Ableton Forum

Virus user for a long time here, currently using a Polar TI2, though I've own a Polar TI, TI-K, and Virus KC over the years. I don't use mine with the Virus Control software for anything but librarian duties (though it works fine for me). I got a hardware synth to treat as a hardware synth. If I wanted to use a software editor, I'd just use Zebra2 or Omnisphere and call it a day. In fact, I sold my last Virus with this intention (and to deal with some other life issues), to use Zebra2 as my main synth. 3 years later I was just NOT happy with using only softsynths, so I got another Virus.

As for the original question, my secret weapon softsynth is the not-too-secret Omnisphere. Probably the most powerful synth ever made IMVHO, it's a shame most people only think it's a sample player ala Atmosphere.

(Oh, and the analog versus digital argument is so 1990's and stupid. It's like arguing why blue is better than red. They sound different. A true artist appreciates and uses each for what thay can bring to the picture, it's personal preference, neither is "better".)

ACE

Tarekith wrote:(Oh, and the analog versus digital argument is so 1990's and stupid. It's like arguing why blue is better than red. They sound different. A true artist appreciates and uses each for what thay can bring to the picture, it's personal preference, neither is "better".)

shhhhhttt

Tarekith wrote: (Oh, and the analog versus digital argument is so 1990's and stupid. It's like arguing why blue is better than red. They sound different. A true artist appreciates and uses each for what thay can bring to the picture, it's personal preference, neither is "better".)

its a discussion of digital vs digital (software vs software) and can one piece of software do everything another can.
the answer to that in this case is mostly no.
does one soft synth produce less digital sounding artifacts over another. the answer to that is yes.

the reason i think most people dont really care about omnisphere is because how it was marketed from the beginning.
most of the video's that i watched were them sampling things like the piano on fire and then patting them selves on the back like they came up with something new. it made the synth reek of rompler.

i think if they would have spent as much time as they did showing off "the steam engine... highly lol able " to show of the actual synth parts more people might have taken it seriously.

This should have come sooner, I agree:

http://www.spectrasonics.net/news/2010/ ... sterclass/

Everyone should have analogue and digital synths in their armoury IMO.

Analogue synths are awesome but not good for everything. Phat basses and epic leads - definately. Some decent pop brass type sounds.

FM synths do better bells, eps and crystalline sounds, like a DX7, FM8, Operator etc

Wavetable/PCM sample based synths - do much better instrument interpretations (try making a realistic sounding acoustic piano on an analogue or FM synth, or a good sounding rock organ etc) and the layering factor means you can build some great pad sounds.

You notice it in music. When analogue synths were in rez sweeping and Tainted Love like basses and pinging triangles were all over pop music, as were syn brass sounds. Enter the DX7, pretty much every ballad had the DX7 electric piano sound, the rubber band bass sound like in West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys and some of the FX. Then when the Roland D50 and Korg M1 came in, lots of digital pads, that shakuhachi sound in Peter Gabriel's Sledgehammer and pan pipe sounds, and the Korg M1 house piano. Samplers also came in around the same time as the D50 and M1 so all those human voice sounds and sampled lofi beats came in. Then sometime around the mid 90s analogue comes back in again (mostly because second hand analogues were then cheap as chips as everyone was picking up their expensive ROland JD800s and Korg Wavestations). Pair a cheap analogue synth with an Akai S1000 and an Atari ST with Cubase or Notator (Logic) and the phenomenal vinyl record for sampling 'Beats, Breaks and Scratches' by Bomb The Bass Simon Harris (all the 'oh yeah' and 'check this out' and TR909 beats) etc.

Like TK said - these are all different colours in a palette so it makes sense to want to have different types of synth to give you a bigger colourbox.

Tarekith wrote:
As for the original question, my secret weapon softsynth is the not-too-secret Omnisphere. Probably the most powerful synth ever made IMVHO, it's a shame most people only think it's a sample player ala Atmosphere.

Ordered it Monday. (got it for $149.00) couldn't say No.

Wow, that's a crazy price, where'd you find that?

Tarekith wrote:Wow, that's a crazy price, where'd you find that?

Because I own Trilogy, Atmosphere and Stylus, I qualified for that price. I was pleasantly surprised.

i pretty much like the DCAM synth squad bundle.

nathannn wrote:

Tarekith wrote: (Oh, and the analog versus digital argument is so 1990's and stupid. It's like arguing why blue is better than red. They sound different. A true artist appreciates and uses each for what thay can bring to the picture, it's personal preference, neither is "better".)

its a discussion of digital vs digital (software vs software) and can one piece of software do everything another can.
the answer to that in this case is mostly no.
does one soft synth produce less digital sounding artifacts over another. the answer to that is yes.

the reason i think most people dont really care about omnisphere is because how it was marketed from the beginning.
most of the video's that i watched were them sampling things like the piano on fire and then patting them selves on the back like they came up with something new. it made the synth reek of rompler.

i think if they would have spent as much time as they did showing off "the steam engine... highly lol able " to show of the actual synth parts more people might have taken it seriously.

I hear ya, but as a soft synth alone it rules. The steam engine is the modulation system of the synth (best eva in worlt). I agree the burning piano isn't really useful, but it's an exception. The multi samples are just incredible for sound design, start with an ebow banjo and away you go. Got me thinking about sampling my own playing/found sounds and using them with Ableton effects racks and Max for Live devices, it's been super fun. I use Omni on everything especially since the new beta (so stoked that it has the juicy filter from Trilian).

I hope Alchemy works out a new filter cos it is a very powerful soft synth also. I really need to get Zebra 2, so nice.

+1 They're all just different colors to paint with. That said, I would kill a small woodland creature or waterfoul for a proper analog synth, Dave Smith Prophet 08 preferably. Oh well, maybe I'll be able to get a Tetra or Little Phatty at some point.

anybody human wrote:

nathannn wrote:

Tarekith wrote: (Oh, and the analog versus digital argument is so 1990's and stupid. It's like arguing why blue is better than red. They sound different. A true artist appreciates and uses each for what thay can bring to the picture, it's personal preference, neither is "better".)

its a discussion of digital vs digital (software vs software) and can one piece of software do everything another can.
the answer to that in this case is mostly no.
does one soft synth produce less digital sounding artifacts over another. the answer to that is yes.

the reason i think most people dont really care about omnisphere is because how it was marketed from the beginning.
most of the video's that i watched were them sampling things like the piano on fire and then patting them selves on the back like they came up with something new. it made the synth reek of rompler.

i think if they would have spent as much time as they did showing off "the steam engine... highly lol able " to show of the actual synth parts more people might have taken it seriously.

I hear ya, but as a soft synth alone it rules. The steam engine is the modulation system of the synth (best eva in worlt). I agree the burning piano isn't really useful, but it's an exception. The multi samples are just incredible for sound design, start with an ebow banjo and away you go. Got me thinking about sampling my own playing/found sounds and using them with Ableton effects racks and Max for Live devices, it's been super fun. I use Omni on everything especially since the new beta (so stoked that it has the juicy filter from Trilian).

I hope Alchemy works out a new filter cos it is a very powerful soft synth also. I really need to get Zebra 2, so nice.

+1 They're all just different colors to paint with. That said, I would kill a small woodland creature or waterfoul for a proper analog synth, Dave Smith Prophet 08 preferably. Oh well, maybe I'll be able to get a Tetra or Little Phatty at some point.

i never really gave omnisphere a try since it was such a huge dl.
so i am not judging the synth, just the promo's of it.
the video's game me the same fealing i get when i walk into guitar center and an employee is "hey dude hey man"-ing me

i think the only woodland creature's i would kill for an analog synth would be, the really dick headed one's.. like fire ants, spider's snakes ect ect.

Yeah the video promo's were cheesy. I actually bought an external glyph drive for it cos the library is so gigantic, worked out ok though cos I put other stuff on there as well.

Speaking of woodland creatures, my dad used to take me hunting when I was 11 or 12. I would miss on purpose, just didn't have it in me. I seriously doubt I could've hit anything even if I tried. He got the gist pretty quick and didn't ask me to go anymore. Sad for dad since I sucked at baseball too.

leedsquietman wrote:Everyone should have analogue and digital synths in their armoury IMO.

Unless, of course, you make music but just aren't into synths that much

Having said that, my "not so secret" weapon is Zebra. That and Live Suite intruments are the only ones I own. No analogue synths. Everything else is acoustic instruments processed through Live.

Though I am definitely planning on getting Kyma/Pacarana (http://www.symbolicsound.com) some day.

Zebra is mostly modelled after subtractive analogue synthesis, with some other types of synthesis thrown in for a broader palette.

So, I would suggest you do have an analog (emulation) at least. Not in an Arturia sense where their Jupiter 8 emulation models the controls and filters of a hardware Roland Jupiter 8 and nothing else (except a step sequencer and FX section thrown in), but a general purpose machine with a heavy focus on VA sounds with extra possibilities with FM and Wavetable options.