Outputting Omnisphere’s Audio

There are two ways to send Omnisphere’s audio from the computer to an amplifier or mixer.

This can be done via the headphone/audio out jack or with an external audio device—there are pros and cons to both approaches.

Using the Headphone Jack

Pros:
Using the headphone jack is simple and reliable. On most modern computers, analog headphone jacks sound quite good. If you use any recent or current Apple silicon laptop (M-series processors), using a headphone jack can be a good choice since these computers will perform well at low buffer sizes, minimizing latency.

Cons:
The 1/8” TRS connection is unbalanced and prone to picking up interference from lighting or other forms of RF (radio frequencies). It’s also not very sturdy and more prone to break if the cable gets tangled during setup, tear-down, or normal stage traffic.

Using an External Audio Device

Pros:
External interfaces offer sturdy professional connectors and balanced audio outputs, making your system more reliable onstage. Using an external audio interface can also give you more flexibility in routing the audio. With some interfaces, you’ll be able to access multiple outputs from Omnisphere and mix them individually.

Cons:
This gives you one more piece of gear to carry and some interfaces need to be kept up-to-date with proprietary software drivers and operating system compatibility—things worthy of consideration.

RECOMMENDED: There are also excellent “DI-style” interfaces designed for live performance. The Radial USB-Pro is a great choice for its simplicity, reliability, and sound quality.