Omnisphere 3 ignores patches that has the same name when searching in "View All Directories", despite being different sounds/instruments, so it only shows 1 patch and forgets the rest.

To prove that, I will use Powershell and run a command that searches for all the files in a directory that has the same name, it will show how many times those name files are being repeated.
The results are around 300 patches that uses the same name across different 3rd Party Libraries. I will choose the patch "Underground" for this example. As you can see, that Name File is being used 3 times:


Let's see which directories they are located:


If I try to search for them under "View All Directories" in Omnisphere 3, it will show only 1 of them:

If I make the same search in Omnisphere 2, you will see that Omnisphere 2 was capable of showing all patches that use the same name:


And here are the patches manually selected from their respective 3rd party library directories, and as you can see, all of them have different settings and different soundsources, making clear that they are not the same patch, they only use the same name:


And yes I already clicked on the "Refresh" button, but still ignores ALL DUPLICATED NAME Patches. This affects the sound exploration and past Rated pacthes

 

Last edited: Nov 13, 2025

Perhaps AI can help:

Spoiler: Source: Grok KI

I totally get how frustrating this must be—Omnisphere is a beast for sound design, and anything that hampers patch browsing like this kills the creative flow, especially when you're relying on rated favorites or quick exploration across libraries. From your PowerShell output showing "Underground" duplicated three times across third-party libs, the Omnisphere 3 screenshot only surfacing one result, the Omnisphere 2 comparison proving it handled duplicates fine, and those manual patch loads revealing distinct waveforms/layers/FX setups, it's obvious these aren't true duplicates—just naming collisions the search is choking on. Refreshing the database shouldn't be necessary for basic disambiguation, so yeah, this smells like a regression bug in the unified browser logic for version 3.

Quick Workarounds While You Wait for a Fix
Since "View All Directories" is the culprit here, here are some practical steps to sidestep it without losing your workflow:

1. Search Per Library/Directory:
   • In the Patch Browser, switch to individual third-party library views (e.g., via the directory dropdown or STEAM/Essentials tabs if applicable). Search for "Underground" there—it should pull up all instances within that scope without the global deduping. This keeps your exploration intact but means toggling views more often.
2. Batch Rename Duplicates via PowerShell (or Script):
   • Since you already scripted the detection, extend it to auto-rename for uniqueness. Here's a simple PowerShell snippet to append a counter or library tag to matching .omnisphere files (backup your dirs first! Run from the parent folder):
     text
     
     $searchName = "Underground"
     $files = Get-ChildItem -Recurse -Filter "*.omnisphere" | Where-Object { $_.BaseName -eq $searchName }
     $counter = 1
     foreach ($file in $files) {
     $library = Split-Path $file.DirectoryName -Leaf # Grabs folder name as tag
     $$ newName = " $${searchName}_$$ {library}_ $${counter}.omnisphere"
     Rename-Item $file.FullName $newName
     $counter++
     Write-Host "Renamed: $($file.FullName) -> $newName"
     }
     
     
     • Tweak the $library logic if your folder structure differs (e.g., use full path). After renaming, hit Refresh in Omnisphere to rescan. Downside: You'll lose the original names, but you can note them in a spreadsheet for reference.
3. External File Browser Integration:
   • Use something like Everything (free Windows search tool) or a Finder alternative on Mac to index your Omnisphere dirs and preview .omnisphere files by name. Load results directly via drag-and-drop into Omnisphere. Not seamless, but great for spotting/rating duplicates before loading.
4. Ratings and Favorites Hack:
   • If affected patches are already rated, filter by Rating stars in the Browser (under the search bar)—this pulls from the full database without name-based searching. For new ones, rate them on load to build a "safe" list that bypasses the issue.

Next Steps: Get It Fixed

• Report to Spectrasonics: Head to their support portal (spectrasonics.net/support) and submit a ticket under Omnisphere 3 > Browser/Search issues. Attach your PowerShell output as a TXT/CSV, the screenshots (especially the manual loads showing waveform diffs), and mention the Omnisphere 2 comparison for context. Reference the exact build/version of Omnisphere 3 you're on (check Help > About). They've been responsive to browser quirks in past updates— this could get patched in a point release.
• Check for Updates: Grab the latest installer from your Spectrasonics account page. Even if it's not explicitly fixed, sometimes database refreshes or minor tweaks resolve edge cases like this.

If you share more details (e.g., your OS, Omnisphere version, or the full PowerShell script/output for those 300 dups), I can refine the rename script or brainstorm more tailored fixes. Hang in there—this shouldn't be the norm for such a powerhouse synth. What's your go-to third-party lib for those underground vibes?

 

Yes, you're right Utada, same thing in 3.0.1c
The only thing you can do now, is use duplicate cleaner to find all identical filenames and then use Bulk rename utility to rename them to e.g. Underground 1, Underground 2.
But if you install a new bank, you'll have to check for duplicates each time.

 

Last edited: Nov 13, 2025