Omnisphere 3 has arrived.

[sintil8]

And I forgot another example -- Roland Fantom DAW Control. It took them two years to add S1. So yeah, a coding issue would seem like a real possibility. There's also the possibility that it's a popularity contest which the likes of Logic and Cubase win. But the fact it's a trend is indisputable.

I'm not currently on Omnisphere. I'm unsure whether to go for Ominsphere 3 and a nice keyboard controller like Komplete Control II or III (or maybe Yamaha MODX M7 which would be a keyboard controller on steroids) or just go for Kronos 3.

The Daw popularity contest brings in all sorts of questions around companies interacting and relationships to hardware manufacture etc., folk just end up disagreeing and getting all wound up, I don't see the point in getting into all that noise! But yes it could be described as a trend.

Anyway,
Omni has an extensive library and the filtering system to find sounds makes so much sense and also now with this Main screen being adaptive, just sounds so good. Obviously whichever way you go you will face a learning curve, it's to be expected and Omnisphere can be as simple or as complex as you want to go as Vst'i are concerned.

Was the question about keybeds...?
I found the NI Fatar keybed has a good feel semi weighted.
My thoughts, a good key bed gives a better feeling for velocity and finding the right one means spending a few hours in your local music store is my advice. I have arthritis and losing flexibility in my fingers so sadly I'm bit of a lost cause on that front.

All the best regards

 

[Jemusic]

Hey, good to hear from you! To clarify, if I went for MODX M7 (perhaps you didn't notice that they really shrunk the size of the 76-key so it fits in the space on your desk of most 61 keyboards? I did. That's big for me as an occasional piano faker) I'd add Omnisphere. 3 Then it would be a fair fight with the Kronos 3 which has its own set of plusses and minuses. Examples of positives would be the keybed feels more pro, I happen to love Karma, and all the different types of sounds. Cons include operating system from the days of yore and it's basically a zero as a DAW controller (no provisions like Fantom and MODXM/MontageM starting and stopping recording and arming tracks and editing VSTs).

I am aware what Spectrasonics is up to with compatible keyboards that provide even greater capability -- which now include just about all of them. Yeah, Eric Pershing has always known what he's doing.

If you got into Omnisphere especially V3 then your desire to get a MODX might be lessened to a great extent. They are even including a lot of more conventional sounds now too like pianos etc. Unless of course you want a hardware instrument for live or studio controller use then yes MODX would still be an excellent choice. And I agree I think M7 is the one to get also. I am about to upgrade Omnisphere 3 also as they have even improved the sound another level up again. I mean it sounded fantastic before but now it is just incredible. And it starts with 40,000 patches now!

Also for any Omni V3 users out there now watch out for 3rd party libraries such as Luftrum sounds. He is releasing updated Omni V3 versions of his libraries for free.

 

[MisterE]

If you got into Omnisphere especially V3 then your desire to get a MODX might be lessened to a great extent. They are even including a lot of more conventional sounds now too like pianos etc. Unless of course you want a hardware instrument for live or studio controller use then yes MODX would still be an excellent choice. And I agree I think M7 is the one to get also. I am about to upgrade Omnisphere 3 also as they have even improved the sound another level up again. I mean it sounded fantastic before but now it is just incredible. And it starts with 40,000 patches now!

Also for any Omni V3 users out there now watch out for 3rd party libraries such as Luftrum sounds. He is releasing updated Omni V3 versions of his libraries for free.

FWIW I'm really not an FM-head at all, I'm more attracted to the MODX-M strings and unusual sounds. Had a DX7 right when they came out back in the day and don't miss it. But your point about Omnisphere and a nice keyboard controller covering the same amount of ground is well taken.

 

[lokeyfly]

The Daw popularity contest brings in all sorts of questions around companies interacting and relationships to hardware manufacture etc., folk just end up disagreeing and getting all wound up, I don't see the point in getting into all that noise! But yes it could be described as a trend.

True, true, and some nice releases lately.
My friend just bought an 88 key Arturia Kelab MkIII. Those fully weighted keys feel sensational. And I'm not really a gifted enough keyboard player to take full advantage of it. I had the mkII, but there's quite a difference in overall feel. As in a Lot!

Good to see Omnisphere 3 is finally out. I have drifted away a little from Spectrasonics offerings for a while, but Omnisphere 3 might pull me back in. I keep it on my other laptop, and it sort of dedicated towards it.

I'm really enjoying some softsynths like Pigments which run quite deep, but remain very visible when editing. Its an exciting time to create on many fronts.

 

[sintil8]

True, true, and some nice releases lately.
My friend just bought an 88 key Arturia Kelab MkIII. Those fully weighted keys feel sensational. And I'm not really a gifted enough keyboard player to take full advantage of it. I had the mkII, but there's quite a difference in overall feel. As in a Lot!

Good to see Omnisphere 3 is finally out. I have drifted away a little from Spectrasonics offerings for a while, but Omnisphere 3 might pull me back in. I keep it on my other laptop, and it sort of dedicated towards it.

I'm really enjoying some softsynths like Pigments which run quite deep, but remain very visible when editing. Its an exciting time to create on many fronts.

Hiya,
The Keylab has a lot to offer and I have heard varying reports... some say it's firm/heavy others love it.
This is one of those subjective as opposed to objective things.
Funny how keyboards don't come with a Lid anymore, maybe they should. I used to love lifting one when I was a young child.

Your comment, "Gifted" is one way to describe it, another might be skilled and having the muscle memory.
Emulation of real piano keys weighted or semi weighted make me think of muscle memory and knowing that "quality", if that's the right word.
Humans have evolved throughout making sound into music and most folk given chance are gifted.
Practice, practice, practice, or these days use Tech.

About, other Synths, UVI Falcon keeps adding and building and of course Pigments are all good for go too's, there are a lot to choose from these days.

Oh. By the way I have a copy of Stepic, (excellent thank you}.
One of my nephew's bought it for me, he brings his tracks round and we work through them. Which is great fun.

Anyway about Omnisphere, I am still finding things out and trying to make a decision, but am not committing myself to buying yet and may not for some time to come!
No doubt a lot of, "I don't buy things they sent it to me"" YTubers will be expounding the new features. so I have plenty to work through.

Got to go, kindest of regards

 

[lokeyfly]

Hiya,
The Keylab has a lot to offer and I have heard varying reports... some say it's firm/heavy others love it.

Firm/heavy is a very good description, that I'd agree with. I traded my Keylab MkII for that very reason. To your very good point, its all subjective. I mentioned the MkIII because I was taken back by the extremely better than average keybed feel. Even for my poor key dabbling (I'm a guitarist, drummer, bass player, first), but through the years managed to "sell" my keyboard playing, with the aid of a DAW. I still like the snappy keyboard feel of non weighted keys on a personal note. FWIW, I bought my wife a Yamaha electric piano with 88 weighted keys. So I have that access when I want to use it, via MIDI I/O for those times where weighted keys just feel great.

Practice, practice, practice, or these days use Tech.

Practice, practice practice for the purist, and dedicated. Tech, a good thing where it can serve those who can benefit from it.

Oh. By the way I have a copy of Stepic, (excellent thank you}.

My pleasure, and there are treasures to be had with Stepic. Including programing sequences through your hardware where you can depress a key to trigger various alternate sequences. Its really pretty crazy, and a gem for live, or active creation.

...about Omnisphere, I am still finding things out and trying to make a decision, but am not committing myself to buying yet and may not for some time to come!

Same. Sometimes not having is the best way to reach down and seek what you can come up with.
Or to put it more elequantly....
“To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.” —Bertrand Russell (December 1950)

 

[sintil8]

Same. Sometimes not having is the best way to reach down and seek what you can come up with.
Or to put it more elequantly....
“To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness.” —Bertrand Russell (December 1950)

One of the things with Omni is the sheer volume of patches and not becoming distracted, by wading throught that myriad of patches,
it can be a distractive influence. It's Like listenening to one genre of music and trying to be creative in another style. Unless you are trying to do some sort of fusion type track.

Looking at the new library, the filtering system is seeking to cut some of that effort down and the Spectrasonics team have presented their
concept of how to do that. The question is does it work for me, is what I am asking myself.

Then the other main feature is the control mapping. The video's I have seen so far are saying it is not automatic as a VST in a DAW, it does look like it works with the standalone option and you can set it up via some user interaction by setting up an intermediary link in the Daw, via control mapping ?

I can live with the standalone as I often record into an app provided by RME for their S/Cards called "DIGICheck Global Record".
I then take the stems from that into SO1. I use this outside of the Daw and it's really useful for sketching ideas in a hybrid system of H/W and software instruments...... I'm starting to waffle (senior moment mode off) Less is more.

All in all Omni is a well loved VST, enough said and most probably one I will get at some point, when the time is right for me.

Oscar Wilde. "We are all in the gutter, but some off us are looking at the stars".

Kindest regards

 

[Vocalpoint]

Now that Omni 3 is out and the reviews are coming in - I too have decided to stick with Omni 2 and see where this all goes.

There are already complaints been posted about the new library filtering, what this means longer term, sound quality and all of it.

No doubt Spectra will issue a good 2-3 big updates in the coming months and I can decide at that time if it's right.

Also - Black Friday is coming up fast! Plus I just realized I probably still need two additional lifetimes to really figure out Omni 2.

VP

 

[sintil8]

Now that Omni 3 is out and the reviews are coming in - I too have decided to stick with Omni 2 and see where this all goes.

There are already complaints been posted about the new library filtering, what this means longer term, sound quality and all of it.

I have not been keeping track the last couple of days, so the library complaints issue is news to me!
But then most software out in the wild run into some difficulties.
About the other points yes and yes.

It's a waiting game now for the fix's and updates to roll out I s'pose.

Interesting posts from @Ferdinand in your NI MK III thread about the Omni 3 VST in SO1 updating the NI Keyboard screen when changing patches? I was surprised and would like to know more.

Anyway best regards for now, I'm sure this will be discussed more as time moves on.

 

[Jemusic]

I have just done the Omni 3 update and all I can say is OMG! Omni 2 was great but this is on another level again. It is quite simply jaw dropping. In real life it sounds about 10 time better than it does on YouTube also. Its stable and stunning its ridiculous. Its a dream to navigate the 41,000 presets as well. They have also remastered all the original Omni 2 sounds as well and they sound beautiful.

 

[sintil8]

I have just done the Omni 3 update and all I can say is OMG! Omni 2 was great but this is on another level again. It is quite simply jaw dropping. In real life it sounds about 10 time better than it does on YouTube also. Its stable and stunning its ridiculous. Its a dream to navigate the 41,000 presets as well. They have also remastered all the original Omni 2 sounds as well and they sound beautiful.

Now stoppit, just stop!!!
I'm a recovering GAS casualty and I'm trying my hardest to be restrained. I'm hoping for a xmas pressy.

That's great news to hear tho Jemusic, that folk are enjoying it, I will no doubt have to commit at some point.

Jemusic, does it overwrite Omni 2 if you upgrade and what was the download and install like ?
Does it come in one chunk...
I've been watching some of the YTube vids and it's really evident that the Main page is a good progression and has been well thought out for which controls to put there (nice).

Really good to hear and best of regards.

 

[Jemusic]

Now stoppit, just stop!!!
I'm a recovering GAS casualty and I'm trying my hardest to be restrained. I'm hoping for a xmas pressy.

That's great news to hear tho Jemusic, that folk are enjoying it, I will no doubt have to commit at some point.

Jemusic, does it overwrite Omni 2 if you upgrade and what was the download and install like ?
Does it come in one chunk...
I've been watching some of the YTube vids and it's really evident that the Main page is a good progression and has been well thought out for which controls to put there (nice).

Really good to hear and best of regards.

The install is painless. Yes it is one file around 61 gig. I am on a very fast connection so it did not take long. It even finds your Steam folder. Omni 2 sounds are all still there just under their own category. The Omni 2 sounds have been polished though. All third party libraries are all intact as well as any Omni expansions. There is an Omni 3 manual also (1200 pages!) It sounds better than it did before. Navigation is much better. And yes extra features abound. They have done a fantastic job on this. If you have Luftrum’s Vangelis for Omnisphere (incredible library) he has a free updated version for Omnisphere 3. This is added in addition to the V2 version.

All the Omni effects are available inside Studio One too which is rather nice because there are a lot of them. There are tons of hardware control options now also.