Absynth is again and weirder than ever after 16 years

[ad_1] Absynth is one thing of a cult basic within the tender synth world. It was initially launched in 2000, and rapidly discovered an viewers among the many rising cadre of individuals making music on computer systems. However its final main replace, Absynth 5, was launched in 2009, and Native Devices formally discontinued the instrument in 2022, citing a scarcity of assets to proceed supporting software program in determined want of modernization. However now the Absynth is making a grand return with model six, created in collaboration with the unique designer Brian Clevinger, and that includes presets from Brian Eno and Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith.

The core of what made it so beloved is unchanged in Absynth 6. It’s nonetheless a strong semi-modular digital instrument with a number of synthesis engines to select from and in depth modulation choices. There’s conventional subtractive synthesis with a ton of waveshapes to select from, starting from primary sine waves to buzzy advanced chords — you may even draw your individual wave form. There’s additionally FM, a pattern participant, and a granular engine.

That places it in a league with different flagship super-synths similar to Omnisphere, Serum, Pigments, and Native Devices’ Large X. However the place it manages to outdo even these powered plugins, is with its envelope system. Somewhat than a typical four-point ADSR (assault, decay, maintain, launch) envelope, or perhaps a six-point DAHDSR (delay, assault, maintain, decay, maintain, launch) envelope, Absynth 6 envelopes have as much as 68 factors. These might be looping, single-shot, or time-synced. The modulation system in Absynth is absurdly highly effective.

That is a part of what permits it to excel at evolving soundscapes. Native Devices payments Absynth as being “bizarre by design,” and it’s arduous to argue with that tag line. Most of the manufacturing unit presets aren’t the type of factor you’d discover within the rating of a sci-fi or horror movie, designed with a deal with texture and ambiance. For those who’re into ambient or do rating work, Absynth is an intriguing software to have in your arsenal. Including to its cinematic versatility, Absynth 6 helps as much as eight-channel encompass sound, which is mainly unprecedented.

Additionally new to Absynth in model 6 is help for MPE, which supplies its already fairly advanced sounds much more expressive choices. Urgent more durable or sliding your finger up on a suitable controller, just like the Push 3 or Roli Seaboard, can open a filter, herald a brand new oscillator, or flip up the suggestions on the Aetherizer granular impact on a per-note foundation. Meaning you may spotlight simply the very best notes in a chord development, whereas preserving the foundation be aware darkish and muted.

Essentially the most instantly noticeable change to Absynth, although, is the brand new AI-assisted preset explorer. As an alternative of only a record of sounds so that you can click on via, Absynth defaults to a set of factors organized roughly by vibe. It’s not not like Obsidian’s graph view or the XO pattern supervisor. Personally, I’m not an enormous fan. It’s okay for locating surprises within the library of over 2,000 presets. However it makes it tough to maintain monitor of what I’ve auditioned, what's new to me.

If you wish to rapidly tweak a preset with out having to dive into the assorted sound design tabs, patches have as much as eight macro controls, and there’s a Mutate button that semi-randomly makes minor modifications to no matter sound you've gotten loaded as much as create a brand new variation.