iZotope Iris 2

[Apostate]

Iris 2 is now half price. It looks quite interesting but there seems to be a lot of negatives about it as well, and about Izotope in general.

re Iris 2 in particular - can you layer samples at different rates/lengths? I am thinking of say a rhythmic sample of 4 'beats' layered 4 times so that they all play at the same pitch but one lasts for 2 secs, another for 3 secs etc etc

This sounds doable, and you could easily find out by simply demoing the product.

Many of the negatives you've heard are from cantankerous people who had a big problem with the original price, for 150 Iris 2 is a freaking steal.

I have gotten a ton of useable patches, including things for soundtrack work. In fact Iris 2 is one of the things keeping me from buying Omnisphere, as everything that has been described to me and what I heard on youtube rarely sounds like anything I can't get out of Iris 2, or Komplete Ultimate 10. I realize there will be plenty of dissension and hate for me saying this, particularly from the people who paid full price for Omnisphere as well as the trolls, but that's the way I hear it. Iris 2 is not so great for the people who upgraded, but it's a terrific, relatively simple to use sound design monster for people new to it.

[woggle]

Iris 2 is now half price. It looks quite interesting but there seems to be a lot of negatives about it as well, and about Izotope in general.

re Iris 2 in particular - can you layer samples at different rates/lengths? I am thinking of say a rhythmic sample of 4 'beats' layered 4 times so that they all play at the same pitch but one lasts for 2 secs, another for 3 secs etc etc

This sounds doable, and you could easily find out by simply demoing the product.

Many of the negatives you've heard are from cantankerous people who had a big problem with the original price, for 150 Iris 2 is a freaking steal.

I have gotten a ton of useable patches, including things for soundtrack work. In fact Iris 2 is one of the things keeping me from buying Omnisphere, as everything that has been described to me and what I heard on youtube rarely sounds like anything I can't get out of Iris 2, or Komplete Ultimate 10. I realize there will be plenty of dissension and hate for me saying this, particularly from the people who paid full price for Omnisphere as well as the trolls, but that's the way I hear it. Iris 2 is not so great for the people who upgraded, but it's a terrific, relatively simple to use sound design monster for people new to it.

Thanks for that feedback
I am demoing Iris2 at the moment and cannot find a way to do what I want - in the manual or just by fooling around directly - I guess it is timestretching (preserve pitch whilst changing length) I need and I have now seen people say that timestretching is not possible although one can preserve length whilst changing pitch

[Apostate]

Iris 2 is now half price. It looks quite interesting but there seems to be a lot of negatives about it as well, and about Izotope in general.

re Iris 2 in particular - can you layer samples at different rates/lengths? I am thinking of say a rhythmic sample of 4 'beats' layered 4 times so that they all play at the same pitch but one lasts for 2 secs, another for 3 secs etc etc

This sounds doable, and you could easily find out by simply demoing the product.

Many of the negatives you've heard are from cantankerous people who had a big problem with the original price, for 150 Iris 2 is a freaking steal.

I have gotten a ton of useable patches, including things for soundtrack work. In fact Iris 2 is one of the things keeping me from buying Omnisphere, as everything that has been described to me and what I heard on youtube rarely sounds like anything I can't get out of Iris 2, or Komplete Ultimate 10. I realize there will be plenty of dissension and hate for me saying this, particularly from the people who paid full price for Omnisphere as well as the trolls, but that's the way I hear it. Iris 2 is not so great for the people who upgraded, but it's a terrific, relatively simple to use sound design monster for people new to it.

Thanks for that feedback
I am demoing Iris2 at the moment and cannot find a way to do what I want - in the manual or just by fooling around directly - I guess it is timestretching (preserve pitch whilst changing length) I need and I have now seen people say that timestretching is not possible although one can preserve length whilst changing pitch

When it comes to that, I just use the Cubase time stretch. In fact, that's one criticism about Iris that rings true, it's a bizarre omission considering the manifold other things the synth is capable of.

[Astralp]

Iris 2 is now half price. It looks quite interesting but there seems to be a lot of negatives about it as well, and about Izotope in general.

re Iris 2 in particular - can you layer samples at different rates/lengths? I am thinking of say a rhythmic sample of 4 'beats' layered 4 times so that they all play at the same pitch but one lasts for 2 secs, another for 3 secs etc etc

Not to knock Iris which I like, but have a look at The Mangle - a granular synth which does this kind of thing in a granular way:

http://sound-guru.com/software/mangle/

[woggle]

Iris 2 is now half price. It looks quite interesting but there seems to be a lot of negatives about it as well, and about Izotope in general.

re Iris 2 in particular - can you layer samples at different rates/lengths? I am thinking of say a rhythmic sample of 4 'beats' layered 4 times so that they all play at the same pitch but one lasts for 2 secs, another for 3 secs etc etc

Not to knock Iris which I like, but have a look at The Mangle - a granular synth which does this kind of thing in a granular way:

http://sound-guru.com/software/mangle/

I have the Mangle (amazing value) but from Iris2 it's the spectral editing tools I particularly want within the synthesis system - I've been using spectral editing for years with Audition and Iris takes that further - but without timestretching I don't think I gain enough to make it worthwhile

[Astralp]

it is! There is the RT Timestretching algorithm in Iris, I've not really played with it much but I have a feeling it isn't what you're after. I don't think there is a way to change the overall tempo of the source sample but it will stretch the existing tempo for each midi note so all keys play at the same tempo. Why there isn't a stretch knob next to it is a mystery

[wagtunes]

The site says $299 on sale for $199. Where are you seeing $150?

[msorrels]

You can get the $149 price if you own another iZotope product.

[Apostate]

The site says $299 on sale for $199. Where are you seeing $150?

I got an email exclusive, good until June 18th. I got mine for 140, which was worth every penny and more, at least for me. I would have paid the 199 for it.

[wagtunes]

You can get the $149 price if you own another iZotope product.

Ah, I see. Thanks.

[Ben H]

You can get the $149 price if you own another iZotope product.

Ah, I see. Thanks.

Sweetwater have the update from Iris 1 -> 2 for $99 USD... have had for a long time... which was iZotope's intro upgrade price IIRC.

[jsp1979]

I downloaded the demo and played with small number of included patches. I thought, "This can't be the same instrument Simon at Patchpool uses because these presets are awful."

I mean who buys Iris for a basic analog lead sound? I figured they'd try to wow you with some demo presets, but apparently not.

[Apostate]

I downloaded the demo and played with small number of included patches. I thought, "This can't be the same instrument Simon at Patchpool uses because these presets are awful."

I mean who buys Iris for a basic analog lead sound? I figured they'd try to wow you with some demo presets, but apparently not.

There's so much more to it than that. I guess if you're looking mostly for presets to use, and/or for presets to inspire you, Iris 2 doesn't have a bunch of them. However, if you start from init, read the manual, and begin exploring, a whole world opens up.

But that's just my experience, to each their own.

[Ben H]

I downloaded the demo and played with small number of included patches. I thought, "This can't be the same instrument Simon at Patchpool uses because these presets are awful."

Agreed.

If it wasn't for Simon's patches (which really make Iris sing), then I probably wouldn't have purchased it at all.

[jsp1979]

There's so much more to it than that. I guess if you're looking mostly for presets to use, and/or for presets to inspire you, Iris 2 doesn't have a bunch of them. However, if you start from init, read the manual, and begin exploring, a whole world opens up.

I'm not claiming that I only want to use presets. I'm just pointing out how pedestrian the demo presets are. Only a handful of the 35 or so demo presets made me think "wow, I can't get this sound anywhere else."

I mean, they're trying to sell the product, right? Why include sounds that other vsts can do as well or better at making? It's odd. When I think of the potential of Iris, I think of awesome soundscapes and maybe 1 or 2 ho-hum presets in the demo would fall in that category.

Maybe one of their artificial intelligence forum robot reps can come here, acknowledge my question, and then answer some completely unrelated question.