REALM OF OMNISPHERE II is a patchbank for Omnisphere 2.5. This bank is the follow up of the popular Realm of Omnisphere patchbank. Realm of Omnisphere II is a very versatile patchbank which is aimed at ambient, new age, Berlin school, epic, cinematic soundtrack and filmscoring music.
Omnisphere 1 from Spectrasonics is an incredibly powerful software synthesizer with so many diverse sounds its dizzying. So how does Omnisphere 2 improve upon an award winning synth? Read on..
When the first version of Omnisphere came out in 2008 as Spectrasonics’ flagship software synthesizer, it was well received by the audio community, winning many awards for its sound quality, versatility and power. At that moment Spectrasonics clearly made the transition from releasing sample libraries to designing and releasing instruments. Stylus and Trilian were the other releases that defined this new era for the company.
Omnisphere quickly became an industry standard software synth and its sound could be heard in everything from pop music to film scores. Flash forward to 2015 and it’s a wildly different market now with hundreds of sample-based software synths on the market. I sought to find out if Omnisphere 2 has what it takes to stay on top. Does Spectrasonics keep up with the times and present something new and fresh with this update? I was looking forward to finding out.
Let’s take a look at the new features of this update and review some of the aspects of Omnisphere 2 that set it apart from the competition. There is way more to cover then I was able to in this review, but I will hit some important key points.
Updated Browser
Figure 1—Expanded Browser In Omnisphere 2
Some of the most innovative new features appear in the Browser section. I appreciate the small description of each patch, often including the patches layered or samples used to create it, in addition to any effects or modulation information. This is not a new feature but new users will undoubtly appreciate it. Few software synthesizers provide such useful tips right in the main interface. Omnisphere’s browser does exactly what a Browser should do: allow for quick selection of sounds with the ability to preview them and receive important information about them all in one place.
Figure 2—Patch Description in Browser
The new trademarked features like Sound Match and Sound Lock give users the ability to quickly navigate like sounds and save settings on the go. You can now import custom audio tracks into Omnisphere for truly unique and extensive processing, a feature composers and sound designers have been asking about for quite some time.
Sound Match
Figure 3—Sound Match in the Browser Section
Say you find a patch you like, but would like other choices in the library that are similar to compare it to. This is what Sound Match is all about. Choose a patch, engage the Sound Match button and it will search for similar sounds to audition in the right side browser. I wish all software synth developers incorporated this feature in their patch browsers. I have run into the issue of finding like sounds many times in other instruments, so I find this feature so refreshing. If you tend to create your own patches or import your own audio to make a patch, it’s a good idea to spend time tagging it with keywords so it can work for you within Sound Match.
Sound Lock
Figure 4—Sound Lock Drop-Down Menu
Sound Lock allows you to lock various parameters while designing or browsing for sounds. All parameters can be locked while you switch out a sound patch or individual parameters. So, if you spend time designing an Arp pattern and want to audition different patches with that pattern, select Arpeggiator under the Sound Lock menu in the top right corner of the instrument. It’s pretty clear how this can come in handy for sound designers.
Importing Audio
Virtual dj 8 pro free. download full version kickass. Configure djay pro numark pro 3. Figure 5—Imported Audio Sample in Part A
The import audio feature is not readily available in the Browser section upon first look. You have to choose ‘User Audio’ in the Utility menu to reveal the ‘drag and drop’ window, or choose the small folder icon in the Sample window in section A or B. New Omnisphere users should be aware of the utility menu in general as it includes saving, loading and clearing custom multis, patches and layers among other important prompts.
Figure 6—Utility Menu in Omnisphere
I was impressed by the granular synthesis technique Eric Persing demonstrated in the Omnisphere 2 promotional video so I wanted to try the same technique with a short sample of a Handpan performance by my friend Stevan Morris. In the promotional video, Eric imported a sample of a full jazz track and immediately morphed it into a textural soundscape with the granular controls. Results with the Handpan sample were similiar. The source audio quickly became unrecognizable from the original, but that’s part of the fun! I changed the position of the sampled piece of audio to modify the tone and texture of the granular output. Within this one feature, there were so many wonderful possibilities I could use as is or further process with the FX section.
Figure 7—Granular Synthesis in Omnisphere
I also opted to run my custom Handpan sample through an effect in the FX section called Innerspace. I was hooked on that effect at first listen. Within Innerspace alone, there are incredible settings to explore. Also, simply reversing the sample in the A section and moving the start slider to different position yielded some usable results. In the demo below, you’ll hear part of the original Handpan performance layered with these new textures.
New Sounds and Samples
Figure 8 – Bowed Ceramic Kalimba
Over 5000 Soundsources and patches were added to the already extensive library totalling more than 12,000 sounds! The degree of custom morphing of the Soundsources and patches available in Omnisphere guarantees that producers and sound designers will create infinite, unique variations. Some of the new Soundsources sampled include Diego Stocco’s custom built instruments played in every conceivable fashion, circuit bending samples, cave stalactites, a ‘Spotlight EDM’ with modern sounds for dance producers and much more. The Spectrasonics team went out of their way to bring the most unique sources to users to keep sound design fresh and interesting.
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Figure 9—Recording Stalactites in a Cave
New FX units and Multi Racks
Perhaps one of the most substantial upgrades to Omnisphere is additional FX racks, patches and multi racks. There are 25 new FX units including analog modeled effects, filters, cabinets, compressors, EQs and resonators. Users can build their own custom racks or use one of the dozen preset racks as a starting point. I’ve already mentioned Innerspace as one of my new favorite effects. The different compressors are handy and sound great, especially when designing a patch that needs a boost or when taming a loud, distorted patch with a quick limiter inside the instrument.
Figure 10—New ‘Innerspace’ Creative Effect
Many Ways to Mix and Mangle
Once you’ve chosen a sample or a waveform to start with in Part A or B of the interface, it’s time to design and mangle to your heart's content. There are over 400 new DSP Waveforms available so you won’t get bored. Mix two sample patches, two synths or mix and match using the A and B sections. Route your oscillators to an LFO, filter, envelope or controller via the right-click menu on any parameter in that section. Create polyrhythmic movement with your synth patch in seconds via multiple LFOs. Use up to 8 different Arpeggiators in a patch. Move the sound around in space using the Orb interface and record an instance to use on every note you play and hold. If you intend to use Omnisphere in a live setting, Live Mode allows for seamless patch layering on the fly and Stack Mode allows you to do keyboard splits and complex patch layering. I can go on but you get the idea. Omnisphere 2 is special because it brings together many types of synthesis under one clean and easy to use interface. There is something for every type of audio producer here.
Figure 11—Arpeggiator in Omnisphere
Wrap Up
So, has Omnisphere 2 lived up to its previous reputation as the king of software synths? I say without a doubt. Omnisphere 2 is a tool that will live on and provide endless sounds and inspiration for musicians, producers and sound designers for the foreseeable future.
Omnisphere 1 Vs 2
Related VideosDoes Omnisphere 2 Include Omnisphere 1 Free
We are happy to announce the release of a major update of our flagship software synthesizer, Omnisphere®. With the new version 2.5, Omnisphere becomes the first software synth in the world to offer a Hardware Synth Integration feature, which transforms over 30 well-known hardware synthesizers into extensive hands-on controllers that unlock Omnisphere’s newly expanded synthesis capabilities. Simply put, this ground-breaking new feature makes using Omnisphere feel just like using a hardware synth! The extensive new FREE update also features a newly announced hi-resolution interface, support for Windows Multitouch, new Granular Synthesis capabilities and a stunning new sound library of over 1000 brand new sounds, bringing the total number of included sounds to over 14,000.
Hardware Synth Integration This remarkable innovation bridges the physical experience gap between software and hardware, giving users intuitive control of Omnisphere by using the familiar layout of their supported hardware synth. The initial release officially supports over 30 popular hardware synthesizers from Moog®, Dave Smith Instruments®, Roland®, Korg®, Novation®, Nord, Access, Studiologic, Sequential® and more to come. The supported hardware synths cover a wide range of types and price ranges for different types of users. On the technical side, the new Hardware Synth Integration feature in version 2.5 goes far beyond the typical “MIDI Learn” approaches that most software synthesizers employ. Under the hood, our development team has carefully designed unique “Hardware Profiles” for each supported hardware synthesizer, making the special features of that synthesizer work seamlessly with Omnisphere by translating MIDI messages from the hardware into satisfying sonic results in Omnisphere. This new system allows us to enable sophisticated interactions from a single touch of a knob, including the ability for Omnisphere to automatically switch interface pages, recall entire FX racks, assign multiple scaled parameters and even instantly create complex modulation matrix routings on-the-fly! This new development system also allows us to add new profiles for new hardware synths in the future. Most importantly, it’s easy for musicians to use - simply select the hardware synth from the drop-down HW menu and Omnisphere is now linked to that hardware synth! Expanded Synthesis Capabilities The new version 2.5 vastly expands the synthesis capabilities of Omnisphere by doubling its 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 100 New DSP Oscillator Wavetables based on the supported hardware are included and featured in the new hardware profiles. New Hardware Sound Library Omnisphere 2.5 includes a stunning new “Hardware Library” with over 1,000 new patches created by Eric Persing and the renowned Spectrasonics Sound Development team. 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. These inspiring 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 using the hardware or not! New High Resolution Interface Omnisphere 2.5 features a newly designed graphic user interface, which includes Retina/hi res graphics for 4K monitors. The new interface has been given an aesthetic refresh for a cleaner, more modern look and features larger controls. The new GUI is now easier to use and scalable to fit comfortably into your workspace. The Live Mode page has also been redesigned to show much more relevant information onstage at a single glance. New Granular Layout The Granular page of Omnisphere 2.5 now sports a full waveform display and a clearer view of what each of the grains are doing at any moment. This new layout makes it far more intuitive to grasp how Omnisphere’s powerful Granular Synthesis engine is working on the audio source. Windows Multitouch Support Spectrasonics is proud to announce that version 2.5 of Omnisphere is now fully supporting Windows X Multitouch computers and tablets. This means that the new Live Mode page can function as a fully functional stage interface when used fullscreen on a Windows computer. “Since the beginning of computer-based music, the biggest limitation of software synthesizers has been the lack of physical interaction. It’s hard to beat the immediacy of a physical synthesizer that you can touch! We are very excited to be able to finally eliminate that problem by utilizing the world’s finest hardware synthesizers to fully control Omnisphere.” said Eric Persing, President of Spectrasonics. “We’ve never felt that the worlds of software and hardware synths should be divided into different ‘camps’. Our virtual instrument users can now experience the joy of the hardware synth workflow and hardware synth users can now fully expand their capabilities into the vast sonic world of Omnisphere!” Omnisphere v2.5 features: • Hardware Synth Integration! • New Hardware Library adds over 1,000 new patches for all users: - Over 14,000 Sounds total now included • Vastly Expanded Synthesis: - Four Layers per patch - Doubled Mod Matrix - Over 100 New Wavetables - New State Variable Filters - 8 LFOs, 12 Envelopes • New Hi-res, Resizable Interface • New Granular Layout • Improved Live Mode Page • New Shared Signal Path routing • New System Tuning/Scale functions • Windows Multitouch support • FREE for all Omnisphere 2 users! Hardware Synths supported include: • Sequential Prophet X • Sequential Prophet 6 • Dave Smith Prophet 12 • Dave Smith OB-6 • Dave Smith REV2 • Moog Sub 37 • Moog Subsequent 37 • Moog Voyager • Moog Sub Phatty • Moog Little Phatty • Moog Slim Phatty • Korg Minilogue • Korg Monologue • Korg Prologue • Roland System-1 • Roland System-1m • Roland System-8 • Roland SE-02 • Roland SH-01A • Roland JP-08 • Roland JU-06 • Roland JX-03 • Roland VP-03 • Novation Peak • Novation Bass Station II • Novation Circuit Mono Station • Access Virus A • Access Virus B • Clavia Nord Lead 1 • Clavia Nord Lead 2 • Studiologic Sledge Watch Eric Persing’s Keynote Presentation Video: Wondering which one to get? Watch our Hardware Recommendations Video: Pricing and Availability Omnisphere 2.5 is available now as a FREE update for all registered Omnisphere 2 users! How to get Omnisphere 2.5: Current Omnisphere 2.4 users: Simply use the “Get Updates” feature on Omnisphere’s splash page! Earlier Omnisphere 2 users: Download and install the 2.5 updates from your User Account. Omnisphere 1 users: You can upgrade to v2.5 directly for the same standard upgrade price! All specifications subject to change without notice. All trademarks are the property of their respective holders Comments are closed.
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