Patch Browser Categories

Omnisphere includes thousands of Factory Patches, so having a basic understanding of how Patches are organized is essential to navigating the Patch Browser efficiently.

Here are descriptions of the kinds of sounds in each Factory Patch Category:

ARP + BPM

ARP + BPM Patches make use of the Arpeggiator, Envelopes, and LFOs — great tools for achieving complex, rhythmic patterns.

Bells and Vibes

Bells and Vibes Patches are generally rich in overtones and are played simply and sparsely for melodic parts and accents.

Bowed Colors

Many Soundsources in Omnisphere were recorded by playing objects with bowing techniques. This type of acoustic sonority produces wonderful material for the Granular synthesis in Omnisphere and is ideal for creating cinematic timbres.

Distortion

Patches from the Distortion category are intense — often processed with a variety of distortion, guitar amplifiers, and feedback techniques.

Electro Perc

Electronic Perc sounds are similar to those found in analog drum machines and synths. Try using the Arpeggiator to generate patterns, and then combine them with other Electro Perc sounds in Multi mode to create a powerful drum machine.

Electronic Mayhem

Electronic Mayhem sounds have a disruptive attitude. These unusual, glitchy colors can give your music a strong modern identity.

Ethnic World

Ethnic World sounds have a distinct world music quality. Try changing the Scale on the Main Page to create even more authenticity.

Guitars

Patches in the Guitars category make use of the guitar Soundsources included in Omnisphere and many are processed through the synthesis capabilities of the STEAM engine.

Hits and Bits

Hits and Bits offer a wide variety of hits, impacts, stabs, blips, stingers, and dramatic tonal FX that are useful for any situation that calls for a punctuated accent.

Human Voices

This category contains a wide variety of vocal sounds, ranging from a classical choir, jazz voices, and pop stacks to Tuvan throat singers. These Patches make extensive use of Soundsources that originally appeared in the “Symphony of Voices” and “Vocal Planet” sample libraries.

Keyboards

Patches in the Keyboards Category range from acoustic and electric piano colors to new and experimental keyboard sounds that don’t exist anywhere else. These sounds are great for taking a normal keyboard part into fresh new territory.

Noisescapes

Noisescapes are non-tonal beds using a variety of noise types — both environmental and processed/synthetic. These “landscapes of noise” are great for setting a mood and sense of place.

Organs

These Patches cover a wide area of Organ technology — from classic, soulful Hammond Tonewheel sounds to completely beat-up Thrift Store organs and Pipes in a Cathedral.

Pads + Strings

Pads + Strings cover all types of playable sounds that function as tonal backgrounds and they’re great for setting a mood. They are usually played with polyphonic chords, but they work equally well for single notes, octaves, simple melodic playing, and drones.

Percussive Organic

Percussive Organic Patches are hybrid sounds with percussive attacks, sensitive dynamics, and musical decays. They are often non-traditional, but not synthetic-sounding.

Retro Land

Retro Land Patches bring back the sounds of yesteryear for a nostalgic vibe — giving you instant access to vintage sonics without all the messy tapes and patch cables.

String Machines

String Machines transport you back in time to revive timeless vintage tones. They remain popular to this day because they always sit great in a mix.

Synth Bass

Synth Basses bring the house down to the sub floor and anchor the low-end in your mix. Many of these Patches work well for mono synth lines in the midrange and sometimes even as a lead.

Synth Long

Patches from the Synth Long Category have long decays and work best when played sparsely. They often have a sweeping motion, typically achieved by modulating the Cutoff, Hard Sync, Phaser, Flanger, or even the Fine Pitch of a copied Layer.

Synth Mono

The STEAM engine can create a wide array of amazing monophonic synth sounds by combining Synth and Sample-based Oscillators, ranging from classic leads to edgy, aggressive tones.

Synth Poly

Poly Synths are highly versatile synth colors that can be played melodically, in polyphonic chords, and with both percussive or sustained playing techniques. An incredible variety of electronic sounds are available to explore.

Synth Short

Percussive Synths share an important characteristic — a punchy, well-defined attack that works great for fast passages, and staccato playing that cuts through.

Textures Playable

Playable textures are the film composer’s secret weapon. All of these evocative and inspiring sounds can be played using traditional methods, so they’re highly versatile in a wide variety of musical genres. If you’re an Ambient fan, this is where you should start with Omnisphere.

Textures Soundscapes

Textural Soundscapes are tonal beds useful for setting a mood and work best when playing single notes, octaves, or simple, open voicings. Hold the notes to let them develop and evolve.

Transition Effects

Music is all about getting from one point to the next and Transition Effects can greatly assist you in getting there dynamically and dramatically. In this category, you’ll find a wide array of risers, drops, swooshes, sweeps, reverses, and scrapes.

Trons and Optical

Trons and Optical Patches offer great retro character from vintage technologies found in classic keyboards like the Mellotron, Orchestron, and Optigan. These sounds come alive with retro FX like Omnisphere’s Retroplex and Spring Verb.