Although Omnisphere 2 is available as a product in its own right, most existing Omnisphere users will be keen to take advantage of the $249 upgrade. As you’d expect, the Omnisphere 2 upgrade is available from Spectrasonics’ own web store, necessitating a 20GB download for the new Soundsource content included with the instrument. Spectrasonics makes truly incredible software, and the 2.0 version of Omnisphere did not disappoint! Having recently upgraded to a newer Mac with a faster processor, I could finally upgrade to Omnisphere 2.0, which wouldn't run on my early 2009 Mac Pro, due to the processors not being up to the task.

Apr 06, 2017 Luftrum Ambient 2 - Soundbank for Omnisphere 2 - Duration: 18:41. Luftrum1 57,641 views.
Adding to an already well-stocked collection of effects, Omnisphere 2 now features 25 additional effect modules, brining the current total to 58 modules. New models include a wealth of extra distortion and amp modelling effects, some vintage phasers, flangers and a chorus unit, as well as some more contemporary offerings in the form of Quad.

Hardware Synth Integration

Omnisphere is the only software synth in the world to offer a Hardware Synth Integration feature. This remarkable innovation transforms over 65 well-known hardware synthesizers into extensive hands-on controllers that unlock Omnisphere’s newly expanded synthesis capabilities. Simply put, this ground-breaking feature makes using Omnisphere feel just like using a hardware synth! By bridging the physical experience gap between software and hardware, users gain intuitive control of Omnisphere by using the familiar layout of their supported hardware synth. Virtual instrument users can now experience the joy of the hardware synth workflow and hardware synth users can fully expand their capabilities into the vast sonic world of Omnisphere!

Roland JD-XA
Roland JD-Xi
Roland JP-08
Roland JP-8000
Roland JU-06
Roland JUNO-106
Roland JX-03
Roland SE-02
Roland SH-01A
Roland SH-201
Roland D-50
Roland GAIA
Roland Super Jupiter
Roland System-1
Roland System-8
Roland VP-03
Korg microKorg
Korg Minilogue
Korg Minilogue XD
Korg Monologue
Korg MS-20ic
Korg MS-2000
Korg Prologue
Korg Radias
Moog Little Phatty
Moog Minitaur
Moog Sirin
Moog Slim Phatty
Moog Sub 37
Moog Subsequent 37
Moog Sub Phatty
Moog Voyager
Dave Smith Mopho
Dave Smith OB-6
Dave Smith Pro 2
Dave Smith Prophet 6
Dave Smith Prophet 8
Dave Smith Prophet 12
Dave Smith Prophet X
Dave Smith REV2
Nord Lead 1
Nord Lead 2
Nord Lead 3
Nord Lead 4
Nord Lead A1
Nord Stage 3
Nord Wave
Andromeda A6
Novation Bass Station II
Novation Circuit Mono Station
Novation MiniNova
Novation Peak
Virus A
Virus B
Virus C
Virus Indigo 1
Virus Indigo 2
Virus TI
Yamaha Reface CS
Studiologic Sledge
Deepmind

A flagship synthesizer gets updated with an improved arpeggiator and many more profiles for hardware integration.

by Rob Mitchell, May 2019

Omnisphere 2.6 features a new and improved arpeggiator and support for many more hardware synthesizers. Over 1,600 new patches have been added, it has over 500 DSP waveforms and it now includes over 14,000 sounds to choose from. Before I go into any depth on the new features in 2.6, I thought I’d briefly describe some basics of Omnisphere in case you are not familiar with it. Each patch (part) can have up to four layers, effects and a dedicated arp. For each layer, you can select between sample sources or waveforms for standard synthesis with optional unison or the Harmonia feature which multiplies each layer’s oscillator capabilities. The sample sources can also be manipulated with the synthesis features. You can easily copy and paste the settings between the layers. Several filter types are available with serial and parallel settings. There are 48 slots for setting up modulation in the mod matrix section, eight LFOs, twelve envelopes, waveshaping, ring modulation, FM and granular synthesis can further enhance your patches. A huge selection of effects are on board to give your patches just the right edginess or polish that they might need. A Multi is a higher level than the part that can use a combination of patches in different configurations with up to eight parts simultaneously. The re-sizable display makes it a joy to use on any size of monitor.

Omnisphere requires a 2.4 GHz or higher CPU and 8+ GB of RAM. For the PC it requires Windows 7 (or higher OS) 64-bit, and for the Mac you’ll need OS X 10.11 El Capitan (or higher). It works with AU, AAX, VST 2.4 compatible hosts and there is a standalone version.

This review will mainly lean towards what is new for version 2.6. Here is an earlier review we published for version 2.3 which covers some other details: https://soundbytesmag.net/omnisphere23review/

Arpeggiator

With the 2.6 update Spectrasonics has added eight additional pattern modes for the arpeggiator giving it a total of nineteen modes. Those modes include Chord, Up, Down, Up and Down, As Played, Stairs, Join, and many others. Here are three examples of some of the newer modes: The Join mode plays the low note, then the highest note, and continues alternating between notes until they reach each other (hence “join”) with the intervals between the notes closing in towards the middle. The Spread mode is similar to Join, but it works the other way around; alternating low and high, but this time gradually working their way outward (versus inward). The Stairs mode is a rising pattern which rises upward in a similar way to the shape of stairs: two notes upward and then one note down, and it continues that pattern repeatedly.

The three included Trigger modes will determine how and when the arp is restarted. The modes are Legato (the arp pattern continues as long as notes are played legato), Song Position (depends on the host settings) and Note (restarts pattern with each new note played). You can set up to a four octave range, change the speed of the arp, and adjust the length of the events you’ve configured in the arp. Other features include a swing amount control and a velocity slider. The velocity slider controls the balance between the step velocity settings in the pattern and the actual velocity of the keys that are played. To set the time value for the steps, you use the Clock setting. From there you may choose the timing value you’d like, such as 1/1, which would mean each step equals a quarter note, 1/2 equals a half note, and 1/4 is a quarter note, etc. Triplet and dotted settings are also included.

Omnisphere 2 Distortion Effects 1

Each pattern can have up to 32 steps. To set the number of the steps, you just drag the small blue bar (below the sequence of numbers) until you have the desired amount. The button above of each step number will turn it on or off, or you can click above the button to set the velocity amount (drag up and down to set) and that will also enable the step. To transpose each step, you just click on the 0 (if you started with a blank arp setting) that’s above whichever step you want change.

When you click right above each step it will bring up a menu where you may select from a number of settings. These can be added per-step, and include Transpose, Slide, Chord voicings (with inversions!) and Hi or Lo. Hi ignores the arp and plays the highest note played for that step, and Lo does the same thing for the lowest note played. The Step Dividers will divide each step into various multiples of themselves (i.e. doubles, triples, etc.) and the velocity amount of each division can be set to rise or fall over time.

The new Capture function will grab the notes that you played along with any arp settings you are using at the same time. You can drag the file it generates to another track in your DAW for use with other synth/sampler plugins you may have. The length of the recording can be set to 1, 2, 4, 8 or 16 bars and it automatically starts with the first note you play. It worked perfectly for me when I tried it myself. This is how it looks after I dragged the recorded arp sequence over into my DAW:

Hardware Integration

One of the most exciting features added in version 2.5 was the hardware integration. It allows you to use your hardware synthesizer as a controller to interface with Omnisphere. It isn’t just a MIDI-learn type of setting, as it goes much deeper than that. Each profile is primed and ready to work s