KVR Audio

Introspective · Post by **Introspective** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 12:37 pm

mholloway wrote: Sun Dec 19, 2021 6:48 pm Apparently if something is very old we are dumb to want to keep using it? Coooool.
Absynth works just fine in 2021. And it still sounds amazing.
Plenty of great sound designers have figured out how to program it, believe it or not. Could the UI be better? Absolutely. Should we trash the whole thing and replace it with something different simply because it's old? Hell no.
Oh, but I must be a loathsome "fanboy," because I still use a synth I bought years back, specifically because it provides high quality sounds to use in my music....UNTHINKABLE!

You are not dumb to keep using it. It is still a good synth, and it still sounds good enough to use in modern productions. I've not said otherwise.

But you are a fanboy and you are experiencing nostalgia bias if you are telling others "there is no modern Absynth." There are better, modern synths, just as capable, easier to use, which will provide a similar (if not better) sound.

THAT was my point. That was, in fact, the point of this thread.

imrae · Post by **imrae** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 1:45 pm

It's not really the sound quality that makes Absynth special, it's the MSEG on every parameter. It's a really unique way of modulating a synth engine that can be cumbersome but also pushes the user towards complex evolving sounds and tempo-synced sequences.

I don't care that another synth has similar presets, if I can't use it in a similar way.

Introspective · Post by **Introspective** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 2:53 pm

imrae wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 1:45 pm It's not really the sound quality that makes Absynth special, it's the MSEG on every parameter. It's a really unique way of modulating a synth engine that can be cumbersome but also pushes the user towards complex evolving sounds and tempo-synced sequences.

That's fair.

IMO, it (meaning, MSEGs everywhere) is overrated: I'd rather use my DAW for writing songs than "program" one into a preset (I've really never understood why this is such a big thing. I'm looking at you, VPS Avenger). ...but if that's your schtick, then schtick to it.

Doesn't change my opinion that Absynth has modern replacements. ...but if they don't work for you: respect.

For the OP, though: I think that's a really lame reason to say there's nothing modern to match it.

experimental.crow · Post by **experimental.crow** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 3:16 pm

often imitated , never duplicated ...
clevinger crossed the diamond w/ the pearl ...

Caine123 · Post by **Caine123** » Wed Dec 22, 2021 3:21 pm

I dunno any vst with its great mutation mode

bermudagold · Post by **bermudagold** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 3:09 am

Introspective wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 2:53 pm
imrae wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 1:45 pm It's not really the sound quality that makes Absynth special, it's the MSEG on every parameter. It's a really unique way of modulating a synth engine that can be cumbersome but also pushes the user towards complex evolving sounds and tempo-synced sequences.
That's fair.

IMO, it (meaning, MSEGs everywhere) is overrated: I'd rather use my DAW for writing songs than "program" one into a preset (I've really never understood why this is such a big thing. I'm looking at you, VPS Avenger). ...but if that's your schtick, then schtick to it.

Doesn't change my opinion that Absynth has modern replacements. ...but if they don't work for you: respect.

For the OP, though: I think that's a really lame reason to say there's nothing modern to match it.

i agree...any sound that is moving that much can quickly become useless as a melody instrument or accompaniment...over sequenced/programmed modulation negates most of the expressiveness in a performance...modulating 100 parameters by another 100 parameters doesn't make your song interesting anymore than spending an hour patching a 100 virtual cables makes your bleep blops new and novel...people want to draw and program copious amounts of modulation to come up with the arrangement and the performance for them...modulation driven composition is smoke and mirrors for a lack of musical ideas...but that is another topic

Sure 68 stage msegs for every generator parameter is impressive...regardless, there are still and have always been many modulation monsters...even before absynth you had crystal with 12 msegs and 8 lfos for free...later you had Benjamin's worksation with 8 mesgs and 8 lfos with math modifiers for each assignment, with even per voice fx for free...for years you've had biotek with 4 sophisticated 32 stage msegs, and 64 inception lfos, with 32 math modifiers for that modulation per layer, and unlimited layers per patch til your computer croaks

absynth just like crystal is still viable today, but I'm yet to see or hear any hallowed ground that it holds

bermudagold · Post by **bermudagold** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 3:14 am

Caine123 wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 3:21 pm I dunno any vst with its great mutation mode

in absynth's day example: crystal
modern example: syne

Echoes in the Attic · Post by **Echoes in the Attic** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 6:17 pm

Introspective wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 2:53 pm
imrae wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 1:45 pm It's not really the sound quality that makes Absynth special, it's the MSEG on every parameter. It's a really unique way of modulating a synth engine that can be cumbersome but also pushes the user towards complex evolving sounds and tempo-synced sequences.
That's fair.

IMO, it (meaning, MSEGs everywhere) is overrated: I'd rather use my DAW for writing songs than "program" one into a preset (I've really never understood why this is such a big thing. I'm looking at you, VPS Avenger). ...but if that's your schtick, then schtick to it.

This is how I've come to think as well. Way back in the days of Absynth 1 and 2 it was often used standalone as well as in DAWs so it was super useful to have all these MSEGs. But it is like writing a bunch of automation into a sound that creates a whole song at the push of a note. While powerful, also very limiting, and I find DAW automation much more flexible. So I kind of moved awaay from the MSEG thing towards automation.

Jafo · Post by **Jafo** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 6:29 pm

Caine123 wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 3:21 pm I dunno any vst with its great mutation mode

Massive. Reaktor. Probably other commercial synths (I won Komplete in a raffle a few years ago, and being perennially broke AF, pretty much all my commercial plugs are NI). Anything modular, apparently (I can't wrap my brain around modular). Crystal, as mentioned above.

Caine123 · Post by **Caine123** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 8:40 pm

bermudagold wrote: Thu Dec 23, 2021 3:14 am
Caine123 wrote: Wed Dec 22, 2021 3:21 pm I dunno any vst with its great mutation mode
in absynth's day example: crystal
modern example: syne

Really? Cool thx i need to demo them and check how well they mutate

Caine123 · Post by **Caine123** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 10:59 pm

i just tested Crystal and Syne, Crystal being freeware is really nice but gets nowhere near Absynth @ Mutation. and Syne, well i dunno, i just tested the Mutation and listened to some presets, it sounds not good and i dunno from how old in the past these presets are. i would never pay 89 bucks for this. and the random presets didnt give me nice results either.

so no, Absynth is miles ahead, you can get sometimes ready to play presets, like drones etc. which is crazy!

bermudagold · Post by **bermudagold** » Thu Dec 23, 2021 11:42 pm

Caine123 wrote: Thu Dec 23, 2021 10:59 pm i just tested Crystal and Syne, Crystal being freeware is really nice but gets nowhere near Absynth @ Mutation. and Syne, well i dunno, i just tested the Mutation and listened to some presets, it sounds not good and i dunno from how old in the past these presets are. i would never pay 89 bucks for this. and the random presets didnt give me nice results either.

so no, Absynth is miles ahead, you can get sometimes ready to play presets, like drones etc. which is crazy!

I don't know how you used them, but the crystal breed function on presets, factory or your own, does what it states on the tin...agreed not every random algorithm is created equal, but preset blending/morphing and randomization has and still is provided lots of places....
as far as syne...it has one of the best tiered random systems that I've seen...did you activate EVERY module for randomization as well as EVERY architecture?...you have to manually select the 16 or so available architectures in the config list and every module in the module list before you begin to hear the variety...not efficient I agree but extremely flexible....I made that mistake myself at first and wasn't impressed...the presets are indeed not impressive...but when you set up max random and start to roll the dice I got interesting sounds....and then you can percentage mutate when you find something you like...I think Syne has one of the most high resolution powerful core sounds out there...and this is without traditional fx which it doesn't have...while lots of lauded synths like alchemy and helix have brilliant FX design, turn off all fx and they are remarkably underwhelming core sound IMO

Without a doubt, the absynth implementation is very smartly executed...agreed

Caine123 · Post by **Caine123** » Fri Dec 24, 2021 12:06 am

bermudagold wrote: Thu Dec 23, 2021 11:42 pm
Caine123 wrote: Thu Dec 23, 2021 10:59 pm i just tested Crystal and Syne, Crystal being freeware is really nice but gets nowhere near Absynth @ Mutation. and Syne, well i dunno, i just tested the Mutation and listened to some presets, it sounds not good and i dunno from how old in the past these presets are. i would never pay 89 bucks for this. and the random presets didnt give me nice results either.

so no, Absynth is miles ahead, you can get sometimes ready to play presets, like drones etc. which is crazy!
I don't know how you used them, but the crystal breed function on presets, factory or your own, does what it states on the tin...agreed not every random algorithm is created equal, but preset blending/morphing and randomization has and still is provided lots of places....
as far as syne...it has one of the best tiered random systems that I've seen...did you activate EVERY module for randomization as well as EVERY architecture?...you have to manually select the 16 or so available architectures in the config list and every module in the module list before you begin to hear the variety...not efficient I agree but extremely flexible....I made that mistake myself at first and wasn't impressed...the presets are indeed not impressive...but when you set up max random and start to roll the dice I got interesting sounds....and then you can percentage mutate when you find something you like...I think Syne has one of the most high resolution powerful core sounds out there...and this is without traditional fx which it doesn't have...while lots of lauded synths like alchemy and helix have brilliant FX design, turn off all fx and they are remarkably underwhelming core sound IMO

Without a doubt, the absynth implementation is very smartly executed...agreed

thx so much for your reply!

ok i need to check Syne again later today !!!

Introspective · Post by **Introspective** » Mon Feb 28, 2022 8:24 pm

Okay, it so happens that for a completely unrelated reason, I reinstalled Absynth the other day, and, for yucks, I was playing through some of the presets for it just today.

I retract everything I said about it. It's a wonderful synth that is still very much relevant today. I am an ass. I am wrong. I am sorry. Please forgive me.

chk071 · Post by **chk071** » Mon Feb 28, 2022 8:34 pm

One of those synths which I happily admit are too complicated for me. I'm for more simple stuff.

I more and more enjoy Sylenth1 for example, for its simplicity.

I'm sure you can do a lot with Absynth, and, in the right hands, I'm sure it's a great tool. It's just that this level of complexity isn't inspirational for me, and, I have to be inspired by instruments.

What is the new Absynth?