In Praise of Absynth

[Neon Breath]

I hope this one synth that isn't abandoned, and that an update come soon.

Everybody hopes that! But not everybody wants to admit that an update will never see the day...

[HcDoom]

I hope this one synth that isn't abandoned, and that an update come soon.

Everybody hopes that! But not everybody wants to admit that an update will never see the day...

I simply dont want to believe in that...I refuse!!! I dream about an proper update each day...and will continue to do so.

[Ah_Dziz]

Still use it often. It's great. It can do really good backdrop pads. It can do lots of amazing things and do them faster than anything else that is even capable of doing them at all, and for less CPU use.

[Jace-BeOS]

Definitely a great-sounding synth and definitely a terrible GUI. It needs a complete redesign, and NOT for the purpose of flattening the f**k out of it. It needs a redesign for FUNCTION, not form. In fact, Absynth's GUI is probably one of the few cases where flat-fad-promoting people's misguided complaints about artful GUI designs is spot on.

[Bodhisan]

Unpopular UI, for sure, but that’s not stopped some frickin’ almost unbelievable sounds from being created - and prolifically, I should fairly add. Lesson for me, which lesson I’ve learned and tackled - learn how to use the UI if you want to use it. It’s not that hard. The envelope system is brilliant, and I just wish Octopus was as deep, because I really like its UI.

[CrystalWizard]

Love Absynth.
Use it all the time. The UI needs an update but that hasn't affected my ability to program great patches with it. Rtfm helps. For anyone who can't get passed the UI: go use something else, there plenty to choose from. For those who don't program there's great third party stuff available. For those who do i'd recommend Galbanum waves. I was skeptical 'til my friend got them and i heard what he did with them.
Even if it never gets a new UI i will happily create more with Absynth.

[jancivil]

When you've got a sample jump envelope controlled by the mod wheel scanning through a loop into a filter with a waveshaper in the feedback path then passed on into a graincloud and the pipe effects, I think you'd have a job replicating that in anything else.

Only got Komplete a few months back and am still working my way through the various instruments. Have only recently discovered Absynth but am loving it so far, although I'd agree it needs a GUI update and I think it's not the most intuitive synth at times, although it starts coming together with familiarity (or RTFM). Really nice as an fx unit too.

Some guys in other threads call Absynth too old and therefore not relevant. How wrong they are! Absynth is able to produce highly interesting living sounds which are superior to many newcomers. It depends on your taste and your genre...

I cannot help but think that 'It's too old/sounds old' is always written by people that use only presets, or have never really delved into working with what's there.

As to RTFM, I never actually did until A5 and the cloud filter paradigm. The one case scenario where I scream about the UI is that here I have to keep it on top (and 'hide others' from where I need it not to be) or it resets the envelopes tab.

[jancivil]

GUI. It needs a complete redesign

Jesus, I hope this doesn't happen. I hate change.

[Neon Breath]

GUI. It needs a complete redesign

Jesus, I hope this doesn't happen. I hate change.

NI too so don't worry.

[JonSolo]

I am not against a new GUI. An option to resize it is really what I would want, however. Changing up what is there would not make a lot of sense.

In fact I would say the same about a number of VST makers...just give us GUI that is re-sizable.

[JerGoertz]

GUI. It needs a complete redesign

Jesus, I hope this doesn't happen. I hate change.

NI too so don't worry.

[CrystalWizard]

GUI. It needs a complete redesign

Jesus, I hope this doesn't happen. I hate change.

NI too so don't worry.

[Jace-BeOS]

I cannot help but think that 'It's too old/sounds old' is always written by people that use only presets, or have never really delved into working with what's there.

Agreed. The notion of "dated" as a complaint against things that are mature is an erroneous notion that people jump to. Look at all the complaints of how supposedly "dated" iOS looked at version 6. Apple gave us the mess of iOS 7 and its legacy. Every time i use my iPhone 4 with iOS 6 on it, i think "this looks so elegant and modern" while my iPhone 6s with iOS 10.x looks reminiscent of a modern paint program mockup of 1985's graphics capabilities. Overblown hate at one app with green felt resulted in throwing out the baby with the bathwater, and then burning half the house down.

i'd love Absynth to be given a more intuitive and readable interface, so it's easier for people to pick up and use. Manuals or not, it's not intuitive because it doesn't resemble much of anything we've used before, in any specialty (music or otherwise).

[CrystalWizard]

I cannot help but think that 'It's too old/sounds old' is always written by people that use only presets, or have never really delved into working with what's there.

Agreed. The notion of "dated" as a complaint against things that are mature is an erroneous notion that people jump to...

Yes, it is an interesting phenomenon. I rarely hear people say "bass guitar, oh that's so dated." Or "conga drum, that's so dated." It's not like every avenue of synthesis via Absynth has been done to death or anything close. There seems to be this line of thinking that goes "if a sound has been used once than it's old." Glad most people don't feel that way about guitars. Novel sounds that are used in ways that don't "go anywhere " do not do much for me, artistically speaking, whereas sounds that have been used extensively but do "go somewhere" are "music". I say that as someone who loves sounds, noise, etc.

i'd love Absynth to be given a more intuitive and readable interface, so it's easier for people to pick up and use. Manuals or not, it's not intuitive because it doesn't resemble much of anything we've used before, in any specialty (music or otherwise).

I guess that i'm fortunate because a. I don't find Absynth to be that unintuitive to start and b. I like to rtfms. I have noticed that i get more out of manuals if i print them out. Maybe it's because i'm a bibliophile? Either way, i seem to comprehend technical subjects better with a paper manual.

[CrystalWizard]

I cannot help but think that 'It's too old/sounds old' is always written by people that use only presets, or have never really delved into working with what's there.

Agreed. The notion of "dated" as a complaint against things that are mature is an erroneous notion that people jump to...

Yes, it is an interesting phenomenon. I rarely hear people say "bass guitar, oh that's so dated." Or "conga drum, that's so dated." It's not like every avenue of synthesis via Absynth has been done to death or anything close. There seems to be this line of thinking that goes "if a sound has been used once than it's old." Glad most people don't feel that way about guitars. Novel sounds that are used in ways that don't "go anywhere " do not do much for me, artistically speaking, whereas sounds that have been used extensively but do "go somewhere" are "music". I say that as someone who loves sounds, noise, etc.

i'd love Absynth to be given a more intuitive and readable interface, so it's easier for people to pick up and use. Manuals or not, it's not intuitive because it doesn't resemble much of anything we've used before, in any specialty (music or otherwise).

I guess that i'm fortunate because a. I don't find Absynth to be that unintuitive to start and b. I like to rtfms. I have noticed that i get more out of manuals if i print them out. Maybe it's because i'm a bibliophile? Either way, i seem to comprehend technical subjects better with a paper manual.