Omnisphere 2.5: Hardware Synth Integration and double voice architecture

[noiseboyuk]

http://www.kvraudio.com/news/spectrason ... -2-5-41171

Interesting....

I don't quite get the hardware thing though. From the blurb, all sonics are contained in Omnsiphere, and the hardware appears to be a remote control. So visual feedback will presumably be a major issue - it won't always be obvious what you're controlling and plenty that you can't control, I'd have thought?

Unless I'm missing a trick there (and I might be)*, I'm far more interested in the doubled voice architecture, filters and new synth sounds and sources. This is the section that has my attention:

Expanded Synthesis Capabilities
The new version 2.5 vastly expands the synthesis capabilities of Omnisphere by doubling Omnisphere's voice architecture to Four Layers per patch. Each patch can now utilize up to 12 envelopes, 8 LFOs and the Modulation Matrix has been doubled to 48 modulation routings. Newly designed State Variable Filters are included, which were specially created for the OB-6 hardware profile and can seamlessly blend between lowpass, notch and hipass filter modes. Over 50 New "Analog" Oscillator Wavetables are included and featured in the new hardware profiles.

New Hardware Sound Library
Omnisphere 2.5 includes a new "Hardware Library" with hundreds of new patches created by Eric Persing and the Spectrasonics Sound Development team using the Hardware Synth Integration feature. Each hardware profile has a corresponding set of sounds in the Hardware Library which were specially designed using that hardware synth as an Omnisphere controller. The new sounds feature a wide range of categories and many have a distinctly 'classic analog' flavor. Best of all, the new sounds are available for ALL users, regardless of if they use hardware or not.

*EDIT LATER ON 3rd MAY - I was indeed. As became clear, the hardware control is not a way to control all of Omni, but instead an alternate synth for each hardware model. And looks deeply, deeply cool.

[tehlord]

Double layers is a big deal. I always thought that was one of Omnisphere's odd limitations, especially without traditional sub osc's.

[noiseboyuk]

Double layers is a big deal. I always thought that was one of Omnisphere's odd limitations, especially without traditional sub osc's.

I usually use Harmonia for that, but sometimes that's not an option (ie if you're using granular or unison) so yeah definitely nice to have.

[woodsdenis]

Eric is in Berlin for Superbooth,maybe expect a demo later.

[Echoes in the Attic]

I'd like to know if this hardware profile thing could be used for midi controllers. What if we use a Novation SL or something. Seems like it would be nice to set up a profile for that. I mean wouldn't more people want a good hardware set up from a midi controller rather than an analog synth? And can users set up their own? Or is that like user samples, we have to wait for the next major version?

The main thing I've wanted is for the waveforms to be selectable from hardware, which would mean making the arrows or the whole list of wavetables automatable for most controller systems.

[noiseboyuk]

I'd like to know if this hardware profile thing could be used for midi controllers. What if we use a Novation SL or something. Seems like it would be nice to set up a profile for that. I mean wouldn't more people want a good hardware set up from a midi controller rather than an analog synth?

Yes, you've hit on the heart of the oddness about this hardware integration thing. Only using synths as controllers - and not actual controllers - is bizarre. Maybe a video will make it all clear.

I've been boring everyone for years that there needs to be a great generic synth controller based around a central iPad-sized touchscreen, and clear labels for physical pots / knobs around it. Would be perfect for this.

As it is, let's take one of those synths listed as compatible, the SH-01a:



It's very difficult to work out how this interface would be useful for controlling Omni, but lets give it a go. LFO Rate... ok, LFO 1 rate I guess. No depth control or shape of course but, well never mind, moving on. The VCO could switch between the basic analogue waveforms, but no way of accessing the wavetables of course, still less the sample half of Omni. Then there's the source mixer.... umm..... oh nuts to it.

Then consider that those controls are not motorized, so will all be in the wrong position for the synth on init.

Other synths may be a bit better suited to the task - the System 1 / 8 at least has some kind of visual indication of a level on a control for example, but as far as I can imagine its always going to have a square peg / round hole thing going on. Until someone develops my dream controller, the stated aim of bridging "the physical experience gap between software and hardware" feels wildly over-inflated.

Will greedily take the sonics though, 2.5 is still very much an update to look forward to.

[noiseboyuk]

...reading the blurb again, perhaps the answer to this apparent conundrum is not to think about the synth "controlling" Omnisphere in the conventional way we think of synth controllers, but as a virtual variant of the hardware synth. I guess the idea isn't to patch build with the Omni blank canvas, but to offer an alternate synth to the hardware one you own, using the Omni engine. Or something. Which, to be fair, is actually a pretty cool idea.

[Fantasie]

cool. it seems they desperately avoid the ordinary NKS route and seek an alternative.

[woodsdenis]

...reading the blurb again, perhaps the answer to this apparent conundrum is not to think about the synth "controlling" Omnisphere in the conventional way we think of synth controllers, but as a virtual variant of the hardware synth. I guess the idea isn't to patch build with the Omni blank canvas, but to offer an alternate synth to the hardware one you own, using the Omni engine. Or something. Which, to be fair, is actually a pretty cool idea.

Which explains different sound sets for different controllers but.... how it actually works still eludes me.

[noiseboyuk]

Which explains different sound sets for different controllers but.... how it actually works still eludes me.

I think they've just mapped various Omni controls to all the hardware ones, but it's not necessarily 1-1 - 1 hardware control might control a dozen things simultaneously in Omni. That's my best guess at this point anyway.

[Echoes in the Attic]

...reading the blurb again, perhaps the answer to this apparent conundrum is not to think about the synth "controlling" Omnisphere in the conventional way we think of synth controllers, but as a virtual variant of the hardware synth. I guess the idea isn't to patch build with the Omni blank canvas, but to offer an alternate synth to the hardware one you own, using the Omni engine. Or something. Which, to be fair, is actually a pretty cool idea.

Yes this is how I read it initially. Of course you won't be able to control Omnisphere completely. I think the idea is to use Omnisphere as the soundsource for a synth that's laid out as your hardware. So you would mostly be limited to the functions that the hardware as, just like you would be if using the actual hardware synth alone. But I'm sure there would be some benefits with Omni, momre waveforms, filter types, whatever.

But yeah, I would think midi controllers would be preferred, given that hardware synths already have sounds and midi controllers don't and that's why you buy a midi contorller, to controller a software synth.

[K-Bee]

In theory, hardware integration beyond the plain old MIDI learn is a great idea. I've kinda been waiting for something like this and I'm quite excited about the news. The list of synths that will receive templates is lacking though. I'm missing some of the "bigger" instruments. I want my Kronos integrated with Omni with touchscreen and all - since that probably won't happen, my Minilogue will have to do. The Minilogue controls should cover a lot but with an instrument as complicated as Omnisphere, I wonder how it will turn out.
It would have been great to see some support for older synths and controllers as well. My X-station would be perfect for a thing like this and it even had softsynth templates to begin with back when it came out.

That said, I fear this is going to be a kind of "MIDI learn wrapper" with a few twists and turns. A bit like the dreaded VIP system for the failure that is the Akai Advance.

Love the fact that the update is free. Nothing to loose really

[legendCNCD]

This is just... effin' awesome!!!

Omnisphere just keeps on giving <3 - No more multis for 4 osc sounds

[noiseboyuk]

One thing we don't yet know is whether or not the settings for each instrument are configurable. I somehow guess not - I think the attraction here is to have things fixed and reliable just as they are with hardware. No doubt you can further tweak and refine in Omni as normal.

Sounds like more synths will be added, but its a bottomless pit I guess. It would be quite fun if they opened up the mapping side of it to users, essentially you could build your own synth out of the Omni building blocks.

[Echoes in the Attic]

This is just... effin' awesome!!!

Omnisphere just keeps on giving <3 - No more multis for 4 osc sounds

Yeah the 4 layers is a nice addition. I wonder if the link now links all 4 layers or if there are separate links. The latter would be cool.