Native Instruments Absynth 4

Setting up Native Instruments' Absynth in my DAW, similar to setting up Massive and FM8, was a breeze. However, like the others this semi-modular synthesizer is pretty intimidating at first sight. With a complicated, dynamic interface, the new user is exposed to a sensory overload of parameters that may be hard to sift through. My recommendation remains static: go through the presets and tweak the parameters that are affected to see how they are affecting the signal, then use those techniques in your own original sounds. This is made even easier by the 1,200 presets that Native Instruments supplies with the program. Yet, if you are having trouble figuring something particular out, the manual though dauntingly large is well put together and informative. It should be able to help. So, in short, is this an easy plug-in? No. And it may take a while before it is easy for you to make the sounds you want to make, but is it worth it? Absolutely.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

Running on my MacBook Pro with a 2.7Ghz Intel Core i7 processor with 4GBs of RAM, Absynth works fine. I have had some issues with CPU usage if I have Absynth and Massive running at the same time on multiple tracks in Ableton Live 8, but for the most part it is a stable, reliable plug-in. I have been using this synth for almost a year and have been able to effectively implement its use in my production of DubStep, Electronica, and Hip-Hop. Like Massive and FM8, Absynth is very easy to program to a midi controller and works well in a live environment as there are many parameters to map, manipulate, and play around with.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall Native Instruments' Absynth is an expansive, expressive synthesizer that is a very capable tool for the driven producer. My advice, for beginners and experts is to give it a chance. I am a fan of Native Instruments products and have dedicated a lot of time to exploring sound through their lenses, but still feel as though I have much to learn from these plug-ins. If you are interested in sound design or just a producer for fun, you can benefit from playing around with this huge synth - there is even a demo to prove it. As far as its value compared to its price, $200 is on the low end of music production software prices and the product is on the high end of music production software, so I believe it is comparable. But I encourage you to experience it for yourself and see if it is what you're looking for. Out of all of the Native Instruments products I admittedly use Massive the most, but Absynth has made significant appearances in my productions and I would certainly recommend it.

There were no compatibility issues with this plugin.  It installed correctly and functions well in Logic 9, Ableton 7 and as a Standalone unit. 
The manual is pretty large for this guy.  It is clear and sufficient, but, if you are familiar with plugin synths, I would just poke around for awhile and get used to it first.  Then, when you have questions, the manual is adequately indexed so you can find you answers quickly.  That's what I did and I feel fairly confident using this massive synth to get awesome sounds.
Overall, no the configuration is not simple.  Its quite a beast with a lot of parameters to tweak.  However, the preset setup is pretty nice.  If you have used any Native Instrument synths before, this is a familiar face.  If not, it won't take but a minute or two to quickly surf through presets.
It depends on what functions you deem typical when asking if they are easily accessible.  I tend to mess with the basic attack/decay type parameters on synths and I have to say, its not very easy to locate these functions.  There are a ton of options (maybe too many for my purposes).

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I run a Macbook with the programs mentioned earlier and a Presonus Firebox for my main performance rig.  Yes, it works flawlessly in this configuration. 
So far, it has never crashed on me or lost any of my presets. 
I would give it a 10 out of 10 for sounds, they really are amazing in this synth, but I would give it a 7 out of 10 for accessibility.  There is a little too much going on for my tastes, maybe that will change when I have more time to learn about this huge plugin.  So I guess I'll give it an 8 out of 10 overall. 
I have been using this synth for almost a year.

OVERALL OPINION

What I like most about this unit is its vast array of quality presets.  They are a good way to get your creative juices flowing.  Set a good preset up and start messing with familiar parameters and you can get some unique bombshells out of this guy.  I also recommend messing with parameters you have no idea about to see what they do, you can get some whacky stuff going on this way too, but be careful, don't mess with everything at once or you might not know how to get back to the sweet sound you just had. 
What I don't like about this synth is the overall interface.  I find that most Native Instruments are harder to use than other plugins I have come across.  I wish there was a way to make it larger so the font was easy to read when playing live and simpler to navigate through, but you can't always get what you want. 
Besides that, it is an amazing unit packed with a ton of quality sounds.
I think I paid around $200 for this guy.  Thats about average for a nice synth plugin so I am happy about the price.
The sounds that come out of this thing are truly awesome.  I write a lot of "Radiohead" and "Flaming Lips" style music and this thing fits that glove very well. 
I have a bunch of different soft synths, but I find myself drifting towards this guy when I want something a little strange and very unique. 
Yes, I would definitely purchase this synth again.  My studio partner might even upgrade to Komplete 5 so I will get to play with the new Absynth.

It installed without incident. Total installation time was maybe 10 minutes, so it's pretty quick. You'll have to register your serial number and make sure your DAW program knows you have a new plug installed. The configuration is very easy after the installation. All you really have to worry about is making sure your MIDI controller is going in through the right channel in order to control this soft synth. The manual is very lengthy and detailed, actually to a fault. I think the detail they provide would go over most people's heads, because it gets down to the nitty gritty of synth technology.

SUITABILITY/PERFORMANCE

I have a custom built PC. It has Windows XP and I am running Cubase as my DAW platform. The hardware is based on an Intel dual core processor with 4GB of RAM. Absynth works perfectly fine on my system. It is installed in the VST format. The CPU efficiency is very good. Even when it's playing a complicated sounding synth part, this program never seems to cause more than maybe 3% of my CPU overhead to be used. Compared with other synth plug-ins that is very good. It is very stable, it hasn't crashed.

OVERALL OPINION

I got Absynth about 6 months ago even though it's been out for a long time. I had been using other synths for a while and I wanted to try out something new that is more customizable. That is really the key word with this software - customization. The amount that you can edit sounds is incredible. You can basically build up your own synth sound from scratch with the tools that you are given. It is a little bit overwhelming, so people new to synthesis will probably want to stick to the presets for a while (which all sound very good, by the way). But after getting the hang of it, you can start to build your own patches. If you are into customizing your synth sounds, then this is the program for you. Highly recommended.

Installation without problem.
Manual without much interest.

ADQUATION / PERFORMANCE

3 Ghz PC with Win XP and Cubase SX2.
M-audio sound card FW Solo.
Stable, no problem, even with Internet on the machine.
Absynth poses no worries resource, it uses only if the envelopes are opened.

NOTICE GLOBAL

Fan since version 1.
I love everything about Absynth.
Another model of predilection: Moog Modular V.

For a complete CR, you can read my article on SDO.
It also includes some "no no" to address the programming:
https://www.sounddesigners.org/index.php?module=Articles&func=viewpage&pageid=33