Roli: Equator 2 is here !

[aMUSEd]

Item #1 on my big wish list in terms of engine features: MPE enabled FX. One can dream.

Omnisphere.

When did they add that?

[Echoes in the Attic]

Item #1 on my big wish list in terms of engine features: MPE enabled FX. One can dream.

Omnisphere.

When did they add that?

There is no official MPE, but you use the clone parts function and set the 8 parts to different midi channels. In this set up each part has it's own modulatable effects, which means the effects are modulatable per voice with multi-channel/mpe input.

[himalaya]

Yes, that's a characteristic of any multi-timbral synth, not specific to Omnisphere. This can be done in Kontakt, or Halion (and many others) too. Although, what is very helpful in Omnisphere is the 'Clone Part 1' option, which makes setting up of a multi-timbral patch a doddle. This in fact was a god send to me when I used to use Omnisphere back in the day to test the first 3D sounds (3D = on the Seaboard GRAND: STRIKE, GLIDE and PRESS dimensions only).

[Echoes in the Attic]

Yes, that's a characteristic of any multi-timbral synth, not specific to Omnisphere. This can be done in Kontakt, or Halion (and many others) too. Although, what is very helpful in Omnisphere is the 'Clone Part 1' option, which makes setting up of a multi-timbral patch a doddle. This in fact was a god send to me when I used to use Omnisphere back in the day to test the first 3D sounds (3D = on the Seaboard GRAND: STRIKE, GLIDE and PRESS dimensions only).

Yes exactly, modulating effects per voice is possible with any set up with multiple layers or copies of an instrument that allows setting a midi channel for each copy and where effects to be loaded on each layer (as long as those effects can be modulated by the synths modulators). For me, I usually don't find it worth the hassle (for example in Kontakt or Bitwig layers etc.) because any tweak required copying all the layers again. But like you said with Omnisphere it's just a single command to clone the parts again after edits. Having effects expressions for voice is pretty cool, you can modulate things like delay rate from slide or pressure, or polyphonic distortion amount per key and any other effects parameter.

[zvenx]

What is also surprising me is how much a workhouse/bread and butter/ cover so much synth this is..
And it doesn't even cost Omnisphere and Falcon's price (neither of which I would consider as bread and butter anyway).

rsp

[LoveEnigma18]

What is also surprising me is how much a workhouse/bread and butter/ cover so much synth this is..
And it doesn't even cost Omnisphere and Falcon's price (neither of which I would consider as bread and butter anyway).

rsp

Exactly the same thoughts I posted earlier in this topic. It's really a beautiful sounding synth.

[BassMasterK]

What is also surprising me is how much a workhouse/bread and butter/ cover so much synth this is..
And it doesn't even cost Omnisphere and Falcon's price (neither of which I would consider as bread and butter anyway).

rsp

Exactly the same thoughts I posted earlier in this topic. It's really a beautiful sounding synth.

I couldn't help myself, and I bought it. It is sonically amazing. I'm not sure I have a single synth that covers this much territory, and I have barely scratched the surface. Honestly, this thing stands on its own without the MPE, but combined with my seaboard 49, this synth just went to the top of the list as the first one I am reaching for in almost every situation I can think of.

[macmuse]

Is there a way to hide the non-MPE presets so that only the MPE ones are visible?

[himalaya]

Yes. Click on the 'MPE' type filter tag in the browser. See image.

Only thing is, you have to to do each time you open the browser.

[BONES]

Item #1 on my big wish list in terms of engine features: MPE enabled FX. One can dream.

Not possible, for the simple reason that effects come after the VCA and, therefore, are not polyphonic.

What is also surprising me is how much a workhouse/bread and butter/ cover so much synth this is.

I've always considered Equator to be hugely under-rated around here but, as always, nobody ever listens, they all go running after the latest shiny, new thing. Just look at the frenzy over Vital at the moment - Vital if OK for a free/cheap synth but it's filters are very poor and there is nothing particularly special about any of the rest of it, yet it's thread is up to 90 pages while this one is at 20. It's all about the hype around here.

[Examigan]

Item #1 on my big wish list in terms of engine features: MPE enabled FX. One can dream.

Not possible, for the simple reason that effects come after the VCA and, therefore, are not polyphonic.

What is also surprising me is how much a workhouse/bread and butter/ cover so much synth this is.

I've always considered Equator to be hugely under-rated around here but, as always, nobody ever listens, they all go running after the latest shiny, new thing. Just look at the frenzy over Vital at the moment - Vital if OK for a free/cheap synth but it's filters are very poor and there is nothing particularly special about any of the rest of it, yet it's thread is up to 90 pages while this one is at 20. It's all about the hype around here.

I haven't checked out either one in detail yet, but I think Equator 2 looks very impressive from the specs.

One has a free version and the other doesn't, and that of course helps with marketing.

Cost is always a factor too. $199 for Equator 2 and Vital's Pro plugin is $80.

That said, my vote goes for Equator 2.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Item #1 on my big wish list in terms of engine features: MPE enabled FX. One can dream.

Not possible, for the simple reason that effects come after the VCA and, therefore, are not polyphonic.

What is also surprising me is how much a workhouse/bread and butter/ cover so much synth this is.

I've always considered Equator to be hugely under-rated around here but, as always, nobody ever listens, they all go running after the latest shiny, new thing. Just look at the frenzy over Vital at the moment - Vital if OK for a free/cheap synth but it's filters are very poor and there is nothing particularly special about any of the rest of it, yet it's thread is up to 90 pages while this one is at 20. It's all about the hype around here.

You're not implying that Equators filters are better than Vital's filters are you? Because there is no objective measure where this could be the case. I can plainly hear loud digital artifacts and stepping at high resonance in Equator, which Vital doesn't have. And actually almost no synths have. I like both synths just fine and can live with Equators filters, but Equator can't compete on filters.

[goodplayer]

SFZ import works the same as in v1, just throw it into Equator 2 user sample directory and restart Equator 2. Caveat: If the wavs contain embedded sustain loops, v2 may sometimes fail to read those, resulting into some keys within an otherwise working sample set play unlooped.
The workaround for now is to write loop start and end opcodes into the sfz instead of relying on the embedded cues.
Hope this will be fixed soon, as it can be very laborious to do that. And I’d love to get rid of the forced restart, of course.

I was completely unaware if this could be made to work. Hey that would be great if it really works! Have you actually tried copying SFZ in Equator 2 user sample dir followed by Eq restart ?

[DJErmac]

"Excellent" isn't enough for this synth.

I'm still discovering the presets. I've spent an hour browsing and I'm only on letter "C"...

And finally I've been able to pay using Paypal...

[BONES]

I can plainly hear loud digital artifacts and stepping at high resonance in Equator, which Vital doesn't have.

No, Vital doesn't even have high resonance. It's pathetic on that score. I agree that Equator's filters are nothing to write home about at least you can get a bit of life out of them. Vital's are as flat as a tack.