Massive X 1.6.1 update (September 2025)!

[zerocrossing]

In the mean time there is always Rhizomatic Plasmonic from Brian Clevinger if one is looking for a synth that shares some DNA with Absynth.

Other than the UI style, I'd say that Plasmonic doesn't really have much in common with Absynth. MSoundFactory is a lot closer to Absynth, at least in spirit. Even Zebra.

I don't personally have any trouble getting Absynth to work on my Windows 11 machine. Loads fine in Bitwig, and I keep an old monitor in the mix for older plugins, so the size isn't too tiny. I actually used it for a series of sound effects in a game and it worked well, as it always has, but of course, NI is being its usual jerk face self by not giving the rights back to Brian so he can continue development. Ultimately, I'm not too upset about it, as I'd be lying if I said that I didn't have a lot of very cool synthesis options.

We'll see what the future holds......

If we're lucky.

[Teksonik]

Other than the UI style, I'd say that Plasmonic doesn't really have much in common with Absynth.

Other than the guy who wrote the original code for both hence my comment about the DNA.

I've never tried Plasmonic but I assumed it has at least some Absynth flavor coming from the same cook.

If we're lucky.

Yes I probably should have written "we'll see what the future holds....or doesn't hold".

[Examigan]

Did I read somewhere that Absynth was given back to the original developer or something along those lines?

Well, considering the Absynth code contains a lot of proprietary NI code, it cannot simply be given back to Brian, that won't fly.
But there are other sorts of deals that could be cut...

According to the video from Brian, N.I. simply decided to drop Absynth which as you are aware they have been known to do in the past.

Personally I hope Absynth is not the synth NI said they're " working on a big update to a much-loved synth product".

I bought the boxed version early on and it remains one of my most regretted purchases.

I’m hopeful that it is - it was a big mistake to drop it

Yeah, I regret I didn't purchase it when it was around. It would be great to see an updated version.

[RobGee]

The only thing NI seem to be good at lately is delivering underwhelming updates

[zerocrossing]

Other than the UI style, I'd say that Plasmonic doesn't really have much in common with Absynth.

Other than the guy who wrote the original code for both hence my comment about the DNA.

I've never tried Plasmonic but I assumed it has at least some Absynth flavor coming from the same cook.

Yeah, it's nothing like it at all. Physical modeling engine. Awesome, if you're into such things, but nothing like Absynth.

If we're lucky.

Yes I probably should have written "we'll see what the future holds....or doesn't hold".

Oh, it's always holding something. It just might be yet another Maschine sample library. Or I guess we could die, and that would be nothing.

[CrystalWizard]

Yes to a resizable GUI for FM8. Glad to hear Massive OG is resizable although i haven't used it in a long while (i will now).
The limitations of Massive X are intentional? Imo that's worse than saying they are mistakes. It could be a monster synth if it just had some features that most of us take for granted. I'm don't mean that it needs 26 synth engines and 42 LFOs, just the basics.
Seeing any NI synth get an update/upgrade would make me happy(er).
Absynth is a work of genius, too bad NI doesn't think so. Plasmonic is genius, also. If one single developer (primarily) can do that, why is it that NI can no longer do it? Oh, right, they can they just don't want to.

[Vortifex]

Of all the things I'd wish for Massive X, a simplified 'player' view would have been somewhere near the bottom of the list. It's not like Massive X is difficult to use. I hope dev time on that hasn't come at the cost of working on stuff that the synth actually needs.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Did I read somewhere that Absynth was given back to the original developer or something along those lines?

Well, considering the Absynth code contains a lot of proprietary NI code, it cannot simply be given back to Brian, that won't fly.
But there are other sorts of deals that could be cut...

According to the video from Brian, N.I. simply decided to drop Absynth which as you are aware they have been known to do in the past.

Personally I hope Absynth is not the synth NI said they're " working on a big update to a much-loved synth product".

I bought the boxed version early on and it remains one of my most regretted purchases.

I’m hopeful that it is - it was a big mistake to drop it

I’d love it if it was Absynth but I’m doubtful. My guess is fm8, though I’m not terribly excited by that given there’s plenty of alternatives.

[Echoes in the Attic]

What if they remade KORE?

Would be my number one wish fr NI. But it won’t fit with their NKS design now because at some point between kore and komplete kontrol they decided that buttons aren’t important on hardware for sound editing and that knobs should control buttons instead.

[Echoes in the Attic]

Indeed.
I quite like Super 8.
Haven't used it since it went back to solely Reaktor ensemble (i am mostly on apple silicon)
rsp

Me neither. I hope it’s one that they port again. Also hope for Razor, Rounds, Prism, molekular, the finger, kontour. I wonder how many “several” is. VST export would be ideal as some of the best ensembles are user Library ones.

[EvilDragon]

I wonder how many “several” is.

Those that have the most active users, most likely.

[Echoes in the Attic]

I wonder how many “several” is.

Those that have the most active users, most likely.

Then I wonder how many reaktor products have enough active users to make it into the several that will be ported.

[Echoes in the Attic]

And I wonder if blocks can be ported. That would be great.

[EvilDragon]

I don't think Blocks will be ported, it turned out not to be a very successful idea unfortunately.

Monark and Razor are #1 contenders, those things are absolute faves among many many people. I would love to see Form after those two, personally, because it's unique. Only then perhaps Super 8 and others (Prism, Spark, Skanner XT, Molekular...)

[Teksonik]

Yeah, it's nothing like it at all. Physical modeling engine. Awesome, if you're into such things, but nothing like Absynth.

The ad blurb on the site seems to indicate it covers some of the same sonic territory as Absynth:

"Plasmonic captures the complex acoustic resonances of Physical Modeling, expands on it with more familiar elements of Subtractive Synthesis, and adds a few unique twists.
From plucked strings with an acoustic presence, to vast imaginary soundscapes, to gnarly leads and complex rhythmic textures, Plasmonic will go wherever your imagination takes it."

Or I guess we could die, and that would be nothing.

At my age that's always a possibility. I could die right in the middle of typing this respon