Updated Omnisphere synth launched
Spectrasonics have announced version 1.5 of their flagship Omnisphere softsynth.
New Features include:
- Innovative “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: Over 700 brand new patches created by renowned Spectrasonics sound development team gives Omnisphere over 5,000 patches and 8,000 total sounds.
- New 5-Column Browser view displays more sound categories and attributes simultaneously.
- New Online Video Tutorials for Version 1.5 capabilities.
- Support for new ‘Omni TR’ iPad app.
- New “Recently Added” 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.
- FREE update for registered users of Omnisphere.
Omnisphere is available now from all Spectrasonics dealers – MSRP $499 / €379.
Version 1.5 is set to be released February 15th, 2011.
The update will be free for all registered users and can be downloaded from the Spectrasonics website.
Wavetable Synthesizer demo
PPG Wave 2.2 Wavetable Synthesizer from the year 1982.
part1: some typical classic Wave 2.2 sounds
part2: the different functions (coming soon)
The PPG Wave 2.2 is the direct successor of the Wave 2 but with 2 oscillators. He is one of the greatest synths ever. A real classic! Only 500 Wave 2.2 were manufactured.
The sound character is different to the later Waldorf Microwave synths and a little bit different to the Wave 2.3. The nice SSM 2044 filter make the sounds so warm and incredible.
– 8 Voices
– 2 to 16 Oscillators per voice
– 30 Wavetables with 64 waves per table
– analog 24 dB/oct lowpass SSM 2044 VCF
– Curtis CEM 3360 VCAs
– micro processor (6809)
– 8Bit DACs
Used by: Trevor Horn (Propaganda, Art Of Noise, Frankie Goes To Hollywood, Grace Jones), Ultravox, Depeche Mode, Talk Talk, Tears For Fears, Thomas Dolby, The Fixx, Thompson Twins, Gary Numan and much more
INSTANT DUBSTEP WOBBLE with Lazerbass in Reaktor 5.5
Lazerbass
The newest addition to the REAKTOR library is a monophonic synthesizer delivering a pure and direct sound without additional effects. The new additive synthesis module means Lazerbass can create a large number of timbres, themselves made up of multiple harmonic or non harmonic partials. The result is a sound of immense quality, equally at home creating spacey sci-fi sounds as full and punchy sub basses ideal for dubstep and other leading-edge electronic productions that need that signature “wobble.”
KORG KRONOS unveilled – here are the pics
Korgs Kronos seems a lighter Oasys with these modules (known from the Original) – also has Karma aboard, but is assumably more affordable
SGX-1 Premium Piano: 4GB
EP-1 MDS Electric Piano:
CX-3 Tonewheel Organ:
MS20-EX Legacy Analog Collection:
Polysix-EX Legacy Analog Collection: Polysix.
AL-1 Analog Synthesizer – close to but not exactly a Radias
MOD-7 Waveshaping VPM Synthesizer – close to DX7
STR-1 Plucked String Synthesizer: Physical Modeling Synth (strings)
HD-1 High Definition Synthesizer: (sample player)
Features in detail
There are 9 synthesis engines on a single workstation, available in 61, 76 and 88 keys. The engines are:
* SGX-1 Premium Piano: German piano with more than 4 GB in samples. 8 layers and the choice of opening angle of the tail of the piano.
* EP-1 MDS Electric Piano, electric pianos (with sound “signature” by George Duke, Herbie Hancock Rodan Rudess or others)
* CX-3 Organ Tonewheel: integrating technology famed CX-3 in the Kronos. Drawbars controllable from its faders. Leslie Posilibidad to adjust the joystick, from speed to the position you just rotate.
* MS20-EX Legacy Analog Collection: emulation of vintage Korg MS20 synth.
-EX * Polysix Legacy Analog Collection: Polysix emulation.
* AL-1 Analog Synthesizer
* NOD-7 Waveshaping VPM Synthesizer
* STR-1 Plucked String Synthesizer: a new generation of modeling. You can choose from the material of the rope, until the tension, the execution (if pick, rub with your finger …)
* HD-1 High Definition Synthesizer: A portion of all types of samples.
Account with a set of 16 “sets” may be, from Programs, to vans, to sequences. What makes the live performance much easier and full of possibilities. One of the most exciting new features is that you can move from one set to another without interruption of sound (so if you keep notes of the previous set, still playing).
It eliminates the concept appears rompler and integration / provision of more than 12 GB of content hosted on a hard disk SSD.
Has integrated USB connection to your computer, not just save / edit, but also as a USB interface with 2 inputs and 2 outputs.
Section 16 effects available. 9-band equalizer general. Flexible Routing. Mastering tools. 16-track sequencer.”
Just in time for Namm – Rob Papen releases new stuff
Just in time to show off at Namm 2011, Rob Papen has released a complete synth and effect collection – eXplorer. Combining all Rob Papen virtual synths plus the company’s two award winning effects plug-ins, eXplorer provides all the tools you need for contemporary music production including thousands of rich, complex, track-ready presets created by Rob Papen and guest artists including acclaimed DnB artists Noisia.
To summarise, eXplorer includes:
– Blue 1.9: FM, phase distortion, wave shaping and subtractive synth
– SubBoomBass: Ultra deep groove bass synth with built-in step sequencer.
– Predator: Phat analog synth with killer presets and first class features. Also includes Predator FX – a filter, modulation, vocoder and effects plug-in.
– RG: Electric and acoustic guitar grooves with sequencer and synth effects.
– RP-Delay: Multi-reverse, 6 lines, 8 filters, 4 LFOs and more
– RP-Verb: An advanced, transparent and musical algorithm with easy controls.
Price: £499.00 / €585.00 (Available now in DVD or download format).
Teenage Engineering OP-1 synthesizer at NAMM
“If you’re at NAMM, please come by our booth, we’ll be showing alot of new crazy features!”
Introducing the Synthmate for iPad
Synthmate is a new $2.99 musical synthesizer for the iPad.
Synthmate features a simple, elegant interface, programable scales, wave type, lfo and y-axis control and a low-latency audio engine.
Features:
- real-time control, low latency
- multi-touch interface, change anything while playing
- 5 note polyphony
- 1 oscilator unit per touch : control pitch, volume
- 1 lfo unit per touch : control speed, amount
- 1 delay unit : control time, feedback
- Y axis assignable control
- edit scales, range, portamento and micro-tune
- load/save all settings
Feast your eyes on the Dark Star synth
Dark Star, the Virus TI Polar WhiteOut Special Edition
Specifications:
- Oscillators Three main oscillators and one sub oscillator per voice. A main oscillator can comprise of various oscillator types including the classic virtual analog oscillators (saw,variable pulse, sine, triangle, 62 spectral waves with several FM modes) and hypersaw (a multi saw-tooth oscillator with up to 9 stacked oscillators, 9 sub oscillators and sync oscillator at the same time). Wavetable oscillators with 100 multi-index wavetables, feature variable resolution and optional pulse-width mo-dulation. Graintable oscillators apply granular synthesis techniques for independent control of pitch and formants to warp a waveform beyond recognition. Formant oscillators sound like running a signal through a massive, modulatable filterbank with hundreds of resonant bands being morphed by the wavetable index.
- Filters Two fully independent filters (lowpass, highpass, bandpass, bandstop) with an optional saturation module located in between both filter blocks. The saturation module can add one of several distortions and lo-fi effects or an additional low/-high-pass filter. Optional self- resonating MoogTM cascade filter simulation with circuit overload and 1-4 poles.
- Modulation Two-dimensional modulation matrix with six slots (1 source and 3 modulation targets each). Every feasible parameter can be modulated in realtime. Three LFOs with additional hardwired destinations along with one user-definable slot. Two lightning-fast, multi-stage envelopes (ADSTR) – LFOs can be used as ramp generators as well.
- Effects The FX section has independent delay and reverb per patch (even in multi mode), along with multiple distortion/lo-fi algorithms, phaser, chorus/flanger, character control, ring modulator/shifter, EQ plus a global vocoder. There is no difference be-tween single and multi modes – patches sound exactly the same.
- Arpeggiator Each patch contains it’s own arpeggiator pattern feat. 32 programmable steps (length and velocity can be adjusted per step) along with a global control for swing/shuffle timing and one for note lengths. Pretty much every parameter including the pattern itself, the amount of octaves and many more can be controlled using the modulation matrix. I/O 6 balanced outputs (@ +4dB), backed by 192 Khz/24bit D/A converters, with soft-limiting. Two inputs with 24-bit A/D. Dedicated headphone out. MIDI in, out, and thru. S/PDIF digital audio (44.1/48 kHz) inputs & outputs. USB is used for MIDI and audio transmission (adding 3 additional stereo audio outputs) and works at 12Mb/s.
- Enclosure Great synth-action keyboard with 37 keys, velocity response and aftertouch. Hold and Control pedal inputs. Black finish, aluminium and wooden side panels, red LEDs and white display, wood rail beneath the keyboard.
- Surround sound output Every part can be panned dynamically between two stereo outputs for quadraphonic effects.
- Hardware controls 32 knobs, 43 buttons, 73 LEDs and Pitch/-Modulation wheel if applicable.
- Polyphony Between 25 to 110 voices, depending on the complexity of the patch. Estimates are based on single mode performance results may vary in multi mode.
- Multi Mode Multi programs can have fully-independent embedded singles, without the links to single banks required by most synths. This provides freedom from breaking other programs.
- Memory 1024 RAM and 3328 ROM sounds, 16 em-bedded multi patches along with 112 conventional multi slots, 16 parts in multi mode.
- Remote Templates Turn the Virus into a MIDI remote, the sound engine will still work independently. 32 user programmable templates to reassign most panel knobs control- ling control third party plug-ins and MIDI synthesizers.
- Smooth parameter changes Adaptive control-smoothing provides parameter changes with no zippering artifacts. With knob quantize, a clock ratio is selected and parameter changes are updated at specified intervals only. The result is sample-and-hold parameter movements, evocative of step sequencer sounds.
- Atomizer The unique DJ style audio slicer turns the Virus TI into an powerful realtime FX for DJ applications.
Total Integration
Total Integration seamlessly links any Virus TI model and a computer to create a unified system consisting of a powerful hardware synth and a virtual instrument plug-in, which not only controls the Virus TI but also receives audio from it, in order to allow post-processing right inside your computer.
This way you get the best of both worlds: Your Virus TI will calculate all the voices and effects and therefore makes the CPU of your computer available for other tasks. Since it is driven by the Virus Control plug-in, the timing (unlike normal MIDI and USB-MIDI timing) will be sample-accurate, and all sound data will be saved within the song or project. Virus Control also offers editing capabilities, along with an easy-to-use librarian page to keep track of all your Virus TI patches.
The Virus TI’s analogue input and outputs can double as an audio interface, the MIDI sockets can double as a MIDI interface.
Virus Control is an VST/AU/RTAS compatible plug-in. Total Integration is certified for the following hosts: Apple Logic 9, Steinberg Cubase 5, Ableton Live 8, Digi-design Pro Tools 9, Cakewalk Sonar 8.5, ImageLine FL Studio 9.
Tereshkova Synth Multi-Track Demo
Visual accompaniment for Multi-Track Demo of Analogue Solutions Tereshkova Suitcase Synthesizer
New Vintage Synth Series Announcement
An announcement of a new Vintage Synthesizer Series.
The keyboard footage was shot in 720- 50p and the interview was shot in 1080-50i with the 14-140mm lens. Maybe I am just imagining this, but I think the AF seems to be working slightly better in 1080-50i than 24p.
The video is an announcement of our upcoming Vintage Synthesizer Series. It is a collaboration between Michael Junck of klangkombinat.de and myself, Ralph Baumgartl of baumgartl.de
We will be comparing the original analogue Synths to their software equivalents.
DATAMASKIN
