Omnisphere 2 is here! (yes, it's really here!)

[JohnnyA]

Guys, I have some extremely useful replies from Spectrasonics support, to questions you probably all have. The wonderful support person graciously replied to a whole bunch of questions. It answers every question about the free upgrade grace period (which they'd confusingly marked as "Between Oct 2014 and May 2015"), and describes how we will receive the upgrade, how to install it, answering whether there are differences from Omnisphere 1's library, and so on... Everything you can think of! I've also included a lot of other information, so that it's all in one place. Please link people to this post if these questions arise in the thread again:

Hi Johnny,

> First a quick question: Omnisphere 1 is a large 50GB product and is
> better bought physically. Will the OS1 free upgraders have to download
> 50+ GB for Omnisphere 2 or will it be sent out physically on disc?

When you upgrade, it is a download of approximately 20GB.

> 1. Will all Omnisphere 1 serial numbers registered between Oct 2014 and
> May 2015 be upgraded to Omnisphere 2?

As long as the owners want to. It is not required, but the upgrade can be downloaded for free whenever they want.

> Or is it better to register
> exactly on/after April 30th when OS2 is released to be completely sure
> the free upgrade will take place?

Not necessary.

> 2. Will Omnisphere 1 serial numbers newly registered after May 2015 be
> upgraded to Omnisphere 2? (For example if someone buys a box but doesn't
> open it until later)

Yes, no worries!

> 3. In the unlikely case that someone today buys old stock from a music
> store, and risks getting an Omnisphere box with a several years old
> serial number, even though it was a recent purchase, will that "age" of
> the serial number cause it to be rejected from the free grace period? Or
> is there no such "age" taken into account?

No age is taken into account - they will get the upgrade free.

Please let me know if you need anything else.

Best Regards,

Jonathan

I am posting this here so that their support hopefully doesn't have to answer these questions again.

Since he said that the library is 20 GB for the upgrade-download, I will now also ask him if the 50 GBs from Omnisphere 1 are included in those 20 GBs (perhaps using better compression these days), or if we Omnisphere 1 owners should keep our OS1 library too. I'll edit this post when I have the answer to that question! The goal is to make this the go-to post for upgrade answers.

Update: Here are all the answers regarding how the upgrade-installation works:

Hi Johnny,

> There's only one thing we'd like to go through then: Since the OS2 library will be 20 GBs, and the OS1 library is 50+ GBs, what's going on?

The original Omni 2 library is 42 GB on PC and 45GB on Mac - the difference is in the respective OSs and how they handle storage. The sounds are all the same in both.

> Here are some questions to try and help the community to understand that situation:
>
> 1. The full, boxed, disc-based version of OS2 (non-upgrade): Will it contain the exact same 20 GBs as the upgrade-download?

No, the full version of Omni 2 will contain the library of around 60GB

> 2. Is the 20 GB upgrade-installer self-contained, or do we need to install OS1 on the system first?

The upgrade adds to the existing libraries and updates the software.

> 3. Does the 20 GBs include all of the 50+ GBs of OS1 sounds? (A reasonable question, since you might be using better compression these days.)

No, the upgrade includes just the new Soundsources, Patches, and the instrument software.

> 4. If the OS1 and OS2 libraries are different, will OS1 owners be able to install their 50 GBs to get more sounds into OS2?

It is the opposite - Omni 2 is added to Omni 1. There are a TON of new sounds, along with the incredible new features in the instrument.

Hope this helps.

Best Regards,

Jonathan

Update: Some bonus information:

* Customers who registered before Oct 2014 will have to pay for the upgrade. The prices can be seen here: Omnisphere 2 Upgrade. Basically: $199 for people who own all 3 products (Omnisphere, Trilian and Stylus RMX; must all be non-license transfer versions), and $249 for everyone else. Customers of v1 who registered on Oct 1st, 2014 or any later date will get v2 for free.
* Version 2 is fully backwards compatible with version 1 projects.
* The physical, boxed product contains a set of 8 DVDs, and is NOT sold on USB drive or for download. Since some people don't have DVD players or prefer internet installation, they have created a "Support Services" area of their customer site for registered users. Simply register your Omnisphere 2 serial (or the upgrade), and you will then be able to order a USB drive or a download-version (of the full 60 GBs) from the customer pages.
* The price of the Alternative USB Drive service will be $40+shipping and the Additional Download Installation service price is $10.
* The Omnisphere 2 box (for full, non-upgrade customers) includes a 25% Off discount coupon towards these support services.

Update: For those upgraders who want Omnisphere 2 on DVD:

>Will there be a way to buy either the 20 GB upgrade-download on disk (for a fee), or even a "O2 Full" box so that only a single installation has to be performed?

The Upgrade will only be available as a download and will not be available separately on discs.

Upgraders will be able to buy the full Omni 2 on discs for a reduced price. The price for this has not been determined yet. It will only contain the discs, and won't contain any serial in the box. This is purely a convenience for users who have slow internet connections, or who want to have a one-step install without having to go through first installing Omni 1 and then the upgrade.

Jonathan is a great guy! This answers everything anyone can possibly wonder about the new upgrade paths!


Update: For those upgraders (and full customers) who want the complete 60 GB installer on either a USB disk or as a full download:

If you saw the "bonus information" section above, you will know that Omnisphere 2 customers can optionally buy the full installers on USB or via download.

Since upgraders count as full Omnisphere 2 owners, we will obviously also be able to go into the "Support Services" website area (mentioned above) and order either a USB disk or a download of the full installer.

Personally, I think that DVDs are disgustingly slow, so I will gladly pay the $10 for a full download and back it up myself. I prefer that over having to install Omnisphere 1 from DVDs, then all Omnisphere 1 updates/additions from over the years, and then the Omnisphere 2 upgrade. The $10 price tag for a full 60 GB installer download is a no-brainer to me.


I'm looking forward to Omnisphere 2 more than any other synth in recent memory.

[BBFG#]

Heheh, not quite...

Is there a physical disk/USB available to ship if the customer of O1 prefers it over the O2 download?

[AstralExistence]

Heheh, not quite...

Is there a physical disk/USB available to ship if the customer of O1 prefers it over the O2 download?

exactly. was about to ask the same question. what about the the usb disk how much will it cost, will it be cheaper for omni 2 owners.

[JohnnyA]

Heheh, not quite...

Is there a physical disk/USB available to ship if the customer of O1 prefers it over the O2 download?

Haha, I love how you (and AstralExistence) managed to find an unanswered question in my thorough list. I've sent it off to Jonathan and will update you both soon.

[JohnnyA]

exactly. was about to ask the same question.

Your answers are now in the edited post above, under the section: "Update: For those upgraders who want Omnisphere 2 on DVD" (near the bottom) and "For those upgraders (and full customers) who want the complete 60 GB installer on either a USB disk or as a full download".

The answer should make you happy.

There are actually a few other new answers throughout the post (dealing with DVDs, USB and download versions of the full installer), so I suggest reading everything starting from "Update: Some bonus information" and onwards to make sure you see everything.

[BBFG#]

The answer should make you happy.

Omni users have always shown a cognitive dissonance in their 'happiness'.
They love the product but often cry its everything but still lacks more.

Along those lines, I'll ask for them,
"When will Omnisphere 3 be released?"

[JohnnyA]

The answer should make you happy.

Omni users have always shown a cognitive dissonance in their 'happiness'.
They love the product but often cry its everything but still lacks more.

Along those lines, I'll ask for them,
"When will Omnisphere 3 be released?"

Well, with Omnisphere 2 it has finally become the "more" we always wanted. It's an insane synth now and I am sure it will become my #1 instrument. So much content. So much synthesis. So many waveforms. Wow.

But regarding your question, the one I actually have is "When will Trillian 2 be released?" ... I imagine they share a lot of code and that it would be trivial for them to upgrade Trillian now, and I wonder if it's worth waiting for a few months before buying Trillian 1, just to make sure there's no sneak-announcement of version 2 there too.

[AstralExistence]

Heheh, not quite...

Is there a physical disk/USB available to ship if the customer of O1 prefers it over the O2 download?

Haha, I love how you (and AstralExistence) managed to find an unanswered question in my thorough list. I've sent it off to Jonathan and will update you both soon.

well installing from 6 dvds it sorta removes a little bit of my soul every time i reinstall. another question about the usb. you said 'download install' as in downloading 60 gbs and then the 'user' putting on usb hd. is there a way to buy a usb hd thats plug and play? i ask because i saw eric had a screenshot of what looked like a tiny usb dongle of omnisphere. downloading a 60 gb download install is almost as painful as installing 6 dvds.

oops, nevermind, i see you updated your post. well i will pay 10 dollars for a 60 gb dongle. hell, i would pay, (don't insert price here as that could raise cost of dongle)

[AstralExistence]

The answer should make you happy.

Omni users have always shown a cognitive dissonance in their 'happiness'.
They love the product but often cry its everything but still lacks more.

Along those lines, I'll ask for them,
"When will Omnisphere 3 be released?"

Well, with Omnisphere 2 it has finally become the "more" we always wanted. It's an insane synth now and I am sure it will become my #1 instrument. So much content. So much synthesis. So many waveforms. Wow.

But regarding your question, the one I actually have is "When will Trillian 2 be released?" ... I imagine they share a lot of code and that it would be trivial for them to upgrade Trillian now, and I wonder if it's worth waiting for a few months before buying Trillian 1, just to make sure there's no sneak-announcement of version 2 there too.

sneak announcement would suck for sure. i trust eric would give people the option purchase for a free v2. if he didn't that would be a dick move. i don't think eric would do that.

[AstralExistence]

how many people waiting for omni 2 will die of a tragic accident (at lease one person will) before april 30th and would dying in such a way as to never be able to get omnisphere 2 leave ones soul to walk the earth forever. you know, the way a person turns into a ghost due to unfinished business

[BBFG#]

how many people waiting for omni 2 will die of a tragic accident (at lease one person will) before april 30th and would dying in such a way as to never be able to get omnisphere 2 leave ones soul to walk the earth forever. you know, the way a person turns into a ghost due to unfinished business

More likely they'll just simply be reincarnated as an ant that Eric sets on fire and samples for Omni 3.

[Cinebient]

I would be interested if my upgrade pre-order download via best service in germany (or from whatever someone bought) will go also trough the "spectrasonics server" via a link or if dealers have their own download servers for this beast. I have a very slow net and downloading 20GB will take at least 2 full days... even without a crash and good servers

I would much prefer to buy the upgrade on disc (or usb-stick) but that seems not possible beside the spectrasonics own tech shop.

Oh damn..... nice to live beside a forest.... but not always good

[AstralExistence]

how many people waiting for omni 2 will die of a tragic accident (at lease one person will) before april 30th and would dying in such a way as to never be able to get omnisphere 2 leave ones soul to walk the earth forever. you know, the way a person turns into a ghost due to unfinished business

More likely they'll just simply be reincarnated as an ant that Eric sets on fire and samples for Omni 3.

Textures

Burning reincarnated ant soul.

Author: Eric Pershing
Complexity: Level 2 - Medium
Genre: Ambient
Type: Evolving Motion, Drones, Darkness

[JohnnyA]

I would be interested if my upgrade pre-order download via best service in germany (or from whatever someone bought) will go also trough the "spectrasonics server" via a link or if dealers have their own download servers for this beast. I have a very slow net and downloading 20GB will take at least 2 full days... even without a crash and good servers

I would much prefer to buy the upgrade on disc (or usb-stick) but that seems not possible beside the spectrasonics own tech shop.

Since the upgrade is digital, and since its purchase has to be registered into your Spectrasonics account to "count" as an upgraded serial, and since Spectrasonics doesn't offer the upgrade-installer on DVD (so neither should any resellers), I am almost 100% sure that best-service will send you a serial number/coupon for the upgrade which you then register at Spectrasonics to be able to do the download.

After your upgrade is registered at Spectrasonics, you have 4 options for the upgrade-download: $0 (free) to download the 20GB upgrade-installer (requires Omnisphere 1 to be installed and updated on the system first), $? (unannounced) to buy the full 60GB-installer on DVD, $10 to buy the full 60GB-installer as a download, and $40+shipping to buy the full 60GB-installer on a USB drive.

If you want to be sure how it's going to work, you'll have to email Best Service in Germany and ask how they're going to do it, and then tell everyone in the thread (since it would be good info).

well installing from 6 dvds it sorta removes a little bit of my soul every time i reinstall.

Yeah it reminds me of the original Logic Studio 9, which is like 6 DVDs and takes over an hour to install. Painful.

Komplete was also like that before the USB version.

another question about the usb. you said 'download install' as in downloading 60 gbs and then the 'user' putting on usb hd. is there a way to buy a usb hd thats plug and play?

edit: oops, nevermind, i see you updated your post. well i will pay 10 dollars for a 60 gb dongle. hell, i would pay, (don't insert price here as that could raise cost of dongle)

Ah yes you saw the edit. For anyone wondering: It's $10 for a 60 gb download version, and $40+shipping for a USB disk version. I personally think the $10 option makes the most sense. Get a USB hard disk enclosure and put an old hard disk in there and you'll have hundreds of gigabytes to back up installers. To be safe, do what I do and create two USB disks with identical content in case one crashes.

sneak announcement would suck for sure. i trust eric would give people the option purchase for a free v2. if he didn't that would be a dick move. i don't think eric would do that.

You make a good point: Eric announced Omnisphere 2 in late January 2015, but gave everyone from October 2014 the free upgrade. So even if they announce Trillian later this year, they would have another grace period that goes back in time too. Of course, it would suck if I register Trillian in May 2015 and the grace period begins at June 2015.

[AstralExistence]

sneak announcement would suck for sure. i trust eric would give people the option purchase for a free v2. if he didn't that would be a dick move. i don't think eric would do that.

You make a good point: Eric announced Omnisphere 2 in late January 2015, but gave everyone from October 2014 the free upgrade. So even if they announce Trillian later this year, they would have another grace period that goes back in time too. Of course, it would suck if I register Trillian in May 2015 and the grace period begins at June 2015.

that said, i used to own trillian and if your looking for synth basses (not guitar) omnisphere can pretty much do what trillian can do, with an exception, it CAN fill the same sonic musical space, but it CAN'T in anyway sound like trillian. i think sometimes about re buying trillian don't get me wrong, trillian is pure win and sounds fing amazing, i just don't think i want to deal with the huge install time of both omni and trillian its so painful that although i could buy trillian today this second, id rather do without then have to deal with another 5 dvds. if trillian 2 is released on a usb drive i would purchase in a heartbeat. im on the fence ya know? i may just rebuy it though as its so incredible.