alright now what about Battery?

Ver 4 came out in 2013... jeez. And it's definitely not like there's no room for improvement.

 

I think functional GUIs are underrated, look at Ableton Live or Valhalla's stuff. They do the job. Meanwhile, something many of Arturia's synths, while looking good, is harder to program, because of the GUI

 

Most people are happy that Absynth is getting an update and being adapted to modern requirements.

Your argument about it being a money grab is so out of touch with reality. This programmer works for his money every day, at his own risk. If he doesn't sell enough plugins after they're finished, he'll go bankrupt.

What business is it of yours where someone lives and where they want to live? You can program software anywhere in the world today thanks to the World Wide Web; all you need is electricity and internet access.

 

The best options are always round, labeled knobs. Sliders, like those used in the Plasmonic and MeldaProduction plugins, are the least popular. Some programmers are excellent but completely fail when it comes to GUI design. There are many great designers worldwide who can create a user-friendly GUI for a small fee.

 

oh my god man this guy was my early teenage years learning absynth.
there is NOTHING like absynth. its just EPIC. i dont use it so much but i open it from time to time to remember what true character and personality in VSTi design really is. n o t h i n g will EVER compare to absynth. god bless early NI for fueling my dreams with that one

 

NI have a page up, "Weird by design", where you can sign up for a notification: https://www.native-instruments.com/en/specials/weird-by-design/

I signed up so you don't have to, I'll post here when the synth hits the fan.

 

Last edited: Dec 2, 2025

"weird-by-design"? - Perhaps the new young NI employees haven’t quite got to grips with our old chap of an interface or ended up making it even more confusing. With NI these days, you never quite know what to expect

 

Last edited: Dec 2, 2025

Yeah, I had all but given up on NI coming up with anything new and creative like they did in the past, but then they came up with Massive X which has bizarre by the bucketload. I'm not saying it's the most capable of synths, but it manages to outweird a lot of them. I mean what were they smoking with the oscillators? Love it.

It remains to be seen what A6 will do, but I'm cautiously optimistic. If it's just slightly revamped and improved A5 I'm happy, but you never know.

 

I used a magnifying glass. I'd be happy with glasses.

 

"weird by design" is essentially the entire design principle of reaktor so I'm on board if NI gets interesting again

 

@ambbe : "Sería bueno si se pudiera usar sin gafas."

I never said that, I don't even speak Spanish!

 

Last edited by a moderator: Dec 3, 2025

Native Instruments - Absynth 6 - Creative Hybrid Synthesizer - December 9, 2025

Absynth 6 marks the rebirth of a classic Native Instruments synth, known for its otherworldly sonic character and hybrid nature. Its semi-modular three-channel oscillator engine combines subtractive, FM, wavetable, and granular methods to create unconventional, evolving textures.

A refined interface, new waveform editor, and visual browser make sound design faster and more intuitive, while tools like the Mutator inspire instant creativity with intelligent preset generation. Over 2000 presets, including 350 brand-new sounds, provide a rich starting point.

With polyphonic aftertouch and MPE support, advanced envelopes, signature creative effects like Aetherizer, and full surround sound capability, Absynth 6 is an expressive powerhouse for modern sound exploration.

Main features

• Hybrid semi-modular engine with subtractive, FM, wavetable, and granular synthesis
• Three-channel oscillator architecture with deep modulation
• Redesigned interface for streamlined workflows
• Fully backward compatible with previous Absynth versions
• Over 2000 factory presets, including 350+ new sounds

Creative tools

• Mutator: morph modules with depth and randomness controls, mutation history
• Multi-stage 68-point envelopes with looping, breakpoint curves, and sustain stages
• Sample jump envelopes with randomized LFO movement
• Unique creative effects including Aetherizer and Cloud Filter
• Waveform editor for precise sound sculpting
• Polyphonic aftertouch and full MPE support
• True multichannel surround spatialization

Design & connectivity

• Visual browser for fast, intuitive preset exploration
• Hardware integration with Kontrol keyboards and Maschine
• MTS-ESP support for global microtuning and new harmonic systems

Specifications


Oscillators and synthesis

● Three-channel semi-modular oscillator system

● Subtractive, FM, wavetable, and granular synthesis modes

● Advanced modulation system with macros, velocity, and modwheel assignments

Modulation and envelopes

● Multi-stage 68-point envelopes with looping and breakpoint curves

● Sample jump envelopes for randomized playback movement

● Dedicated modulation LFOs

Effects

● Signature Absynth creative effects including Aetherizer and Cloud Filter

● Per-effect surround sound spatialization

Interface

● Redesigned for a streamlined workflow

● Visual preset browser

● Waveform editor with precision control

Compatibility and integration

● Seamless hardware integration with Kontrol keyboards and Maschine

● MTS-ESP support for real-time microtuning and alternate tunings

● Supports ASIO, Core Audio, and WASAPI

www.native-instruments.com/en/products/komplete/synths/absynth-6/

 

Last edited: Dec 9, 2025 at 2:47 PM

 

Last edited: Dec 9, 2025 at 2:41 PM

Reaktor may be capable of spectral effects so if anything they should upgrade the backend with more synthesis models, effects, chunks of other ensembles so you could use say, a Razor oscillator in a different ensemble or Rounds effects without needing blocks, and upgrades to the sampling so it’s closer in line to Falcon, that one has a lot of sample oscillator types and Reaktor could benefit from something like that

 

What’s New in Absynth 6?

For the most part, Absynth 6 hasn’t changed all that much from version 5. Of course, it looks different, but the core synthesis architecture – a hybrid semi-modular engine that combines subtractive, FM, sample-based, and granular methods – remains the same. It’s still got that revolutionary 68-point envelope generator, the classic intelligent preset generation Mutator section, and effects like Aetherizer and Cloud Filter.

There is something new, too, though. Absynth 6 has modern expressiveness, with full MPE and polyphonic aftertouch. It’s also got surround sound support, with true multichannel surround spatialization and MTS-ESP support for global microtuning, plus new harmonic systems, as well as per-effect surround control in the effects.

AI-Powered Preset Browsing



The new Absynth Preset Explorer is the biggest change. Presented as a visual map, it uses AI to analyze the timbral traits of all the presets and arrange them into a map, much like Algonaut’s Atlas 2 and XO from XLN Audio.

NI is quick to stress that the AI in Absynth 6 is there to support producers, not supplant them. “AI should widen the creative field, not collapse it,” says Andy Sarroff, Head of Applied AI at Native Instruments. “The Preset Explorer listens closely, then gives that insight back to the musician in a way that sparks discovery. It’s a guide, not a substitute for craft.”

Speaking of presets, the new Absynth includes not only legacy patches going all the way back to Absynth 1, and support for version 4 and 5 presets, but new sounds from Brian Eno, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Richard Devine, with more artist patches reportedly on the way.

Introducing Absynth 6 – weird by design | Native Instruments

 

Was going to say, it doesnt sound like it has changed much... if it has its quite subtle.
.

 

Last edited: Dec 9, 2025 at 3:01 PM

edit: probably the best video on the synth atm... protoculture, aside from his actual productions, is known for his great tutorials... and also being a cool guy

 

Last edited: Dec 9, 2025 at 3:21 PM