Quote:
Originally Posted by namnibor
Nipples and knobs! 
Is that "seeming like it's bred for the PC" nature of the UN both with and without use of Automap? |
I have not used Automap in conjunction with the UN, I use it for everything else. Maybe one of these days I will try that, but so far I haven't really needed it. Automap comes in handy when using a single controller to control multiple disparate instruments, so I think if you're using the Ultranova in setup where it's the primary controller (most likely the mobile types who are using an UN or Mininova + laptop), then you could use it to easily control other VSTs, to the point (I believe) where their param values actually can even show up on the display of the UN (something useful in a combined HW/SW environment, I suppose). In other words while it may be capable of more, I think of the Automap mode of the UN as being redundant if you already have a primary MIDI controller with Automap. In terms of using Automap to control just the UN by itself, in my case I can't find a need since the UN direct hardware interface is there when I need it. Being able to touch knobs on the MKII and send them as touch modulations to the UN would be a plus if possible, but not sure if it is.
About multi-timbrality of soft-synths -- almost of them are "infinite timbrality" in a number of ways, at the most basic level because you can load as many instances as you want of them, limited only by CPU power (in the case of some synths on a powerful PC, this could mean having several dozen instances). You can layer those instances simply using the DAW software, effectively creating your own multi-timbral instrument by combining various others. For example if I wanted to beef up the UN a little I make a complex pad by layering the nova plugin with Zebra and Dune. I've now got a very unique sound, probably thicker than would come out of a single synth by itself, and in effect have just solved the problem of the UN (or any synth) being single-timbral. I usually don't have much of a need for splitting across the keyboard, but I'm pretty sure that can be done fully in the DAW as well, if I wanted the UN playing only on low octaves and Zebra playing on the high for example. Some VSTs support multi-timbrality more directly, for example letting you add layers within the VST or split across the keyboard and run them through the FX of the VST itself, all as one sound or in some cases independently. Omnisphere is one that comes to mind that seems to really encourage layering in the "mutli-mode" sense that many traditional hardware synths used to use.
When I first got into softsynths, one of the things that really blew me away is that there is really no more notion of a limitation on things like multi-timbrality or polyphony. By that I mean there is a limitation, but the limitation is simply how much can your computer CPU handle rather than an inherent limitation like "X number of voices" or layers supported. Need more? Just add more instances, sort of just like having multiple hardware instruments responding to the same MIDI channel input.