massive or absynth.. any opinions

bug nasty · Post by **bug nasty** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 9:44 am

massive users what are your thoughts? I really like them both but have to decide on one. Im thinking maybe absynth because i can import samples.

D DAS · Post by **D DAS** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:26 am

i can't speak for massive but i am a long time absynth user and i love it, and yes the fact you can import your own sample s to use is a huge plus. absynth can achieve almost any sound you want.

but again i have not even tried massive.

R.J.Dubya · Post by **R.J.Dubya** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:30 am

I'd say it sorta depends what other synths you have.

Massive has a pretty unique sound and can be meaner than any synth out there. It's a nice addition certainly.

However, having both of them myself, I would say that absynth would probably be a better deal if it's intended to be a heavily used synth. The cpu useage in absynth is way lower (unless you're using the absynth 4 presets), and it's got alot of tricks.

polyslax · Post by **polyslax** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 11:06 am

The Massive sound doesn't do a lot for me. Nice UI, specs and everything tho.

Otoh, Absynth 4 really knocks me out. I sold Absynth at v2, but after demoing v4 I totally fell in love with it again and re-purchased. It's a very unique synth. I also grabbed Galbanum's single cycle waves for Absynth, which really expands the sound palette.

b0unce · Post by **b0unce** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 11:39 am

Hey polyslax,
I've been eyeing those waveforms too, for metasynth ...can you tell me a little about them ?

these waveforms only act as the oscilator, right ?

is the absynth waveform package simply all the wavs + the approrpriate absynth file to reference them all?
or is it a bunch of special absynth files ?

I ask because I think I'd like the wavs too, you can use single cycle waveforms in a sampler like SAMPLER ? just a matter of setting up the loop point correctly ?

also, whats the sample import like with absynth (4) ? ... like, could you import & map a sample for each key ala multisampling ? .....or is it just one soundfile at a time kind of thing ? ......I guess importing samples is just about running them through EFX ?.

cheers for the absynth 411.

polyslax · Post by **polyslax** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 1:51 pm

The Absynth package has the .wav files converted to Absynth format. You could do this on your own, but x1800 files - no thanks. It's a fairly inexpensive deal, and I'm actually considering buying the .wav kit as well for use in Sampler and Rapture.

Yeah, it's just like choosing a waveform in any synth's osc.

Pretty sure the Galbanum .wavs would be good to go in Sampler, yes prob just set the loop point, if that.

No multi-sampling import in Absynth. Although I suppose you could work something out using the 3 oscillators, it would probably be painful.

Liam · Post by **Liam** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 6:20 pm

You should check out the demo software and the tutorials available from the NI website.

I own both and would highly recommend them. Masive does have some incredible routing capabilities. See the video tutorial for an insight into how it works.

D DAS · Post by **D DAS** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 7:04 pm

polysax,
do you have a link for the waveform package?

i googled it but only found press releases on it, no purchase spots

C.S. · Post by **C.S.** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 7:09 pm

http://www.galbanum.com/products/architecture-ni/

Well worth it.

Contra · Post by **Contra** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 8:24 pm

Liam wrote:You should check out the demo software and the tutorials available from the NI website.

I own both and would highly recommend them. Masive does have some incredible routing capabilities. See the video tutorial for an insight into how it works.

is the 19 minute video thhey have for download?

if so, then yea that video sold me on Massive (had the demo before, but wheni saw the video it was more of a seller.)

bug nasty · Post by **bug nasty** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 9:32 pm

Thanks for the food. Tried both the demos. Think im going with abysynth.

solar28 · Post by **solar28** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 9:36 pm

I'm all over Massive and I already have Absynth. If you have to choose between them, absynth is probably a better first purchase because of it's multitiude of oscillator types and intense envelopes.

But massive -- when I first saw it, I thought, big deal. But after trying the demo, I was sold. It really has, IMO, the most accessible modulation routing system yet. You can get movement out of it that only a few synths can compete with.

b0unce · Post by **b0unce** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:44 pm

which synths you talkin about?

Machinesworking · Post by **Machinesworking** » Sun Dec 31, 2006 10:46 pm

bug nasty wrote:Thanks for the food. Tried both the demos. Think im going with abysynth.

That would be my choice, Massive is an unadultrated PIG on both the G5 and the intel macbook here. Nice sounding, but not so nice that the CPU expense is worth it as a goto synth. For my music Absynth is a goto synth. MASSIVE (btw copyright laws make it MASSIVE, instead of massive.... hee-larious!) simply isn't so unique that the sound it produces couldn't be 99% done by a less CPU intensive plug in.

julienb · Post by **julienb** » Mon Jan 01, 2007 4:24 pm

I'm using both
They are so great
I explore, test, experiment new sounds...

I just have one problem!
I use them with Live as plugin VST and there are a lot of strange things about the database of preset

as a plugin, sometimes, and even if I first used it as stand alone module, GUI becomes crazy and I cannot view anyhing in the browser windows
When it happens, I have to rebuild database...
and after that, ok ! no problem

I didn't still correlate it to another thing I can do
...

if someone has an idea...