Spectrasonic Atmosphere For Mac

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Last Content Update: 09 Sep 2020 Total Downloads Today: 21,217 Total Downloads: 398,822 Average Download Speed: 957kb/s Download Server Online: Yes Members Logged in: 6,776 New Members Today: 2,756 Members Logged in Today: 39,428. Spectrasonics Atmosphere Dream Synth (Mac and Windows). 3.7 gig core library. MAS, RTAS and VST Mac/PC included. Spectrasonics Atmosphere Dream Synth (Macintosh and Windows) The Atmosphere Dream Synth Module (tm), is a new type of software plug-in instrument that integrates a massive, three gigabyte core library of more than. Spectrasonics Atmosphere Dream Synth (Macintosh and Windows) The Atmosphere Dream Synth Module (tm), is a new type of software plug-in instrument that integrates a massive, three gigabyte core library of more than one thousand unique sounds and layer elements, with a powerful and intuitive interface for shaping new textures. Eric explains the recent enhancements to the instrument since the introduction of the Atmosphere concept in January: 'Our original design for Atmosphere was intended for producing evolving pads and rich ambient sounds.


Atmosphere
Atmosphere is discontinued. Check out Omnisphere the flagship synthesizer from Spectrasonics.
When it was introduced in 2002, our Atmosphere - Dream Synth Module broke new ground as the world's first virtual instrument dedicated towards unique sound design, pads and Atmospheric textures, integrating a large library of unique sounds with a powerful, yet easy to understand user interface based on the UVI engine. Atmosphere quickly became the go-to sound source for film and TV composers, and songwriters and producers alike — and received rave reviews in all the top industry magazines along with numerous awards. All of the legendary sounds from Atmosphere can be found in enhanced form in our current flagship synth Omnisphere - which is based on our STEAM engine.
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A gorgeous example of how Atmosphere and Stylus RMX can be used in Film Music cues. Tob uses the RMX add-on cymbals to great effect here and most impressive is the use of Omnisphere for the Piano type sounds (especially considering Atmosphere doesn't HAVE ANY pianos!)
FEATURES: Atmosphere, Stylus RMX and Trilian

© Spectrasonics and Tobias Marberger

Spectrasonic Atmosphere For Mac

An exquisite piece from composer Maarten Spruijt, exploring the wide range of frequencies and colors available within Omnisphere. The interlocking and interwoven bell and bass parts evoke Mike Oldfield's best work. The addition of the wordless vocal completes the imagery in a gorgeous and radiant way.
100% Omnisphere with Soprano soloist

This is a short, dramatic demo of how rich Omnisphere can sound. All the textures are coming from Omnisphere, and the piece is augmented very nicely with Tob's own G-Town ambient percussion samples.
100% Omnisphere with G-Town percussion

A deep and spooky vibe that recalls Pink Floyd and Peter Gabriel's moodier moments.

The demo is simple, but that's why it sounds so huge. Most of the dynamics are coming from Chris use of the modwheel for filter crescendos and rhythmic accents. This music is based on a piece from Chris' band 'Idiot Bliss'.
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Chris O'Brien

It's a treat to have this moody Omnisphere track from Paul Haslinger, who has not only made some wonderful electronic solo albums, but is rapidly making his mark in Hollywood feature film score

On this demo, you can really hear the influence of Paul's previous work from when he was a member of Tangerine Dream. Beautiful and lush, with some clever ways of using Stylus RMX groove menus too.
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Paul Haslinger

Diego is one of the primary sound design collaborators on Omnisphere. He created many of the strange and unusual source samples for the Ambiences in the core library, which Eric then used added to his mix in creating the patches.

Here in this piece, you can hear some of how Diego's twisted mind works, as this is a brilliantly executed harmonic tone poem of bizarre elements. This one's definitely dark and scary, so you might want to turn the lights up!

100% Omnisphere

We've had numerous requests for some demos that were purely ambient with no beats, and this one fills that need perfectly. Drift off to dreamland, courtesy of long-time Spectrasonics user and current rising star of electronic feature film scoring: Paul Haslinger.

100% Omnisphere

Ned takes us on a noise voyage through a few of the more unsettling sounds in the Omnisphere core library.

Listening to this demo is a little like getting sucked inside the grooves on a weird old record. Trippy, chilled and surprises around every corner...definitely a trip worth taking.
100% Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

Super dreamy, space-out piece from PH, which is reminicient of Peter Gabriel and Brian Eno's work. Cool use of Stylus RMX.
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Paul Haslinger

Every sound -including all the percussive elements- are coming from Omnisphere in this case. Alex wrote this piece thinking of all the Russian film music he's heard throughout his life. This rich tradition gives this demo a unique sound, combined with Alex's excellent synth programming.

More filmic soundscapes featuring pure Omnisphere tracks. You can hear some of the additive and granular synthesis timbres in this demo. Good example of the underscore possibilities just using Omnisphere.
100% Omnisphere

This excellent demo which features Omnisphere all by itself. John does an great job of showing many ambiences and textures in one constantly evolving and very 'atmospheric' track.

Spectrasonic Atmosphere For Macbook Pro

This is featuring ONLY Omnisphere, and gives a good idea of the overall sound quality of the instrument and how well the sounds work together. Definitely makes you want to float away to dreamland..

Eric does a neat trick in this demo of showing how the evolving Ambiences can be used effectively as pulsing synth parts. There are several techniques for achieving this, but he's using a gate on each of the evolving ambiences, which is triggered by a 'sidechain' Stylus RMX track. Random filter modulation on the analog synth sequence part too.

FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Eric Persing

It's hard to listen to this demo and not smile!

Tom got inspired by the Human Vocal Breathing FX section in the core library, and put this little gem together for us. Very cool how he uses the twin bass lines too. Shows off a little bit of Ambiences, Vintage analog sequences, Bell tones, and unique bass sounds too.

Excellent Drum programming and use of Groove Control with Stylus RMX to make that stutter drum intro.
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Tom Salta

This one really rocks! Paul does a killer high-energy techno film -chase-type soundtrack. Shows how massive Omnisphere can be for ultrawide Bass sounds in an intense setting.

Great RMX programming here too..burning!
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Paul Haslinger

Matthias is one of the reviewers at the German magazine Keys, and he put together this impressive sounding demo for his review. Punchy and FAT! Nice work Matthias.
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Matthias Sauer

Noted game composer Lennie Moore contributes this groovy Weather Report style piece using Omnisphere and RMX.

Nick Manson's on the nasty lead synth solo. This sounded a bit like waking someone from their grave, and all the Conga stuff reminded Nick of the late comedian Andy Kaufman.....hence the nutty title.
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Lennie Moore

Retro lives! EP shows off the warmer synth side of Omnisphere with some of the Jupiter, JX, Moog, Oberheim, Prophet VS and PPG creations he made specifically for the core library. The sequencey sound has several random elements. Note the smoothness of the legato triggering in the Solo and Bass sounds.
100% Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

UK Remixer Adrian Clarida takes us on an unexpected journey through territory that is definitely WAY off of the 'pad/ambient' chart!

Using the Solo mode and glide, he turned the 'Magnetic Chamber Strings' sound into a wicked baseline hook...making it a far more interesting track that your typical 303 acid line could provide. Great drum programming and use of Groove Control on RMX too. Really shows how serious a combination RMX and Omnisphere are for Dance music....hard to top.
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Adrian Clarida

Diego focuses on showing many different Ambiences in a complex tapestry, weaving one into the next. Excellent demo of the power and sound quality of Omnisphere and the propulsive groove of RMX. Would make a great soundtrack for a Ferrari commercial.
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Diego Stocco

Now it's time to shatter some preconceptions about Omnisphere being a 'specialized' instrument that only does 'pretty' sounds. Here EP is clearly dealing with some pent up issues..and showing some of the more bizarre and totally unique sounds that are a big part of what Omnisphere is all about. Check out the massive Lead sound and wild CS-80 Basses!
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Eric Persing Proapps for mac os.

A gorgeous and very musical demo that showcases a wide variety of the many lush pad colors that Omnisphere has. Nick did some clever rendering to achieve all the changes in texture from section to section, and an interesing technique with the ending solo and comp chords: He originally played it in one pass on a Rhodes sound, and then split the left and right hands in the MIDI sequencer, assigning them to the unique solo sound he put together with some different layers, and the analog Oberheim style comping part on a different Omnisphere part. Great playing..not to mention the excellent percussion programming with RMX too.
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Nick Manson

Get ready for some seriously intense synth work! An incredible demo of how powerful and huge Omnisphere can sound..it ain't small..that's for sure! Doesn't it make you want to put on a Superman outfit, go to Berlin and join the Love Parade?

Ned says this is an ode to his 'raving' years..yiikes!
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Ned Bouhalassa

Spectrasonics Atmosphere Mac

Ned takes us on a little trip through some of the unusual sounds in Omnisphere: from the fizzy opening texture, the cascading flanger pad, to the Vertigo FX and the 'Silver Apples of the Moon' sound with the random pitch modulation that inspired this tribute to electronic music pioneer Morton Subotnic.

But as Ned says, 'Morton didn't have access to Stylus RMX!' A cool demo filled with surprising twists and turns.
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Ned Bouhalassa

John tells us to imagine a stealth midnight snack trip to the fridge as we listen! The Shhh effect is from the Human Vocal Noise section, and he's is always great at finding the quirkier sounds to feature. Big ol' Bass and cool Granular vocoders sounds are all from Omnisphere too. Shows how much of a 'chameleon' Omnisphere can be! Great use of Stylus RMX in this demo too. Hmmm..makes us a little hungry too..where's that cheescake?
FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and John Lehmkuhl

Ned was a 'demo animal'..with new demos erupting almost daily it seemed!

This is another 'tear your head off' style demo, showing how intense the combination of ambient and power-synth sounds can be used to great effect in a high energy setting. This is essentially a dry mix too, the effected vocal sound is actually from the Human Voice FX category of Omnisphere.

Makes us wonder where Ned gets all his energy..wonder what he eats for breakfast?

FEATURES: Omnisphere and Stylus RMX

© Spectrasonics and Ned Bouhalassa

Distant Times (Cathedral Strings) - Maarten Spruijt

This is such a poignant gem of a piece. It's really such an honor to have so many outstanding original compositions like this one created specifically for our site from such talented composers like Maarten (who you might know from his excellent 'Project Sam' libraries).

This piece is using the Cathedral Strings patch on several channels with their own individual volume expressions. We think you'll agree that this is a truly moving and remarkable sounding demo, that shows how wonderful Omnisphere can sound in the hands of a master.
100% Omnisphere

This demo is designed to show you how much you can do with ONE patch and real time controllers in Omnisphere.

This sound was made by combining two different layers: 'My Old Soul' and 'Romeo and Juliet', both from the Vinyl Ambience section of the core library. Eric performed the music in one pass, and then overdubbed mod wheel and controller changes to change each layers filters and the Master filter. He's also crossfading between each of the layers via MIDI. There are no effects on this sound, and it's a good example of how sounds can evolve and morph in Omnisphere under the users control.

A simple demo of one Omnisphere patch only.

Play the whole demo to hear how it evolves (by using the Mod Wheel). Great example of the depth and quality of sound Omnisphere has. This was recorded completely dry and was played in real time with no overdubs.

This is a beautiful short demo of the Mysterious Movement patch in the core library.

The sustain part of the sound and the complex swirling element can be mixed and controlled independantly, since they are on different layers. No tricks in this demo, just a lovely sound, and Richard's always evocative playing.

Performed in one pass, real-time with no effects.

There are not many traditional acoustic sounds in Omnisphere, (since the focus is on unique new sounds) but we do have this wonderful Cathedral Strings sound, that has a separate layer for the close mics, and another layer for the Cathedral ambience.

You can even control the mix, length and color of the ambient mics independant from the direct mics. It really gets interesting when you take the layer of the real strings ambience and combine it with any of the amazing synth pads..the depth it adds is really rich.

Super SIMPLE demo..showing just a couple of chords on one patch. We posted this, because we had some requests from some users for a very basic demo to hear the sound quality of Omnisphere, without any other parts playing or techniques being shown. So he you have it: Two chords and no effects..still sounds great!

Another very simple demo of one patch with no effects. This shows off one of the unusual lead patches called 'Deep Vision' in the core library. It's a two layer combination of a sine wave and a complex ambience with filtered sitars and tambouras.

When used like this in solo mode with glide..it turns into another creature altogether!


*All other manufacturers' product names used in this instrument are trademarks of their respective owners, which are in no way associated or affiliated with Spectrasonics. These trademarks of other manufacturers are used solely to identify the products of those manufacturers whose tones and sounds were studied during Spectrasonics sound development.Atmosphere
Software Synthesizer [Mac/PC]
  • Computer / Software >Virtual Instrument

Spectrasonics' massive sample-based soft synth promises to be the ultimate source for pads, atmospheres and textures.

It's probably not out of order to describe Spectrasonics' Atmosphere as 'eagerly anticipated', especially following the success of Stylus, which was launched earlier this year. Keith sparkjoy. However, while Stylus offered some radically new features, Atmosphere is, on the face of it, a very straightforward software implementation of a sample-based synthesizer. I say 'on the face of it', because even though Atmosphere is based on existing synthesis methodology, its core sample library is simply vast. To give you some idea of how vast, most multitimbral workstation synths have between 8 and 32 MB of sample ROM to share between all their core sounds, which in turn means that the samples are often instrument, it is also capable of recreating many types of synth lead and bass sounds.

In a nutshell, Atmosphere's waveforms are organised in such a way as to offer 1000 different sounds, and that's before you start to make changes to the filter, envelope and modulation settings. Furthermore, each patch can comprise two layers, each with its own core sounds, filter, envelope and modulation settings, which means there are one million possible sound combinations, even before you start tweaking the settings.

Supplied on six CD-ROMs, Atmosphere works on both Windows and Mac OS platforms; it is not currently available for Mac OS X, although Spectrasonics say that both OS X VST and Audio Units versions are in development. It can run in VST 2.0, MAS or RTAS environments and has full Pro Tools HD compatibility. You will need a fast machine to run it, and as well as needing almost 4GB of hard drive space to load it, you need plenty of spare RAM, especially if you want to open multiple instances. Recommended minimum computer specs are Pentium III 600MHz (Windows 98, 98SE, ME, 2000 or XP) or Mac G3 500MHz (OS 9.04 to OS 9.2.2). Heavy users may need around 300MB extra RAM over and above their usual requirements. I tested Atmosphere on a Mac G4 800MHz with three-quarters of a Gigabyte of RAM and had no problems at all, either during installation or operation.

Though it is presented as a virtual instrument, the terms of use treat Atmosphere more like a sample library than a synth: only the original purchaser may use it (studios can't make it available to clients, for example), no samples for commercial or Internet distribution can be created using it, and the software may not be resold. Given that so much work went into producing the core sample library, this perhaps isn't surprising as the samples form the bulk of the product, but you need to be aware of these conditions if you're in the habit of letting other people use your synths, whether hard or soft.

Authorisation is via Spectrasonics' own Internet challenge and response system, which provides the necessary unlock code instantly, and there's no problem getting new codes when you want to change computers. Spectrasonics are also pretty flexible, and will issue a second code so you can run Atmosphere on your main computer and your laptop. As delivered, the program will run for two days before requiring authorisation.

Interface

Like Stylus, Atmosphere is based around a customised version of an audio engine developed by French company UVI, and I have to say that the user interface is amongst the most clear and intuitive designs I've seen. Everything is accessed from one main window, where A and B buttons select which of the two layers is currently being worked on. You can either set all the parameters differently for both layers or engage the Link button so that both layers are adjusted together.

Conceptually, each layer of the sound is handled much as it is in any other software sample player. The sounds are loaded directly from the hard drive into RAM via a menu system in which the sounds are subdivided into a number of categories for easy browsing. You can either load a ready-made patch, which can have one or two layers plus all the necessary settings, or you can create your own by loading any of the 1000 sample sets into each layer and then making your own settings. There's no hard disk streaming option.

Level sliders and pan pots are provided for the A and B layers along with independent coarse and fine tuning, while the modulation section includes four separate LFOs, each with speed and depth controls. Modulation destinations within the modulation matrix are pitch, filter, amplitude and pan, and there's a pitch envelope with depth and time controls. A separate envelope generator controls pitch over a four-octave maximum range, where the time knob controls the envelope's decay time.

Best imac. As in Stylus, there's a resonant master filter (adjustable low-pass to high-pass) for the whole patch, plus separate, multi-mode resonant filters for the layers, each having its own ADSR envelope generator. The usual keyboard tracking and envelope depth controls are provided for the filters, plus there's modulation of the filter attack/release via velocity. A small button selects whether velocity will modify the attack or decay setting, and the amount is controllable.

Similar facilities are afforded the amplitude envelope, though an extra control has been added that adjusts the sample start offset so that you can move the start point to anywhere in the waveform before the loop point. This control is extremely powerful as slow-attack pads can be modified to become fast-attack lead or bass sounds, so experimenting with it is crucial to getting the most out of Atmosphere.

Global controls include a choice of four velocity curves, a Preview button for auditioning sounds without a keyboard and Solo, which engages a mono legato trigger for monosynth emulations. In Solo mode only, there's also a Glide control for creating portamento effects.

Because every voice used increases CPU usage, there's a master voice number selector as well as a master octave switch and a window for setting the MIDI bend range. It's also possible to set your own Continuous Controller assignment for the CC Mod option found in the modulation section, and you can also select 32-bit high-quality playback mode at the expense of RAM overhead. Most sounds are perfectly good with 32-bit mode turned off, but some of the more delicate sounds are arguably smoother-sounding in this mode. Presumably because of CPU loading, you are limited to two layers per patch, not the four or eight offered by some workstation synths.

As with most plug-ins, there's the facility to use dynamic automation with the various controls using MIDI Controller information. Some host audio programs, such as Pro Tools and Logic, can't automate these functions directly from their own automation systems because Atmosphere doesn't declare its parameters to the host application, but you can use an external MIDI controller and then record the changes. Alternatively, in the case of Logic, Hyperdraw may also be used to automate Controller tracks. A complete MIDI Controller chart is provided in the Atmosphere handbook.

Using Atmosphere

You only need to look at the panel controls to realise that Atmosphere isn't going to be difficult to use. The large central window is used for selecting patches from the categorised sub-menus in a manner not unlike the way Emagic's EXS24 works, while the smaller window below it is used for calling up parts to be used in layers. The layer menu takes the same form as the main patch menu except that every patch is further broken down into its two components (where a layered sound is used) so you can select waveforms at core level.

The main sound designations are Ambient, Belltones, Big Swells, Evolving Moods, Noises, Pads, Solo, Strings, Sweeping, Synth Bass, Vinyl and Wave Utility, the last comprising things like tuning tones, test tones and noise (white and pink). These subsections are, in most cases, further divided into even more sections making it very easy to locate specific types of sound. Edited patches can be saved for future use.

With 1000 sounds on offer, it's not easy to give a short description of what Atmosphere actually sounds like, but anyone already familiar with Spectrasonics products won't be surprised to hear that some of the pads have a distinctly Distorted Reality feel to them, even though all the sounds used here are new. There are also more traditional sounds, such as supremely lush analogue and hybrid strings, analogue and digital pads and evolving textures. In addition to the more 'musical' sounds, there are also pads and drones, some of which are very 'filmic', processed noises and sonic effects. Eric Persing and his team have used an impressive array of instruments, software and sound-bending devices to create the core sounds: there's granular synthesis, Metasynth, vintage processors, vocoders and even some acoustic sound sources, including orchestral strings, voices, natural sounds and a number of ethnic and unusual instruments. They've also employed just about every plug-in you can think of, plus a raft of vintage keyboards — but as you might expect, the real success of this product comes down to the imagination with which these devices have been used. I'm not going to pretend I've played with every one of the 1000 patches, let alone their million permutations when layered, but I have visited a lot of them and spent several happy hours experimenting with my own combinations and parameter settings.

Atmosphere doesn't entirely replace a hardware workstation synth, as you don't get all those acoustic pianos, electric pianos, slapped basses, orchestral instruments, guitar samples and so on, but the pad and analogue synth side is very well represented, and to a very much higher standard than is possible with the limited RAM available to hardware instruments. And after all, if you want good orchestral sounds or pianos, you need look no further than your software sampler and a suitable library.

Atmosphere's ability to recreate classic monosynth and polysynth sounds is pretty impressive too, and with a choice of four different filter modes, the tonal range of the original instruments can often be exceeded. To my ears at any rate, the filters sound pretty sweet, and they will self-oscillate at maximum resonance. Most of the analogue synth sounds are convincingly organic with suitably huge, hard-hitting basses where appropriate. Eric and chums have also come up with some pretty imaginative names to go with their patches, but might I suggest 'Jurassic Flatulence' to go with the more raspy of the analogue bass sounds?

Operating Atmosphere is dead simple, though don't forget to experiment with that sample start offset parameter, and if the sounds aren't rich enough for you as they come (and most of them are plenty rich enough), you can always feed them through a few plug-ins. Though you can't load your own samples, it should take quite a while before you exhaust the possibilities of all the core sounds.

It's hard to criticise any aspect of Atmosphere when you get so much for around the same price as a standard plug-in synth or a decent sample CD library, though I'd have liked even more Wavestation-type evolving textures (of course it might only be myself and Martin Walker who keep asking for these!) or maybe more rhythmic processing (ideally linked to tempo) built-in. However, Spectrasonics promise that updates will be forthcoming, and say that these could include not just new facilities but more core sounds too — so if there are more Wavestation fans out there, keep lobbying!

In sum, Atmosphere is everything it promised to be and more. If you're a fan of Spectrasonics samples and you use a lot of pads or non-emulative synth sounds, you will want Atmosphere — it's as simple as that. Atmosphere is easy to use, but once you've heard it, I think you'll find it hard to do without.

Second Opinion

Spectrasonic Atmosphere For Mac Air

You might think that releasing a 'sample + synthesis' VST Instrument would scarcely raise an eyebrow nowadays. So why has Spectrasonics' Atmosphere been one of the most eagerly awaited soft synths this year? Well, as with all 'must have' instruments, it's down to what it sounds like. The vast 3.7GB Atmosphere soundset has been largely created by Eric Persing of Distorted Reality fame, whose sound libraries must have featured on more albums, film and TV scores than anyone else's. And, by adding a soft-synth engine to access his sounds, he's opened up new possibilities as to what you can do with them.

Installation on my PC was painless, and the Spectrasonics web site gave me an instantaneous response to my challenge. If you store the soundset on an separate data partition you only need it once on your hard drive to access it from various Windows partitions, although you will need to go through the challenge/response hoop again for each one.

Spectrasonic Atmosphere For Mac Catalina

This was my first experience with the Spectrasonics soft-synth interface, and I was impressed by how intuitive it was. I doubt that some people will even need to open the manual, but do make the effort, since it's not only very well written, but also contains suggestions, tips, and tricks, plus a fascinating equipment list.

The sounds are truly inspiring, and span a huge range from hard analogue through lush acoustic (there are some remarkably expressive string ensembles) to the softest of digital. If you like evolving sounds, as I do, having two layers, each with a long but different loop length, means that some combinations may still be meandering after several minutes, especially once you add slow modulating filter envelopes.

But Atmosphere isn't just about pads: the solo and synth sounds are rich, fat and fruity, making most other soft synths in my collection sound positively anaemic by comparison — try 'Bloated', for instance, from the Solo folder. The only ones that came close were Reaktor and VAZ 2010, but then these don't have the atmospheric pads.

Spectrasonic Atmosphere For Mac

CPU overhead is also modest, since like the Wavestation many of the patches are so complex that five-note polyphony is perfectly adequate, and these took under 10 percent of my Pentium III 1GHz processor, while even the string pads seem happy with 12 voices. Whacking up a typical dual-layer patch with multiple filters up to 32 voices took 57 percent, compared with 50 percent for NI's Pro 53, but the beauty of Atmosphere is that its sounds are already 'complete'. While many soft synths sound raw until you pass them through a plug-in or two, adding extra overhead, Atmosphere sounds wonderful by itself, with perhaps a quick dab of global reverb to sit it in the mix.

Some musicians will grumble that you can't sync the LFOs to the host tempo clock (this is promised in a future update), while I'd like to see a relative link mode to supplement the current absolute one, so that you can modify a parameter on both layers simultaneously without immediately forcing both to the same value. However, these are tiny points. Just as GigaStudio encouraged many musicians to abandon hardware samplers altogether after hearing the stunning realism of its acoustic libraries, Atmosphere is for me the first VST Instrument that will do the same to hardware synths. Anyone who uses pads must buy this —it's as simple as that. Martin Walker

Pros

  • Straightforward user interface.
  • Vast range of high-quality core sounds and textures.

Cons

  • You need plenty of spare RAM and hard drive space to use Atmosphere, not to mention a relatively fast computer.

Summary

Atmosphere is a superb-sounding and affordable product that's a must-have for anyone who uses a lot of pads, non-emulative synth sounds and evolving textures.

information

£225 including VAT.

Spectrasonics Vst

Time + Space +44 (0)1837 55200.

test spec

  • Apple Mac G4 800MHz with 768MB RAM, running Mac OS 9.2
  • Tested with: Emagic Logic Audio Platinum v5.3
Published February 2003




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