So I am interested in Omnisphere but the interface look very very bad.
I have only used the synth while working at a friend studio, and while it sounds very interesting the UI seemed to have some problems. I have also looked a lot at images and video reviews and I have observed:
- Too Many waste space: The omnisphere name, and the sapce around the control panels is all wasted.
- Controls are too small: specially the knobs, the zoom buttons and the envelope controls.
- Too many tabs, menus and windows.
- Very hard to see what is going on on a Patch, you have to access menus, windows and so on.
- The patch browser over the main interface odesnt let you see hwat is going on: this seem corrected in the new version, but it surely it was a problem.
- UI seems small in new monitors with high resolutions.
- Aliased text
So since there is no demo and I can't realy try for myself If I could be confortable using the UI I will like to ask users what they think about it.
Thanks.
Poll: Omnisphere interface
-
- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 3897 posts since 28 Jan, 2011 from MEXICO
dedication to flying
-
- KVRian
- 835 posts since 28 Apr, 2014 from Texas
Omni was my first paid synth and I still consider its interface to be the best out of all the ones I have tried.
Once you learn your way around / where different features are located its very quick to move around a patch. You shouldn't have to use menus ever unless you are copying/clearing patches or layers.
The MSEG, LFO, and modulation system in Omnisphere makes it very obvious what modulations are doing from a UI perspective by visually displaying the modulation in different places.
Sure there are some weak points like the FX racks not having drag and drop but to me the workflow in Omni is great for working and its easy for me to look at someone elses patch and see what makes it tick.
If you want to see a dated UI, check out Absynth
Once you learn your way around / where different features are located its very quick to move around a patch. You shouldn't have to use menus ever unless you are copying/clearing patches or layers.
The MSEG, LFO, and modulation system in Omnisphere makes it very obvious what modulations are doing from a UI perspective by visually displaying the modulation in different places.
Sure there are some weak points like the FX racks not having drag and drop but to me the workflow in Omni is great for working and its easy for me to look at someone elses patch and see what makes it tick.
If you want to see a dated UI, check out Absynth
SW: Cubase 9.5 | Komplete 11 | Omnisphere 2 | Perfect Storm 2.5 | Soundtoys 5
HW: Steinberg UR28M | Focal Alpha 50 | Fender Jazz Bass | Alesis VI25
HW: Steinberg UR28M | Focal Alpha 50 | Fender Jazz Bass | Alesis VI25
-
- KVRAF
- 2475 posts since 6 Jul, 2013
Space isn't "wasted" just because there aren't controls on it.
Space is a important delimiter and organiser of content.
Too many plugin are filled with thousands of overwhelming parameters given equal importance. Omnisphere is much more approachable by carefully arranging the controls that are available.
Space is a important delimiter and organiser of content.
Too many plugin are filled with thousands of overwhelming parameters given equal importance. Omnisphere is much more approachable by carefully arranging the controls that are available.
-
- KVRist
- 334 posts since 9 Nov, 2012 from Colorado, USA
I like the Omni interface. I think having all the information on a page is easy to follow and it's rather intuitive for me.
I have a lot of hardware synths that are a pain in the ass to program or change a setting with muti button presses and small 2 line LED screens.
Omni is a rather nice breath of fresh air considering all that the synth does and all the features that they cram into it.
I have a lot of hardware synths that are a pain in the ass to program or change a setting with muti button presses and small 2 line LED screens.
Omni is a rather nice breath of fresh air considering all that the synth does and all the features that they cram into it.
-
- KVRian
- 835 posts since 28 Apr, 2014 from Texas
Yep, the zoom system is really a genius idea that opens alot of potential for sound design without overwhelming you when you don't need all the extra functionality! My favorite part about the Omnisphere UI... well that and its MSEG implementationbeely wrote: Too many plugin are filled with thousands of overwhelming parameters given equal importance. Omnisphere is much more approachable by carefully arranging the controls that are available.
SW: Cubase 9.5 | Komplete 11 | Omnisphere 2 | Perfect Storm 2.5 | Soundtoys 5
HW: Steinberg UR28M | Focal Alpha 50 | Fender Jazz Bass | Alesis VI25
HW: Steinberg UR28M | Focal Alpha 50 | Fender Jazz Bass | Alesis VI25
-
- KVRAF
- 2973 posts since 18 Oct, 2004
-
- KVRAF
- 7795 posts since 28 Apr, 2013
Another thread for the Omni-apologetics to weigh in?
(The hoard lives.)
Having no demo, save quite a few trips to the semi-local brick and mortars, my yearly trials on it have shown me its not a bad UI, mostly simplistic, but at times can be tedious in page changes. I would therefore tend to agree with the OP in that it perhaps has "too many tabs, menus and windows", although many of the VI synths seem to fall under that also. The question then is whether or not it destroys a person's personal flow and for the most part, for me, it doesn't really. I haven't reached any point to find if the drag and drop issue is even an issue for me but the bottom line has always come down to whether it was unique enough to do what others didn't. With numerous synths, not really. But it does make a case for at least cutting out quite a few if others were not bought first.
I still take issue with EP's use of the term 'psycho-acoustics' though. Since it's done in such an ambiguous way without any clarification of how that process is defined by them. It comes off more like a buzz term sales ploy than anything actual.
(The hoard lives.)
Having no demo, save quite a few trips to the semi-local brick and mortars, my yearly trials on it have shown me its not a bad UI, mostly simplistic, but at times can be tedious in page changes. I would therefore tend to agree with the OP in that it perhaps has "too many tabs, menus and windows", although many of the VI synths seem to fall under that also. The question then is whether or not it destroys a person's personal flow and for the most part, for me, it doesn't really. I haven't reached any point to find if the drag and drop issue is even an issue for me but the bottom line has always come down to whether it was unique enough to do what others didn't. With numerous synths, not really. But it does make a case for at least cutting out quite a few if others were not bought first.
I still take issue with EP's use of the term 'psycho-acoustics' though. Since it's done in such an ambiguous way without any clarification of how that process is defined by them. It comes off more like a buzz term sales ploy than anything actual.
-
- KVRist
- 150 posts since 3 Nov, 2008 from Ozarks
I mainly just wish you could change the color and or appearance scheme. Not a really big fan of always being stuck with the blue/black look. And I do agree that the knobs and various controls could stand to be a touch larger, at least on the main patch edit pages. Other than that, It is pretty slick.
Who is "I"? What is "I"? This has yet to be explained.
-
- KVRAF
- 4590 posts since 7 Jun, 2012 from Warsaw
Omnisphere interface was meant to be simple and idiotproof. Not my kind of thing, but I think they suceeded at that.
Blog ------------- YouTube channel
Tricky-Loops wrote: (...)someone like Armin van Buuren who claims to make a track in half an hour and all his songs sound somewhat boring(...)
Tricky-Loops wrote: (...)someone like Armin van Buuren who claims to make a track in half an hour and all his songs sound somewhat boring(...)
-
- KVRian
- 1179 posts since 2 Jan, 2004 from England
I always wanted Trillion-like macro controls [see also: Massive, Alchemy etc etc...]
The Orb doesn't do it for me, because most controllers [including the one Eric demonstrated with at NAMM 2015, the Remote SL2] have only rotaries or pots. In order to use the Orb, you need to have your iPad connected, automating it in a DAW I found a PITA. I'd rather have 8 macros which map wonderful things to the sound rather than one Orb.
Still, I'll be upgrading and I'm sure I'll love it. The sound lock feature will be well used for sure.
The Orb doesn't do it for me, because most controllers [including the one Eric demonstrated with at NAMM 2015, the Remote SL2] have only rotaries or pots. In order to use the Orb, you need to have your iPad connected, automating it in a DAW I found a PITA. I'd rather have 8 macros which map wonderful things to the sound rather than one Orb.
Still, I'll be upgrading and I'm sure I'll love it. The sound lock feature will be well used for sure.
11, 418th in line to the KVR throne
-
- KVRist
- 183 posts since 21 Oct, 2005
I consider it to be very good, but I was surprised they didn't tweak it in the new version. There are things that can be changed to boost your experience. Not going to bother mentioning what I think could be done ,,,,,,, cuz it won't make a difference. The fact that they didn't make any changes in this version says a whole lot. They think it's perrrrfect.
-
- KVRAF
- 10608 posts since 31 Aug, 2013 from Somewhere near the Morgul Vale.
I am primarily a guitarist, but even I can work out how to do stuff in Omni's interface. I think it is pretty well thought-out.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that."
-Martin Luther King Jr.
-Martin Luther King Jr.
-
- KVRAF
- 2912 posts since 13 Apr, 2008 from Charleston, SC
Well looks like you are getting your answer. It is clean and easy to navigate. The browser is exceptional.
