Is there anything remotely like Overbridge out there?

The Lounge Other Gear
#21

Access TI was over USB 1 (or something with zero bandwidth) back in 2008, It was unstable
But now its rock solid and still works fine on PC. It did take some tweaking of code to get multi channels in FL studio but has worked fine for me since 2008. I think it was the first of its kind, definately a shame Access have just walked away from development. Its still a favourite synth of mine.

OB had some teething problems out of the gate but works fine now, It would be like using OB when it was first released and making your mind up that its just broken and always will be.

Also i think Electro Harmonix have ventured into OB territory with the new Big Muff, not sure how its fairing but.

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#22

Sure, but thatā€™s more the fault of them abandoning development than the original software I guess.

#23

The 707 is a fully fledged audio interface so I do not understand when you say ā€œit doesnā€™t have its own interface where you can record into itā€.

#24

You open the Overbridge app for your device, you go to the Audio Capture page and hit Start Captureā€¦ that interface/system. I didnā€™t say ā€˜audio interfaceā€™. The MC707 doesnā€™t have that facility to open an app and simply record what youā€™re doing on the deviceā€¦ thereā€™s some legwork involved.

Thatā€™s one of the things I love about Overbridge.

(Creating Scene and Performance Macros for the Analog Rytm and Four is something else I love about OBā€¦ I cba doing the macro stuff on the hardware personally, OB makes it a breeze.)

#25

Sorry but it is also really simple to open an app on my computer and record what I am doing on the MC707 (because it will appear as the audio interface in the app).

There is nothing particularly unique about Overbridge, as well as Roland and Access, both Yamaha and Korg have had something equivalent on their keyboards for years.

#26

There is nothing out there like overbridgeā€¦ aside from Access virus software which is basically unsupported at this point. Overbridge is NOT about using the device as a sound card per sayā€¦ the beauty of it is that you can record multitrack with the VST without trying to get some sort of arrogated USB device with just doesnā€™t work with a DAW/OS(or is touchy to say the least). There are plenty of devices that allow you to use the device as sound card/ Multi track USB(typhon, all the roland groove boxes almost all the boutique stuff, a bunch other devices do it). The thing these devices lack is the software(VST plugin) that allows you to use and record multiple device at once, without trying to create a USB arrogate sound card(which I donā€™t even know if you can do on windowsā€¦). With overbridge you can(like I do) have all the overbrdige enabled machines hooked up to one computer all streaming multichannel USB in a DAW and I still get to use my normal USB audio interface as my only sound card!.. meaning I could input in other USB audio sources and output through my normal speakersā€¦

Just try doing that with a MC-101 and TR6-sā€¦ you canā€™tā€¦ itā€™s annoying quite franklyā€¦ I love elektron for overbridgeā€¦ donā€™t even get me started how great it is to be able to multi track all those individual tracks into live and then be able to put FXā€™s on each channelā€¦ just wonderful!..

if you sample all your synths/stuff into your dawā€¦ and then basically use the daw as a big sampler then this doesnā€™t matterā€¦ itā€™s only if you arrange in midi and want to use the daw as a massive multi channel FX unit/ mutlitrack recorder that it mattesr I think(or at least thatā€™s been my use case with it).

Hope that makes senseā€¦

4 Likes
#27

What app?

#28

if I understand Stickhitā€¦ they are just stating that the roland device shows up as USB sound cardā€¦ if selected in any recording software that allows multitrack recording then you can select the device and record the channelsā€¦

#29

OK I now understand what you mean ( if you own multiple overbridge enabled Elektron boxes they can all run multi-channel USB audio into your DAW together).

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#30

OK I now understand what you mean ( if you own multiple overbridge enabled Elektron boxes they can all run multi-channel USB audio into your DAW together).

100000% correct! :wink:

#31

A lot of synths have audio/midi over USB, very few ā€˜aggrigateā€™ in real; timw with your main soundcard (not under windows anyway!) The Virus TI did, Overbridge doesā€¦

The only other one that might (I havenā€™t tried it, it claims it does) is the new ā€˜plug inā€™ Valve warmer(processes your audio through real valves over a VST!)

Freqport

1 Like
#32

Freqport

1 Like
#33

this is interesting but only seems to be one USB-c line so since itā€™s just a tube amp(either 4 channel monoā€¦ or two stereo input/outputsā€¦) but since itā€™s over usb and has no actual sound engine itself itā€™s just a FX plugin using real tube amps(still cool though)ā€¦ very much like using the HEAT with overbridge but still would not do anything for how or what you record into itā€¦ Still do like the software effort put into itā€¦ and wish all companies did this sort of integration be it hardware FX or synths/drum machines.

#34

Arturia MiniFreak

#35

Moog Sub37 (and Subsequent I guess) have a stand-alone and plugin software, no audio but convenient for total recall and automation, as well as editing deep settings to avoid the screen (most is knob per function but for a few things)

Works great!

#36

GUI interfaces to CC implementation of a synth is nice but not novel, but adding USB audio with that is. Itā€™s quite a task it seems not many other companies even want to tryā€¦ I donā€™t know what FPGA/OS programming you have to do to get it to work but it isnā€™t just some easy set of code laying out there on the internetā€¦

I do appreciate when companies do things like VST controllers out of the box(modal/IK/others)ā€¦ and if that is all overbridge was it would be fineā€¦ that being said it could save you $$$$$$ of not needing a audio interface if you wanted to run a bunch of elektron boxes at the same time(and maybe a few extra things using the available audio inputs)ā€¦

Multitrack USB without proper software like overbridge(like the roland TR-6s) is worthless to someone like meā€¦ I rather have the actual audio outs at that point cause itā€™s going through another larger input USB audio interface so I can get my whole studio in the DAW). The lack of this software has to be about money and R&D cost on something that seemingly is not understood and is not how most people produce music(i.e. just sampling thing into a daw)ā€¦

#37

I think I understand your point.

For my personal use, Overbridge is a great idea but I find myself not using it. Regarding latency this was problematic for my setup when I was trying it and as others have stated, I didnā€™t really care for the individual tracks of my Digitakt and preferred the stereo output with effects and all.

For the Analog Heat though, I use it and love it. There isnā€™t much added latency that I notice in the way I use it and there, having it as a plug-in that passes audio back and forth is brilliant.

Iā€™m not aware of any other attempt from other companies. As far as I understood Oerbridge has been/is a pain to implement. I could be wrong :slight_smile:

I mentioned Moog because I find the execution particularly well done. I often wish Waldorf would go that way, or othersā€¦

1 Like
#38

agree with youā€¦ especially about waldorf, and while I havenā€™t used the Moog VSTā€™s they did make me actual more interested in those synths that had one. I wish it was standard to have at least a VST controller on every digitally controlled synthā€¦

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#39

Isla S2400 does 10 channels of USB audio - four stereo tracks plus one master mix track. Each channel can go through the filters as well so you get the punch of the deviceā€™s multiple outputs without using loads of cables. :smiley:

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#40

@BKLronin made a multitrack audio and midi recorder for the Models and OP-Z, which is really all I wanted out of an Overbridge substitute for my M:S