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ABSYNTH 3 is a powerful instrument combining synthesis with sampling. The clearly structured user-interface and innovative features turns the sound design process into a creative and enjoyable musical journey. Let your imagination be heard.
Sublime, Seductive Sounds Now in its third generation, the award-winning synthesizer continues to build on its untouchable reputation. From futuristic synths to rhythmic mayhem, vintage sounds to ambient layers and completely unique, alien soundscapes – ABSYNTH 3 seduces with sublime sounds. The possibilities offered by its semi-modular architecture and powerful, unique features stretch well beyond the boundaries of existing synthesizers, creating an extremely diverse spectrum of amazing sounds.Powerful new features in version 3 ABSYNTH 3 brings dozens of new features that greatly expand its already extraordinary sound spectrum. The powerful synthesizer now incorporates a new user interface with convenient one-window editing, envelope-controlled surround sound features, live audio inputs, real-time fractalization, unison mode, advanced envelope control, 2 new special effects and 256 additional presets.
SKU: NINA32 Synthesis and Sampling ABSYNTH 3 leads the way for future software synthesizers. Combining FM and subtractive synthesis, ring modulation, a live stereo input, classic and granular sampling with the most advanced envelope control ever implemented, this unrivalled synthesizer will take you on the most outrageous sonic adventures. The innovative user-interface merges sophistication with simplicity, providing an exceptional sound design experience. Sketch, Sculpt and Shape Generate constantly moving and morphing textures with the flexible 68-breakpoint envelopes. Model individual waveforms, draw in their harmonics or use the real-time waveform fractalization to create lively and individual sounds. Intelligent displays and envelope management make sure you always know exactly what is happening. Spatial surround sound features, a host of additional effects more than 1000 presets guarantee maximum creative scope. Stage and Studio ABSYNTH 3 is as much at home in the studio as it is on stage. All the envelopes can be tempo-synced or managed remotely via MIDI, enabling dynamic manipulation of parameters during performances. With the live stereo input you can use ABSYNTH 3 as an extraordinary effect unit. Route other instruments through it, twisting and contorting your sounds into unimaginable sonic realities. Its compatibility with every popular plug-in format ensures seamless integration into every studio setup.ABSYNTH 3 is now available worldwide.
By forging together synthesis and sampling, ABSYNTH 2.0 breaks down all barriers between inspiration and realization. ABSYNTH 2.0 draws its formidable power from a combination of multiple synthesis tehniques, granular sampling, and flexible envelope control. A versatile semi-modular architecture and clean interface make it effortless to sculpt everything from organic textures to rhythmic madness, from time-evolving soundscapes to vintage sounds. ABSYNTH 2.0 includes more than 800 evocative, expressive, and musical presets that cover an astonishing range of territory. What Is It? Absynth is a software synthesizer that can run as either a standalone instrument or as a plug-in (VST 2.0, Audio Units or RTAS, or DXi) under Mac OS (10.2.6 or later) or Windows (98/ME/2000/XP). It offers a range of synthesis methods based on a set of oscillators (with single or dual modes), filters, ring modulators, a waveshaper, and a delay-based effects module. The oscillators can operate either in single-period wavetable or in sample playback mode. User Interface And Voice Architecture Earlier versions of Absynth had several windows that could be displayed in any combination, but in version 3 this has been replaced by a modal arrangement wherein a single window can switch among seven specialized editing panes: Main Window The main window grants access to the sound library (which contains slots for 128 presets - other banks can be loaded as needed from among the more than two dozen included) and to performance parameters such as Polyphony setting, Volume level, BPM, and Tuning. It also has a graphic keyboard and controller section that can be tucked away if not needed. Selection of editing windows for Patch, Waveform, Effect, Envelopes, LFOs, and MIDI can be made with a single click. This consolidated interface is quick and efficient, though I wish the library pane and graphic keyboard had been retained as always-present features, enabling you to browse through presets while viewing and comparing the patch architecture, envelopes, or other elements. Patch Editor Absynth is described by its creator Brian Clevinger as "semi-modular." It is built on an architecture of twelve modules that are hard coded in one specific configuration, but individual modules within this configuration can be enabled or disabled at will. The twelve modules are arranged in a grid that is three across by four deep. The outputs of three signal chains ("channels") of Oscillator, Filter, and Modulator are mixed together and sent to a master channel containing a Waveshaper, an additional Filter, and an Effects module (these three in series). Everything is laid out cleanly in a user interface that has a lovely though mildly sinister art nouveau style (Clevinger calls it "bio-mechanical," a tip of the hat to Swiss artist H.R. Giger). The signal path and status of modules are quite clearly displayed. Individual modules can be toggled on and off simply by clicking on their borders; disabled modules become blanked out and the tube-like signal path is redrawn to show the active configuration. The oscillator modules offer a choice of six modes: Single, Double, FM, Ringmod, and Fractalize (all of which operate on single-period wavetables) plus Sample and Granular sample modes and a two-channel Audio In mode (which allows Absynth to be used as an effects processor). Note that Sample mode does not give you complete multi-sample capabilities - for that you'd need a full-featured sampler - but it does allow you to have an open-ended selection of basic sound material to muck about with. Oscillator waveforms can be selected from a collection of 41 factory wave tables, they can be created from scratch, or they can be imported from an AIFF file. User-designed waveforms can be saved to a library, which is shared with the LFO modules The Filter modules have a choice of 14 modes, including six variations on lowpass, three allpass, two highpass, bandpass, notch, and comb. The Modulator has both Ring Modulator and Frequeny Shifter modes and has access to the oscillator library. The modulator frequency can be controlled in various ways, including a ratio to the main oscillator or with a fixed frequency from near DC to 22kHz. At the bottom of the Patch window, below the three Oscillator-Filter-Modulator channels is a master channel containing a Waveshaper, master Filter, and Effect processor. The Waveshaper module has access to the oscillator library for nonlinear distortion effects that can range from subtle to destructive. As with LFO and audio oscillators the editing of waveshaping functions can be done live to provide immediate feedback on the effect. It can function as a single processor for up to three voices or can run as three parallel processors. The master Filter, which is otherwise identical to the individual filters, also has this combined versus parallel capability.The Effect module offers five programs: Pipe, Multicomb, Multitap, Echos, and Resonators. These are all delay based and use various numbers of delay taps and feedback paths. We'll discuss this further below. Wave Editor The wave tables can be edited either in the time domain or the frequency domain, which is the techie way of saying you can draw either the waveform or the spectrum (complete with phase). The spectrum mode gives you editing access to the lowest 64 partials of the spectrum. (Partials above this are still preserved during spectrum editing. To clarify, consider that if you draw a highly "angular" waveform such as a sawtooth you will be generating many high partials, some of which will be about the 64th. If you then switch to spectrum mode and muck about with the lower partials you won't lose these high frequencies). There is a wealth of waveform drawing and processing tools. Shapes can be drawn either with a Line Tool or a Curve Tool. In both cases the shape is created in a piecewise fashion from one mouse click to the next. If you want to tinker with just a part of the shape you can set a moveable Origin Point and click to the right of this to generate new data points. The Stretch Tool allows you to anchor two points in the waveform and then drag the portion between them up or down. A Transform menu provides a collection of signal processing options such as Normalize, Offset Phase, Reverse, Filter, or Fractalize. The latter is quite a quick and interesting way to generate complex spectra. Incidentally, all these functions can be performed "live" so that you can immediately hear the effect of of your drawing and processing. Effect Editor The Effect module offers five programs: Pipe, Multicomb, Multitap, Echos, and Resonators. Delays can be programmed either in seconds or in beats. The Pipe effect is similar to a waveguide and produces effects that resemble a resonant tube or a driven string. Multicomb has six delay lines complete with individual feedback, lowpass, gain, and pan. Maximum delay times are limited to about 740 milliseconds. Multitap has just three delay taps, but the maximum time is 10 seconds. Echos also has three delays, with a shorter maximum delay of only 743 milliseconds but with the addition of lowpass and highpass filters and a phaser. Resonators models three resonant cavities, with four modes (Raw, Natural, Resonant, and Synthetic) and Size, Shape, Scale, and Spread parameters. The delay times of all five effects can be controlled by an LFO or envelope generator. Envelope Editor One of the most distinctive features of Absynth, and one that is essential to the organic quality and rhythmic liveliness of the sound, is its sophisticated system of envelopes. For starters, there are a great many of them (four to six for each oscillator, two for each filter, two for each modulator, three for the waveshaper, and five for the effects module - 40 envelope-controlled parameters in all). Each envelope can have up to 68 breakpoints and each segment has adjustable slope curvature. In addition, each envelope has six operational modes (Release, Sustain, Loop, Retrigger, Control driven, and Link). In Release mode, the envelope plays through to the end as long as the note is held, and jumps to the release portion if it's released early; in Sustain mode, it plays through to the sustain point and holds at that level until it is released. In Loop mode the envelope repeats a region of designated "looping" segments until the note is released; in Retrigger mode the repeating segment starts at the beginning of the envelope and ends at the sustain breakpoint. In Control driven mode the envelope does not play automatically; the position along the Y-axis (normally the time axis) is externally controlled by a MIDI controller, so it functions as a controller-value mapper. In Link mode one or more "child" envelopes is slaved to a single Master envelope. As remarkable as the envelopes are individually, their real strength is in the way they can be systematically combined, as well as in the ease of editing. The first thing you'll notice about the envelope editor is that all the envelopes are displayed one above another in the same window, facilitating time-alignment of breakpoints and segments. The display of each envelope can be turned on or off to make it easy to work with various combinations. The X- and Y-axis displays can be separately scaled, and editing can be accomplished either by dragging handles or by direct numeric data entry. A timing grid can be turned on or off (with Snap to Grid instantly available by Control-drag). Envelopes can function in either Lock or Slide mode (in the former moving a breakpoint will not affect the rest of the envelope; in the latter the part of the envelope following the breakpoint will slide earlier or later by the same amount). Envelopes can be copied and pasted. A Transform menu affords access to global functions such as time scaling and duration setting. This menu also give access to Absynth's library of envelope functions, so you can save and reuse favorite functions. You can synchronize envelopes in a variety of ways. Each envelope can operate individually in Free mode or in Sync to the master tempo. Envelopes can be designed freely or aligned to a tempo grid. Envelopes can operate in Link mode. In this last case the basic function shape of a "child" envelope will be the same as the master envelope to which it is assigned, but by using Transform options it can be scaled in amplitude and time dimensions and segment slopes can be different from the master. This allows the easy creation of families of envelope functions. Another powerful feature of the envelope system is the ability to create multiple instances of each envelope. This is bewildering at first (that it isn't mentioned in the manual doesn't help), but if you bear in mind the concept of "compositing" you should catch on. When two or more envelopes are used to control the same parameter their outputs are multiplied together. The simplest example of this is when one of the envelopes has all its breakpoints set to "0" (maximum) or to the minimum value (typically -96 or -64). When set to the maximum this secondary envelope will have no audible effect (you're multiplying by unity); the primary envelope will sound just as it would if the secondary envelope didn't exist. On the other hand, if the secondary is set to its minimum value the primary would have no effect since in essence the secondary is turning it all the way off (you're multiplying by zero). A more "real world" example might involve a pair of envelopes in which one defines a conventional AHDSR function and the other is what in Abysynth is called an "AR Pulse." This envelope shape is similar to a sawtooth or triangle LFO, turning a parameter up and down periodically. By multiplying the AHDSR and the AR Pulse envelopes together the resulting effect is a combination of both. A gradual attack or decay would have its characteristic effect, but with a periodic modulation superimposed. Alles klar? Comparable to this multi-envelope effect is the use of an LFO to modulate an envelope. Each envelope generator has a dedicated LFO available, simply by clicking a tab in the editor window. The LFO wavesform is superimposed on the envelope function. Although the modulating waveform is the same throughout the duration of the envelope, each segment has its own parameter settings for modulation depth, period, and sample-and-hold (S/H) period. The available waveform are the same as those in other Absynth LFOs, including the capability of drawing your own and saving them in a user library. Which brings us naturally to... LFO Editor Actually, there's not much more to be said about Absynth's LFOs than was covered above in the section on the audio oscillators. They are essentially the same: same drawing and processing tools, same access to the waveform library, even the use of the same Waveform editing window. This is as it should be, and it is in the grand tradition of musical macro/micro structure composition as discussed by Karlheinz Stockhausen in his 1957 article in Die Reihe, "How Time Passes..." The principal operational distinction is in the LFO control routing scheme. There are three separate LFOs available, and each of these can be routed to control up to 14 parameters: oscillator pitch and amplitude, FM index, filter cutoff frequency (all of these x3 signal paths), as well as effect time and pan. Depth, LFO rate, S/H rate, and Retrigger for each LFO can be controlled by external MIDI messages (all 128 controllers plus aftertouch and pitchbend). Midi Editor Absynth provides serious control over MID performance functions. The MIDI Controllers page allows assignment and scaling of controllers for FM Index/Balance, Filter, Effect Time, Pan, and Volume. The Velocity responses can be set individually for all three oscillator channels for Oscillator Amplitude, FM Index/Balance, and Filter Frequency. The Note Scaling page allows you to draw response curves for these same parameters plus the frequency of the Master Filter. The Note Scaling interface is powerful - you can hand-draw an overall curve for the whole key range or you can tweak each note individually. Microtuning Absynth might well be a microtonalist's dream! While the initial release showed a glimmer of promise, tuning was restricted to a collection of preset factory tunings. Since version 2.0 Absynth has been fully tuneable. This means that every one of the 128 possible MIDI notes can be individually tuned, with a theoretical precision of at least one millionth of a cent! Repeating, equal tempered scales can also be easily programmed. To understand how simple but revolutionary this tuning system is, consider that the majority of other instruments (both hardware and software) limit their microtuning to repeating octaves. Even those with "full keyboard" tuning often constrain the detuning of each note to 50 or 100 cents from its nominal pitch. The final frustration is that many of these instruments have tuning precision coarser than one cent. Not so Absynth! I'm recommending it to my microtonalist friends, even the fussy ones. There is, however, one "gotcha" that is neither covered in the manual nor revealed by my poking around. - there seems to be no way to create a user scale based on an existing factory scale. In other words, supposing you wanted to tweak a few notes in the Harrison 16 scale and resave it as a variation. No can do. Every user scale has to be created either from 12-tone equal tempered or from another user scale. You aren't even permitted to view the intervals of a scale you'd like to emulate! Spatialization New in Absynth 3.0 is multichannel output capability for surround sound applications. You are given a choice of seven configurations from two-channel stereo (normal and "wide") up to 5.1 surround Those configurations that feature an LFE (low-frequency effects, or subwoofer) allow setting of crossover frequency (20 to 300 Hz) and an amplitude factor +12 to -56 dB. Absynth's surround sound implementation is truly wondrous to hear, not just because of the extra surround channels (which blows away the two-channel stereo experience) but because it is possible to dynamically pan the sounds using an assignable pair of MIDI controllers, envelope generators, or a single LFO. Unfortunately the EG implementation isn't covered at all in the manual, and LFO description is sketchy at best, so it's not easy to figure out. According to Abysnth designer Brian Clevinger, further output options will appear in future versions (in fact, the first beta version I worked with allowed up to eight outputs). This is good news for me personally (my studio has eight speakers in an octagonal array) and for others who are working beyond the limits of "commercial" 5.1. That group would include composers of electroacoustic concert music (where octophonic is fairly common), film composers working in 6.1 and 7.1, and others with an eye to the future. An output limitation worth noting is that Absynth 3.0 will not support more than two output channels in Pro Tools. According to Digidesign provision for multichannel plug-ins is available in Pro Tools as of version 6.7, but it is up to each developer to modify their code to take advantage of this. Native Instruments is aware of this, but as of this writing (January 2004) they have not performed the necessary updates.
Record Function Sound Absynth's sound quality is technically excellent, but what really makes it stand out is a liveliness, depth, and dynamic complexity that is frankly surprising for an instrument based largely on single-period wavetable oscillators. Realize that there is no wave sequencing, vector synthesis, or inverse FFT synthesis going on here, though your ears may try to convince you otherwise. What is happening owes a great deal to those remarkable envelope generators and LFOs. I won't delve into that here, but you should have understood a good idea about this potential from the descriptions of the envelopes and LFOs above. To recap, there can be as many as 40 envelope functions, each with an optional dedicated LFO, plus three LFOs that can each be assigned to as many as 14 parameters. All of these control sources can be either free running or synchronized to the master tempo. The results can range from subtly shifting washes of sound to absolute mayhem. The included preset library explores these possibilities extensively and draws on the talents of Martin Jann, Mate Galic, Dennis DeSantis, Richard Devine, Brian Clevinger, and eleven others. Absynth ships with more than 1000 presets, ranging from electronic drum kit sounds to Asian plucked string instruments to a wide range of aggressively "synth" sounds to lush pads, et cetera. There is an understandable emphasis on sounds that go on for a while and evolve in complex and interesting ways, just as there are a great many loopy and rhythmic sounds. Evolution and rhythm are after all among Absynth's strong points. With such variety it would be a bit silly for me to blather on about my favorite individual patches. Better you should visit the NI site and listen to some audio demos (there's a link near the top of the Absynth product page). Performance Miscellany Absynth has a wealth of real-time performance capabilities. In addition to the parameter assignments found in the MIDI Editor and described above, and several controllable parameters in the Effects section, it is possible in Control Driven mode to control all envelope breakpoints (both time and amplitude parameters) with any MIDI Control Change message or with Aftertouch, Pitchbend, or Velocity. This effectively turns an envelope into a MIDI mapper, and since you can assign multiple envelopes either independently or to the same controller, the possibilities for complex real-time control are practically endless. A somewhat enigmatic, but interesting feature is the Sample Jump envelope. To use this the voice must have one or more oscillators in Sample mode and you must assign a sample jump envelope to it. As with other envelopes, these can have multiple segments and the loop start and end can be arbitrarily assigned. In contrast to other envelopes, the envelope display shows portions of the sample waveform, broken into segments by the envelope breakpoints, and each breakpoint has a % parameter than controls the time point from which that segment will play. By fiddling with the breakpoint time and the % you can set up an ordered sequence of segments and then apply various playback controls such as Loop and Retrigger mode. My particular favorite is to use Control driven mode to address the different segments. I've had great fun with a reading by Sylvia Plath of her poem "Daddy." By triggering playback and moving a MIDI controller I can jump around within the poem, which I have broken into multiple segments. As the controller value falls within each segment, that segment plays from its start point and either it keeps playing to the end of the sample or it skips to another segment if I move the controller. I can keep this up indefinitely. Major jollies! Some may find it a limitation that Absynth is not inherently multitimbral, so you can't set up layers and splits for live playing. Also, you may find it annoying that you can't switch programs in mid-phrase without cutting off the currently sounding notes with an audible pop. But since it is possible to run multiple copies of the plug-in version simultaneously there is a workaround (I ran eight instantiations on my G5 with only about 35% CPU load). You'll just need to set note limits for splits in your host application, and switch voices by changing MIDI channels on your controller keyboard. Installation, Documentation, And Support Installation is the usual well-worked-out CD-and-mouse-clicks method. This was totally painless on the Mac and presumably so on PC. Once the application has been installed you'll have to go through a product registration and authorization stage, using a small application called the Registration Tool. This will connect to the NI Web site and allow you to register your product, and you will be given your authorization code right on the spot (you'll also receive an e-mail with the same information). It helps if you can access the Internet from the same machine you're running the application on, but even if you have to use sneakernet it's still not a big deal. The manual is well-written, clear, and reasonably comprehensive. Things that previously bugged me about NI manuals (multiple languages in one volume, the lack of an index) have been corrected with the version 3 edition. Still, I failed to find descriptions of certain features, such as envelope control of surround sound, and some sections were terse and murky, such as Sample Jump. I am well satisfied with Native Instruments' technical support. This is offered via the Web site, through a knowledge base, some online tutorials, e-mail, and there is an Absynth forum on the NI site. Telephone support is also available, although it would be a stroke of luck to get through to someone immediately. However, any time I have left a message I have received a call back within just a few hours. The support staff are invariably polite, well-informed, and helpful. I've had a number of useful and intelligent discussions with them. My overall impression of NI staff is that they are true enthusiasts for their own products, and they clearly spend a lot of time getting to know the ins and outs. Summary Absynth is a "semi-modular" synthesizer with an extremely flexible architecture. Its three dual oscillators can function in a variety of modes, including sample playback and granular synthesis, and it has four versatile filters, a waveshaper, and an interesting effects stage. Perhaps the most impressive features are the envelope generators (of which there are many, with several operating modes and more segments than you've dreamed of) and the oscillators (which are editable in both time and frequency domain). The user interface is elegantly designed and lacks the usual limitations and cumbersome implementations that normally spoil my day. This is a wonderful instrument, particularly for the creation of the exotic sounds of which I am enamored. Be aware that it isn't inherently multitimbral, so you will need to run multiple instances in a host application. Also understand that it is not meant to be an imitative instrument, so you won't find any grand pianos or orchestral strings. But if your bag is electronic music - whether it be old school elektronische musik, industrial, or electronica - Absynth is worth your attention. |
