This is something that does take a little user interaction to create for non NI type software synths but in my eyes it is well worth it. It can as well create and maintain your other software synths libraries in the same intuitive way. I am after using this for awhile now investing in NI"s KORE hardware/software package that works in conjunction with the sound browser in NI's bigger synths. I'll toss a little extra tidbit in here as well. It can also be used for the sounds you design and create as well. This can be displayed as part of the main UI on Absynth and really makes quick work of finding exactly what you need, or at the very least narrowing it down to a smaller selection of sounds to start with. I have to admit I am completely in love now with NI's sound browser and really miss it when dealing with all my other software synths as well as hardware synths. This is something I touched on a little bit in the FM8 review. Everything is easily assigned its own control by the user so any controller will work with a set up you are familiar with. This means you now have greater control over every aspect of the synth both in a sequencer or live situation. These assemble all incoming and outgoing modulation and automation data to allow you to quickly interact with the parameters of Absynth. Again I found many uses for this in creating rhythmic type sounds, but giving them an extreme life of their own that can change with playing velocity and so on. The level of an oscillator can also be used to modulate and effect parameter with this as well. The level of an audio signal can now be used as a modulation source to use Absynth as an effect. Again this is great as you don't need to leave the software synth for adding this texture to your sounds. It can be manipulated all the way to distortion, or simply used to add some warmth. The new parameter Drive allows you much greater and finer control over the input signal. For me this is a very welcome tool that with other synths I would have to go outside the synth with effects to create that type of sound. It can be used very mildly or it can also be over done to create some very exotic textures. Again this came in very useful when creating very organic rhythmic based sounds. It was designed mainly for creating a sound of blowing into an instrument or strumming. It produces some very organic sounds although I was able to get some not so organic ones with a little coaxing. This is a new sound source in the oscillator module. The feature is usable anywhere you can use a wave form in Absynth. This tool leads to some very interesting rhythmic forms. I was very impressed with how accurate and articulate you can be when creating new wave forms. Used with the ability to draw your own wave forms this is one important feature for myself and others who do a lot of their own sound design. This is as it sounds, a way to morph two wave forms into a single new one. The sound library they have provided is extreme, but I'll get into that a little later. And even if this is your first adventure into software synth's this is really the easiest software synth to get amazing sounds out of with very little effort. They have really changed the interface to accommodate almost anyone with a little knowledge of how a synth works. What I found after actually reading the manual and checking out some help files was a software synth that can actually be used to extremes by even a novice with just a little reading and practice. Having used Absynth before I assumed it to be a deep piece of software that is not for the faint of heart, or the un-synth savvy user. What I found was a synth that is much bigger on the inside once you dig in, even a little bit. But one thing that came from the lengthy wait was a chance to dig a little deeper then I might have in a shorter time. This review is a little overdue, for various reasons which I won't bore you with. The latest release in the Absynth series from Native Instruments.
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