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Hello,

I am in the market for some new VSTs and l am having a chat with a rep at Sweetwater to discuss my thoughts and about updating my midi interface, purchasing Omnisphere 2.6,NI-SESSION STRINGS PRO 2 & SYMPHONY SERIES and some Guitar VSTs. If any one as anything opinions or options I"m all ears.

Thanks

 

 

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Omnisphere uses the same sound engine as their keyboard centric product called Keyscape - if you are an acoustic and electric loving keyboard player this collection is very much worth a good look.

 

Keep in mind that both Omnisphere and Keyscape etc. require a fairly robust host PC/Mac to run well - but they can be made to run on older machines if you raise latency and do 'sample thinning'. Not sure what generation of computer you"re using at the moment.

Yamaha CP88, Casio PX-560

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I echo Elmer a bit and take it a notch further: if you are ready for that kind of power, it might also be time to start very fresh with a computer that offers ample multi-cores and SSD options. The latter is just plain smart for huge libraries like Omnisphere's or Kontakt's. You can obviously read/write with SSDs, but for now, hybrids with traditional spinning platters for the composition process are still viable. For guitars, look into the AAS Strum as one possibility. Its a physical modeling instrument with low CPU demands and an inviting sound that serves me well. I'm still happily employing a Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 interface and 2 years in, zero issues. Starting with their 4i4 model, you get MIDI In/Out as well as USB, so its one to consider. Good luck.

 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

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Or have a look at NI Komplete Ultimate 12 Collector"s Edition:

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/bundles/komplete-12-ultimate-collectors-edition/

although I believe 13 may be launched this fall.

So you"d better start with NI"s free Komplete Start offer:

https://www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/bundles/komplete-start/

which includes 18 free instruments, even Guitar Rig 5 Player.

 

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Speaking of free instruments, there are a lot of good ones out there. Many of them require the full version of Kontakt. Because of that, I recommend buying Kontakt early in your process. Furthermore, the libraries that run in the free Kontakt Player usually cost more than the ones that don't; so you'll probably save in the long run by purchasing Kontakt.

 

Fortunately, there appears to be a way to buy Kontakt for the crossgrade price. Here are the steps:

 

1) Download the free Embertone Arcane library that works in Kontakt Player.

 

2) Create a Native Instruments account.

 

3) Register Arcane with Native Instruments via their Native Access application.

 

4) Look for the Kontakt 6 crossgrade offer that should appear in your Native Instruments account.

 

Most companies that create libraries for Kontakt offer free libraries. Embertone, Soniccouture, Spitfire Audio, and Red Room Audio are good places to start. As I mentioned above, many of them require the full version of Kontakt. However, Spitfire's current freebies run on their own free player.

 

Last, but not least, if you buy both Omnisphere and Keyscape, make sure to download Spectrasonics' free Keyscape Creative Library that combines the power of the two virtual instruments.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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Free ones

Synth1

Dexed

GTG, Elektrostudio, Samsara Cycle, Full Bucket, Benoit Serrano, EFM, and DSK synths.

Yamaha MX49, Casio SK1/WK-7600, Korg Minilogue, Alesis SR-16, Casio CT-X3000, FL Studio, many VSTs, percussion, woodwinds, strings, and sound effects.
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There are also some "magware" synths and effects you can get from Computer Music...buy one issue (latest) and you can download a whole bunch. There are some nice ones in there, Thorn in particular I like.

 

I'm a big fan of u-he. I got Diva and Repro on sale, and Repro in particular is probably the best-sounding synth I own (though of course it's specifically a Prophet V analog emulation).

 

u-he's Zebralette and TerrillN6 are both free and I like them.

 

If you are a "gotta have a bargain" person, you can get Komplete at a pretty big discount. But it wasn't easy to have that much patience! :D First I got Komplete Select half off....then had to wait a year or so until they put the "upgrade to Komplete standard" on sale for half off. Main reason I wanted that upgrade was to get Kontakt--it's probably the one instrument NI makes that doesn't have a strong competitor, and I want to get into vocal/drum/etc sample-driven instruments.

 

There are times though I say "hmmm, wonder if I should have just gotten Omnisphere" LOL! I've nickel and dimed myself higher than that by now.

 

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I like soft synths that go beyond hardware limitations.

But they must have hardware equivalent qualities first or the extra Modulations and automations aren"t worth it to me.

NI synths are unique but not my cup of Tea for what I look for in a synth.

 

Zebra2 HZ has the filters I love for old school Sizzling Bacon quality.

Omnisphere Keyscape is the King of Envelopes, and ModEG"s, coupled with seriously large sounding Sound Sources.

 

Lots of friends have 30 or 40 soft synths and claim each have strengths necessary to achieve satisfying results.

I just use these 2 synths and won"t be adding new distractions until these are both mastered.

It"s been 9 years since I dropped the big hardware synths and went soft.

The sound was never there but in recent years has really become on par with hardware.

Even in Monophonic patches I can get separate Oscillator glide and get the old tricks of performance as well as sound quality down.

 

I was spoiled by a rack of SE-1Xs for Monophonic needs, with a Matrix 12 and XPander.

Glad I sold everything for soft synths and a pair of SE-02s.

Even my HX-3 B3 clone is impressive.

Only thing missing is the Doppler 'experience' from the air being tossed around.

 

Life is good.

 

If I had this rig in the 90"s I could have been a contender.

Magnus C350 + FMR RNP + Realistic Unisphere Mic
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Yea, I only have a few as well, OPX Pro II and Ptec. I have an old copy of komplete 5 but

don't like kontact all that much. UVI Falcon is looking good though and I like Aurturias

minimoog v Original that they gave me. Think I might want a good sampled piano and EPs.

I want more but a lot of the newer more complex stuff sounds muddy as hell especially with

way too many mods fx stutters arps ect...

Triton Extreme 76, Kawai ES3, GEM-RPX, HX3/Drawbar control, MSI Z97

MPower/4790K, Lynx Aurora 8/MADI/AES16e, OP-X PRO, Ptec, Komplete.

Ashley MX-206. future MOTU M64 RME Digiface Dante for Mon./net

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hardware, I can relate to your "two synths" approach. Its a lot MORE true with anything Spectrasonics, but Zebra isn't exactly small itself. I get GAS-sy like anyone else, but I've been massaging Alchemy for several years, so its become rather grab-&-go. I also have such a handsome EXS24 library now that I've gone more Jeff Rona, making the effects behave almost as a second instrument. So yeah, be very critical of new purchases. They come with a required investment of time to even halfway crack. If you tell a shrink that you NEED a Novachord, you're going on added meds. Take up a girlfriend or two little pee-winding dogs to get you off of that keyboard throne, lest you grow tap roots from your ass into the pedalboard.

 "I want to be an intellectual, but I don't have the brainpower.
  The absent-mindedness, I've got that licked."
        ~ John Cleese

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1) Download the free Embertone Arcane library that works in Kontakt Player.

 

2) Create a Native Instruments account.

 

3) Register Arcane with Native Instruments via their Native Access application.

 

4) Look for the Kontakt 6 crossgrade offer that should appear in your Native Instruments account.

 

 

Geoff - Tried this, but nothing yet?? How long does it take to get the offer from NI?

 

Montage 7, Mojo 61, PC-3, XK-3c Pro, Kronos 88, Hammond SK-1, Motif XF- 7, Hammond SK-2, Roland FR-1, FR-18, Hammond B3 - Blond, Hammond BV -Cherry
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I

 

1) Download the free Embertone Arcane library that works in Kontakt Player.

 

2) Create a Native Instruments account.

 

3) Register Arcane with Native Instruments via their Native Access application.

 

4) Look for the Kontakt 6 crossgrade offer that should appear in your Native Instruments account.

 

 

Geoff - Tried this, but nothing yet?? How long does it take to get the offer from NI?

I'm not sure, Moe. I've had Kontakt since the beginning, so I've never tried it myself; but according to more than one forum member over at VI Control, this method has worked for a number of people.

 

I suppose it's possible that my information is out of date. I'd give it a few days. I believe the offer should ultimately wind up here:

 

Native Instruments | My Account

 

Good luck, Moe.

 

Best,

 

Geoff

My Blue Someday appears on Apple Music | Spotify | YouTube | Amazon

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