Native Instruments' Absynth Virtual Synthesizer
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Native Instruments' Absynth exploits the vast potential of computer-based, virtually modeled analog synthesis. Synthesizer sound-generation techniques, such as subtractive, FM, AM, ring modulation and waveshaping, are easily combined in creative ways with Absynth's flexible patching system and clever architectural design. Absynth is designed for serious sound design, but anyone can start creating and building sound structures using the excellent and intuitive interface. A major feature of Absynth is that you'll hear all changes in real time, as you play a MIDI keyboard, without clicks or glitches.

INSIDE ABSYNTH

Originally developed by Brian Clevinger and further developed by N.I., Absynth is efficiently written and runs as a stand-alone, or is multitimbral in VST 2.0-host programs with up to eight instances. Six oscillators, four filters, three ring modulators, a waveshaper section for distorting waveforms, and a delay effect section with three delay processes are available for each voice. Absynth comes with a huge collection of great patches you can copy and modify to taste. By using hundreds of oscillators, you can build huge rhythm ensembles and evolving ambient textures. Maximum polyphony is 64 and is only really limited by your CPU. I used a G4 500MHz with 640 MB of RAM (Absynth is currently Mac-only) and had no problems
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running Pro Tools in the background for the stand-alone version and Emagic's Logic 4.7.3 for VST. As a VST plug-in, Absynth does not rely on ASIO, MIDI or OMS; therefore, timing precision and resolution are better. Absynth, as a stand-alone, uses Digidesign's DirectConnect to stream audio into Pro Tools and other Digi DAE hosts; or, for working with Digital Performer, MAS and FreeMIDI are supported. As a stand-alone, only one Absynth will run at a time, but in the Record window you can stereo record, overdub and mix additional layers of synth sounds directly to the available RAM in your computer (with full undo). In stand-alone mode, CPU loading, an issue with all VST instruments, is not much of a concern.

THE MAIN WINDOW

Whether you use Absynth as a VST instrument or as a stand-alone, every sound begins with the Main window, where you'll find a virtual synthesizer with mousable keyboard and MIDI controller sliders, a bank of 128 presets with 16 listed and available at a glance, buttons to select any of six editing windows (which are repeated in an always present and dragable navigation toolbar), buttons to select MIDI channels, store and recall preset buttons, and a Reset/Pause button to stop sound and re-initialize internal DSP parameters when things get wacky.

THE PATCH WINDOW

The Patch window is where the 12 DSP modules that make up the synth's sound are displayed and interconnected by organic-looking glowing tissue or, as the well-written manual (translated into six languages) calls it, "plumbing." This other-worldly bionic interface schematically shows the signal flow between modules arranged into three independent channels. You can turn modules on or off within channels, or surgically remove and re-route
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the connective arteries between them. The internal module routing for each of the three channels is consistent: Oscillator module connects to a filter module, which flows to a modulator module. Each module's settings are easily changed by mouse or by directly typing in values. Each of the oscillator modules has two oscillators, Main and Mod. These are not sampled waveforms or actual oscillators but single-cycle wavetables. Waves used by the Main and Mod oscillators, as well as sources for any modulator, are selected from a list of 41 waveforms. Oscillator module modes include single (only Main is active), double (both oscillators mix), FM (Mod modulates Main) and Ring/Amplitude, where the frequencies of both oscillators are algebraically summed together to produce other tones.

WAVEFORM EDITOR

The Waveform Editor page is for editing factory-preset waves or redrawing any waveform used for Main oscillators, Mod oscillators, LFOs or wave-shaping modulation. You can create your own waveforms here or you can import and use the first 1,024 samples from any.AIFF sound file. Future versions of Absynth will allow users to create libraries of waveforms for use as both oscillator and LFO/modulation sources. This page is entered directly from a module's currently selected wave; with this version, you cannot copy waves from one preset to another. In addition to hand-redrawing by clicking and dragging the wave around, you can normalize gain, fractalize (a super-complex transform that creates bright, organic-sounding waves) and much more. Spectrum mode allows the first 64 harmonics of the wave to be displayed, so that both amplitude and phase of each harmonic number can be altered. Harmonics above the first 64 remain unchanged and will not chop off when the wave is resynthesized. Again, all of these changes are real time; I found this page to very educational as to why certain sounds are the way they are!

COMPLETING THE CHANNEL

After an Oscillator module is a Filter module with eight different filter types, most with resonance and feedback. You have three lowpass, two highpass, bandpass, band reject (notch) and comb. You can apply a separate filter to each voice (poly) or all voices together (mono). The Mod module follows the Filter and has similar parameters as an Oscillator: wave, frequency mode and frequency. Ringmod mode is like ringmod in Oscillator, with the balance control adjusting input level vs. the modulated signal. This configuration, Oscillator/Filter/Mod, completes a single channel, and there are sliders built into the connecting plumbing to adjust the level of each channel that is going to the master channel for output. I liked the Auto-Balance Sliders feature, which automatically adjusts the 3-channel output levels proportionately: If you raise one channel's level, then the other channels automatically reduce in level so that the total mix is at full output level. (I wish someone would invent that feature on automated mixing consoles!)
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MASTER CHANNEL

The Master channel is chained in this order: The Waveshaper module (distorts the wave) connects to the Filter module, which goes into the Effect Delay Matrix module. Waveshaper uses nonlinear distortion to affect the sound. Interestingly, you can allot a separate Waveshaper to each voice (again called poly), or use mono, where all voices merge and pass through a single waveshaper. There are controls for the timbre of distortion, level and phase. I found waveshaper to add very analog-like textures to any sound&processing I would do on most hardware synths. Next in the Master channel is another Filter module, which is just like the filter following each oscillator. Absynth has a unique feature with three separate buttons on all modules for parameter settings: coarse, fine and extra-fine. This gets you around quickly and precisely with less overshoot, say from 0.01 Hz to 20 kHz. The Effect Edit window, the final module in Master channel, is for editing the six delay lines. Effect has controls for delay times ranging from one sample to 740 ms, LFO modulation and MIDI controller, master feedback level and feedback lowpass filtering, master time control, gain and panning, invert and control sensitivity (input gain). Pipe, a multitap delay, uses waveguide-based physical modeling. This effect, like all of the effects, is stereo and produces some to the best flanging, pitch shifting and rotary speaker effects I've heard coming out of a computer.

ENVELOPE WINDOW

Each of the oscillators in Absynth has an envelope generator with breakpoint envelope generators with up to 68 breakpoints; Absynth stops using CPU resources as voices reach their last breakpoints. Again, you can click and drag, make new breakpoints and change the curve of a breakpoint's line segment (slope). You can copy envelopes from one voice to another, snap them to tempo grids, and loop and/or repeat sections of an envelope. However, there is no performance control over envelope times and no LFO sync to MIDI clock. Absynth has three LFOs, all with sample-and-hold modes. The LFO Edit window has extensive control over LFO waveforms, phase, LFO pitch, depth, FM (where one LFO modulates another), sample-and-hold rate, and retrigger by a preset control value. The MIDI window is the main control and assignment window for all MIDI controllers: their note scaling, lag, or the amount of time it takes a parameter to respond to continuous controller data, velocity, program changes, pitch bend and depth.

ABSYNTH IN THE STUDIO

After copying a bank of patches into a new one for editing purposes, it was great fun to explore how sounds were created and then instantly see and hear how changing parameters and waves affected the patch. For synthesizer players, the big attraction to Absynth will be its great sounds and real-time operation: You can always hear your changes as you play along, just like working with any good, full-featured hardware synth. Any new synth, hardware or virtual, has to come with some great sounds to get you going, and Absynth shows up with
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many very complex, useful soundscapes as well as rhythmic collages. (What's the actual reason why some synths become very popular and others don't? Great preset sounds!) There are more third-party soundware CDs on the way. The ultimate in advanced synthesis in a virtual instrument these days, Absynth sells for $299 MSRP. Distributed by Steinberg U.S., 21354 Nordhoff St., Suite 110, Chatsworth, CA 91311. Telephone 818-678-5100 or fax 818-678-5199. www.steinberg.net or www.native-instruments.com. Barry Rudolph is an L.A.-based recording engineer. Visit his Web site at: WWW.BARRYRUDOLPH.COM
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Clicking within the field: The value is highlighted and you can enter a value using your
computer keypad. Press [Enter] to confirm or [Esc] to let the value unchanged.
Using the diamond button ( ) next to a value field: Click on it and hold the mouse button
depressed. Drag the mouse up/down to increase/decrease the value, respectively. Depending on the resolution of the parameter, you will see one, two or three diamonds next to its value field. The leftmost diamond has the biggest range and the lowest resolution: use it to change the value roughly. Use the other diamonds to make finer adjustments.
If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can place the cursor on a diamond and change the
value by turning the scroll wheel. Move the wheel forward to increase the value and backwards to decrease it.
You can also right-click ([Ctrl]+click on Mac) on most value fields to bring up a contextual menu. Here you can assign the parameter to one of the Macro Controls. More specific information about Macro Controls can be found at section 10.2 Automation in ABSYNTH 5: Macro Controls.
ABSYNTH 5 Reference Manual 18

2.5 Sliders and Knobs

Some parameter values can be changed via sliders and knobs. Sliders (or faders) are used for example to adjust the effects input levels in the Effect Window, or to define the mutation settings in the Browser Windows Mutator. To adjust the value of a slider, click on it and drag your mouse horizontally while holding the mouse button depressed.
Sider for Mutation Aamount in Browser Window
Knobs can be found for example in the Effect Window, where you adjust the signal proportions using the Wet Level an Dry Level controls.
Wet/Dry knobs in the Effect Window
The global Master Envelope also uses knobs to define its four steps Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release. To adjust the value of a knob, you have following possibilities:
Click on the knob (or on the value display if available) and drag the mouse up/down to

You created a complete Sound in just a few seconds where it could have taken hours

by hand!

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Using Old Personal Templates If you want to use ABSYNTH 4 Templates in ABSYNTH5, you need to copy them to the new Libraries folder.
On Mac OS X, your old Templates are located by default in the directories HD:Library/
Application Support/Native Instruments/Absynth 4/Libraries/[subdirectories].
Please be careful! On a Mac, you should not replace the ABSYNTH5 Libraries folder with the ABSYNTH 4 Libraries folder, since Mac OS X would overwrite all the new ABSYNTH5 Templates! Instead, you should open each folder contained therein and copy the contents of each of the lowest level subfolders manually to the corresponding subfolder in the ABSYNTH5 Libraries directory.
On a PC, your old Templates are located by default in the directories C:\Programs\Shared
Files\Native Instruments\Absynth 4\Libraries\[subdirectories]. You should be able to simply copy and paste the whole ABSYNTH 4 Libraries folder to the ABSYNTH 5 Libraries folder and click on Replace all. In any case, we recommend you to back up your ABSYNTH 5 Libraries folder before touching it!
5.3 Common Features in Many Modules
The following features appear in many situations. Knowing them is very helpful for understanding of the modules capabilities:
Waveform Selector and Waveform Selection dialog Frequency meu/control Anti-Alias Switch Phase Inverter
ABSYNTH 5 Reference Manual 44
5.3.1 Waveform Selector and Waveform Selection dialog

Waveform Selector

The Waveform Selector is available for all oscillator modes based on a wavetable. It allows you to choose the Waveforms for the oscillators in ABSYNTH5. This is not only the case for the various oscillators within the Patch Window, but also for all other functions in ABSYNTH5 using Waveforms as a foundation. For example, you will also find the Waveform Selector in an identical form in the LFO Window and in the LFO area of the Envelope Window. A click on the Waveform Selector opens the so-called Waveform Selection dialog. This dialog essentially contains a list of all available Waveforms:
The Waveform Selection dialog
Using the three buttons above the list, you can switch it between three categories of Waveforms:
Simple Waves are single cycle Waveforms that are read from a wavetable. This relates to
the tiny samples that contain one period of a particular Waveform. In this rubric, next to the standard forms like Sine, Triangle, Saw and Square, you also find instrumental and atonal Waveforms.

Morph Waves are Waveforms that use the function Wave Morph (see section 7.5 Wave
Morph). From a technical point of view, Morph Waves are two Waveforms saved in one unit of data, which seamlessly blend (morph) with one another.
Library Waves are the Waveforms from the Universal Library of ABSYNTH5.
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In order to display the Waveforms of a particular category in the list, click on the corresponding button at the top of the Waveform Selection dialog. To load a Waveform into the module, click on its entry in the list. The new Waveform becomes immediately active, so that the effects on the sound can be heard as soon as you press a key on your MIDI keyboard. The small waveform display next to the Waveform Selector also displays the new Waveform straightaway. When you have decided on a Waveform, click OK at the bottom of the Waveform Selection dialog.
In order to create a new Waveform, select a Waveform in the list and click on the New
Wave button (labeled New), at the top of the dialog:
A new Waveform based on the selected Waveform is generated and loaded into the Wave
Window. ABSYNTH 5 switches the current Window automatically to this Wave Window.
Remember that your work does not affect the original Waveform, but rather produces an independent copy of it.
If you want to work on a Waveform that already exists, click on the Edit Wave button
(labeled Edit), at the top of the dialog.
ABSYNTH 5 loads the selected Waveform automatically into the Wave Window and
switches the Window in an according fashion.
You can only work on Waveforms that you created yourself (by clicking on the New Wave button in the past). You cannot modify the Factory Waveforms. The chapter 7, Wave Window, gives you all details about working with the Wave Window.
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5.3.2 Frequency Menu and Frequency Control
Frequency menu in Trans mode
All oscillators can be set to react to incoming notes in various ways. Thys are kency modes. Using anels Frequency menu and its companion thcy control sitting at its right, you can to choose from the following Frequency modes:
Trans: The oscillator follows the pitch of the played note. The Frequency control determines the transposition in semitones. For example, setting the Frequency control to 1.5 will lead to a transposition of one and a half tone compared with the pitch of the played note. The Frequency control has a resolution of 1/1000 of a halftone.

Copy Oscil) into the selected Oscillator. Any Envelopes linked to the Oscillator are also placed within the Oscillator.
Paste Channel: Places the Channel settings stored in the clipboard into the current Channel. Load Oscil Template: Opens a dialog allowing you to choose Oscillator settings to load
from a list of predefined Oscillator Templates. Click on the desired entry in the list and click OK to load that Template.
Load Channel Template: Opens a dialog allowing you to choose Channel settings to load
from a list of predefined Channels Templates. Click on the desired entry in the list and click OK to load that Template.
Save Oscil Template: Allows you to save the current Oscillator settings as a Template in
the Universal Library. In the dialog that opens, choose the name and saving location for the Template, then click then on OK to save the Template.
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Save Channel Template: Allows you to save the current Channel settings as a Template in
Mutate Oscil: Applies a Mutation to that particular Oscillator. Retry Mutate Oscil: Retries the Mutation for that particular Oscillator.
For the last two entries, the Mutation settings are those defined in the Browsers Mutaton section (see section 11.3, Mutator, for more on this).

5.4.3 Single Mode

Oscillator in Single mode
In the Single mode, a single main oscillator is active. The Main panel contains all parameters controlling the main oscillator:
Synthesis menu: Selects the desired synthesis process (see section 5.4.1 Oscillators
Panels and Tabs above for details).
Waveform Selector: A click on the Waveform Selector opens the Waveform Selection dialog where you can select the Waveform for the Oscillator (see section 5.3.1, Waveform Selector and Waveform Selection dialog, above for details).
Anti-Alias switch: Turns the anti-aliasing on and off (see section 5.3.3 Anti-Alias Switch

above for details).

Frequency menu and Frequency control: Enables you to enter the oscillators frequency as
a transposition of the played note (Trans), as a relationship (Ratio) with the played note, as a fixed Frequency (Hz) or via a fixed MIDI note (Note). See section 5.3.2, Frequency Menu and Frequency Control, above for details.
ABSYNTH 5 Reference Manual 53
Phase Sync switch: Setting the Phase Sync switch to Phase will reset the phase of the oscillator with every incoming MIDI note. When the Phase Sync switch is set to Free, the oscillator will not be reset. When only one oscillator is active and you have set one voice in the Uni panel, the mode Free has almost no effect. When you have a higher Unisono number of voices or multiple active oscillators, every note leads to an audible change in the sound.

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The Random Parameters In both Grain and Tone sections, each parameter can be randomized by a certain amount. This amount is controlled by the parameter in the Random column next to each parameter. The Random parameters always go from 0 to 100 (measured in percents):
At a Random value of 0, the corresponding parameter is precisely defined by its main
value (the leftmost in the row) and all grains share this same value.
By increasing the Random value, the corresponding parameter gets more and more randomized and each grain uses a different value for that parameter. These Random parameters allow an incredible range of sonic possibilities. Actually, some of the Aetherizer parameters really find their full expression through their randomization. The next section show you an example of this. The Random parameter for the Quantize Transpose control has a special behavior: In the range from 0% to 50%, frequencies are progressively distributed across the selected scale. Above 50%, frequencies increasingly deviate from the scale to become totally random. Example: Shuffling the Input If the Predelay value is at zero and if it is not randomized (i.e. if its Random Predelay control is also at zero), the grains will process all the samples of the input signal in sequential order. If you randomize the Predelay (by raising the Random Predelay control), each grain can start at a different (random) point of the input signal. This can be seen as mixing up the input signal in time.
If you just play pads through it, not much will happen but randomizing predelay becomes much more interesting with complex input, rhythmic loops or audio input!
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6.7.3 Aetherizer Display

At the very bottom, the Aetherizer Display shows you a graphical representation of your grain cloud. The vertical axis is the pitch, the horizontal axis is the time. Each grain is depicted as a tiny triangle followed by an horizontal trail (which represents the grains length). The picture follows your parameter settings in various ways:
By playing with the Grain Duration control, the trails lengths change. By raising the Rate control, the grains get closer (and their trails shorter) and vice versa. By playing with the Transpose control, all grains move together on the y-axis. By raising the Random Transpose control, the grains spread across the y-axis. Indeed, by
doing this, you set a different transposition value for each grain! (By the way, you can now better see the grains overlapping in time.)

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8.1.3 Selecting an Envelope
You can select an envelope for editing by clicking on the envelope image. The name of the selected envelope is then highlighted.
8.1.4 Copying and Inserting Envelopes
1. To copy an enveloSelect the entry Copy Envelope from the Edit menu. 2. Click on the targeted envelope and choose Paste Envelope in the Edit menu.
8.2 Breakpoints, Transitions/Steps, Sync
The Breakpoints represent target points on the time axis and therefore affect the previous gradient-segment. Click on the desired Breakpoint to select it for editing, and you can then adjust the following controls in the Selected Breakpoint area:
Abs/BP Time control: Determines the Breakpoints position on the time axis. Enter the
duration in seconds. Depending on the setting of the BP Time Toggle on its left, you can either enter the duration since the previous Breakpoint (Bp sec) or since the beginning of the Envelope (Abs sec).
BP Amplitude control: Defines the amplitude for the selected Breakpoint. You can either
insert a value directly in dB (on a scale of 0 dB to -96dB) or adjust a percentage with 0 dB as the relation point. To switch between dB and %, click the BP Amplitude Toggle.
Slope/Step switch with Slope control: With the Slope/Step switch you can influence the
transition between the previous Breakpoint in the envelope path and the selected Breakpoint: The position Slope represents the typical wave shape; with the value in Slope control you can determine the slope of the curve progression. In the position Step, the change in value jumps, and instead of the curve you will see a colorful rectangle between the previous and the selected Breakpoint. Drag the rectangle upward, with the mouse button held down, to boost the value in the specified division. Drag it downward to diminish the value. You can also change the horizontal dilation (i.e. how long the value lasts), by moving the Breakpoints, which mark the corners of the Step-rectangle. Just hold down the mouse button.
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These three parameters allow you to position the Breakpoint very precisely. You can also move the Breakpoint with the mouse to determine its amplitude and position directly. You can move several Breakpoints at the same time by using the Shift-click or by clicking and drawing the selected area above the part of the Envelope that contains the relevant Breakpoint. Every editing step influences all selected Breakpoints and the parameter amp, abs time and slope as well as the MIDI and LFO-settings. The absolute time and the adjusted parameter are displayed below Time control and Amp control.

Envelope List: Select here the Envelope to which you would like to apply the transformation. # of Beats control: Enter here your desired amount of steps for the pattern. Between 2
and 16 steps can comprise a pattern.
BPM control: Determine here the speed of the created rhythm in beats per minute (BPM). Beat Duration control: With this you can set the interval between the individual applications of envelopes in beats. This also determines how much of your initial Envelope will be used for the pattern.
Pattern: Here you can determine the consecutive steps for the created rhythm. Like a
Step Sequencer or a Drum Machine, you can turn individual steps on and off by clicking the appropriate division. ABSYNTH 5 Reference Manual 130

8.7.3 Generate AR Pulse

The function Generate AR Pulse automatically creates a progression of attack- and releasepulsewaves. This can be extremely helpful if you want to create rhythmical Envelope-forms, for instance, to use them in Retrigger Mode. If you choose the entry Generate AR Pulse the Transform Envelopes menu opens up with the following elements:
Envelope List: Select here the Envelope to which you want to apply the transformation. # of Beats control: Enter here the number of pulses that you would like to be generated. BPM control: Determine here the speed of the pulsewave that you have created in beats

per minute (BPM).

Beat Duration control: You can use this to adjust the interval between the individual

pulses in beats.

Attack time control: Use this to adjust the Attack Time of the pulsewave. Min amp control: Use this to regulate the lowest amplitude value that the pulsewaves will

reach in their path.

Slope control: Use this to determine the slope of the curve progression.

8.7.4 Set Duration

This command determines the duration of the selected Envelope(s). This means that the complete duration of the Envelope can be clinched or expanded here. If you choose Set Duration, the Transform Envelopes menu opens up with the following elements:

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10.2Automation in ABSYNTH 5: Macro Controls
Assignment page in Perform Window
With the Macro Controls, you can organize all of the Signals controlling parameters inside of ABSYNTH5. First, we will take a look at the different types of control signals:
Envelope and LFO are modulation sources within ABSYNTH5. Their control signals automatically control parameters of the sound production and effect section. If you activate, configure, and assign such a Modulation Source to a destination, the Control Signals will also be created without any additional effort on your part. The possibilities are limited to the sound path, meaning that they are limited to the period of time between the instant when you hit the key (ie when the MIDI Note-On message is triggered) and the instant when the resulting sound vanishes.
To change a sound over the course of an entire piece of music without having to interfere
with the piece while it is playing, send the Control Signals from outside to ABSYNTH 5. Additionally, use the automation of our Audio MIDI sequencer in the Plug-in Program. All modern programs, such as Cubase, Logic, Sonar, or Digital Performer offer the possibility to record Automation data or to create them by mouse click. In the graphic presentation can work on the Automation comfortably. You can send the Automation data to ABSYNTH 5 and make sound changes to several bars or entire compositions. Automation tracks can be assigned to the parameters inside of ABSYNTH 5 using a list of available Automation goals, of which ABSYNTH 5 notifies the host software.
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You can control ABSYNTH 5 in real time by connecting it to the MIDI keyboard. The
simplest form of using MIDI to control ABSYNTH 5 is the communication of note values using Note-on and Note-off commands. The Pitch Bend and the Modulation Wheel are also Standard Controllers, which almost every MIDI keyboard sends and which ABSYNTH 5 utilizes. Moreover, many modern MIDI keyboards and controllers offer control elements that also send MIDI Signals; rotary controllers, sliders, and switches are only three of the many possibilities. You can use these MIDI Signals flexibly together with parameters to change the sound during play. These three types of Control Signals distinguish themselves in their possibilities as well as their origins. In ABSYNTH5 they are the same in some ways: In order to design the administration of the individual Control Signals as unitarily and as flexibly as possible, ABSYNTH5 has the Macro Controls. In other software instruments the distribution of Control Signals mostly takes place through the use of an unchanging list of parameters that exclusively allow rigid assignments of signal sources to particularly elements of the user interface. The disadvantage of such definite connections between source and goal is namely that a controller of your MIDI control element always controls the same parameter independently of the desired sound. This approach is often not sensible, since there can always be other parameters in every Preset, a change in which would have the desired effect upon the sound. For this reason, ABSYNTH 5 offers a possibility in the Macro Controls to distribute incoming Control Signals among the parameters with flexibility. The fact that you can design the assignment of every Preset on an individual basis is only one advantage of the Macro Controls, however. It is also very advantageous that you can control multiple targets from a single source. That is best explained through the use of an example: Assume we want to change the Cutoff and Resonance parameters of Lowpass Filter at the same time as the Modulation Wheel of your MIDI keyboard: At high frequencies the resonance should be low, at low frequencies high. To control both parameters simultaneously, build a Macro Control: by activating a Filter Module in the Patch Window and select the Filter LPF -12dB from the Filters Type menu. Right-click on the Frequency control. It opens a list with the available Macro Controls. Choose Macro Control 1. Assign the parameter Resonance control to Macro Control 1 as previously described. Now switch to the Perform Window.

10.6Note Page

Note page
On the Note page you can establish how much a parameter is modulated depending on the played note. That is, you can establish an individual relationship between the modulated parameter and every key on your keyboard. You can make a Filter open wider for higher notes. Three groups of parameters can be modulated dependently of notes:
Oscil Amp A, B, C: are the volume envelopes of the Main Oscillator in the three Oscillator

Modules.

Oscil FM Index/Balance A, B, C: controls the ratio between the channels main oscillators
and their modulation oscillators.
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Filter Freq A, B, C, Master: corner and middle frequencies of the Filter Modules in Channels

A through C and Master.

10.6.1Note-dependent Modulation
In order to set up a note-dependent modulation for a parameter, first choose the desired parameter from the Parameter menu on the upper left-hand side of the Note Page. In the curve presentation in the center of the Note page you see the progress of the modulation value over the entire tone; in the standard setting, the values of all notes are the equal. For which reason you see a horizontal line. To adjust the Modulation Attitude, draw the desired curve in this presentation using your mouse. This way, you can establish a modulation value for the all MIDI note values very quickly. If you find this process too inaccurate, you can also set the target values for individual notes. First determine the note to which you want to assign an individual value. You have two possible ways to select a note: Either change the value directly in Note control, or click on the Keyboard switch and play the desired note on your MIDI keyboard or on the Virtual Keyboard. With Scale control you can enter the value of the Modulation directly in the manner previously described for the selected MIDI note.

10.6.2Glide

The function Glide produces gradual transitions between multiple notes following after each known as Glissando. You might know this function under the name Portamento from other instruments. The Glide control lets you determine the duration of the pitch transitions. The default value is 0; with this setting the function Glide is not active, and the tones are produced without Glissando. If you enter a higher value, you thereby determine the duration of the Glissando in milliseconds. With the Legato switch you can switch between the portamento variants: in the mode Glide (when the Legato switch is not pressed) the transition of the pitched notes is gradual and independent of the manner of play. If you activate the Legato switch, the notes are only produced with a gradual transition when you are playing Legato. When you play Staccato that is, without overlapping the hold time the transitions between notes are not gradual.

Number of Inputs: Specifies the number of inputs used in the oscillators (see section 5.4

Oscillator Module).

Number of Outputs: Specifies the number of outputs set in the Output Setup (see section
5.4 Oscillator Module). Note that the format of the Meta Information has been unified among a number of different NI software instruments such as MASSIVE, ABSYNTH 5 and FM8 as well as our software live host KORE 2 in order to provide a common environment for your work. Some of the displayed values may, however, not be active within all of these instruments. For instance, Color is of no importance within ABSYNTH 5 itself. You can search through all of the entries of the Meta Information with the Search Field of the Browser. For example, you can enter the name of the project created for your sound in the first place into the Comment field. By using the database you can access it easily in all future projects, and if you need all sounds used in a particular project, you can find them by entering the projects name into the Search Field. All sounds you save are automatically integrated into the database. While this is very comfortable for browsing you dont have to worry about where the KORE SOUND files are actually stored you should take a moment while saving a new KORE SOUND to set its attributes. If you dont do this, your database will quickly become less useful, as you wont be able to find your own sounds easily. Take a look at Appendix A and Appendix B for an explanation of all attributes as well as some basic examples. After entering the Meta Information and setting the attributes according to your sound, you can save it by clicking the Save button within the Navigation Bar. This button will bring up a Save As dialog asking you for the new KORE SOUND files name and the location to save it. If you saved the sound previously, this may overwrite the old file unless you rename it at this point; if so, ABSYNTH will ask you whether or not you really want to overwrite it. By default, the dialog box will suggest to save the sound to the user content folder or one of its sub-folders. The user content folder is created during installation and can be found in My Documents/Absynth 5/My Sounds (Windows) or [User]/Documents/Absynth 5/My Sounds (Mac OS X). You can access this folder within the Browsers File Tree View by selecting the My Sounds entry. As explained above, you can use your operating system to delete or rename files within these folders. ABSYNTH 5 Reference Manual 173

12.2.3Options

You have a few more options at you disposal:
Stereo switch: If activated, two channels will be recorded; if not, a mono mix will be recorded. Note that you cannot overdub stereo and mono signals together.
Options button: By clicking on the Options button in the bottom row, you open the Options
dialog. This dialog allows you to activate/deactivate the Undo function (see below) and define the maximum duration of your recordings (1, 2, 3, 5 or 7 minutes).
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12.2.4Once the Recording Is Finished
The first three buttons on the bottom row control what to do with you recording:
Undo button: Removes the last recording layer from your recording. Save button: Opens a file dialog which allows you save you recording as a file on your hard
disk. Choose a name and a path for your recording. You can choose to save your recording as a WAV or AIFF file. Finally, press the Save button to store the file.
Clear button: Flushes the whole recording buffer without saving.
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13 Appendix A How to Work with Attributes
This chapter will provide several examples on how to search for sounds and effects with the sound Browser. Youll learn the meaning and the definitions of the supplied Attributes, as well as the logic behind their arrangement. We will discuss how to search for specific sounds or effects effectively, and how to supply Attributes for your own sounds and effects. A detailed explanation of all Attributes can be found in Appendix B. Note that you can search for both instruments and effects since the approach is the same. The following explanations will focus on instruments only. First, switch to the Browser Window and activate the Database View by activating the Sounds button. Then click on the Instruments button at the top of the Browser.
The Browser is arranged in five columns. Your search should begin with the leftmost column and then filter the results as you move toward the rightmost column. Some columns have internal groupings, so work with a left to right/top to bottom protocol when searching for sounds.
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13.1The Instrument Column
The Instrument column acts as the starting point for your search and describes a sounds basic instrumental quality:
The first thing you probably did was to click on Synth to find a sound, as ABSYNTH is a synthesizer. Youll wonder why weve included so many acoustic instruments as Attributes. The practice of imitating acoustic instruments has a long history. Synthesizing brass, woodwinds or strings in analog synths has become so familiar to sound designers, that sounds like Mellow Strings or Fat Brass have become familiar preset names for synthesized sounds. On the other hand, there are sounds that are clearly based on acoustic instruments, yet they dont sound anything like the acoustic original. For example, you might have an ABSYNTH KORE SOUND, which uses a sample of an acoustic flute as material for granular synthesis. Clearly, this sound is only possible with digital synthesizers, but the origin of the sound is still an acoustic instrument. So youd choose Flute in this column to look for such a sOf course there are many sounds that have no connection to any acoustic instrument, so youll probably find these sounds categorized as Synth, Soundscapes, Sound Effects or Other. Also, dont worry if youre looking for Pads or Leads, and cant find these Attributes under Instruments. You can specify this in the Articulation column, letting you distinguish between, for example, String and Synth Pads. ABSYNTH 5 Reference Manual 180

FM Additive Granular Physical Model: These four Attributes specify the audible perception and/or synthesis technique of the sound. Note that an Attribute like FM does not necessarily mean that the sound uses the actual technique of frequency modulation, but it clearly sounds like FM. Lets assume you are looking for a typical FM bass sound. This sound could be produced by actual frequency modulation, or by using a sample. If youre sure you want true FM synthesis, you would check Synthetic, and then you can be confident that your FM Bass was generated using this technology.
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The next six Attributes are grouped in pairs and specify the sounds source:
Solo/Single Ensemble/Kit Small Big Dry Processed
These are clearly opposites (e.g., a sound cannot be dry and processed at the same time). Please refer to Appendix B for a complete set of definitions.

13.3The Timbre Column

The Timbre column specifies a KORE SOUNDs timbre. It is made up mostly of Attribute pairs:
It is important to realize that this columns Attributes have to be seen in relation to the selected Attributes in the Instrument and Source columns (that is why it is a good idea to always go from left to right).
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For example, a bass instrument is obviously low in nature; therefore you dont have to additionally select Low. However, you could still do it for bass sounds that clearly exhibit low frequencies like a sub bass. Note that Attributes like Warm or Exotic are highly subjective. It is important to consider the expressiveness of such Attributes in relation to the instrument. Please refer to the Appendix B for a complete set of definitions.
13.4The Articulation Column
The Articulation column serves two purposes: It describes how the sound progresses over time; and it gives you information regarding how to use the sound.
In previous versions of ABSYNTH, youd have to work with preset names like Slow Strings, Dream Pad (+rls) or Monsta Synth (lead). But a preset name is not really the best place to indicate the sounds intended application. With the Articulation column you can define exactly what the Sound is about, and its intended use. Especially in a live situation, the knowledge of how a sound is meant to be played is quite important: If for example a sound is categorized as Chord, you know immediately that hitting one key results in a chord, meaning that if you play a chord on the keyboard the result will be rather messy. ABSYNTH 5 Reference Manual 184

13.5The Genre Column

Surround: A sound using surround-sound technology.
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14.1.3 Timbre

This set of attributes describes the sonic composition of the sound (always considering the selected instrument).
High: Used for high pitched sounds and to distinguish similar timbres by their range, like
a piccolo flute, hi-hat, bells etc.
Low: Used for low pitched sounds and to distinguish similar timbres by their range, like
a bass clarinet, kick drum, sub bass etc.
Distorted: A sound featuring obvious distortion/overdrive. Saturated and heavily bit reduced
sounds are also found here.
Clean: A sound featuring no distorted sound elements at all. Can be used to further
specify instrument groups, e.g. clean electric guitar.
Bright: A sound with emphasized high frequencies. Dark: A sound with de-emphasized high frequencies, perhaps from lowpass filtering. Warm: A sound with an organic, pleasing ambience, often associated with analog sounds.
Technically speaking, warm sounds tend to have a bit more lower midrange emphasis and not too many highs.
Cold: Not a natural sound, but a more electronic/digital sound. Fat: A room-filling sound, e.g., an analog super sawtooth sound, also to be used with

typical unison sounds.

Thin: A small sound or a sound with a narrow frequency band. Hard: A general, rather subjective interpretation of a sound. Can be used to differentiate
similar instruments (e.g., vibraphone with hard mallets). Also associated with hard-synced oscillators.
Soft: A general, rather subjective interpretation of a sound. Can be used to differentiate
similar instruments (e.g., vibraphone with soft mallets).
Muted: A sound with a muted or damped quality, like a muted guitar or con sordino
strings. Usually found on acoustic instruments (a dark sound is not necessarily muted).
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Detuned: A sound with detuned oscillators to create floating tones, like saw leads used in
trance music or honky-tonk piano. This is not used when the oscillators are tuned a fifth apart (see Chord), and it is not used with instruments that use micro intervals and/or non-standard tunings.