Spectrasonics Omnisphere 1.5 – all the new features in the updated version
Here’s what they have to say about the update:
We are proud to announce a major new version of our award-winning Power Synth Omnisphere® – which includes a host of new features, in particular a new interactive interface called “The Orb” offering stunning real-time synthesis manipulation capabilities, along with many deeply expanded additions to the synthesis engine and user interface. The update also includes many important user-requested features such as the new 5-Column Browser view and support for polyphonic aftertouch. The new version also includes a significant update to the factory patch library – 780 brand new patches which take advantage of all the new sound design capabilities and brings the total number of included sounds to over 8,000.
- New “Orb” ‘circular sound manipulation’ interface with Motion Recording and “Dice” button for infinite variations and one-touch sound customization
- Expanded Synthesis capabilities:
- Harmonia: New zoom page shows all Harmonia parameters per layer adding up to 10 oscillators per patch with new independent modulation options for Levels and Fine Tuning on each Harmonia oscillator.
- Waveshaper: New zoom page with extreme new processing modules including polyphonic ‘Crusher’ and ‘Reducer’ sections with ‘Force’ and ‘Animation’ controls that can all be modulated.
- Granular Synthesis: New ‘Speed’ and ‘Position’ modes. New zoom page with new ‘Granular Visualizer’ showing a graphic model of the effect of parameter edits which makes Granular synthesis easier to use.
- Patch Library Update: 780 new patches created by the Spectrasonics sound development team gives Omnisphere over 5,000 patches and 8,000 total included sounds.
- New 5-Column Browser view displays more sound categories and attributes simultaneously
- Support for new Omni TR iPad app
- New “Most Recent” Browser sorting option
- Added support for MIDI devices which send polyphonic aftertouch
- New ‘Clone Part’ feature allows easier editing/setup with multichannel MIDI controllers
- New MIDI Learn hardware control mode follows Live Mode selection
- Modulation Envelope points can be key-command snapped to semitone when modulating pitch
- User-assignable Legato Interval rule added
“Our goal for Omnisphere has always been to make it the ‘best of both worlds’ – awesome sounds and a dream instrument for sound design,” says Eric Persing, Founder of Spectrasonics. “As longtime synth geeks ourselves, we are just as excited as our customers to see how Omnisphere is growing and evolving as a synthesis platform. We’re really looking forward to hearing how our users explore the new sonic worlds this version opens up.”
Best of all – it’s a free upgrade for Spectrasonics Omnisphere owners.
Expanded Synthesis
Omnisphere 1.5 includes new synthesis capabilities, with newly designed “zoom” interface views for Harmonia, Waveshaper and Granular synthesis areas.
- Harmonia can create extremely rich sounds by adding up to 10 oscillators per patch with new independent modulation possibilities on each oscillator.
- The Waveshaper now includes more extreme sound mangling capabilities with the new polyphonic “Crusher” and “Reducer” modules, which include ‘Animation’ and ‘Force’ parameters that can all be modulated.
- Omnisphere’s Granular synthesis area has been made significantly more powerful by including new ‘Speed’ and ‘Position’ modes, which create dramatic polyphonic shifts through the audio and time spectrums. At the center of the Granular Zoom interface is a new real-time ‘Granular Visualizer’ showing a colorful graphic model of the effect of parameter edits, all of which makes Omnisphere’s complex Granular synthesis easier to understand and more fun to use.
The Orb
The “Orb” feature of Omnisphere 1.5 is both a sound manipulation tool and a performance interface — it can be thought of as a ‘circular controller.’
Now with a single click of the mouse, the user can instantly customize the sound. Best of all, the Orb automatically works with every patch a user has, there’s no setup necessary.
The user simply moves the Orb cursor with a mouse, a MIDI controller or in the case of an iPad, with fingers directly on the Orb itself. As the Orb moves around the concentric circles, it morphs between automatically generated parameter scenes in Omnisphere’s STEAM engine in a highly intelligent and musical manner — all patch dependent — manipulating the sound in subtle or radical ways appropriate to that particular patch. If the user doesn’t like what the Orb has created, a complete new set of manipulations can be chosen by simply rolling the “Dice” button, which instantly creates a brand new group of intelligent sonic modifications and effects to try. There’s no limit to how many serendipitous sonic variations the “Dice” can create – opening up the vast power of the STEAM engine to every user, regardless of synthesis knowledge.
For advanced synthesists seeking maximum flexibility, the Orb can also be setup manually and used as a new modulation source in Omnisphere’s sophisticated Mod Matrix.
The Inertia slider of the Orb allows the user to create a ‘movement trail’ after letting go of the Orb, just like a ball might roll and bounce off the walls of a circular enclosure, adding a musical symmetry to the “performance” of an Orb interaction. Users can also Record their performance movements directly into the Orb and play the performance back in sync with their controller or host. The Orb’s movements and sonic results are saved within the patch, multi or the host’s session for later recall. The movement of the Orb can also be automated in the users host.
The ideal control surface for Omnisphere’s new ‘Orb’ is the multi-touch interface of the simultaneously announced “Omni TR” iPad app, but the Orb can also be used with standard mice, trackpads and MIDI controllers.
Hands-On Expression
Omnisphere 1.5 includes support for Spectrasonics new “Omni TR” iPad app, which provides wireless multi-touch performance control over the instruments. Alternate controllers that send multiple simultaneous MIDI channels have improved handling with the new “Clone Part” feature, making it easier to edit with multichannel systems like Guitar synths and the Eigenharp™ controller. Omnisphere 1.5 also adds support for MIDI keyboards and devices that send polyphonic aftertouch. A special new MIDI Learn mode enables hardware controllers that send a single channel to have all of their learned knobs, sliders and switches affect any parts currently selected in Live Mode – making Omnisphere even more intuitive when controlled from a hardware synth such as a Moog Little Phatty.
Sounds of the Quadra
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-CXuc89lzgg
Update to Sounds of the quadra,now with better interface,sequencer updates, resonance in poly synth now better and lots of other great features.
Here’s what Synth Magic has to say about their virtual ARP Quadra:
This instrument has an user interface based on a real Quadra’s front panel. Once loaded into your Kontakt sampler, the thousands of lines of programming code creates a virtual Quadra synth experience with all the functionality of a real Quadra. All Sliders and envelopes have been calibrated and timed to behave like a real Quadra and there are lots of great extra features that really bring the Quadra synthesiser into the modern world.
Each section of the Quadra has been sampled.Every single note in every octave for every sound. There are no stretching of any samples across a key range for a true authentic sound.The programming code creates all the envelope calibrations as well as the Bass synth, String synth, Poly synth and lead synthesiser’s beautiful graphical user interface which allows the user to shape the sound from the front panel, just like a real Quadra. There are seperate effects sections for each synth section of the Quadra and an analogue sequencer that, again, draws its inspiration from ARP’s 1970′s sequencer and really gets the creative juices flowing.
Sounds of the Quadra retails for £19.99 GBP.
Helix is the new Black
Helix is a Wave-Table-Shaping, Phase modulation, Virtual Analog, Physical Modelling Hybrid Synthesizer. Unusually high sound quality, massive modulation, creative audio-routing and many built-in effects all make Helix a synth easy to like.
Specification:
19 voices, 1.6% CPU hit (@3GHz), This is not a joke.
Proud Presets
Helix comes with over 800 presets, from BigTone, Reason Lahalla, MaliceX, Alonso Sound and more. The presets range most styles where electronic instrument might fit.
800+ presets ordered in bank/category/preset.
Super Sound
Inspired by the “super-saw” of the late nineties, Helix takes the unison-sound to the next level and allow you to make any waveform “super”. This makes Helix capable of huge and wide unison pads and leads. Where many Virtual analogs stops at seven or nine detuned waves for a supersaw, Helix takes the extra step and allow for 16 detuned and panned waves per oscillator. At four oscillators per voice we realize that we can max out our sound at 64 (sixty four) waves per voice. That’s super!
The wave oscillator can do super-wave, and provides start phase control.
Wave-Table-Shaping
Combining the wave-shaping of synths like z3ta+ with the wave-table synthesis of the Prophet VS and the ESQ-1, Helix lets you shape the first and the last waves in a table, the in-between are automatically filled in. The morph control picks the wave to play
Shaping the first wave and looking at the morphed results.
Clean Cut
Great care has been taken to ensure no aliasing in the oscillators, so the sound is free from many artifacts traditionally associated with software (and Virtual Analog) synthesizers. This becomes very clear when playing high notes.
A sawtooth sweeping down into the audible range, showing individual partials.
Filter Frenzy
Three Filter per voice, including traditional low/band/high pass, EQ, and comb, less usual dynamics, to the exotic String Model and PM Delay, a delayline where the delaytime is modulated in audiorate.
Distortion Delight
Three stages of distortion/waveshaping per voice and one global can add a touch of old school harmonics or turn any sound into a nightmare of screaming machinery. Select from ten different shapes to find your favourite style of dirt.
Distorting a sine wave with the 10 shapes.
Surely Stereo
All parts of Helix are stereo in – stereo out. Oscillators, filters, shapers and effects. This helps keeping the signal huge.
Modulation Mayhem
More modulation slots than you can handle. Each with one source, two destinations and a scale-source. The amount of modulation possible would be impossible to find in the analog realm (it would require a great amount of cables, splitters, multipliers/ringmods and mixers) and hard to find anywhere.
More modulation than you can handle! (8 times the above)
Exhilarating Effects and Radical Routing
Helix comes with some built-in effect: Distortion, Flanger/Chorus, Phaser, Delay, Limiter, Reverb, 3 band Eq. The effects can be applied in any order.
Both the Voice architecture and the Effects of Helix follow an approach where a signal can be mixed in or sent to the effect at any point. The result is great freedom on how to apply filters and effects.
Check out Helix now on the offical Audjoo product page at http://www.audjoo.com/Helix/…
Get to know the history of Roland synths
Pretty amazing 
Here´s what the makers of it has to say about it:
Music on radar it was last fall of this very extensive and therefore worth reading feature on the Roland synthesizers of the company. They that have a total of 89 models from the years 1973 – 2010. Each of the models with a photo and a brief description. It lacks the TR series and the TB, otherwise everything should be there.
Because I was the so-turns, I now have all prepared on an image. Nearly all, for a whistle went I go. I also had it, obviously, make an animated gif.
Caribbean Steel Drum – Effectology
Electro-Harmonix Effectology, Vol.20 “The Caribbean Steel Drum Effect.”
By Bill Ruppert
Welcome to Electro-Harmonix’s “Effectology” series, in which we create a remarkable collection of impossible sounds using just a regular guitar and EHX effect pedals!
No keyboards, samplers or midi pickups were used.
In this episode I show how to turn a regular guitar into a Caribbean Steel Drum.
For pedal settings for this video visit the user forum at :
http://www.ehx.com/forums/viewthread/…
Modular Evila synthesizer – an evil girl
This is my modular Evila synthesizer I built in 2011. I finally had the time to record an audio demo of the evil girl. She is capable of some very wicked sounds.
Via bluelantern320
Human Contact Synth
This is my second take on this type of device. It is played by bridging the connection between the two plates. The more contact made the higher the pitch. You can experiment with friends by making a human chain of resistance.
With a very minimal design this synth is carved into a single piece of salvaged wood with an aged looking stain. Aside from the two contact plates you have a power switch and indicator light. There is 1/4″ output so it is easy to connect to amps, effects, or recording equipment.
It is powered by an internal 9v battery that is hidden under the left plate. Although the battery will last extremely long it is important to be sure to replace all washers and the contact wire around one screw when changing the battery.
Everything vintage
Here is a qucik preview of the new TubeOhm flagship. BRUNO‘s big brother. TubeOhm VINTAGE contains two complete Syths in one ( Structure 1 and Structure 2 ). Mixed mode > sampler> oscillator. Keysplit, two ARP‘s, four sampler or up to 28 oscillators / voice. 10 multistage envelopes, 6 LFO‘s, vector amp modulation , four multi VCF
MIDI free assign knobs and many many other features. Coming soon in the first quarter of 2011. More information is at http://www.tubeohm.com/TubeO…
POLYKEYS beta
PolyKeys by ASWAVE is a freeware Virtual Analog Polyphonic Softsynth Synthesizer and as been around since 2006 in beta form and is still updated for time to time. filled with a few presets that show the diversity of the vsti plugin and is capable of a who lot more sounds to create another true classic synth from the freeware world of vst plugins instruments and effects.
in this video i have tried to show the range of sounds that can be made with this synth classic, rather that make it sound musical.
please note
the most irrating thing about downloading this classic synth is that you have to add a websearch engine to your web browers as homepage or add to tabs before refreshing and downloading this plugin, i say except it and delete later on if you wish
For more infomation visit
http://aswave.altervista.org/
http://proemio77.altervista.org/
extra presets
http://rekkerd.org/patches/plug-in/po…
Introducing the BLARP synth
A quick video of a new build “BLARP” a small portable perfboard based synth instrument built mainly using CMOS 4000 series IC’s.
“For the final time, for those into CMOS/Lunetta etc, the final contents are;
2 x 4015 giving 4 x 4 bit shift registers
1 x 4040 divider
1 x 40106 providing 6 x Oscs (these are pretty wide range and go from audio rates down to really low freq)
1x 4070 giving 4 x XOR
1x 4070 set up as an XOR chain
1 x 4093 giving 4 x Gateable oscs
3 x AREGVCA (Attack Release Envelope generator and Voltage controlled Amplifier)
1 x 4069 giving 2 x triangle LFO
1 x 4046 as VCO
1 x 4011 Pseudo ring modulator
1 x passive LP filter with LDR control
2 x 3 input passive mixer
4 input resistance mixer with diode summing
Power output rails
Small kludge area
Breadboard”
DATAMASKIN
