sonic synth 2???? when???

[zebastian21]

I've been waiting for a while now .....the money i've been saving for it is burning in my pockets ....
I saw Ultrafocus and looks preety imprsessive , it even has 9 gig of sounds! . I like ik multimedia a lot , but you are kinda late with your promise , you said it'd be ready in jun .....so now I'm wondering if going for ultrafocus or wait for SS2.

[Squids]

Some differences between Sonik Synth 2 and UltraFocus...

UltraFocus is 8 gigs, not 9 gigs, and it is solely dedicated to synth samples.

Sonik Synth 2 is over 5 gigs (final count not in just yet because the master discs aren't done yet... MY version is much larger than 5 gigs but I am still editing out stuff so we'll see). But, the approach is different. The resulting patches are "synths" in the sense that we cover vintage analog all the way up to the sound of workstation synths are known for (ie. PCM synths that have pianos, strings, drums etc). So the sample set includes a lot more than synth samples as the source material elements.

UltraFocus has 2 effects per patch and I believe is bi-timbral like Atmosphere. You can layer 2 sounds together.

Sonik Synth 2 is fully 16 part multi-timbral with 16 layerable parts and has 5 effects per patch like SampleTank 2 does.

UltraFocus is advertised as a "synth anthology". The list of classic synths they've sampled is impressive but the list of classic synths sampled for Sonik Synth 2 is more diverse as an "anthology". Of course this is an esoteric difference really.

However, if the sounds are good then they are good. I hear that the sounds are good in UltraFocus and it is a cool looking GUI so I wouldn't blame anyone for wanting to get it. I might get it too. But, it is not the same thing as Sonik Synth 2. It won't replace everything Sonik Synth 2 can do. But, it can do some different things so it is really a question of what your needs are. It's probably very similar to Atmosphere but with some more bells and whistles it seems. At least it has some effects in the UVI engine now. Synth sounds can benefit greatly from effects (as experienced in many synths in the past 10-15 years).

We originally had Sonic Synth 1 before any of them. We've been working on Sonik Synth 2 for years so it is not like we see UltraFocus and think we have to hurry up! Besides that it is different in so many ways, we're just working hard to make a great product regardless of what else is out there.

That said, it's looking like it will be available in August. It has an incredibly diverse sample set. There are the pianos, guitars, bass, drums, orchestral instruments, voices, ethnic instruments and then there are natural sample elements such as tubular noise from blown winds or pipes, spectral noise, bowed objects etc. and then there is the list of sampled vintage synths. This is really a novelty aspect in some ways but it is cool to have if you know the difference between the sound of Moog, Oberheim, Arp etc. The collected "flavors" of different brand synths is enormous in Sonik Synth 2.

Here is the list of synths sampled for Sonik Synth 2:

Arp 2500, 2600, Odyssey, Quadra, Solina, ProSoloist, ProDGX, Little Brother
Moog Modular, MiniMoogs, Opus (just cuz), MG-1, Rogue, Taurus 1 & 2, Polymoog
Oberheim SEM, 4 voice, 8 voice, OBX, OB8, Matrix 12
Prophet 5 rev 1,2&3, , T8, 10, VS
PPG 2.0, 2.2, 2.3
OSCar, Voyetra 8, Gleeman Pentaphonic
Emu Modular, Serge & Buchla Modulars
EML ElectroComp 101, EML 200, EMS Synthi/VCS3
Univox Maxikorg, RMI Keyboard Computer, Clavioline,
Novachord Tube Synth, Yamaha CS80, DX7 with special mods, TX802, DX7 II, NED Synclavier, Kawai K5
Roland Jupiter 6, 8, MKS80, Juno 60, Juno106, SH101, TB303, RS09
Steiner Parker Modular, Synthacon

That's a partial list but you can see there are probably some synths you never even heard of. These are very hard to find and it took me 15 years to collect for sampling. Obviously this was a labor of love because no one in their right mind would go to the trouble quite to this extent... unless they were also making it for themselves to enjoy! That is obviously the case here. So, we hope you enjoy it if that sounds like something you'd want regardless of many other cool things out there that are worth getting for other reasons. I know it depends on budget but at some point you should get Cameleon CA5000 too or some of the great Disco DSP plug-ins or Absynth 2... and the list goes on.

[anon]

Well I had the money for SS2 ready and waiting to be spent, I was believing what you said about when SS2 would be available, Then Ultra Focus Came along and I wasn't sure what to do, then you said SS2 had slipped again, to August, So I spent the money On Ultra Focus,

I have been playing with it for a whole day and I think it's great, the AU version is working flawlessly, and I love the way the sounds load so fast (about a second) it feels instant, And the amount of sounds is astonishing, and it's very easy and quick to make your own patches,

I am sure SS2 will be as good and have it's own things going for and against it, just like every other software (and Hardware) I don't know if I will be getting it still, If i do it will have to wait a while as I have spent a lot lately, and I am getting a g5 2.5 very soon so I need to have a rest from spending more money for a bit, but I had put the money for SS2 back, But I have spent it now on something that is available, and I am very happy with it,

I don't mean to be disagreeable but (and I'm not just saying this about IK and Squids) I really don't think companies should give dates and then let them slip over and over, I feel like it's bad business and I don't like it, why not just tell us when you know for sure it's going to be ready, and if you don't know then say so and leave it there, or give us the longest version, then if it comes early it would be a refreshing change and a nice surprise,

All the best

[Squids]

Well, there isn't anything we can do about that. If anyone buys another product because it is available that is just the way the cookie crumbles for us. If you still really want Sonik Synth 2 because as I mentioned above it is very different than UF, then perhaps at some point you will get it. That's all up to you. It doesn't have anything to do with what we're capable of doing on our end. We're getting it done as soon as possible while not sacrificing quality to do so.

As to giving a date that is accurate, software companies do their best but it is hard to predict many months in advance. I can tell you that there are probably some things that will be much earlier than you'll expect (coming) and some things like this that are a few months off from the expected time like this one. That is actually pretty close as I remember a few popular plug-ins that were up to a year late! But, once it is out and in people's hands that was forgotten.

So, in the end, when the product is available it is either something you want or not. Since it IS different and incredibly cool for what it does I hope that at some point you'll get it when budget permits. If not then as long as you're happy then that's cool with me. We're only doing the best we can here. I can't help it if a product is out before ours. But, maybe that product doesn't have all of the things this one does and can be done faster. I could release Sonik Synth 2 right now not fully baked. But, when a chef has a gourmet meal being prepared he wants it to be just right.

[seamonkey]

thanks squids.

[minlwintun]

Squids,
You guys are killing me. Let me preorder your wonder box of sounds already!
-Min

[DrApostropheX]

Wait... so SS2 is going to have Drum Kits and basses in it, too?!

[Squids]

Squids,
You guys are killing me. Let me preorder your wonder box of sounds already!
-Min

We don't do pre-order on more than one product line at a time. The Sonik Capsules are going off pre-order and into regular order status next week. A little bit after that perhaps Sonik Synth 2 will be available pre-order on www.esoundz.com First it has to be available as a sku in stores so anyone could put it on pre-order. We're expecting it to be released in September so...

Of course, if you really wanted to be sure you were one of the first on our list then you could arrange a manual pre-order with dan@esoundz.com in advance. He'll just put you on a list and won't charge your card until it ships anyway. Otherwise you can wait 2-3 weeks or less for it to be up on the site as pre-order.

I can tell you that it's almost done and it sounds incredible. I am implementing the individual pictures of vintage synths that pop up in the GUI at the moment. I like that part personally. It makes me think of the synth source and it is inspiring to think about it that way. The sheer amount of synths and instruments in this is mind boggling.

[Squids]

Wait... so SS2 is going to have Drum Kits and basses in it, too?!

Yeah, some killer drums and basses too. It also has orchestral, ethnic, piano, organs, guitars and other instruments (and they are different than the sounds in ST2 XL, they are all from Sonic Reality). A lot of elements too that are mixed together to make hybrid sounds like piano/pad/voices... oh a ton of voices too. It's a full synth workstation. The diversity of material and focus on vintage synths makes it a really cool box. It reminds me of a modern JV filled with vintage expansion boards in it... but different.

[DrApostropheX]

It reminds me of a modern JV filled with vintage expansion boards in it... but different.

That's what drew me to SonicSynth 1 originally -- I really missed my JV-1000 and Pop expansion boards (to this day, no Fretless Bass patch can come close to the one on the JV-01 POP board).

This keeps sounding better and better. I agree, too, about the pictures: having a picture of the instrument you're playing evokes the times, tunes, and legacy of that instrument -- very inspiring.