I'll be getting a Dual G5 soon, after using a G3 iBook to its limit. With this massive boost in power I'm looking to get a new instrument. My mind is set on a NI synth, as I'm consistently interested and jealous of what they do, and have narrowed it to Absynth or Reaktor Session.

I mainly muck around in the experimental field (soundscapes, noisewank etc.), but don't really need 500 drum machines or effects that everyone else uses, so am swinging for Absynth. I like the sounds I've heard, and the possibilities.
Also, I'll be getting Kontakt or similar one day when finances allow, but can Absynth mangle samples enough to keep a restless ear satisfied till then?

Bottom line, I'm basically gonna get them all in time, just need to decide which is the most fun to use when I have power all of a sudden, plus the demos would probably shred my iBook making it hard to choose now...

Anyone made a similar choice?

I bought both

Absynth is brilliant and, unlike what some people say, a joy to program. It sounds absolutely unique, clear and dynamic.

Sessions is great though a tad unstable and some of the functionality will have you scratch your head. The synths can be a nightmare to program too.. but you've got one versatile puppy with some unique sounding synths and fx (plenty of them!!!)

You might want to start with Sessions, and then get Absynth later (although in my case, I use Absynth way way more than Sessions)

Buddah Buddy wrote:

Bottom line, I'm basically gonna get them all in time, just need to decide which is the most fun to use when I have power all of a sudden, plus the demos would probably shred my iBook making it hard to choose now...

I did have as well Absynth as also Reaktor running on 230 MHz G3s, so do yourself a favour and download the demos!

With Reaktor Session you won't be able to run all ensembles with a slow machine, but you could always run an ensembles at a lower samplerate to get the idea of what it's doing. Run a CPU friendly ensemble to get an idea about the soundquality.
The Absynth demo AFAIK is still Absynth1, so you won't be able to test the sample mangling and some advanced envelope features, but it's close enough to get an idea.

Why not get Absynth2, then if you still have the $$, then take advatange of the Komplete2 offer from NI?

Don't you just love spending other people's money?

i have reaktor and absynth running on my G4..

stability wise,, i'd have to say hands down Absynth wins by a mile..

so if that's a big priority then go for absynth..

reaktor is stunning with the amount of ensembles and instruments that are available.. too..

mm..

get both

You're on a Mac? Get Absynth. What what I've heard repeatedly, Reaktor has never worked right on the Mac.... unless something has changed, Mac people?

Devon

DevonB wrote:

You're on a Mac? Get Absynth. What what I've heard repeatedly, Reaktor has never worked right on the Mac.... unless something has changed, Mac people?

Latest version of Reaktor 4 runs absolutely stable on my Mac.
Some very few ensembles might crash it, but that's about it.

Soundscapes and noisework?

Id go with Reaktor.

dr.wackler wrote:

DevonB wrote: You're on a Mac? Get Absynth. What what I've heard repeatedly, Reaktor has never worked right on the Mac.... unless something has changed, Mac people? Latest version of Reaktor 4 runs absolutely stable on my Mac. Some very few ensembles might crash it, but that's about it.

Wow, that only took what? 4 years to finally get it right? Thank god for the Mac folk. So version 4.1 then finally smoothed the sailing?

Devon

Montana wrote:

Soundscapes and noisework? Id go with Reaktor.

Especially with the real time granular synthesizers...

Devon

torhan wrote:

Don't you just love spending other people's money?

Yeah, thanks...



I've looked at the demos, but I'm on PT LE (Sessions is VST only), and OSX (Absynth is OS9).

I think I've made up my mind though and I'll get Absynth first; having too much too soon with Sessions would distract me I think.

Thanks for your input everyone

DevonB wrote:

dr.wackler wrote: Latest version of Reaktor 4 runs absolutely stable on my Mac. Some very few ensembles might crash it, but that's about it. Wow, that only took what? 4 years to finally get it right? Thank god for the Mac folk. So version 4.1 then finally smoothed the sailing?

Reaktor 2.3 did also run absolutely stable on my Mac. Infact it was so stable, I used it live on stage without ever having one single crash.

It was Reaktor 3 though, that wasn't all that reliable...

dr.wackler wrote:

DevonB wrote: dr.wackler wrote: Latest version of Reaktor 4 runs absolutely stable on my Mac. Some very few ensembles might crash it, but that's about it. Wow, that only took what? 4 years to finally get it right? Thank god for the Mac folk. So version 4.1 then finally smoothed the sailing? Reaktor 2.3 did also run absolutely stable on my Mac. Infact it was so stable, I used it live on stage without ever having one single crash. It was Reaktor 3 though, that wasn't all that reliable...

I thought I heard some people bitch even about 2.x on the Mac. Did you? Ok, but version 3.x through version 4.0 was horrbile,, but now fixed. Cool. Please, keep setting the record straight. I'm only as knowledgable as the stories when it comes to a Mac.

Devon

DevonB wrote:

I thought I heard some people bitch even about 2.x on the Mac. Did you? Ok, but version 3.x through version 4.0 was horrbile,, but now fixed. Cool. Please, keep setting the record straight. I'm only as knowledgable as the stories when it comes to a Mac.

The thing to bitch about with version 2.3 for me would have been that the VST integration was only a VST-bridge. Other than that, well, 2.x versions prior to 2.3 were very slow as far as I remember - nearly unusable.

EDIT: No, wait, version 3 was the one that had only the VST-bridge, 2.3 was available as playback only VST version - but anyway I used 2.3 standalone mainly.

aBsynth2 now ...
reaktor later ...

Komplete2 now...
Loan repayment later...

Might as well get it all, now! You will eventually.

I've changed my own mind. I'll get Sessions first because its cheapest, then get the Komplete 2 offer. This way I get Kontakt, Absynth and Sessions/Reaktor in one go. Expensive, but also cheap. Go figure.

The only problem is getting Sessions and authorising it before the deadline...

Plus, you might realize you don't even need the other synths once you mess around with Reaktor.

Wise choice.