The Experts team wondered what we thought people would want to find behind the windows of a dream studio advent calendar. Some of the things we own, some we wish we did. Owned or not, we think any of the things we name in the next 24 days would be a gift to a professional studio owner.
Day 1 - Spectrasonics Omnisphere
Russ Hughes offers his first suggestion, Spectrasonics Omnisphere.
Longevity is a rare thing in the world of plugins, but if any brand deserves to be recongnised for it then it’s Spectrasonics who value quality over quantity. Some may ask, why don’t they make more amazing products? The simple answer is that they are making sure the ones they make are the best they can possibly be, continuing to add value year after year.
Omnisphere is no spring chicken, first announced in 2008. With decades of experience designing some of the most iconic synth patches around, including the Roland D50, Eric Persing knows a thing or two about great synth sounds. This is in essence what makes a great synth, the sound library.
From day one Omnisphere shipped with a monster sound library, around 50gb in size. It wasn’t bloatware either, nearly every sound in Omnisphere is usable. You’ll hear Omnisphere on pop tracks, EDM and almost every other genre and on some of the biggest movies ever made.
Add to that the great sound effects, a powerful arpeggiator and ease of use, it’s no wonder Omnisphere has retained the title as one of the best selling synth virtual instruments in the last decades.
However, Spectrasonics has not sat on it’s hands since the launch of Omnisphere. Omnisphere 2 followed in 2015 and a regular set of updates has rolled out to reward loyal owners. For many Omnisphere is the first plugin they reach for when looking for a killer sound, and it usually delivers.
Omniphere isn’t the cheapest synth plugin on the market, but it’s arguably the best.
Even if you don’t work primarily in music Omnisphere is a powerful tool in the hands of those creating sound FX or designing sound for picture.