MX4 versus Absynth 3

[dfener]

I am considering purchasing MX4 or Absynth 3. Any thoughts on which one is better, both in terms of sound and versatility? Has anyone compared them side-by-side?

[thracks]

You're talking about two very different beasts altogether. It depends on what type of sound you want to get out of your synth. The biggest difference between to two would be Absynth's envelopes. Multiple breakpoints, syncable etc. Read up on N.I.'s website, listen to the demos. They're both good synths. Maybe you should just get both!

[dfener]

I am looking for Ozric Tentacles-like sounds -sort of trippy and heavily evolving, and definitely syncable. Is MX4 not syncable? I listened to the Absynth demos. Very cool, but it's hard to tell what you can do with a synth until you actually play with it, as I found out much to my disappointment with Atmosphere. Sounds like Absynth is the one for me if I can only choose one. Thanks for your input.

[jon]

Originally posted by Briscoe:
I am looking for Ozric Tentacles-like sounds -sort of trippy and heavily evolving, and definitely syncable. Is MX4 not syncable? I listened to the Absynth demos. Very cool, but it's hard to tell what you can do with a synth until you actually play with it, as I found out much to my disappointment with Atmosphere. Sounds like Absynth is the one for me if I can only choose one. Thanks for your input.

Absynth is great but i like a good old fashioned keyboard synth...Xtra cheese included!

[thracks]

MX4 will sync to MIDI. It's very flexible in that regard, but it doesn't have Absynth's multi-step envelopes. I think you can have 64 break points in an envelope generator (?)(!) This is the main difference. (among many other differences mind you.)

[stretta]

MX4 2.0's new pattern sequencer can be used to trigger envelopes. This enables you to create patterns of envelopes, much like Absynth's multi-stage envelopes. In some respects, if beat-synced multiple envelope triggering is what you're looking for, MX4 is actually a lot easier. Once your envelope shape is defined, you simply click off when you want the envelope to trigger, drum machine style.

As far as MX4 syncing to your project, the following options are available:

MX4 1.0:
six beat synced LFOs (including sample & hold)
synced delay

MX4 2.0 adds the following beat-synced features (among others):
pattern gate
arp
pattern sequencer (with envelope triggering)
sample & hold

Ozric Tentacles bubbles require an arpeggiator and a delay. An arp is built into DP (assuming you use it), but it will be nice to save arp patterns into an MX4 2.0 preset (or if you use MX4 outside of DP) I'm sure you can get some nice OT bubbling sounds with MX4 1.0 and an arp. Perhaps I should cook up some OT-inspired presets.

[Nama]

Mx4 2??? Where is it????

[stretta]

information here:

MX4 2.0 info

[gearboy]

Wow, Ozric Tentacles sound design discussions on Unicornation. Ed would be so happy. I'll have to let him know.

I highly suggest either the NI Pro53 or GMedia impOSCar to cover the early OT sounds. The Ozrics used an OSC OSCar and a SCI Pro One up until the late 90s and most of the "bubbles", leads, etc were done on these synths. Both the impOSCar and the Pro53 sound great and can easily handle these duties. My bass player owns a Pro One and I own a Six Trak and have played a Prophet 10 and Prophet 600. We know the SCI sound and I'm telling you that the Pro53 IS the real deal. It also works well with DP. I usually have like 5-10 instances open between the impOSCar and the Pro53.

You can use the sequencer in DP to write out patterns to feed these soft synths. Simply create a patch in your analog of choice with a high Resonance in the filter and experiment with and tweak the ADSR so that the attack is around 50% and vary the decay. Cut off the sustain and the release all the way. Bubbles!

If the MX4 can cover the analog side of things really well then give MOTU your support and spark up some OT-inspired sounds with it. I still have not heard it so I simply do not know.

Absynth 3 is simply awesome for evolving soundscapes. Think of the Strangitude / Jurassic Shift / Arborescence years an the atmospheres that the Ozrics created on those albums. Through not a vector synth like a Korg Wavestation, Absynth 3 is simply an amazing pad machine. You can create the most complex evolving soundscapes with it. It is quite simply the deepest synth that I have ever played with, besides Reaktor.

Speaking of Korg, the Korg Legacy edition sounds absolutely fantastic. Another thought. That MS20 filter is ridiculous, and the Wavestation has all of the original patches. Really nice synth package.

Nice to see some other OT fans on here. They are touring the States in March.

Jeff

[adidas1]

Absynth 3 vs MX4 isnt a fair comparison they both are looking to standout from each other. The MX4 is considered of a all n one design your own synth instrument. Absynth is really half synth and sample instrument merge into one. They really cant be compared because of this difference. The only possible comparison would be how strange these two can be programed. As far as comparisons, the closes thing to Absynth would be Korgs Legacy Cell an both are amazing strange sounding. MX4 Ver. 2 may prove closer to being comparable once its release.

[Nama]

I just LOVE the MX4. I can see the endless possibility of it as they keep update it.
It is purely a synthesizer, no samples.

I wish they could make a standalone version to play live. I still use Reason on the stage because I have to fire up DP to play MX4.

[jr213]

Have you checked out RAX?
http://www.grantedsw.com/rax/

Use MX4 Live.

[dfener]

Originally posted by Skycave:
Wow, Ozric Tentacles sound design discussions on Unicornation. Ed would be so happy. I'll have to let him know.

Nice to see some other OT fans on here. They are touring the States in March.

Jeff

Thanks for the great tips. I am actually trying to recreate the evolving sounscapes from the Jurassic Shift and Arborescence albums (ideally, tempo-synced) rather than the bubbles. Do you really know Ed? His music is the reason I have gotten into this crazy hobby. I think I'll try Absynth.