Alchemy 1.5 Sampler Review, by Gabe Lamorie

There are countless methods for creating a unique soundscape. Whether its for audio branding or to develop an inspiring lead for that next big song, one thing is certain: samplers are becoming an increasingly popular method of making it all happen.

With the over-saturated synth, sampler and virtual instrument market today, it’s a wonder how someone is ever able to decide on a single “go-to” instrument. There are a number of factors we look for when deciding: price, versatility, and comprehensiveness just to name a few. With all the mediocrity out there, only a few stand out as being among the absolute best — Camel Audio’s flagship sampler, Alchemy, is one of them.

A sampler with plenty to get your hands on: Alchemy 1.5.

Alchemy’s 1.5 update is just another reason why Camel Audio is proving that they know what they’re doing, when it comes to creating instruments that inspire and make the writing and performing process more innovative. The update brings new levels of integration to Alchemy, with more control via their mobile Alchemy app for iOS devices and an excellent new browser that makes exploring the hundreds of new presets fun and easy.

The Browser

Right away the most noticeable upgrade that previous users will see is the addition of a “Browse” display option in the Title Bar area.

This new Browse window makes it much easier to navigate presets and sound banks. Users might wonder how this new browser will work with their existing Alchemy sound libraries, but Camel Audio already covered this in 1.5 – All Alchemy and Alchemy Player Sound Libraries are tagged to make life easier with the new browser, and even include the picture of the sound library.

The hierarchy is fixed to start with “Category/Subcategory/” while the next four areas can be customized to help the user navigate their files their way. These following subfolders include options such as “Sound Library,” “Articulation,” “Genre,” “Timbre,” and even “Sound Designer.”

Aside from the basic searching option, users can also freely type in the search box from tag names (including customized tags) sound names, etc… Additionally, users can also locate their favorite sounds using a 1-5 star rating system. How you want to search for your sounds is basically up to you — Camel Audio just provides an awesome starting point.

Browser bel grande: New sounds are simple to find.

The Little Things
•    Ever find yourself searching endlessly for a sound that you can’t seem to locate in your existing library? Well Camel Audio also provides all of their libraries as searchable results (tagged and categorized) so users can download them on the spot. If they are getting in the way and you just don’t want them at that moment, simply select the option to hide libraries you don’t already own!

•    New Presets! – Along with all of Camel Audio’s Sound Libraries, the new morphable presets (now over 1000) sound excellent. Look forward to presets from every category from acidic leads to lush soundscapes.

•    Save Presets as .CamelSounds – The .CamelSounds format makes it easy to transfer presets to Alchemy Mobile and other Alchemy instruments on different computers.

Camel Audio made a smart move combining their classic “Basic interface” in the same window as their new browser. The new browser really opens up a window of inspiration to immediately edit/remix the chosen sounds while being able to easily find another sound to play with, without switching windows. This option becomes very apparent when combined with the iOS version of Alchemy. Speaking of which…

Deeper Mobile Integration

Like all great software instruments these days, mobile integration is the practical thing to do right now. Camel Audio has had Alchemy Mobile out for a while now ($14.99 MSRP for fully featured version) and it has always been, IMHO, one of the most fun virtual instruments on iOS devices. The deeper integration in v 1.1.32 makes performing and exploring sounds on your computer even more fun.

Linking the Alchemy Mobile app to my computer, I experienced no detectable lag between my finger movements on an iPad and the resulting change in audio through my Macbook Pro. Since the interface on Alchemy Mobile is similar to the “Basic” window of Alchemy, there is really no need to even be near your computer when utilizing this integration (lots of remixing and morphing options are available in this minimalistic window).

New Features
So what does the new update bring to this realm? Not only can Alchemy presets be selected through the mobile app, but Alchemy also sends over the preset remix pads to the mobile device. The remix pads are basically eight different preset versions of your current sound found on both Alchemy and Alchemy Mobile. Users can select, mix and slide through in real time via the mobile app or the mouse on your computer or even create their own.

Another great update is the polyphonic pitch bend that users can control via the mobile app. The “polyphonic pitch bend” feature is actually pitch bend and aftertouch – all from your iOS device. This feature lends itself to a new, expressive way of playing Alchemy with minimal hardware.

Mobile
Although there is a free version of Alchemy Mobile available, it does not include the ability to control Alchemy on your desktop/laptop. The ability to control Alchemy wirelessly is one of my favorite features of the whole package, but the fact that it can only be done by purchasing the ‘Pro Upgrade’ is something that bothers me just a bit. Perhaps this is one of the many features that Camel Audio can upgrade in the free version of Alchemy Mobile in the future.

The sound editor within Alchemy: Starting to get ideas?

Desktop
There weren’t many flaws that I could personally recognize in Alchemy 1.5 during my experience with it so far. The manual even provides suggestions on how to go about programming your own personal sounds in the software, which is a great touch! I did run into a few like not seeing my transferred libraries in the browser right away, but the problem was fixed with some simple trouble shooting.

Conclusion

There are various other improvements to Alchemy 1.5, but this review focuses on the best of them.

These new updates take Alchemy to the next stage of comprehensiveness and affordability. Alchemy has always been easy to use, yet powerful enough to lose yourself for hours and with a new streamlined workflow via the heavily improved browser+mobile integration.

Alchemy 1.5 is available now for $249 MSRP and includes any free Sound Library worth $59. With over 1000 presets and the many included effects and manipulation options, Camel Audio’s Alchemy 1.5 is a great value — worth every penny. The ability to add up to 24 huge Sound Libraries (and counting) whenever the user wants is also great for those who can’t afford it all in one purchase. For those who can, Camel Audio also offers a “Complete” version with all 24 Sound Libraries for $785 MSRP.

Our verdict: This sampler/synth will undoubtedly become the “go-to” virtual instrument for an even wider user base. Now, go to your workstation and begin creating with the bigger, better Alchemy by Camel Audio.

— Gabe Lamorie

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