[ddots-l] Re: Omnisphere sounds
- From: Bryan Smart <bryansmart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: "ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx" <ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sun, 4 Apr 2010 20:35:00 -0400
We know that Roland, just like Korg, knows exactly how to port their
workstation synth engines over to the computer. It would be good if they'd get
with the program and port some of their sound libraries after 1992. The TTS-1,
GrooveSynth, Orchestral, Quartet, and their other synths are all using samples
and patches from the Sound Canvas, MC303, and the first SR-JV expansion cards
for the JD series synths. That is freakin' old. I know that they're scared that
sales might drop off if they made a software version of the Fantom engine, but
even updating the software-based products to the XV era would be a huge
improvement. Cubase has lots of newer Yamaha samples/presets in Halion, Logic
and Garage Band have the very high quality EXS24 library, and Pro Tools has
Xpand 2 (the extremely updated version of Hypersonic), as well as Structure.
I have every expansion for Dimension Pro. A few days ago, I realized that part
of Dimension Pro's problem is the program browser. For example, say I want an
electric piano. Well, some are in the main electric pianos category, some are
in Classic Keys, some are in Expansion Packs 1 and 2, some fairly good ones are
in Proteus 2000 expansion, MoPhat Expansion, etc. Same thing for strings: main
strings category, GPO, expansion packs 1 and 2, DSF Studio Orchestra, E-Mu
Virtuoso, and lower quality ones in Proteus 2000, the Ensoniq library, and
scattered around the other E-Mu modules. With everything scattered around like
that, it is a quest to find the voice that you want.
So, I started making a new version of the presets. The presets are easy to
reorganize. All you do is cut/paste them around and make your own new folder
structure. I have a keyboards category, with categories inside it for acoustic
pianos, electric pianos, organs, synth keys, etc. Then, I just go around to all
of the expansion packs, and copy/paste any sounds that they have which fit
those categories in to the new folders. So, now, for example, I have an
electric pianos folder with all electric pianos that are available in Dimension
Pro and its libraries. This really didn't take as much time as you might think.
Anyway, after working with this new set of presets for a while, I've realized
that Dimension Pro really isn't that bad. There are good multi-velocity
electric pianos available, and lots of good variations, for example. All of the
other instrument categories are like that, also. It is really hard to know what
all you have, though, when it is scattered in 10 different folders. Same thing
for brass. The default Dimension Pro brass category has 4 presets. When I built
my brass category using brass presets from expansion packs 1 and 2, the DSF
Studio Orchestra, the Proteus 2000, and the Virtuoso expansions, the set of
brass presets seems much more respectable. And some of them, particularly the
ones from the DSF Studio Orchestra, are quite good (stereo, multi-velocity,
legato samples, etc).
Beyond that, there are a ton of lower quality presets from the Ensoniq
libraries. They definitely sound retro, but sometimes you want that effect. So,
under brass, for example, I made a Vintage folder, and threw all of the Ensoniq
brass presets in there. I did the same thing with the other major instrument
categories.
I wouldn't say that I'm blown away, by any means, but I generally feel a lot
better about using Dimension Pro as a general purpose synth this way. The stock
library always underwhelmed me. When organized as one large, unified library,
though, it acceptably covers most every category.
I'm thinking about sharing my presets. I think that would be alright, since you
can't use them without purchasing the libraries (and their samples). I really
think that Cakewalk should do something like this themselves, though. Dimension
Pro has its faults, but with the fragmented standard library, where you never
know exactly what you really have, it makes Dimension Pro seem much worse than
it is.
Bryan
-----Original Message-----
From: ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Gordon Kent
Sent: Saturday, April 03, 2010 1:00 AM
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: Omnisphere sounds
What about one of the arturia bundles? I will say though that there is a real
need for a good up to date general purpose synth. Cakewalk should drastically
update the tts1 with better gm sounds and a more fully function synth engine
that would be straight forward and simple for meat and potato work.
Gords
----- Original Message -----
From: Omar Binno <mailto:omarbinno@xxxxxxxxx>
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 10:50 PM
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: Omnisphere sounds
no. Colossis is about 40 gb.
----- Original Message -----
From: D!J!X! <mailto:megamansuperior@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 10:40 PM
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: Omnisphere sounds
Hey does anybody remember that free synth that east west was
giving out, it was about 1gb or so download, was it that colossis?
D!J!X!
________________________________
From: ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:ddots-l-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Omar Binno
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 10:29 PM
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [ddots-l] Re: Omnisphere sounds
Bryan,
I personally wouldn't recommend either atmosphere or omnisphere
for great, natural-sounding, woodwind, string, brass, or other natural
instruments. I would label them as average at best. Just my opinion, though. A
better synth for that kind of stuff is EastWest's colossis. The only drawback
to that is that you need sighted help to copy and paste the presets into sonar.
Otherwise, it isn't accessible.
----- Original Message -----
From: Bryan Smart <mailto:bryansmart@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: ddots-l@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent: Friday, April 02, 2010 7:15 PM
Subject: [ddots-l] Omnisphere sounds
All of you people using Omnisphere, what is your
opinion of the sound quality in terms of bread and butter sounds? All of the
demos that I've found are full of amazingly pulsing, throbbing, morphing,
arpeggiating, swirling textures and synth tambers. That sounds great for
creating atmospherics, or for scoring television action shows. However, how
well does Omnisphere serve as a general purpose go-to instrument? For example,
I have lots of plugs if I want drums, pianos, electric pianos, guitars, and
synths. However, when the odd situation comes up, and I need a sax, a ukulele,
a harpsichord, or a sitar, I need a general purpose synth to go to. I've used
various things for that over the years, but I'm now in a spot where the old
stuff like Hypersonic isn't available anymore on Win 7, and I'm trying not to
use hardware synths anymore, so can't just track in something from one of those.
So, how do you rate it for general purpose sounds?
Bryan
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