How come nobody ever talks about Absynth anymore?

[EvilDragon]

B and S are not supposed to be capitalized in Absynth, wag Not sure if you're doing it intentionally, but it looks like a certain car technology when you capitalize it like that

[aMUSEd]

Absynth is one of my favourite synths and brought back to life by brilliant sound designers like Mikael Adle. It still holds its own imho even though an update to the granular engine in particular would be nice.

[wagtunes]

B and S are not supposed to be capitalized in Absynth, wag Not sure if you're doing it intentionally, but it looks like a certain car technology when you capitalize it like that

Yeah, I know. I just like typing it that way.

ABSynth. Drives yuh nuts, doesn't it?

[aMUSEd]

Anyway - absynth makes the heart grow fonder

[loachm]

...what I really like about Absynth is that you can do both - "traditional" bread & butter stuff as well as crazy experimental stuff. It's one of those synth that have a very wide approach (like Zebra and Alchemy) - in fact, I'd say, it's the first one of this kind and I think it was the first one, with its multistage envelopes, to implement some kind of automation from the DAW into the synth. (btw. I like Massive's Performer as a simplification of that - shows me that NI are really caring about taking concepts further).

I wouldn't say it's dated considering what it can do and the possibility that the vast majority of users don't even know how to program it anyway. And for what it does, I'd say its layout is done pretty well. I like that NI synths have standaline versions that allow you to separate sound design from composing and using Absynth in standalone mode can be really comfortable, as you can open everything in separate windows (the recorder is also very useful to sample stuff). But I agree, it would be nice to have that in the VST version, too. I did not mind having the main program running in the background in earlier versions - that allowed having multiple windows.

I like that Absynth has been developed to be something totally unique and it has been designed to be an instrument that is used on a computer with a mouse and not to be an emulation of a hardware synth (again Absynth has been one of the first here), but what I like the most is its longevity. I can still open patches I created when I started with Absynth 2 in 2003 (though they're not very good ) - there aren't many synths with such a feature-set that can provide this. So, this and the fact that, through Komplete, there are so many Absynth owners out there is something that I think makes it still relevant today and I hope that NI will continue building on this capital...

[Jace-BeOS]

Maybe not worth talking about it?

here's a track started 9 years ago using 2 instances of absynth...maybe 3...which we finally decided to finish.
i'm curious what' IS worth talking about?
certainly not spire.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3svbMfKHbT8

Nice tune. Interesting sounds and good solid feel. Good for listening while doing stuff.

The video... is... interesting...

[liv]

Absynth is one of my favourite synths and brought back to life by brilliant sound designers like Mikael Adle. It still holds its own imho even though an update to the granular engine in particular would be nice.

That's some statement. Thanks, good to hear.

[Kalamata Kid]

Absynth 5 Overview with Brian Clevinger
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DnXYuW8wOjI
Brian At 7:05 said “I am always working on Absynth”… “working on stuff for the future” Yes this was in 2011 and plans can and do change over time, but he did sound very committed to Absynth so my bet is that there will be an Absynth 6 my guess likely by March 2016.

Komplete 11 will very likely include Kontakt 6 but IIRC Evil Dragon said that Kontakt 6 has just started Alpha? So the absolute earliest for Kontakt 6 is March 2016. Kontakt is NI’s money maker so unlikely it will be a 10.5 or an 11.5 version but Absynth 6 can be announced on a half version. Hey, Reaktor 6 was released without a Komplete version update.

Someone else had mentioned that NI anniversary is coming up in 2016 so Komplete 11 may be a Version to beat all versions an event that happens only once in 1000 years. This spectacular event will be accompanied with an out of this world NEW product. No?

[mcc>]

Nice tune. Interesting sounds and good solid feel. Good for listening while doing stuff.

The video... is... interesting...

thanks jace for taking the time out to listen and comment.
glad you like doing stuff to it!
i guess not everybody likes girls...the way we like to talk about knobs : G

anyways absynth's THREE biggest short-comings (if we can call them short-comings), were and will be for some time to come:
1) the lack of knobs....or shall we say it's appearance.
absynth is indeed an ugly-girl.
i totally agree and understand how much this plays into, for instance, me not opening it for years at a time.
i would love a redesigned interface. maybe we should start a campaign to have clevinger seriously consider this. we can call it 'absynth is an ugly-girl and can we put some make-up on her?
...and maybe even perhaps some clothes?'

2) the thing's absolute complexity. this thing goes deeper than perhaps any-virtual synth out there today...and that's not always a good thing. some of my favorite go-to instruments/tools/toys are often the simplest....or at least are presented in such a manner as to appear understandable, if not simple (i think ANA and HYBRID 3 are two good examples of simplicity which works for the average-user of which i enjoy being one). john lemkhul does a video-interview with brian clevinger that nicely illustrates the actual depth of this most-misunderstood instrument. i think absynth will be like much of tesla's work....years beyond it's time and in the interest of evil-doers to keep it buried out-of-sight and out-of-the-mind of the public-consciousness. it's not sweet and thin after all. go check the video.

3) the third impediment, and perhaps it's most devastating....was the degree to which every wacked hippie sound-designer (preset and 3rd-party) decided absynth was a call to arms to glut the cosmos with absolutely ridiculous sounds. abysnth has a vibe which is natural to it and it's a weird one. it can be off-putting but it can also be very down-to-earth. there are a few who understand it enough to make useful and practical-sounds when not enamored with sounding like a fleet of homebound mechanical-wasps flying over antarctica (which i happen to like sometimes).

i think absynth is like a woman....you may never understand her but there's no more powerful a creature
who can bring life. she can be ugly...she can complex....but i really think she may be the mother of all synths (or at least a standard by which to be compared).

so what's to talk about?
certainly not spire...sweet and thin as she may be : P

[mcc>]

Absynth 5 Overview with Brian Clevinger

Brian At 7:05 said “I am always working on Absynth”… “working on stuff for the future” Yes this was in 2011 and plans can and do change over time, but he did sound very committed to Absynth so my bet is that there will be an Absynth 6 my guess likely by March 2016.

wow thanks for sharing the vid i was just talking about!

[EnGee]

Absynth 5 Overview with Brian Clevinger

Brian At 7:05 said “I am always working on Absynth”… “working on stuff for the future” Yes this was in 2011 and plans can and do change over time, but he did sound very committed to Absynth so my bet is that there will be an Absynth 6 my guess likely by March 2016.

wow thanks for sharing the vid i was just talking about!

This video already mentioned on page 1

[mcc>]

thanks engee. and again on page 5...anyway i need to rewatch it.
there's a few tricky things which lemkhul simultaneously demonstrates, as well as discovers, during this interview.
clevinger mostly smiles in awe it seems...of his own mother.

anyway another old absynth-piece for those who like music and girls....or maybe just music about girls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsY6ticox1g

[EnGee]

thanks engee. and again on page 5...anyway i need to rewatch it.
there's a few tricky things which lemkhul simultaneously demonstrates, as well as discovers, during this interview.
clevinger mostly smiles in awe it seems...of his own mother.

anyway another old absynth-piece for those who like music and girls....or maybe just music about girls.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsY6ticox1g

Very cute song and video. I like this one Although I felt it's little bit repetitive and long, but I enjoyed it. Very original

Well, I'm watching again the tutorial "Absolute Absynth" and playing around with the generous demo (half an hour without any B**S** noise). I think this is the best tutorial as intro to Absynth I have seen. Of course the manual is great as well. Macprovideo makes 50% from time to time, so it's a bargain for someone really wants to delve into the abyss oops I mean Absynth

[mcc>]

no i think it could easily be called abyss as it certainly IS that and doesn't always 'make the heart grow fonder'.
i find, as an old guy, so much reward in learning about devices i've long taken for granted...so yeah the video-tutorials are most
valuable. i don't expect to 'master' any of it...but instead try to have fun and make something that isn't a total waste of others' time.
i do like those mac-pro video sales which you mentioned. but it's amazing what is available out there for free for those
that are interested and have the time but not necessarily the bucks.
i like to support those companies which keep electronic-music going strong...and by consistently supporting their sales.
the price of paint-and-brush is always a big issue and consideration for me.

so is someone saying they liked a song....and yer right it's a cutie.
so glad you liked it engee...thanks for saying so.

[liv]

for someone really wants to delve into the abyss oops I mean Absynth

Coincidentally...
https://soundcloud.com/leap-into-the-void/the-abyss