Zebra vs Absynth for ambient?

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I agree with VORT3X, maybe start off by getting Zebra if you are new to this stuff. Then maybe get Absynth a little later. They are both fantastic synths, imo. If you're on a tight budget, you don't necessarily HAVE to have either one of these. I'm sure there are plenty of free synths as well as other alternatives that could also be quite useful for ambient. Also, for ambient it isn't always about the sound source but an equally important element is how you process the sound. There are a lot of interesting ways to produce ambient and the sound source is just one part of the equation.

If you haven't already, consider possibly signing up here as well. There are a lot of really cool discussions ongoing and some tutorials, etc.:

http://www.ambientonline.org/

But yeah: maybe get Zebra first and then add Absynth.

Another really REALLY cool synth for ambient is Iris... and then of course, Alchemy.

Finally, if you do get Absynth, there is a really awesome tutorial for it on Groove3. They have ones for Iris and Alchemy as well... and even ones like Massive. Can be kind of pricey, but might be worth the investment. Sometimes they have a sale.
Available on iTunes, Amazon, etc.

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My second home after KVR is Ambient Online.. been posting there for a bit - it's a good suggestion!

I should be able to get Zebra in March, with any luck. :)
Bandcamp: https://suitcaseoflizards.bandcamp.com/
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With Zebra, don't forget about the "Dinosaur crossgrade". It used to be that you were allowed (encouraged) to be totally creative (I believe I once saw a photo of a large cookie or cake that was decorated to look like an old synthesizer!). Take a look at the u-He gallery.

http://www.u-he.com/cms/zebra2-dinosaur-crossgrade

And also it sometimes comes up used in the marketplace here.

Good luck in your quest! Zebra, btw, is an awesome synth!!! :tu:
Available on iTunes, Amazon, etc.

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Another excellent synth for ambient is Diversion. Great GUI, superb sound... and it lends itself to gorgeous soundscapes and ambient textures. Rather under-rated imo

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Totally agree, Diversion is capable of some great sounding pads.
Has its own unique sound, very cool.

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Yep! Diversion is awesome! The factory presets are also really, really nice! Dmitry certainly is a great sound designer!

If I had to choose between Absynth and Zebra I'd defintely choose Zebra.
Absynth is a fantastic synth, but I somehow never use it. I always want to get into it more, as I think it's really great, but I somehow never do it! I'm having the same "problem" with Massive.

Cheers
Dennis

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And another +1 for Diversion.

Just fyi, Diversion is probably going to want a little bit more cpu than Zebra or Absynth, so keep that in mind if cpu usage is a concern. Best practice is to always download a demo and try it out for yourself before making a final decision.

Bronto, I hear you what you're saying about Absynth and Massive. I had never really looked into Massive until fairly recently... even though I've had it as part of Komplete. Massive is definitely another synth that can do some nice ambient sounds.
Available on iTunes, Amazon, etc.

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Sequent wrote:Bronto, I hear you what you're saying about Absynth and Massive. I had never really looked into Massive until fairly recently... even though I've had it as part of Komplete. Massive is definitely another synth that can do some nice ambient sounds.
You know what? I'm going to try to make a small track just with Massive later today, maybe that'll inspire me to use it more in the future.

I like limitations like that.

Cheers
Dennis

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vurt wrote:

my spider sense tells me the op will buy zebra...
im willing to even bet on it, anyone up for a gamble?
I should have gambled!

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Bronto Scorpio wrote:Yep! Diversion is awesome! The factory presets are also really, really nice! Dmitry certainly is a great sound designer!

If I had to choose between Absynth and Zebra I'd defintely choose Zebra.
Absynth is a fantastic synth, but I somehow never use it. I always want to get into it more, as I think it's really great, but I somehow never do it! I'm having the same "problem" with Massive.

Cheers
Dennis
Absynth is the classic Ambient synth so everyone (like myself) has to get it to figure out whether they actually like/use it.

Diversion is kinda like a modern Absynth... Diversion is unabashedly digital, like Absynth, but the sound quality is distinctly better. Also, the Diversion GUI is excellent and really makes Absynth seem dated.

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Do any of the recommended ambient apps have a dedicated iPad midi controller?
In my case if they are CoreMidi compatible.

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Bronto Scorpio wrote:
Sequent wrote:Bronto, I hear you what you're saying about Absynth and Massive. I had never really looked into Massive until fairly recently... even though I've had it as part of Komplete. Massive is definitely another synth that can do some nice ambient sounds.
You know what? I'm going to try to make a small track just with Massive later today, maybe that'll inspire me to use it more in the future.

I like limitations like that.

Cheers
Dennis
OK, I just tired to start this track :hihi:
It is quite surprising how good Massive is at drums to be honest!

That's what I got after a few minutes:

Quick Massive Jam

That's just 8 instances of Massive and a limiter on the master (Which doesn't do much).

Sorry for the off topic!

Cheers
Dennis

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Bronto Scorpio wrote: OK, I just tired to start this track :hihi:
It is quite surprising how good Massive is at drums to be honest!

That's what I got after a few minutes:

Quick Massive Jam

That's just 8 instances of Massive and a limiter on the master (Which doesn't do much).

Sorry for the off topic!

Cheers
Dennis
Sounded so good I was disappointed when it ended so quickly! hehehe

That is what I like Massive for... percussion and noisy stuff... it has a nice crispness

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Massive and Diversion are great synths for Ambient.

In reality, what the Ambient artist we all are familiar with use varies considerably.
Much of what Brian Eno uses is hardware like, Minimoog, CS-80,Prophet-5, DX-7.

Robert Rich uses Alchemy and Logic's Sculpture as well as various hardware.

Steve Roach is an ardent hardware guy and doesn't like soft synths..

Evan Marc (Bluetech) has used Reaktor (only) for much of his work.

Aphex Twin uses an interesting array of tools (mostly hardware) including:
Raveolution 309, the Raven Max, MC-909 limited edition, Quasimidi Van Helden, MAM Freebass 383, Roland DJ-70, E-15, SP-808, Akai S3200, Behringer MX602A.
For software he says he uses: UPIC by Xenakis.

Boards of Canada - more hardware synths.

Most of these guys use at least some hardware and some software.

Its really a matter of what is your sound.

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PatchAdamz wrote:Much of what Brian Eno uses is hardware like, Minimoog, CS-80,Prophet-5, DX-7.
Sorry if I can't resist a little plug here :clown:

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