Omnisphere 2.5 Hardware Integration - SonicLAB Review

Gaz and Nick pile up the synths and check out the latest Omnisphere 2.5 update which adds hardware synth profiles, recreating 20+ synths structures in software allowing hardware control of each.
[NOTE: incorrect pricing info at 17:00]
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[@aphexish]

The part that makes this a glowing review is the fact that you guys couldn’t wait to start to jamming.

[@Jason75913]

this

[@fragmatic1964]

The jam really adds a lot to the video.

[@pointsurrender]

Nick and Gaz in concert. FINALLY.

[@danvercillo]

Came for the Omnisphere, stayed for the Nick and Gaz show!

[@TimeLimey]

I'm obsessed with Omnisphere. If someone said you can have every top hardware synth brand new for free only if I got rid of Omnisphere, I would have to think long and hard about it.

[@Wagoo]

This will be the thing to make me buy Omnisphere.. it's like having a second engine for your hardware synths, such a great idea :)

[@audiolego]

That's what it does? Wowww. I have a Virus TI2. Hmmm I want to try it.

[@MikkelGrumBovin]

If you two dont start a duo - youre crazy,- I LOVE sonicstate - REAL talk, and ,hands on knowledge ! Great !

[@liothomasart]

Amazing! Omnisphere is really dope

[@steventaylor3789]

All we need now is an album of Gaz and Nick collaborating/jamming. Intriguing review in more ways than one.

[@MarshalArnold]

Just tested this last week on my channel using a little phatty. I dig it, and hope they expand the HW profile library!

[@danwool]

Yay! Big shout out from Spectrasonics - they included a link to this in their Omnisphere update announcement I just got!

[@MeAlexSenna]

Happy to Report that the Nord Lead 2X Works Immaculately, even though in Omnisphere hardware tab says Nord Lead 2, Omnisphere would render the 2X also. It works really good with the parts Splits as Multitimbral. Waiting for the Virus TI to blow my cap off

[@Heathcliff_hensel]

its so brilliant that it makes you wonder why no one thought of this before.

[@johnpenguin9188]

Heathcliff they did think of it, it’s just a lot of hard work.

[@Dogboy73]

Time to buy a Minilogue .............. and Omnisphere 2.5 ;-) Very exciting coming together of hardware & software.

[@Kragatar]

I really want to see that sonic talk episode where Gaz's Sledge key got broken.

[@TimShoebridge]

I’m not sure what to make of this. On the surface it seems like an amazing free upgrade. But let’s face it, the music industry has gone crazy on hardware synths, Behringer and Korg and others are giving us affordable analogue, Roland and Yamaha are giving us boutiques, and Spectrasonics are sitting there wondering how to stay in the game. Don’t get me wrong, I love Omnisphere, but I rarely reach out to use it these days. With v2.5 maybe I will but it seems weird to use my Novation Peak to play a software synth when the real power of Omnisphere is not basic waveforms but PCM and granular, and the real power of the Peak is...... well, the Peak!

[@johnadams5489]

Interesting update to Omnisphere. This opens up an entire new world to integrate Omnisphere to an existing or a new synth I may buy and integrate with software. The system requirements of a computer to run it is minimal, so even a small laptop computer running Windows 7 with 4 GB ram could support Omnisphere 2.5. The software provides blow by blow setup information so us non tech people can find out how to hook it all up. Very cool.

[@David-nu5cj]

Two guys passionate about their subject. Can't get any better than that.

[@bigjase6481]

You guys have been on it from day one, I've watch a lot of videos,.and you have mass of knowledge. I've the sledge 2,with its gremlins, but very interested in the omnisphere software. This video, has made my mind up to by this software,to extend the sledge creation. Cheers guys for your time to your joy of synths.

[@boothbuster]

Very nice intro! And nice trick with the synths looking like they were being played. From the title, I knew that it was going to be that some or all of the sounds were Omnisphere, but I was still impressed when it was "revealed" they were all indeed just acting as controllers and the sounds were all Omnisphere. I have so many soft synths, I just never felt like I would have the time for Omnisphere; but I do have a Sub37 and this integration looks great. Still use Stylus RMX - you would think the sounds/loops would be dated by now but a majority still work, especially with the mangling one can do with the controls and effects in the plugin.

[@russhughes8631]

Can I book Gaz for a kids party - he's the best thing on KZbin for a long time. GREAT WORK!

[@annother3350]

dress him as santa!!

[@sidework1]

R.i.p. F2

[@liamdonaldson6449]

Gaz, you could probably glue that broken key if you have the missing piece.

[@athopi]

Well done. Was hoping for the "broken Sledge key" link... : )

[@fortheloveofnoise]

Before anyone says anything, yes....they put better keys on the black sledge.

[@ChrisP3000x]

Better than what exactly?

[@cresshead]

better than gaz's old gaia...we heard that got dropped down flights of stairs...still fine!

[@alanshewitt]

Remember, Studiologic = Fatar

[@athopi]

@@alanshewitt Is that a god or bad thing?

[@nickpmusic]

When are you 2 on tour?

[@tommylockett99]

Nice review, I liked your jam at the end...that was the best part for me

[@VultureCulture]

Awesome review! Thank you!

[@thefishdog]

I would like to try this with my sledge.

[@GareauRA]

I love it when you 2 do reviews.

[@theaudioeng]

The utter joy of playing real hardware synths, right? ....If ever someone asked me to describe what the placebo effect was ... I'd send them this YT vid link!! Fantastic job Eric & the Spectrasonics team. Such a simple concept, that it's surprising really that no other (software) vendor has done this already. Just hope Eric's team give me a profile for my new MODX6! 😎🎹

[@moe47988]

It's not a placebo effect when you can hear the difference in certain circumstances.

[@compfox]

I dont think MODX (or Montage as I am using) would be a useful controller. Most sound constructing has to be done via browsing deep into menues on the Yamahas. They are FM synths, is that way of creation implemented in Omnisphere at all ?

[@spectre.garden]

I've been holding out on updating from 1 to 2. Thanks for the demo of this feature. I have lots of hardware, but only my minilogue looks like it will work for now. Hope they add the Motif line, even though it's params are generally buried in panels and menus. This made up my mind though. My weekend is planned :-)

[@davenapox5464]

This is one of the funniest reviews I've seen you guys do :)

[@robappleby583]

I wish they’d hook up the Pro 3… that would make Omnisphere an instant buy for me.

[@gnarlysoundscapes7210]

Nick and Gaz should get together for a Fun Friday jam.

[@IDriveAnAudi]

I have to get my Virus Indigo out and give this a try. Looks really fun!

[@cresshead]

it's a fantastic idea, great review...got me thinking about it as i have some boutiques and system 1 :) I wonder if my old roland gaia sh01 will get a new lease of life too?

[@ChrisP3000x]

Yeah, it seems like a Gaia would be perfect.

[@Goettel]

Did you use a hammer on that Sledge key? I'll show myself out.

[@dbfsdailybeatfreestyle]

So this takes your hardware analog and Turns it into a soft synth controller?

[@milk_bath]

dbfs Daily Beat FreeStyle yeah, Omnisphere is $$$ and if I am stuck to selecting basic waveforms then one is wasting a lot of $$$ and sound design potential on Onmisphere.

[@theoriginalheartstrummer]

Yeah seems to me, keep your basic midi controller and do your editing in the software (if of course you don't yet have a hardware synth).

[@MadelnMachines]

How does it deal with switching between multiple instances. Is there some sort of take over mode or jump mode? Which are your top hardware synths to control omnisphere? Which give you access to the wavetables? Which give you access to the sampled instruments? Which give you access to granular? Which ones offer the most modulation? Thanks

[@JimijaymesProductions]

Seems great, regardless of Omnisphere would you still recommend Studiologic Sledge in this current market or is their better options (actual analog Behringer Deep Mind, other VAs etc).

[@reaktiv1408]

Sledge core engine is a lighten version of the waldorf blofeld, which has a matrix interface with way less knobs but a lot more possibilities. Blofeld exists in keyboard or desktop module and can be found used for low prices. I love mine!

[@bivens3ify]

Nick and Gaz are too cool.

[@djkymaera]

pretty remarkable for a free update

[@TimShoebridge]

That was my initial impression too. But let’s face it, the music industry has gone crazy on hardware synths, Behringer and Korg and others are giving us affordable analogue, and Spectrasonics are sitting there wondering how to stay in the game. Don’t get me wrong, I love Omnisphere, but I rarely reach out to use it these days. With v2.5 maybe I will but it seems weird to use my Novation Peak to play a VST when the real power of Omnisphere is not basic waveforms but PCM and granular....

[@johnpenguin9188]

Knew the sledge would be front and center here! 🤣

[@massawemba]

Amazing review, you guys rock!

[@kentxx12]

Wy cant somebody help Gaz to fix the broken key?

[@CognosSquare]

Thanks guys

[@soundethersinfo135]

You may use some glue for the Sledge broken key! ;)

[@CPeshMusic]

Just fix the key with some superglue. It worked on my synth, I can play it as before.

[@martindirkzimmer]

Lol. Gaz keeps wrecking his gear.

[@sasarasa88]

my thought. It's painful to see that broken key on the sledge. I went downstairs and made sure my sledge is intact after watching this

[@annother3350]

@@sasarasa88 it would be weird if it wasnt!

[@CGDreamsTutorials]

Am I right is thinking that Omnisphere 2.5 has the exact same sounds/waveforms as the hardware synths, and that essentially Omnisphere has these Hardware synths emulated within Omnisphere? If that is the case then buying the hardware would be nothing more than a controller being that the sounds are all coming from Omnisphere, it almost seems to good to be true?

[@oziaso9655]

but does it sound exactly like the hardware ? and if so can one use multiple instances in your DAW ? without bouncing to wav ?

[@raycordmusic]

Great ambiance!

[@Rusty511]

Best purchase I ever made

[@adamvolkinshtein1184]

We need an Atlantis / Intellijel integration

[@NigDub]

Adam Volk it has to have midi encoders so this is not possible for cv gear

[@badinibeats5939]

studio logic SEND GAZ A NEW KEY

[@JamieClark]

So they modeled the filters and oscillators of these hardware synths? Does that mean you can get Sledge sounds even if you don't have one (for example)? How close are they? I don't have a Prophet - should we compare Omnisphere to Arturia plugins?

[@Robin_Polarstern]

I think I need a korg minilouge and Omnisphere

[@ISLAInstruments]

This is totally amaze!

[@milk_bath]

While impressive, I feel this feature is a "just because we can, doesn't mean we should." A use case I can see that wouldn't be a waste of cost/features of both the hardware synth and Omnisphere would be a mono analog modeled well to be poly in Omnisphere. Or perhaps if you had a hardware synth's internal sound non functional, but usb/midi functional.

[@wescoast]

I like what they've done with this, but why not take it a step further and contract a hardware company to make them a dope controller, similar to the ableton push/live integration. Call it the OmniHere :)

[@milk_bath]

Lukas K exactly!

[@phranquepeasant5688]

This HAS TO BE the software of the year. Period.

[@canecreek00]

Anybody got a link for the episode where the Sledge loses its key ?

[@tobinn31]

It has fatar high quality keybed 😄

[@johngudgeon7454]

and omnisphere 2.5.1d just landed.

[@System-1541]

Gaz, your sledge was hit with a sledge! So sad man!

[@ravemealone]

now I need a monster controller for Omnisphere, time to buy Prophet X :3

[@boelegerkes]

I'd say it is time for a dedicated monster *Omnisphere* controller...

[@ravemealone]

that would be awesome!

[@ronf57]

so what is correct pricing? any deals anywhere?

[@dtrelzmusic]

what's the name of that Monitor/TV Stand?

[@projectsevn]

Can anybody tell me, does this work the other way around too? I mean, I love the sound of my virus C, so I use the line in jack plugs straigt to my audio interface for that. But can I tweak the knobs of my virus from the Omnisphere plugin now..?

[@misterwogan]

Working great with my Prophet 6 - however there is one big feature miss! Omnisphere does not capture the panel state so it is not possible to init an Omnisphere patch based upon the hardware panel settings.

[@sonicstate]

That would require the instrument itself to have the capability to send its current panel settings. Not many do that as far as I know (Yamaha Reface?), but the new MIDI Capability Inquiry feature would allow that, for future hardware I guess. I

[@misterwogan]

On the Prophet 6, pressing the Preset button initialises a patch based upon the current panel settings. If I do this with the P6's software editor open - I can see all of the virtual knobs moving to the same settings as the hardware panel. This would suggest that the P6 is raising an event and transmitting the panel parameters over USB to the editor. If this is the case, then Omnisphere just needs to capture this event. As is stands, it does not respond to the Preset button.

[@MadelnMachines]

I was hoping for this too.

[@prodbymemacmanondatrack3197]

Still waiting on a KEYScape inside Omnisphere without buying KEYScape it could b just the keys and rhodes

[@kaitsu9608]

Not happening, but you could look into cheaper stuff or if you want unique sounds just sample your own. Ableton sampler for example allows for making multisampled instruments

[@bez187]

Are you able to push the patches from Omnishpere to the hardware?

[@infinitenothingness]

No

[@bez187]

Dang. This is a nice feature, but that'd be the game changer. Not sure why they wouldn't include that functionality after going this far.

[@fredyocampo51]

have a question, to see if anyone can help me; I have roland 8 synthesizer; can you record the actual notes, and automation; or does it record just audio( wave pattern).

[@christophertodman8254]

If one has a prophet x is it really worth having omnisphere too? I know it's nice to have 1000s of more sounds but...

[@annother3350]

How multi-timbral is the propphet? I heard the polyphony aint great. I'd say there's every need for an omni

[@tomaszwaszka3394]

5:09 F key is broken!!!

[@christianthompson1473]

This looks "fun", but i dont really see any point beyond creating a virtual polysynth from a monosynths controls. Plus there's all the added tangle and unwealdy aspect of lumping computers and giant monitors. Am i missing something?

[@jfranko4000]

He saids omnisphere sound so great but he doesn't use it that tells me a hole lot hardware still wins, and all of those 10,000 sounds don't sound great.

[@napohond]

Gaz and Nick together in one room! So they're not one person after all.

[@kellymerrill5294]

Look Around You

[@rmolag]

whats the correct pricing?

[@annother3350]

it's a free update

[@METAMORA6329]

Great!

[@Stakkeroid]

Nice jam hey :-)

[@JKC40]

poor Sledge!

[@INADRM]

If only he would stop cutting him off every 5 seconds

[@smokey5100]

Dope

[@kollisionbass]

LOVE THIS!@

[@continuummusic220]

I still don't entirely get it...so you can use omnisphere to accurately recreate the sound and controls..of synths you already have? But but but. Does it mean that I effectively get a sub37 or whatever in omnisphere or do you need the hardware to activate the virtual version?

[@sonicstate]

Sort of, but it does mean you get a polyphonic Sub37 type synth with all the additional features a Sub 37 doesnt have, but get to use the Sub37 to control it. Its like having a dedicated hardware controller - which is very different from just the software.

[@continuummusic220]

OK never mind, just updated omnisphere and had a play. I would be very interested to hear how close the omnisphere version of the synth sounds compared to the actual one

[@sonicstate]

I dont think they have tried to have a full like for like sonic recreation, but some synths have the actual oscillator waves sampled and some of the filters are close. I think if they were going for full on emulations, that would be a lot more work and detail

[@crosswick]

The sounds are heavily inspired by the hardware, they don't intend to be actual 1-to-1 simulations. Also they go beyond in many senses, the main of which: polyphony. Yes, you can get effectively a sub37-style synth in Omnisphere, no you don't need the hardware for it.

[@MR-jd1yo]

can i use a seperate Midi controller keyboard and still get that poly sub37 sounds (and others) while i use my sub 37 for its own sound? or do i need my sub37 to control the virtual sub sounds?

[@onkelberra3166]

I've watched so many vids with omnisphere 2.5 now and I still can't see the hype.

[@aleksandari.7834]

I don't know, this is weird. Like "Emperor's New Clothes" story, everybody is getting excited, but kind of faking it. No one wants to admit there nothing special about this. Just get a generic midi controller or make one, and control Omnisphere.

[@andydunnock8114]

Then just remember and label the controllers for your extra keyboard. Simple. Go for it.

[@daveesuperstar7380]

Aleksandar Ivanov I think you need to look more than what ya think is just “midi learn”. I thought the same thing at first hearing about it. And then as I learned the facts, I understood

[@aleksandari.7834]

@@andydunnock8114 Not sure if you are ironic?

[@aleksandari.7834]

@@daveesuperstar7380 Well, the addition is fine, it is good to have the option. But I don't see this used that much. You have your hardware analog, are you gonna really use sounds from Omnisphere and control it with the hardware? I know Omnisphere sounds great, but isn't there some special feeling when you know that the sound is coming from real circuits? Some inner satisfaction. Have Omnisphere, and have your analog separately. This addition is good if you want to use your hardware as a midi controller for Omnisphere, and not buy a dedicated controller. Then it is very useful that they added support for so much synths. But even if I used my analog with Omnisphere, I'd still use the analog separately. I am just seeing too much of unbased hype, even from the review guys. Like they are trying hard to get excited. Why? What am I missing here?

[@andydunnock8114]

@@aleksandari.7834 I can't remember! Just ignore, I can be an arsehole sometimes.

[@bengtbaron2574]

I dont want to read manuals..... to set up software.........to control........it from hardware!

[@MatteoArtuso1699]

; )

[@laurencevanhelsuwe3052]

Great if you already have Omnisphere. Otherwise, it's about 400 euros according to a shop I just checked.. not cheap for software.

[@issiewizzie]

I bought mine for 299 and it came in a box .. you better look for a retailer

[@continuummusic220]

It's a lot but Omnisphere is well worth the money in my opinion. It's one of the most capable synths out there and the sound library is incredible

[@johnpenguin9188]

It also takes a lot of hard drive space, that can be expensive as well.. oh no what to do!!! I guess it’s time to give up music and just watch Netflix!

[@alexjones4219]

Yeah it costs alot it's also one of the best soft synths of all time

[@richardpennington5445]

Omnisphere is actually the best value softsynth there is.

[@skyhawk77]

I find Gaz overdubbing and constantly ad-libbing immediately within nano seconds of what Nick is saying really really irritating..It's like that little 5 year old kid in a sweet shop with daddy who's trying having a conversation with another adult.... I mean Nick is probably too nice to tell him to stop doing that but man, if it was me...I'd just tell him to stick a sock in it and wait 2 seconds after I'd have finished speaking... You can clearly see that Nick finds it uncomfortable being talked over like that from his expression. Gaz, go get some interview training, you do those annoying things with people at music gear shows.

[@lolKbgTgm6621what]

that's not what "overdubbing" means

[@skyhawk77]

I didn't mean it a literal way.... more in a tongue in cheek substitute way, relative to what is a music technology channel.

[@spiramus]

too much bla bla!!!!!!!!!!! Show us some!!!!

[@mc2engineeringprof]

Look, it's not rocket science. All analog modeling and virtually all softsynths start with either a wavetable or PCM sample at the per-cycle level of real analog waveforms. They then make use of transfer function datalogging to create digital models of everything from filters to oscillator drift to temperature correction. These digital models are then reassembled in software DSP algorithms and POOF, you've got virtual emulation of a real synth. Omnisphere already was essentially a PCM / ROMpler-esque synth with it's own filter and modulation models that elevated it above the likes of Nexus 2 or the like...but these models (think: filter and modulation circuitry "samples") take up gobs of space (hence, why Omnisphere takes up something like 100 GB of storage space). All that Omnisphere did was to apply their current engine to some synths they had laying around, "sampled" the raw waveforms and filters / modulation circuits (many of which they likely already had taken for previous versions of Omnisphere without us knowing it), opened up the SYSEX literature for each of the synths, applied the MIDI spec from the synth as a controller to the map, and come up with some nice scaling for the controls). Result: Omnisphere 2.5. Don't fool yourself into believing that these are going to replace hardware anytime soon. I'd bet my right...um....ear that most synth players and producers can easily discriminate between the real DSI synth and the a Omnisphere model. Now, the Sledge, not so much because that one is ALREADY a DSP / wavetable synth to begin with (a sort of a "hardware Omnisphere") and so the acoustic limitations of it are already "built in". Still, I'll lug around my hardware any day of the week as opposed to carrying around the Omnisphere "recordings" (both acoustic and of circuitry) of real hardware. Most great virtual synth makers start with a sliver of a waveform sample and then program analog around it. The result is a fast, nimble, processor liberating plugin that sounds crafted and unique (Sylenth and U-he, anyone?). The Spectrasonics boys take the lazy way out. Here's the reality: our ears can tell the difference!

[@halcyondaystunes]

ok

[@moe47988]

you can be dismissive, but he's right.

[@thismanfromearth4310]

Hardware filters were not really modelled in Omnisphere. An svf filter was added along the lines of an oberheim but I’m not sure how accurate they tried to make it. They certainly didn’t try to model Roland or Moog filters. They did however model the waveforms. And no they didn’t just sample them. There are many sampled sound sources in Omnisphere but the hardware integration oscs are pure dsp. Models of oscillators and filters take up no hard drive space by the way. That is sampled content, totally different. And there are no modulation samples, this makes no sense. They are setting up modulation routing to mimic what the hardware does on the fly. It’s actually pretty cool. I agree overall it won’t sound exactly like the hardware but I don’t think that’s the goal. Developers doing really accurate emulations like u-he repro or synapse audio the legend are doing extremely advanced modeling to get everything to behave like the originals, warts and all. Omnisphere is not trying to do that. Still sounds pretty good though.

[@mc2engineeringprof]

@@thismanfromearth4310 The modulation modeling I refer to are the simple oscillators transients...not controlled modulation, but the random modulation created by temperature drift and electrical signal nonlinearities. I thought I made it clear that it wasn't sampling but I was using the term to explain it to laymen. What one does is just log the transfer function (the Laplace transform of the output divided by the Laplace transform of the input) and that will contain the entirety of these dynamics. It can be done without knowing a bit about how they were generated or how needed to literally model the circuit. It's an empirical model, just like samples are. The waveform cycle sampling is more akin to what synth users would consider to be wavetables. But yes, they are sampled this way and not created out of some mathematical ideal model of the waveforms. The oscillator signals on real analog gear are far more complex than that and to get anything resembling a real sounding oscillator, you need to copy an actual circuit's output as opposed to just synthesizing at ideal case digitally. I'll guarantee that they simply used popular oscillators. Not sampled a note over a span of seconds, but over a span of microseconds for a single full cycle. This is what then serves as the basis of the virtual oscillators which then have the "reality" dynamics added on top. Spectrasonics simply created a standardized system of doing this that can they readily be applied to any piece of hardware. But it's not hard to do. There's a reason that there are a bazillion free virtual emulations of hardware gear... And they're not merely samples of a bunch of different patches, they're empirical models of the real thing down to the high speed signal level.