Omnisphere 2.5 brings not only hardware synth integration to the table but also expands the whole synth engine.
The Superbooth is well known because of hardware, especially for Eurorack modules. What can be seen positively, however, is that the software world also dares to go to Berlin to present new products.
This year, Spectrasonics visited for the first time the Superbooth and announced a big update for their Omnisphere 2 Synthesizer. Version 2.5 offers now Hardware Synth Integration, a new clever feature that transform many best-known hardware synths into powerful controllers. This update not only enables users to control Omnisphere 2 from their favourite synth but also expand the engine.
It based now on a vastly expanded synthesis engine: four layers per patch (before two), doubled mod matrix, new state variable filters known from the OB-6 hardware Synthesizer, 8 LFO’s and 12 envelopes.
Hardware Synth Integration
The innovative new feature bridges the physical experience gap between software and hardware, allowing users intuitive control and the ability to easily create/modify Omnisphere sounds by using the familiar layout of their supported hardware synth with minimal setup. The initial release will officially support over 20 popular hardware synthesizers from Moog®, Dave Smith Instruments®, Roland®, Korg®, Behringer®, Novation®, 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 v2.5 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, to make the special features of that hardware 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 recall entire FX racks, assign multiple scaled parameters and even instantly create complex modulation matrix routings on-the-fly. The 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 by selecting the hardware synth from the drop-down HW menu!
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 renowned 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!
“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, Creative Director of Spectrasonics. “We’ve never felt that the worlds of software and hardware synths should be segregated 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!”
First Look Video
Features Of Omnisphere 2.5
- Hardware Synth Integration!
- New Hardware Library adds hundreds of new patches for all users:
- Over 13,000 Sounds total now included
- Vastly Expanded Synthesis:
- Four Layers per patch
- Doubled Mod Matrix
- New State Variable Filters
- 8 LFOs, 12 Envelopes
- FREE for all Omnisphere 2 users!
Hardware Synths supported will include: Sequential Prophet 6, DSI OB-6, REV2, Moog Voyager, Little Phatty, Sub Phatty, Sub 37, Subequent 37, Korg Minilogue, Roland System 1 & 8, SE-02, SH-01A, JP-08, JU-06, JX-03 & VP-03, Novation Bass Station II & Peak , Behringer Deepmind.
Public Beta
The 2.5 update is now available to test as a Public Beta. All registered Omnisphere 2 users with Standard licenses are eligible to sign up to join the Public Beta test. We are very much encouraging our wonderful users to participate and provide feedback in the Public Beta test. Users who give high quality testing/feedback reports in the Public Beta will be eligible to join the official Spectrasonics Beta Team for future new products!
More information here: Spectrasonics
Available here: Omnisphere 2
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