By Aaron Lee
Spectrasonics’s $499 Omnisphere is a useful flagship synthesizer for macOS 10.8 or higher. The latest version (2.1) packs a streamlined Sharing feature for sharing user sounds and a new Library Publishing capability.
Omnisphere 2.1 includes refined patch and project sharing features for easily exchanging custom sounds between end-users directly or over social media, a Library Publishing feature allowing third-party sound developers to create easily installable sound sets for Omnisphere 2 users, as well as a much improved boot time for the plugin itself. Both the Sound Sharing and Publishing features can contain User Audio, offering easier patch creation and simplified collaboration.
Sharing sounds is simplified in Omnisphere 2.1. The end-user can simply shift-click on a few Patches or a few Multi-patches and then save them to be transferred to a friend or musical collaborator who also has Omnisphere 2.x. Sharing patches automatically includes any user audio, which is especially convenient with custom patches. Sharing multiple types of Patches, Multis and user audio all at once is easier too, with Project sharing; the end-user can just collect a set of sounds in a project, and then share the project.
The Publish Library was created for third-party developers of Omnisphere libraries. It allows developers to easily export, or “publish” a library of Multis and Patches, along with any associated user-created Soundsources, as well as graphic images for the custom library in a single .omnisphere file format. End-users can install this package into their systems with a single step.
Apple World Today Rating (out of 5 stars): ★★★★
