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Omnisphere's interface makes the synth's power easy to control.

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The launch of Omnisphere sees the demise of Atmosphere, Spectrasonics' ageing pad synth. However, it's much more than a straight replacement.

At the heart of Omnisphere sits a 50GB sample library which supplies the raw data from which patches are created. Responsible for shaping these samples is the new STEAM engine, which represents Spectrasonics' new approach to sound generation.

STEAM has been six years in development and it's the system which will power all future Spectrasonics' releases. Like the SAGE engine which powers Stylus RMX, STEAM has been developed as an open-ended system which will enable Spectrasonics to develop plug-ins and instruments which can adapt quickly to changing operating systems and computer developments.

The raw sample data for Omnisphere was collected from Spectrasonics' team of sound designers around the world and it contains some extraordinary approaches to sound creation.

You'll find sampled light bulb filaments, instruments recorded in unusual settings so that unique ambiences are brought to the fore and, as you'll probably already have seen, a burning piano.

The result for Omnisphere users is an instrument with a sound that's liquid, shifting and unpredictable yet gloriously playable all at once.

Installation takes place via six DVDs, while authorisation is achieved via a challenge/response code and your serial number.

Getting started

The first thing that greets you on start-up is Omnisphere's patch browser, from which you can choose sounds, either alphabetically, or via search criteria such as category, musical genre, or even via the names of the sound designers themselves.

As each patch is tagged with information relating to how it was constructed, this latter category is surprisingly useful, as you can soon learn the artistic approach of each designer and can then seek out the work of those you favour.

There are over 1,000 patches in total, which should keep you busy for a while. Once you've chosen a preset, you can close the patch browser, which takes you into the main Omnisphere interface.

The interface approach will be familiar to anyone with an existing Spectrasonics instrument, with each synthesis module incorporated into a 'metal' virtual rack.

Omnisphere dramatically expands on the synthesis options in Atmosphere: it contains a hugely flexible engine which throws up unexpected delights at each and every turn.

The central section enables you to choose a source for each layer of a loaded sound, with samples rubbing shoulders with synthesis types including subtractive synth waveforms, FM synthesis, ring modulation and wave shaping.

Additionally, Harmonia allows multiple synth oscillators to be loaded simultaneously, resulting in some hugely rich sounds.

A full patch will load either a sample or the relevant synthesis type onto both layers but you're free to modify these independently once in the Main Edit area. So if you like one half of a sound and not the other, you can make the necessary adjustments.