Question To Omnisphere Users

[jestermgee]

I have recently purchased Omnisphere after checking out all the videos around the net and looking at it quite a bit. The installation of this thing is just a huge tease. 6 DVDs and about 5 hours later it was too late to start playing (but I did).

Now, after a couple of days of toying around I say WOW.... And now the questions.

I have the Omni TR iPad App working great but have an issue I wanted to double check with others here. While the app controls Omnisphere just fine and the controls move on screen and the sound changes, it seems that it is not possible to record this in an automation track?

Here are the answers to the questions that will crop up:

- I have mapped a control to an ableton control via the "Enable Host Automation" function in Omnisphere
- I have even assigned a CC to the Omnisphere control and moving this fader records automation
- Manually moving the control with the mouse records automation

All seems fine but the app doesn't allow Omnisphere to send automation. This is a letdown because it makes it almost useless for studio use and the sounds I can get out of the Orb I cannot record to Ableton unless I use the mouse.

[jestermgee]

I have double checked this against Cubase and it looks like this is an Ableton issue. Cubase works fine when recording the controls via Omni TR.

[jestermgee]

No Omnisphere users here? Be interesting to see if anyone has noticed the same.

[TroyP]

Eric Persing checks the Northern Sounds boards regularly. I think there is contact info on the Spectrasonics page as well, in case no one here knows the answer.

[jestermgee]

Thanks, yeah I know about the northern sounds forum... Been over there.

The issue though is not with Omnisphere it would appear. It seems it is something with Ableton. I have also found that if I map the preset DOWN/UP buttons from omnisphere to ableton and then use a midi keyboard assigned within ableton, it doesn't move through the presets even though the button is showing as being pressed in omnisphere.

I have double checked the operation in Cubase SX and it all works fine there. Seeems to be a few VST issues with Ableton.

[perplex]

hmm i will check it out when I get home. I recently obtained omnisphere myself

[jestermgee]

hmm i will check it out when I get home. I recently obtained omnisphere myself

Kewl... Yeah its an awesome synth. Playing it at the moment and the ipad app is great above the keyboard for browsing patches and making adjustments. Works great but I want to be prepared for when I hit the record button. ATM I have built a custom controller surface with touchOSC which I map the controls to but I love the orb function and it would be great to be able to use the pad over the mouse to record swirls.

[perplex]

hmm i will check it out when I get home. I recently obtained omnisphere myself

Kewl... Yeah its an awesome synth. Playing it at the moment and the ipad app is great above the keyboard for browsing patches and making adjustments. Works great but I want to be prepared for when I hit the record button. ATM I have built a custom controller surface with touchOSC which I map the controls to but I love the orb function and it would be great to be able to use the pad over the mouse to record swirls.

where can i learn to do this at? I have touchable for ableton, and i also have touchosc, but i haven't used it yet.

[jestermgee]

Google...

I have touchable, Griid and touchOSC.

touchOSC is actually pretty easy to setup when yu know what's involved. Search their site for guides but basically on PC you need to install rtpMIDI and setup a virtual MIDI port for use with the iPad. The rtpMIDI server allows you to create a new MIDI port and lable it (iPad MIDI for instance).

Then, in Ableton you select the iPAD MIDI port as the IN and OUT ports for Track and Remote.

Next I suggest loading up one of the included templates and testing the sliders/faders in that by simply trying to map it to a function in Ableton. If you map it to the track vol for instance you should be able to move the track vol with the mouse and have it move on the ipad. One thing I found was if feedback doesn't work or seems very sluggish you have to open the rtpMIDI server, disconnect the iPad then reconnect it again after 5 seconds.

When it's all working, use the touchOSC editor to create the controls you want and assign them to MIDI channels and CC numbers.

I have created a 5 page controller for Omnisphere and other VSTs that I just assign controls too on the fly. Not as nice as the Omni TR app but works for now.