Description

Synapse Audio Orion 8

Synapse Audio Orion 8 is a comprehensive digital audio workstation (DAW) designed for professional music production. This review focuses on version 8.6, released in October 2015, highlighting its key features and functionalities.

Synapse Audio Orion Key Features

• Wide Range of Instruments: Orion 8 boasts a diverse selection of instruments, including a new high-quality “Acoustic Grand” piano emulation and the improved “Pro-9” drum machine for realistic, analog-sounding percussion.
• Enhanced Mixing Console: The updated mixer features eight parallel subgroups for flexible routing, an additional insert slot for expanded effects processing, and pattern automation capabilities within the sequencer.
• Mastering-focused Updates: Addressing mastering needs within the DAW, Orion 8 introduces a high-quality brickwall limiter, a professional-grade compressor, and dedicated output settings for broadcast applications.
• Improved Workflow: Streamlined workflows are achieved through a new template system for pre-configuring plugins, instruments, and routing options. Additionally, the “Merge” feature facilitates seamless integration of tracks from previous projects.
• Other Improvements: The update brings 64-bit double-precision internal processing for enhanced accuracy, Vintage Chorus effect for classic analog warmth, and PDC (plugin delay compensation) support.

Synapse Audio Orion System Requirements

• CPU: P4 1.4 GHz with SSE2 support
• RAM: 512 MB
• Disk Space: 200 MB
• Display: 1280×800 resolution
• Soundcard: MME, DX, or ASIO drivers
• Operating System: Windows (32-bit and 64-bit compatible)

  The following lists all changes since Orion 8.5. New: – Track freeze option added in the playlist – New Effect: Fat Space for Orion – New Effect: Stereo Widen Pro

Synapse Audio Orion 8 Changes/Enhancements:

• Paste to cursor: Selections in the piano roll can now be pasted to the cursor position,
• and the pattern size automatically increases as necessary
• Both streaming and “live” playback now use the same buffer size, increasing accuracy.
• Note this makes the previous “Enable accurate VST automation” switch obsolete
• Crash report tool allows you to forward a log to us with further information,
• this can help us find the reason
• Improved “Clone To Track” between internal modules and VST instruments
• “Receive Midi From Generator” can handle every midi channel now
• In song mode if track recording has been enabled, the events will be recorded into pattern events instead of song events
• Progress bar for Track Freeze
• Hints when using Mouse Wheel to change parameters

Synapse Audio Orion 8 Bug Fixes:

• VST MIDI Arpeggiators did not work properly in Orion, fixed
• All UAD VST Plugins now show their GUI properly (previously, the bottom was cut)
• Flowstone VST works now, no longer crashes on delete (this fix may help other plugins too)
• Some VST Effects didn’t redraw properly, fixed
• Axon VST plugin should be working properly now
• Klanghelm VST compressor now works
• (rather a plugin bug but we found a way to make it work)
• Serum VST should scan properly now
• FX pattern events can no longer get recorded accidentally
• Dialog focus fight problem addressed (dialogs were blinking)
• Sampler Filter fixed, could bug out in certain extreme settings
• VSTs could loose focus randomly, fixed
• Orion did not save the playlist zoom ratio, fixed
• Undo didn’t work for mouse wheel changes, fixed
• Cancelling sampler program import crashed, fixed
• Mono 24-bit WAV export did not work, fixed
• DrumRack multitimbral mode name fixed
• Audio track didn’t update after missing samples were found
• Midi song import could crash, fixed
• Orion.exe could hang in task Manager after an ASIO driver problem,
• forcing a reboot, should be fixed
• Switching DirectSound driver sample rate could crash, fixed
• Delay desynchronization on tempo change, fixed
• Microsoft Visual C++ Runtime Library Error, fixed
• After collecting missed samples for audio tracks the tracks haven’t been udpated, fixed
• Pattern size on playlist is displayed properly now after a Style is loaded
• Piano Roll Lasso fix
• Various minor graphical glitches fixed
• Setting a high UI refresh rate caused the compressor VU meters to blink, fixed
• Fix for missing “Songs” directory
• Song events work properly now with other timesignatures than 4/4
• Wasp ignored notes in some cases, fixed
• Roland SH-2 crashed Orion after insert, fixed
• When cloning a track, Orion could crash in some cases, fixed
• Mixer menus should work properly now
• Drawing issues in the pianoroll and playlist are fixed
• Plugins with resizeable GUIs should work properly now
• Project load deactivates all track’s recording flags now
• In song mode Pitch Bend was recording to the pattern events instead of the song events, fixed
• When closing Orion, Orion could crash with the error message “Exception on N/i”, fixed
• Groove slicer allowed 24/32-bit OSP files which crashed Orion, fixed