Hi. I'm thinking of getting either Abysnth 2 or Reaktor 4. I only have enough money to get one or the other and am torn between what seems to be better sound quality from Abysnth vs versatility and value for money from Reaktor. I need some nice emotive spacey pads and leads, which is where Absynth seems strong and the Reaktor 4 library ensembles weak (just a little too weird and unusable?), but also need chunky basslines and enjoy mangling drums and synth sounds so am tempted by the sheer range of instruments and FX in Reaktor. Any thoughts on which I should get greatly appreciated!

I'd say get Absynth and Albino (should add up to the same cost as Reaktor4) if you don't want to get your hands too dirty.

Since there are demo-versions of almost all VSTi's you should be able to make a good decision based on demo's.

Take care
Joakim

My recommendation is Absynth for spacy pads and textures and impOSCar for the meat (bass, leads, anything fat).

Markus

Buy one now and save up for the other.

Actualy Absynth is fully capable of all of that - from ethereal pads to gutsy bass chunkiness to totally way out percussion. It can do pretty realistic emulations of "real" instruments as well as the more freaky stuff.

I have to agree with you aMUSEd,Absynth is all that and more.
I'm going to revisit the demo this year and most likely purchase.

Great - thanks everyone. Looks like Absynth it is, if it can do both.

reaktor is all that and more.
amphytron ensemble makes some incredible bass noise.
and any number of ensembles are great at pads.
plus all the sample mangling
and fx.
If you don't want to build yourself, go with reaktor sessions.

i use aBsynth ( 1 & 2 ) ...
and now , reaktor sessions ...

don't forget , a reaktor update due right after new years ...

It's a tough call.I wouldn't say that Absynth has a better sound quality than R4,but it is a lot more CPU friendly on big complex patches than R4 is.
If you're more of a patch tweaker than an instrument builder,I'd almost say Absynth-it's close.
If you want to get into sheer flexibility of design,then Reaktor's the only solution.
ew

why not using Crystal and buying Sync Modular
(which is way lighter on the cpu than Reaktor)
-NI suck anyway

jens wrote:

-NI suck anyway

So do you.

1 thing that has failed to be mentioned so far in this thread is the HUGE user library for Reaktor.

So if you were to purchase Reaktor, right out of the box (and with some downloading) you will have thousands of different configurations of ensembles right away. I love Absynth but for me there is really no competition - Reaktor can just do that much more.

Edit - there are many ensembles which can do absolutely mindblowing pads and i really think that Reaktor is great for bass also both physically modelled and synth.

Absynth is really nice but reaktor does a lot. Just combining existing instruments in unusual ways, you can come up with lots of awesome sounds.

I'd go for reaktor in terms of flexibilty and expansion. It is virtually open-ended and not too tough to use if you just stay on the surface.

Sampling, sequencing, effects, audio-input processing, synthesis. All there in 1 pack.

do you want to use these mostly as VSTi?

its absynth.. reaktor still bites as a VSTi.

i own both.

i use both alot.

i recommend absynth.

but, reaktor will make you feel smarter once you get in there and actually make something that works. its fun to use reaktor if you like to pick and poke, and peek and prod at things

Hey, someone mentioned Albino here- I want to second this.

OK, Absynth or Albino PLUS pure data (pd) for building machines. If you really want to build your own machines I'd prefer pd over that bloated monster reaktor. Or go max/msp windoze.

op519 brought up a good point. Unless you know you're a tech type go with Absynth 2 and Reaktor Session. The library has mind blowing synths.

I'd also consider something like Chameleon CA5000 or Cube in place of RS or even Absynth 2. And if you want lots of bang for the buck I'd seriously consider VirSyn TERA 2. TERA 1 was really good but TERA 2 is right up there with Absynth.

To further confuse you there's Big Tick's Rhino which is a incredible synth at twice it's cost. Maybe get one of the NI products and one of the other suggested. Both Chameleon and CUBE are additive and explore it in different ways. Rhino also has some additive properties along with FM and very good filters.

TERA 2 does FM, Spectral, analog and has a great polyphonic sequencer with 16 channel multitimbrality. To me Absynth 2 was a good product but a lot of other synths have caught up to it and the ideas such as multiple stage envelopes, drawable waveforms, etc. Absynth's effects are strong and make many of the patches spectacular. I love the synth but this year it would almost be criminal not to try some of the other synths out there. It's been a great year for synthesis.

thanks everyone. If I went down the Reaktor route I would go for Reaktor Sessions because I'd just never get round to design an instrument that works!

Are the user-developed ensembles etc generally good quality (I can't try these out with the demo because you have to register to download them)? - I'd rather go for quality than quantity of synths because at the moment I have loads of freebies of varying quality which I never really use!

As mentioned earlier:
- Reaktor has a great community with alot of great high quality user-made ensambles(about 1850 of them). All from strange textures and sweeping pads to mooglike basses and leads. Remember that reaktor is a fx unit too! The downside is the cpu load, so alot of bounce or freeze to wav/aif.

- Absynth has great sound engine, very special sound ranging from pads to doom basses ( and easy to use).

In my oppinion, absynth has the best sound of all vsti and reaktor has the most sounds of any vsti/vstfx

So far so good BUT this xmas, NI released a standalone xmas special synth made in reaktor and it sounds like the absynth !!!. So i guess the sound engine is incorporated into reaktor in a future update to reaktor.

And a final note...
Getting your hands dirty with reaktor (i.e. make your own instruments/fx) is a very "easy" way to get a own signature sound. With absynth it sounds absynth.

good luck
Strooder

[quote="j2cuba"]
(I can't try these out with the demo because you have to register to download them)
I'm curious as to your statement about registering the demo's.
Have you downloaded the Absynth demo?
It also requests you to register.
There is nothing sinister in having to register. I did it yesterday with Absynth.
They ask for your e-mail address and several other questions which are not required, just answer the ones with an asteric.
I would download them both and see if using the demo's help in your decision.
Believe me, they want your business, that's why they offer demo's.
Good Luck.