Tony S

Methinks I'm gonna go with the full Alchemy and Steamworx, Luftrum, Himalaya, Planet Earth and 1 other.  
 

Tony:  I too am thinking along similar lines--Steamworx,Luftrum, Himalaya, but then I want Guitar Mutations.  Really like the pads in Alchemy.  My delimma is that I don't have the cash, but hope that I will get a tax refund this year and use that toward the deal before it disappears.

damn i bought everything straight , not the banks and then Alchemy !!

jimusic

So that would be 4 libraries + Full Al + Taste of Camel for just $317.00. [317.00 - 249.00 = $68.00]

This is a good value, make no mistake.  However, the downside is that you may not appreciate what libraries will be best for whatever type music you like to create.  The only downside to Alchemy in my book is that it's sound generation technology lends itself to sound-scape/effect types of presets.  Great if you're doing soundtracks or just spacey weirdness, but these kind of sounds are or marginal use for more conventional music.  Some Alchemy libraries are full of musically useful material, and others far less so.  Spend a lot of time listening to the demos and studying the preset lists before you pick your four selections.  It'll be a good investment of your time.

@dmbaer - 

...The only downside to Alchemy in my book is that it's sound generation technology lends itself to sound-scape/effect types of presets.  Great if you're doing soundtracks or just spacey weirdness, but these kind of sounds are or marginal use for more conventional music...  


Kinda glad you mentioned this, as I was getting the same impression as well.


I wish to record more than anything else, and not necessarily spend countless hours re-inventing 'the synthesizer wheel', so to speak. 


I'm more of a 'basic presets - with a bit of tweaking' type of guy, as opposed to someone who has the desire to twist, tweak & create all new sounds, bottles & rockets just for the hell of it.


...Some Alchemy libraries are full of musically useful material, and others far less so. Spend a lot of time listening to the demo...

Yes, that is the very struggle I, [& others I'm sure], are faced with.

The Audio Sample Demos of each are not as conclusive as I'd hoped for.

I also don't want to buy something just for sake of having it either.

I find that 25 libraries is a lot to choose from, and even though playing through the samples gives relatively good ideas of what's under the hood, it can take hours & hours - even days to listen to them all, even if I could.

Therefore, I shall endeavor to proceed & choose carefully o great wise Master! 

This just in,etc...
My ears are fried.
I've listened to every single sound-bank, as I'm trying to augument  Omnisphere, fool that I am.

Cecelius, as of now it's Luftrum, Steamworx, Himalaya Pads, and Cinematic, plus one other.


 DMB and Jimusic, I totally agree...but it's a pretty good price structure, and I'll find a use for some of each sound-bank.


With Omnisphere, Trillian, and a Kurzweil, let alone Alchemy, I just might have enough sounds to get by.

Jeez, if you listen to enough sounds it's like saying a word over and over until it loses its meaning. Only kinda cosmic.


Thanks to all,
Tony

Tony, I can't imagine how long it must have taken to listen to them all. 

Surely you didn't do it all in one sitting, did you?.

Guyz , i had the same impressions when i got it ...but i can telle you that there's a ton of clean usable sound and i'm keeping smiling since i bought that ..

i own : Tone 2 all , Rob papen all, Trillian and Omni , of course Zeta and rapture , all NI synths , Diva (UHE)

And alchemy is just crazy ...i bought some banks for the soundscapes and all (don't forget that it's highly layered , witch me you can , using a preset , just keep some clean and simple) and thhis is where the fun begins , i just got tonight the Virus and Himalya Vinatge : EXELLENT and higly usuable in all type of music (i'm doing mainly hip hop and electro) ...and the vairaitons are just crazy ..

the guyz start with a pure analog sound of the taurus and you end up with a wobble dubstep thing ...ect ....

what i'm saying is that you have some damn good sounds clean and alive like crazy ...so good that i'm still thinking about adding the electronic bass (but as a owner of trillian and planing to get K9 ultimate ...i need think twice)...

So yep i'm spending 3 dayz listening to presets and rate them !!

If you guyz need infos on banks , just ask ...i'm in the process of rating them also  ....


Dream Voices
Himalaya: Vintage
Arp Dimensions 
Himalaya: Pads
Viral Outbreak 
Luftrum: Ambient
Dance & Trance
BigTone
Electronic


still think about getting cinmeatic atmosphere and Dubstep (if anybody can share on those) specailly on dubstep : are those bass can be simple as well  ...

Jimusic,
I may have mispoken:

 I listened to all the sound-bank demos  on Camel Audio's website, but did fast-forward a bit through those I didn't care for or had well represented in Omnisphere, Trilian, or a maxed-out Kurzweil.

I'll still use the Kurzweil for orchestral and world/percussion/organ/brass sounds...and cowbell.

So far, I've used the pianos in the Kurzweil as Omnisphere rather famously doesn't have any "straight" pianos(...or cowbells).

So I didn't listen to every Alchemy patch, but most all of the sound-bank demos.

Which was plenty...

Tony


 

@Tony & Zo:

I'd be interested in the ones that are most musically useful, as opposed to sounds scapes, FX, & going to the moon & back, so I'm open to suggestions.

I don't do Hip Hop, Trance or Electronica at all, nor do I use any loops. 

All of what I record starts with MIDI - piano & drum tracks are pounded out on my V-drum set. 

My style of music is Pop, Rock, Lite Country, and even some older Folk style tunes occasionally.

Thanks, 

Jim

The ones that are really usable (no soundscapes with tones of reverbs and delay !)

Bigtone                 ****
Electronic              ****
Viral outbreak       ****
Dance and trance  ****
Himalya vintage    *****

Be sure to tweak (quick) fx and layers as this let you discover endless possibilities

If you're looking for acousticals stuff , ther'es some great things but you will better served with Kontakt ....

if you need synths : bingo in all kind of area ....clean analog , violent , komplexe , classics , unusual ect ....