Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere 3 review: Still a must-have pluginAvailable now for $499 / $199 upgrade
When a software instrument becomes a standard in multiple industries— the way that Omnisphere did almost immediately after its release in 2008— it’s easy for a developer to become progressively complacent. Omnisphere is such a household name by now that I’ve even heard naysayers refer to it as a “mere ROMpler” in an attempt to discredit or invalidate its status.

READ MORE: Native Instruments Absynth 6 review: The return of a vintage classic

However, Spectrasonics has taken the complete opposite route with Omnisphere, repeatedly pushing boundaries in almost every direction by continuously coming up with new creative tools and improved workflow solutions. For this reason, Omnisphere is a staple in music production, motion picture, and video game scoring, as well as sound design, with its hybrid system giving users access to a powerful synthesis engine, for an almost endless sound library that lets you create or adapt sounds for any application.
Naturally, the flowers of success sow the seeds of competition, and today there are a range of alternative options that profess to do a similar thing. Although they are unique instruments in their own right, UVI Falcon, Arturia Pigments, Serum, and ReFX Nexus have each been influenced in different ways by Omnisphere.
But Omnisphere 3 assures that it’s still undisputed in its power.

Using Omnisphere 3
Despite the sizable download, setting up Omnisphere 3 is remarkably hassle-free, and it takes up the same amount of hard drive space as the previous version, which is just over 62 GB. This includes 18 new patch libraries (with 26,421 patches) and three legacy libraries (9,242 patches), as well as 5,590 sound sources and 152 multis. This may seem like an overwhelming abundance of sounds, but they are carefully curated into separate libraries for different applications, and search results can be filtered within the browser by adding or removing keywords, moods, or timbres.
As you open Omnisphere 3, you are met with the newly-designed Global Controls section, which gives you immediate access to the essential parameters. The way these controls interact with the different synth sections actually varies intuitively from one patch to another to give you the most responsive sound shaping experience. From the get-go, this is immediately elevated with the expanded library of Hardware Integration profiles.
This means that the chances of you having one of the supported devices are high, and I’m delighted to find my Virus TI on the list, which made exploring the new sounds and features far more fun. Another thing that Spectrasonics gets right is that Omnisphere 3 scales perfectly onto a 13-inch laptop display and performs remarkably well on my M2 MacBook Air, even with the library content installed on an external hard drive. Although this may sound rudimentary, you’d be surprised how many aspiring plugin instruments there are that can’t seem to get this part right.
Image: Press
What sets Omnisphere 3 apart?
The beauty of using Omnisphere is that there are so many ways to get great sounds. If, for instance, you like creating synth sounds from scratch, you have a choice of either using sample-based sound sources or a wide range of DSP wavetable-based oscillators, as well as a wide selection of filter types. At every turn, you can choose to take the traditional approach, leveraging features like vintage oscillator drift, classic glide modes, and the new dual frequency shifter, or you can break into undiscovered territory with the uniquely innovative modern creative tools, including unison phase scatter and MPE support.
One of Omnisphere’s superpowers, even from version 1, was its modulation capabilities. With a simple right-click, you can turn nearly any parameter into a mod destination and assign it to a range of sources such as LFOs, envelopes, or even bias sources, which are a more complex version of the traditional keyboard tracking parameter. What’s even more impressive is how the monstrously flexible mod matrix lets you target parameters in one or across all of the four synth layers.
Of the feature additions, Quadzone stands out to me as a simple yet effective new trick that lets you morph between the layers using the note positions on the keyboard, velocity, or a fader, which can become a modulation target. Omnisphere has always offered a dynamic response to performance-style control, so whether you’re using a hammer-action keyboard or an Osmose, the Quadzone, as well as the Stack and Live Modes, will let you map each part you need to play in a song in a way that evolves and lets you interact with the other musicians on stage.
Another truly exceptional feature is the upgraded Omnisphere FX rack, and it’s a concept that other plugin designers have borrowed from Spectrasonics instruments. In Omnisphere 3, there are 35 new effects modules, including classic compressors and EQs, reverbs, delays, distortions, and unique creative effects. What’s more, you can now use the Omnisphere FX rack as a separate processor in your DAW, à la Soundtoys, with a selection of rack presets for working with vocals, guitars, drums, and even mastering.
Image: Press
Is Omnisphere 3 still a must-have plugin?
If you take music production even semi-seriously, the chances are that you already own Omnisphere and some of its incredible expansions, such as the Bob Moog Tribute Library and Sonic Extensions. If this is the case, you’ve probably already forked out the $199 upgrade fee, which also covers Omnisphere 1 license holders.
For the uninitiated, you might be wondering why you would spend $499 on a plugin. Rather than comparing Omnisphere to other plugins, I prefer comparing it to high-end workstation synths like the Korg Nautilus, Yamaha Montage, or Roland Fantom, in terms of its sound creation and performance potential.
Put this way, the price tag becomes more than reasonable, and the fact that you can run an instrument of this level perfectly on a consumer-grade laptop makes it even more formidable.
Omnisphere’s true strength lies in how it offers a platform that delivers immediate sonic wizardry to absolutely anyone, from a bedroom producer or touring stage performer all the way to an experienced sound designer.
Image: Press
Key features

Native AU, VST, AAX
18 new sound libraries
Redesigned browser interface
New synthesis features including Quadzone, Frequency Shifter, and MPE support
New sound sources and EDM wavetables
Expanded Hardware Integration support
35 new effects modules and effects rack plugin functionality

The post Spectrasonics’ Omnisphere 3 review: Still a must-have plugin appeared first on MusicTech.

Rhodes reveal Glacial & Monolith Custom Shop Mk8 The Glacial and Monolith limited-edition models will be hand-built to order in Leeds, UK by Rhodes Master Builders, and will not be reissued once the order window closes on 9 January 2026. 

Mesa shuts down credit card that rewarded cardholders for paying their mortgagesFintech startup Mesa has shut down its Homeowners Card, which awarded points to cardholders for paying their mortgages.

Finally, A Pipe Slapophone With MIDIIf you live in a major city, you’ve probably seen a street performer with some variety of slapophone. It’s a simple musical instrument that typically uses different lengths of PVC pipe to act as resonant cavities. When struck with an implement like a flip-flop, they release a dull but pleasant tone. [Ivan Miranda] decided to build such an instrument himself and went even further by giving it MIDI capability. Check it out in the video below.
[Ivan’s] design uses a simple trick to provide a wide range of notes without needing a lot of individual pipes. He built four telescoping pipe assemblies, each of which can change length with the aid of a stepper motor and a toothed belt drive. Lengthening the cavity produces a lower note, while shortening it produces a higher note. The four pipe assemblies are electronically controlled to produce notes sent from a MIDI keyboard, all under the command of an Arduino. The pipes are struck by specially constructed paddles made of yoga mats, again controlled by large stepper motors.
The final result is large, power-hungry, and vaguely playable. It’s a little unconventional, though, because moving the pipes takes time. Thus, keypresses on a MIDI keyboard set the pipes to a given note, but don’t actually play it. The slapping of the pipe is then triggered with a drum pad.
We love weird instruments around these parts.

Memecoins will rise from the dead, but in a new form: Crypto execMemecoins were never about memes, jokes, or financial nihilism; it is the underlying technology and its implications that are promising.

GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Country/Duo Group PerformanceThe 2025 GRAMMY nominations are here and we're going to help you to untangle it all right up until the big event, continuing with the Best Country Duo/Group Performance category.

Take a listen to the nominated performances below--who do you think will win?

See the full list of nominees in every category here.

A Song To SingMiranda Lambert And Chris Stapleton

TrailblazerReba McEntire, Miranda Lambert, Lainey Wilson

Love Me Like You Used To DoMargo Price & Tyler Childers

AmenShaboozey & Jelly Roll

Honky Tonk Hall Of FameGeorge Strait, Chris Stapleton

Shaboozey photo by Daniel PrakopcykThe post GRAMMY Nominations 2025: Best Country/Duo Group Performance first appeared on Music Connection Magazine.

Soundtoys offers Little MicroShift for FREE in its 12 Days of Christmas promotion
Soundtoys is giving away Little MicroShift for free today as part of its annual 12 Days of Christmas promotion, and if you’ve been following BPB for a while, you’ll know this is a big deal. Little MicroShift is hands down my favorite Soundtoys freebie. I originally grabbed it during a similar promotion back in 2020, [...]
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Swamps from BOOM Library BOOM Library’s latest release brings together a collection of sounds captured across two expeditions to the wetlands of Florida over a three year period.

DoorDash driver faces felony charges after allegedly spraying customers’ foodA woman is facing felony charges in Evansville, Indiana over a DoorDash delivery in which she allegedly sprayed the food with a substance that made the customers vomit.

Condensing Diesel Heater Hack Is Dripping With EfficiencyNot a huge percentage of our readers probably get their heat from diesel fuel, but it’s not uncommon in remote areas where other fuels are hard to come-by. If you’re in one of those areas, this latest hack from [Hangin with the Hursts] could save you some change, or keep you  ̶2̶0̶%̶ ̶c̶o̶o̶l̶e̶r̶  25% warmer on the same fuel burn.
It’s bog simple: he takes his off-the-shelf hydronic diesel heater, which is already 71% efficient according to a previous test, and hooks its exhaust to a heat exchanger. Now, you don’t want to restrict the exhaust on one of these units, as that can mess with the air fuel mix, but [Hurst] gets around that with a 3″ intercooler meant for automotive intake. Sure, it’s not made for exhaust gas, but this is a clean-burning heater, and it wouldn’t be a hack if some of the parts weren’t out of spec.
Since it’s a hydronic heater, he’s able to use the exhaust gas to pre-heat the water going into the burner. The intercooler does a very good job of that, sucking enough heat out of the exhaust to turn this into a condensing furnace. That’s great for efficiency — he calculates 95%, a number so good he doesn’t trust it — but not so good for the longevity of the system, since this intercooler isn’t made to deal with the slightly-acidic condensation. The efficiency numbers are combustion efficiency, to be clear. He’s only accounting for the energy in the diesel fuel, not the energy that heats the water in his test, for the record; the electrical power going into the blower is considered free. That’s fair, since that’s how the numbers are calculated in the heating industry in general — the natural gas furnace keeping this author from freezing to death, for example, is a condensing unit that is also 95% efficient.
Another thing you can do to get the most from your diesel heating fuel is add some brains to the operation. Since this is a hydronic system, the cheapest option, long-term, might be to add some solar energy to the water. Sunlight is free, and diesel sure isn’t getting any cheaper.

KV331 Audio makes SynthMaster One FREE until January 4
KV331 Audio has made SynthMaster One free until January 4th (and you can, of course, keep your free license afterwards). The popular wavetable synth is yet another fantastic Christmas giveaway we’ve seen this month, following the freebies from Soundtoys, Universal Audio, iZotope, and others. SynthMaster One typically costs $49 (and often sells for around $25 [...]
View post: KV331 Audio makes SynthMaster One FREE until January 4

Cycles & Spots Reaktor Vectorhttps://youtu.be/vlZta5ctE-k Cycles & Spots crafted a soundscaper which modulates the levels balance of 4 samplers featuring 200 WAV loops implemented. The loops can all have different freely adjustable lengths for polyrhythms and a out-of-phase effect over time. Another huge feature is a randomizer that is well balanced to get best results. In fact because of it this instrument doesn't come with presets (except an intial one for default settings) as it is quick and easy to generate new ones. Of course from there onwards you could further fine-tune if you wish to. A chorus and stereo grain delays are added to the output to make it more thick and rich. Pack Details: Instrument for NI Reaktor feat: Vector XY Mixer With 2 LFOs 200 Implemented Loops Stereo Grain Delay 4 Sample Player Randomizer Chorus. Full Version Of NI Reaktor 6.5.0 (Or Higher) Needed. Read More

TOP MUSIC BUSINESS NEWS LAST WEEKTop music business news last week includes a playbook for small venues, a K-Pop scandal, new mechanical royalty rates, Audiomack, why fans by merch, and much more.
The post TOP MUSIC BUSINESS NEWS LAST WEEK appeared first on Hypebot.

Soundgas’ December Gasaway now live Soundgas have announced that their second monthly Gasway prize draw is now live and open for entries until 7 January 2026.