sample sets (multi-sampled across the keyboard) while keeping the patch modulation, filter etc. the same.

It is aging a bit though and the price is starting to feel a little high, especially when you compare to Komplete but that is a pretty crazy deal. I'm sure spectrasonics will come out with improvements that will be pretty great very soon. They were supposed to have an update this year I believe. I wouldn't doubt if they were taking into account everyone's wishes about allowing us to use our own samples in it. Though I hope it's not a clunky conversion like with Stylus RMX. SFZ like Alchemy would be cool.

One final thing I must say is that Omni + Trilian is much more than the sum of it's parts. The Trilian sound sources are just amazing - The vintage synths used in Omni is probably my favorite thing about either product.

[switchedonbach]

I'm not sure how many Omni users there are out there, but safe to say - a helluva lot. The idea that EDM won't be of interest to a significant proportion of them is a bit of a reach, shall we say. Many of us with Omni - certainly myself - would prefer to use it for absolutely everything we do, and the more ground it covers the better.

I personally bought omnisphere for cinematic stuff, and for that it's killer, I also own trilian, I have been trying to start doing some EDM for fun (trance/uplifting) and I feel like a fish out of water, I still sometimes load up the old Z3ta+, I also recently installed the sylenth1 demo and man, it is tempting to just give in and buy that (and/or spire/serum) since there are so many presets available that are more of what I am looking for.

I guess I wish I was a better synth programmer (I am more of a 'find a factory preset similar to what I want or that's inspiring and tweak that' as opposed to 'I have this sound in my mind and I will create it from scratch') but I swear if somebody came out with a nice sylenth-like trance bank they'd be selling a lot IMHO.

I was watching the Armin van Buuren 'in the studio' youtube video and while breaking down his track the lead synth ended up being omni + sylenth1 (iirc) so omni definitely *does* get used by big-name trance producers, we now just need somebody (pluginguru?) to come up with an EDM/trance bank to show omni's possibilities in that area (like toxic did for aggressive EDM, not my cup of tea but I respect the effort)

I mean, for example listen to the Klarlund pulse patch in this pluginguru video here



imagine a whole bank focused on this, would be awesome... but actually thinking about it there seem to be a few nice EDM sounds in this Omnipulse pack, will likely pick it up soon

[zerocrossing]

BTW, to the non-demo complainers out there (I'm one of them) one thing Spectrasonics does really well is a lot of demo and tutorial videos of high quality. If you're wondering what it can do since the last update:

[lnikj]

I guess I wish I was a better synth programmer (I am more of a 'find a factory preset similar to what I want or that's inspiring and tweak that' as opposed to 'I have this sound in my mind and I will create it from scratch') but I swear if somebody came out with a nice sylenth-like trance bank they'd be selling a lot IMHO.

Wendy/Walter - only 3 posts since you've joined KVR in 2006! I've always held you up as a synth programming goddess/god! I had no idea you were into EDM.

Sorry Couldn't resist.