10 out of 10 (by HM)

Addicted To Sound!

Once again we have a cutting edge product from one of the more innovative software development and distribution companies around. This time it's the virtual software synth (and plug-in) ABSYNTH by the German based Native Instruments, which hands down will revolutionize the way you generate sounds on your computer.

Consisting of a limitless voice (only limited by your CPU) semi-modular synthesizer combining multiple synthesis techniques, ABSYNTH started out life back in 2000 as a "Rhizomatic ABSYNTH" stand-alone virtual synthesizer and was available only as an Internet download. Now Native Instruments has polished, enhanced, and packaged this innovative virtual synthesizer and brought it to a store near you.

I ran ABSYNTH 1.3.3 (Mac) on a G4-500 single processor Mac (9.03) running ProTools LE 32T (Beta) with 768 MB of Ram. ABSYNTH will run on either the newly supported Windows operating system, or the original Mac operating system. The minimum requirements for the PC being an Intel 450MHz, and a 300MHz G3 for the Mac. ABSYNTH works both as a standalone program, as well as a plug-in synthesizer. ABSYNTH works as a VST instrument in applications like Cubase and Logic, and it also has interface support for most popular plug-in formats including MAS, Direct Connect (ProTools), VST 2.0 and DXi.

Installation of ABSYNTH could not be easier. Just pop in the disk, install the software, select which plug-in mode you desire (optional), and ABSYNTH will do the rest. I appreciate the way that Native Instruments handles the anti piracy subject. You merely have to have the original disk in the drive, and enter the product key when prompted. The disk has a small hole in it that the software looks for to verify the fact that it is indeed an original disk. Once it does that, that’s it, then your free of having to log onto website, enter challenges, copy responses, etc. I don't understand why more companies don't employ this kind of technology. It seems to be fool proof and uncrackable, and transparent to the end user.

Admittedly I am all about presets with minimal tweaking. When I'm working on a project, I don't want to have to sit there and troll through endless parameters to come up with a useful sound. I find that the best results are achieved when the path between artist and patch is as short as it can be. And since I am not a programmer, nor do I work with one, I have to rely on my ability to tweak factory presets to achieve desired results.

So where does this put me? Well after loading ABSYNTH for the first time, I quickly ran through the 128 factory presets that come ready for immediate access. I found many of them to be quite useful as is (no tweaking required). All were immediately playable, and some were even inspiring! Ranging from the ambient to the cutting edge analog, ABSYNTH fits into any style of music from New Age to full-on Dance.

Upon digging a little deeper I found that Native Instruments thoughtfully included twelve additional banks of presets (although not all jammed with 128 patches each). Try to find that kind of expandability in a hardware synth! Included are sets like “Ethnic, Ambient & FX”, “Evolving Atmospheres”, “Loops & Samples 1”, “Loops & Samples 2”, “Pads”, “Percussive”, “Really Useful Patches”, “Synth, Bass & Acoustic 1”, and “Synth, Bass & Acoustic 2”. The fact that you get all these presets served up in a package costing less than $230 (estimated street price), makes ABSYNTH an absolute jam packed value!

I began importing each individual bank one at a time into ABSYNTH before I realized that by double clicking on the entire Presets file, they all load at once! (This should be an option from the Import Presets Menu within ABSYNTH). Once you have this figured out, it makes sense. I appreciate the fact that ABSYNTH allows you to load presets individually in addition to entire banks, because then the end user can literally create their own library of patches from a wide array of sources. This is one of the most exciting aspects of the way ABSYNTH handles its presets. I do hope that Native Instruments keeps on producing high-quality future expansion packs/patches available for purchase since it would seem a natural progression in keeping the sounds as fresh as they can be in a seemingly endlessly capable synthesizer.

One may never find the need to stray outside the box, but I was curious to know what other presets may be available. So upon a quick visit to the Native Instruments website, I was directed to a Yahoo newsgroup where additional presets could be downloaded. I pointed my browser in that direction and downloaded (for free) 10 more preset banks to try out. So without much effort, I was able to try out some of the various presets that ABSYNTH users across the Internet have come up with. Very cool concept indeed! The possibilities seem endless. One interesting side note for those of you who like to play with modulation during a recording session, the mod wheel (on the Korg Triton I used as a controller) was set up ready to morph most presets with some amazing results. All of this right out of the box!

Ok enough about presets already. ABSYNTH’S true power comes out in its editing and sound creation capabilities that offer deep programming possibilities! ABSYNTH is an extremely deep and powerful laboratory for sound creation. With simple ways of shaping and editing sounds such as adjusting envelopes and LFO’s graphically on the screen, the programmer will have no problem coaxing out some of the most innovative sounds available anywhere. This may seem a little daunting at first to the newcomer for the level of editing and sound-shaping abilities may be too complex for the novice user to understand, but ABSYNTH’S well designed graphical interface is easy to navigate, and making changes to the various parameters is quite easy. One need not have a degree in sound theory to make a connection between reshaping a waveform on the screen and its resulting sound change.

ABSYNTH’S unique strengths lie in its multiple synthesis techniques combined with the most flexible envelope control ever. With ABSYNTH you can create everything from timbrally morphing percussive loops to physical modelling textures to time-evolving soundscapes. The bottom line is that ABSYNTH is as deep as you want it to be. If you have no interest in programming, you can still create one of a kind sounds through simple onscreen changes.

ABSYNTH’S flexible patching scheme makes it easy to combine subtractive, FM, AM, ring modulation, and waveshaping. Six oscillators, four filters, three ring modulators, a waveshaper (distortion) and a delay processor are available per voice along with the unprecedented graphical modulation capabilities. ABSYNTH’S waveform editor allows you to freely model your own waveforms which can be used by oscillators, LFO's and as waveshaping distortion functions. The 3 LFOs can each modulate pitch, amplitude, filter, FM depth, pan or delay time. Sample and Hold turns the waveform into a discrete step function, a classic effect of modular analog synths. Best of all, waveforms can be drawn and edited directly in the Waveform editor for ultimate versatility and ease of use. ABSYNTH gives you more than a dozen envelopes with up to 68 breakpoints each. Envelopes can loop or retrigger to creating cyclic rhythms and constantly evolving ambient textures. The Editor window displays multiple envelopes simultaneously, so you can precisely sychronize the evolution of different layers of sound in time against a tempo grid. Modulated delay effects can be tightly integrated into each patch. Delays can be modulated by the 3 LFOs and MIDI controllers just like ABSYNTH’S other modules. Six parallel delay lines modulated by ABSYNTHís versatile LFOs are flexible enough to build physical models of acoustic instruments. Delay times can be as short as one sample and as long as 10 seconds. ABSYNTH is designed for maximum expressive control. Parameters can be modulated by MIDI continuous controllers, aftertouch, velocity and note number. Continuous controller input can be smoothed with a lag control, making wide ranges possible (for example ±6 octaves for pitch bend). Notes can control parameters through note scale maps, where each parameter can have a different value for every note.

Using ABSYNTH as a plug-in is fairly straightforward. Create an auxiliary audio channel, select the plug in, select the Direct Connect channel, then bus the audio to an audio track and you're ready for recording. I did find it slightly annoying that ABSYNTH didn't automatically launch when I ran ProTools with an instance of the ABSYNTH plug-in on a track. In these instances, I had to launch ProTools first, then launch ABSYNTH, then open the project. If you launch ABSYNTH first, then try to run ProTools, you’ll receive an error message, and ProTools will not start. But after figuring this out everything was good to go. On the Koblo synth (see review), it was very convenient for Koblo just to launch automatically when I opened a Pro Tools session with the Koblo/Tokyo plug in inserted on a track. When ever you open a Pro Tools session with the ABSYNTH plug-in inserted but not running, I noticed some performance issues with an overall system slow down. This was quickly remedied as soon as I launched ABSYNTH.

You can run eight instances of ABSYNTH in any VST 2.0 compatible host. Create massive rhythms ensembles or ambient textures with hundreds of oscillators. ABSYNTH also supports DirectConnect, MAS, and ASIO to fit into any studio environment. It is difficult to compare ABSYNTH to any other softsynth, but ABSYNTH is among the most efficient software synthesizers yet. Maximize your polyphony in multitimbral mode and still have plenty power left over for mixing and composing

Overall a great offering from Native Instruments. With sound quality being the ultimate test, ABSYNTH has a character of its own. It’s hard to believe that this unassuming software package can create the sounds that it does. After a while, you forget that it’s the software making the sounds! The editing and creation features are very deep, and may scare off the casual user, but the achievable results are excellent. The learning curve may be slightly steeper for many people, but ultimately you will get out of ABSYNTH what you put into it. The installation and set up are first rate, the program is very stable, the level of depth is there for the consummate programmer who wants to create their own sounds, and the fact that updates, additional new patches, and sound sets are available over the Internet makes the possibilities endless.

A gorgeous sounding powerful addition to any virtual studio!

NAJM Product Scores:

  Originality & Innovation

10

  Hands On Usability

9

  Features

10

  Exceeding Expectations

10

  Quality

10

  Learning Curve

8

  Musicality

10

TRAKTOR AT A GLANCE
 

Semi-Modular Patch Window

Choose between different synthesis methods (Subtractive, FM, Ring

Modulation) and construct your sound by adding a wide selection of filters,

waveshapers, and effects. You can create a patch with up to six oscillators,

four filters, three ring modulators, a waveshaper, and master effects.

Graphical Envelope Editor

With up to 68 breakpoints per envelope and four modes (loop, retrigger,

sustain, release), you can sculpt how your sound evolves over time and view

multiple envelope at the same time.

Envelope Function Generator

Build rhythms using ABSYNTH’S envelopes. Using the pulse function generator,

you can specify a tempo to create percussive patterns. Control anything with

the envelopes - from amplitude to pitch to FM parameters to filters.

Waveform Editor

Draw in your own waveform and hear the results in real time. Convenient

editing tools let you draw parabolic shapes or free gestures. The waveform

you draw can be used as an oscillator, an LFO, or a waveshaping function.

Spectral Waveform Editor

Simply specify the harmonics and ABSYNTH does the rest - in real time. Hear

how your waveform sounds as you make harmonic gestures, or tweak the

spectral view to fine tune your shape.

Three Independent LFOs

Use any waveform (even ones you've drawn yourself) or a sample and hold

function as an LFO. Type in the frequency with four-decimal-place precision

for locked tempo synchronization. Control effects, filters, FM parameters,

oscillators, or any combination.

Waveform Transformations

These transformations modify ABSYNTH’S waveforms. Listen to the unique

resonances imposed by the Fractalize effect or the classic sounds of FM. Of

course, all changes are immediately heard in realtime.

FEATURES

• Semi-modular synthesizer combining multiple synthesis techniques

• Exceptional wide range of organic and expressive sounds

• Extensive sound library

• Multitimbral in VST 2.0 with 8 parts; voices limited by CPU power

• Intuitive and convenient graphical editors, attractive design

• 6 oscillators, 4 filters, 3 ring modulators, waveshaper and delay processor per voice

• Freely drawable waveforms for oscillators, LFOs and waveshaping

• Many graphical envelopes with up to 68 breakpoints each

• Runs stand-alone and as a plug-in on Macintosh

• Supports VST® 2.0, DirectConnect™, MAS™, ASIO™

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

Mac OS 8.6 or higher, G3 300 MHz, 64 MB RAM

INTERFACES

VST® 2.0, DirectConnect™, MAS™, ASIO™

For More Information Check out Absynth Online!