Setup
To control Omnisphere using the Prophet X, you’ll need to do the following:
- Using a USB cable, connect the Prophet X to your computer.
- Verify that your Prophet X is transmitting MIDI through USB.
- Set up the front panel controls to NRPN mode.
- Enable the Prophet X as a MIDI input device to Omnisphere in the host software you’re using (DAW, Standalone, etc.).
- Activate the Prophet X Hardware Profile in Omnisphere 2.5 or higher.
- Set up Omnisphere to work with the Prophet X Touch Sliders (optional).
MIDI OUTPUT SETUP
To make sure the controls in your Prophet X transmit MIDI through USB, press the GLOBAL button, navigate to 11. MIDI Out Select and set it USB to output MIDI only over USB or MIDI+USB to output MIDI over USB and the MIDI out port.
ENABLE NRPN MODE
Set the controls on your Prophet X to send MIDI as NRPNs by pressing the GLOBAL, navigate to 6. MIDI Param Send and set it to NRPN. Once you are done, press the GLOBAL button to exit.
HOST CONNECTION
Open your host (DAW, Standalone, etc.) and make sure the Prophet X is enabled as a MIDI input device.
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| Omnisphere Standalone | Pro Tools |
OMNISPHERE SETUP
Open Omnisphere and from the header, select the HW menu button:
From the drop-down menu, select “Sequential>Sequential Prophet X” to activate that hardware profile.
TOUCH SLIDERS SETUP (optional)
The Prophet X has two position-sensitive touch sliders. Each slider serves as a modulation source and their values are determined by finger position. These sources appear in the Prophet X’s modulation matrix as Slider 1 and Slider 2. You can set up Omnisphere to respond to them.
Go to Omnisphere’s System Page and in the Modulation assignments section, click on the Legato menu and select “Move MIDI Controller”. Gently slide your finger over Touch Slider 1 to capture the controller number. The Legato menu should display CC 14.
Click on the User CC menu, select “Move MIDI Controller” and slide your finger over Touch Slider 2 to capture the controller number. The User CC menu should display CC 15.
To use the touch sliders as modulation sources, press and hold ASSIGN MOD SOURCE and touch either of the sliders.
Profile Notes
The Prophet X is a top of the line synth and also an incredible controller for Omnisphere! In designing this hardware profile, we made decisions to achieve a balance between being faithful to how the Prophet X works and using its panel creatively to make the most of it for controlling Omnisphere. This means that some controls perform special functions that expand the capabilities of the hardware. Here’s a quick overview of how we set up this profile:
SIGNAL PATH
The Prophet X profile loads with the Signal Path set to Shared Mode in order to conserve CPU resources. In Shared Mode, Layers share certain sections of the audio path, including the Filter and VCA. If you want to modulate certain layer-specific parameters, like level or pan, set the Signal Path to Normal.
OSCILLATORS
INSTRUMENT 1 affects Layer A (audio-based).
INSTRUMENT 2 affects Layer B (audio-based).
OSCILLATOR 1 affects Layer C (synth-based).
OSCILLATOR 2 affects Layer D (synth-based).
BROWSING SOUNDSOURCES
You can browse Omnisphere Soundsources using the TYPE and INSTRUMENT knobs for INSTRUMENT 1 and 2.
TYPE scrolls through Soundsource categories.
INSTRUMENT scrolls through different Soundsources.
Ableton Live Users: Because of the unique way Ableton Live processes NRPN messages, Soundsource browsing in Omnisphere from the Prophet X might not be optimal in all cases. Please contact Tech Support if you have any questions.
GRANULAR
LOOP activates Omnisphere Granular.
When LOOP MODE is set to REGULAR, the knobs work as follows:
START affects Granular Speed/Position.
SIZE affects Granular Intensity.
END affects Granular Depth.
CENTER affects DETUNING.
When LOOP MODE is set to PITCH, the knobs work as follows:
START affects Granular Speed/Position.
SIZE affects Granular Intensity.
END affects Granular Depth.
CENTER affects INTERVAL.
When LOOP MODE is set to SYNC, the knobs work as follows:
START affects Granular Speed/Position.
SIZE affects the BPM speed at which the grains are triggered.
END affects Granular Depth.
CENTER affects the size of the grains.
HARD SYNC
Omnisphere’s oscillators have their own Hard Sync parameter, which is independent from their frequency. This allows you to create sounds that go beyond what’s possible in most hardware synths. When using SYNC, keep in mind the following:
- When SYNC is activated, the frequency of the oscillator in Omnisphere’s Layer C is not slaved to the frequency of the one in Layer D. This means, for example, that you can tune the oscillators a fifth apart and still obtain “hard sync” sounds.
- If you activate SYNC and then engage a pitch modulation to OSC 1, you will need to disable and re-enable SYNC to get the expected behavior.
COMMUNICATION
The communication between the Prophet X and Omnisphere is one-way: the Prophet X sends information to Omnisphere, but not the other way around. As a result, when a patch is loaded in Omnisphere its settings will be different than those in the panel of the Prophet X. For example, an Omnisphere patch might have Unison enabled while the UNISON switch in the Prophet X is disabled. In a case like this, to disable Unison in Omnisphere press the UNISON button twice.
LOADING OMNISPHERE PATCHES FROM THE PROPHET X
If you want the load Omnisphere Patches from the Prophet X, follow these steps:
- On the Prophet X, select GLOBAL, navigate to 9. MIDI Program Enable and set it to ON.
- In the Omnisphere Patch Browser, right-click the name of the Patch you want to load.
- Select “MIDI Program Change Learn” from the menu.
- On the Prophet X, select the patch you wish to use.
- A MIDI icon will appear next to the name of the Patch in the Omnisphere browser if the learning is successful.
Unassigned Controls
The following Prophet X controls have no effect on Omnisphere:
- Hold
- Tap Tempo
- BPM
- Sequencer Record
- Sequencer Play
- Compare
- Save/Load
- Edit B Layer
- Split
- Stack
- 16 Voice
Troubleshooting
Not working? Here are some things to try:
- Make sure the MIDI Channel is set to Ch.1.
- Make sure that the Edit Layer B button is OFF and unlit.
- Is the MIDI Out port set up properly?
- Is your DAW receiving MIDI from the Prophet X?
As a last resort, you can reset all Global parameters to the factory defaults by doing the following:
- Press GLOBAL and use the left-most EDIT knob to scroll down to 31. Reset Globals.
- Press the left most edit button to select Reset Now to confirm.
- After doing this, please follow the setup instructions again.
USING ABLETON LIVE
If you use Ableton Live and find that Omnisphere does not respond to the Prophet X after the profile is loaded, simply adjust these two controls (in no particular order):
- OSC 1 FINE TUNE
- FILTER CUTOFF
After adjusting the controls, it’s OK to return them to their original condition (e.g. OFF, then ON again).
This will reset Ableton Live’s NRPN logic and allow Omnisphere’s NRPN to respond. Once NRPN is working, it will work indefinitely until Omnisphere is restarted.
SUPPORT
Still not working? More questions?
Feel free to contact us directly and we can work with you:
Tech Support
888-870-4223 toll free
818-955-8444
Monday – Friday 10AM – 5PM Pacific Time
email: info@spectrasonics.net
