HYPERSONIC 2 FOR MAC OS X and WINDOWS + Serial number
The original Hypersonic soft synth was much misunderstood. Some people expected it to be a vast, multi-gigabyte sample library, with every nuance of every instrument captured at a million velocity levels. Instead, it was a creative, easy-to-use workstation with a key quality that is missing from so many soft synths: immediacy. That's not to say it sounded bad, just that it met a different need fromBFD or the Vienna Symphonic Library. It didn't offer detailed control over a million parameters, but nor did it take a minute to load every patch, or require a cutting-edge machine to play a single chord. It was, in short, the ideal sketchpad for anyone who wanted to get sounds fast.
Two years on, Steinberg and developers Wizoo have brought out version 2. Their aim seems to be to build on version 1's strengths, whilst answering those critics who found the original a little bit superficial. In the former category, improvements include a new Hyperphrase arpeggiator and the ability to switch between multis on the fly, for seamless patch changes during live performance. To the latter end, the sound library has grown from 250MB to 1.7GB, and now features lossless data compression for better quality, plus there's greater freedom to edit patches. As before, it's authorised to a Steinberg Key using the Synchrosoft copy-protection system, but this time, no key is supplied, so anyone who doesn't already own one will need to budget for an extra £20. Dongles are always hard to love, but I didn't have any problems authorising mine.
Despite the sixfold increase in the size of its library, there are only about 50 percent more sounds in Hypersonic 2 than there were in version 1. This must be partly down to the decision to abandon lossless compression, but also reflects the fact that the new sounds prioritise quality over quantity. Quite a number of them are actually 'extra large' versions ofHypersonic 1 patches — the same instruments sampled with more velocity layers and less obvious looping. Others are wholly new, and in both cases the improved quality is readily apparent. Out of more than 1800 factory patches, everyone will have their own highlights, but mine are the Contemporary drum kits. These were impressive in version 1, but new patches like Electroquirker and Fat Snap Kit really leap out of the speakers at you. There are plenty of decent new synth sounds, more excellent Hammond patches, a very fat and funky Clavinet, very passable pianos, and the pitched percussion instruments such as vibes and glockenspiels are worthy of mention. Elsewhere, there are lots of new string ensemble patches, but as with all such things, I personally can't see the point — I'd trade the lot for a single decent solo violin.