- Expanded Sound Library
ABSYNTH 5 contains more than 200 new synth sounds, fully taking advantage of the new filter and effects, to create brand-new, unusual sound material. In addition, there are 30 new effect settings for using ABSYNTH 5 as an extraordinary effect unit. In total, the number of ABSYNTH 5 sounds now stands at around 1,800.


- The Mutator - Simple sound design
With ABSYNTH 5 you do not need deep knowledge of synthesizers or sound design skills to create your own professional sounds. The new Mutator technology represents an entirely fresh approach to sound design, allowing the intuitive combination of sound characteristics from several sounds of the factory library, without dealing with the complex Editor Pages of the oscillators, envelopes and effects sections.

If, for example, you want to add a "dirty" character to a soft pad sound, you could take the characteristics of a distorted bass from the ABSYNTH Library and apply them to the pad. This can be easily done using the KoreSound Browser, where you can find all your desired musical properties/attributes.

It's also easy to define which elements of the sound should be mutated - e.g. Oscillator settings, filters, envelopes, effects - or everything together. The Randomize fader provides additional random variations. All of the newly-generated sounds and variations can be compared in the new Sound History window, and then be tagged with your desired attributes and saved for future use.

In addition, the Mutator's eight fine-tuning controls provide quick access to eight sound properties, such as brightness, bass, resonance, distortion and effects, for instant tweaking of your newly created sounds.


- Aetherizer Effect
The new Aetherizer is enormously powerful and versatile. A sophisticated granular effect "decomposes" the sounds in to the smallest particles ("grains"), which are then manipulated and re-assembled in a variety of ways. The results are unusual chorus and vocoder sounds, grain clouds, delays, pitch shifts, reverbs and strange reflections - and everything in between. This effect (as with all ABSYNTH effects) is also for working with external audio signals (e.g. audio tracks in a sequencer) - a playground for creative sound manipulation!

- Cloud Filter
The Cloud Filter has a similar structure as the Aetherizer's granular effect, but acts in each of the three oscillator channels. It provides granular-based results such as unusual Chorus, Pitch Shift and reverb effects, and can make synth sounds that are dense and aggressive.

- Supercomb Filter
This new Comb Filter creates expanding physical-modelling-like sounds with finely adjustable resonance, which means even more realistic, acoustic and voluminous sounds can be achieved.

- Filter Feedback
Many filter types in the oscillator channels now offer an additional feedback path for more drastic sound manipulation, creating significantly more complex, dirty and distorted results. This feedback loop allows you to send a portion of the filter's output back to its input, and makes the use of modulators such as wave-shapers, frequency shifters or ring modulators which vastly increase the possibilities for adding distortion to your sound.


- Other new features:
Improved signal quality due to optional over-sampling in many modules, thus reducing "noise"
Support for Windows XP / Vista 64-bit systems

Improved patch loading times including new sample search logic.
Absynth 4 now instantiates faster in hosts.
Several bug fixes.

New and improved features:
Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard" compatibility

Fixes:
Several minor fixes

* New FX surround modulation section
* New Audio Recorder
* New VST Stereo loader provides support for Cubase 4 instrument tracks and resolves mono issues in other hosts (Acid 6, Energy XT)
* Envelope window is resizable now
* Support for multiple sample paths
* Full surround support for RTAS plug in interface
* Improved Absynth 4 sound library with decided surround sounds
* Absynth Sounds Vol. 1 are included in Absynth 4 now
* Extended and restructured Universal Library
* Full support for KORE single sound format
* Support for new Demo mode
* Increased stability due to many bug fixes

* New FX surround modulation section
* New Audio Recorder
* New VST Stereo loader provides support for Cubase 4 instrument tracks and resolves mono issues in other hosts (Acid 6, Energy XT)
* Envelope window is resizable now
* Support for multiple sample paths
* Full surround support for RTAS plug in interface
* Improved Absynth 4 sound library with decided surround sounds
* Absynth Sounds Vol. 1 are included in Absynth 4 now
* Extended and restructured Universal Library
* Full support for KORE single sound format
* Support for new Demo mode
* Increased stability due to many bug fixes

- The KoreSound® Browser and KORE
All 1,200 presets, including 200 brand-new ones, have been pre-configured for use with KORE and categorised as KoreSounds. The KoreSound® Browser brings a high degree of simplicity and speed to the task of finding and managing presets. Browse and filter according to a number of different sonic criteria and attributes or just enter a keyword or phrase in the free search mode – the results are displayed instantly.

- Master The Sound
The addition of a freely-definable master ADSR feature greatly simplifies the use of ABSYNTH 4. Presets can be manipulated without the need to dive into the depths of the more advanced features, allowing sounds to be easily personalized. Simply adjust the attack, decay, sustain and release of the active preset and listen to its sonic character gradually change.

- Flexible Flow
The 3 channels in the patch window are the source of the stunning ABSYNTH sound. The signal flow within these 3 channels is now freely-definable, generating an even wider range of sounds. An additional oscillator module, the "Sync Granular mode", produces particularly organic sounds. The sensational wave morphing feature enables the individual oscillators in the channels to blend different waveforms into one another, exponentially increasing ABSYNTH's sonic potential.

- Ease Of Use
The tempo-synced 68-breakpoint envelopes can control practically all the synthesis, sampling, and effect parameters - guaranteeing some striking sonic results. Envelope templates make working with this powerful feature easy and straightforward. The addition of an envelope step mode delivers huge scope for variation. The creative potential is overwhelming. Sixteen macro controls allow you to adjust multiple parameters simultaneously. All the macro controls map automatically onto KORE's control elements.

- Modulation Concept
The modulation concept has been completely revised. Targets are now freely definable, adding still yet more versatility to an already flexible synthesizer. Assign any number of parameters to one of the 16 available controls – simply select the macro control from a drop-down menu. The level of an audio signal or an oscillator can also be used to modulate other parameters. Moving and evolving sounds at the click of a button!

- ABSYNTH Sample Library
ABSYNTH 4 also includes a small yet powerful sample library consisting of over 400 samples, all especially created to be used with ABSYNTH'S sample or granular mode. The emhasis of the library is on variety and efficiency: just set up a preset with the oscillator set to granular or sample mode and select a sample from the library.
The samples are conveniently sorted into 22 categories, ranging from acoustic instruments to percussion, from morphing textures to vocal sounds and so forth. Also included are over 60 "Multisamples". These are single samples which have ten different samples spaced at even intervals, perfectly suited for use with ABSYNTH's sample jump envelopes.

New:
One new preset bank from Brian Clevinger called 'Active_Aurora.glo'. The update installer will automatically install the new file into the 'Sound Library' folder.
64 new Universal Library files. The update installer will automatically install these new files into the respective folders in the 'Libraries' folder.

Fixes:
8 outputs in plug in mode.
Many fixes in the envelope page.
Saving of note scaling fixed.
Remembers selected view on re-opening the plug in window.
Surround LFE fixed.
Consolidate Bank fixed.
Hide keyboard in AU DP now works.
Auto-balance setting is now remembered in menu entry.

- Many fixes, stability improvements, and enhancements for all platforms
- Diverse minor cosmetic enhancements
- GUI update issues solved
- Undo waveform edit fixed
- Copy, Paste & Undo function for notescale fixed
- Control of sliders in the 3rd row fixed
- Redraw issue when loading channel in the patch window fixed
- Pitch wheel visualisation when using a MIDI device
- "Import Preset" dialog cancel issue solved

- Optimized user-interface: ABSYNTH 3 is now a One-window application. All sub-pages appear within the same window – the separate Edit Window when using ABSYNTH as a plug-in is no longer necessary. The interface is also equipped with numerous additional details improving the overall operation.
- Surround Sound: The sophisticated surround sound features allow the placement and movement of the sound or its individual components within a spatial environment – ideal for film and multimedia productions. The 3 oscillator channels can all be panned independently from one another using the envelopes.
- New Presets: 256 new presets of various different categories, bringing the total number of presets included in ABSYNTH to over 1000.
- Live Input: The new stereo input in the patch window greatly expands ABSYNTH's sonic potential. It can now be used as an effect unit, manipulating live signals or sequencer tracks. Process up to three external stereo or mono signals at once, routing each into a separate oscillator channel.
- Unison Mode in the Patch Window: The Unison function combines eight detuned oscillators simultaneously, creating especially fat sounds whilst still only using one channel.
- Real-Time Fractalize: Oscillator waveforms can be fractalized in real-time, creating unique effects ranging from subtle changes to bizarre formant-like effects. The fractalization parameters can of course be controlled using ABSYNTH's powerful envelopes.
- "Free-Run" Oscillator Mode: Causes subtle changes in polyphonic sounds.
- Frequency Shifter: This new modulation mode within the Patch Window is similar to ring modulation, but creates more subtle effects and offers a more exact control of the sound.
- Envelopes: Many detailed improvements in the envelope functions guarantee a faster and more exact creation of lively, dynamic sounds.
- 2 New Effects: Echo, Effect Resonator
- LFOs: As well as left/right panning, the extended LFO-panning can also be used to move sounds forward and backward. Depending on the LFO waveform, a rotating effect (sinus wave) or other, more complex movements can be achieved.

- In Absynth Edit, in the envelope editor the grid and all tempo-synced envelopes will visually rescale to match the tempo of the host.
- The GUI keyboard has improved behavior. It now displays notes that are actually sounding, rather than displaying all midi note-ons that Absynth has received.
- More reliable audio hardware support.
- On some dual processor configurations under Panther, previous versions of Absynth Edit would crash on launch.
- Many smaller bugfixes

- 16 simultaneous instances now possible in plug-in mode.
- Tempo % scale parameter introduced in plug-in window.
- Many fixes, stability improvements, and enhancements for all platforms
- Timing problems in Logic Audio fixed
- Sample import fixed for 24-bit files
- Better connection between AbsynthEdit and Absynth plug-in
- AbsynthEdit now always launches reliably
- Patch window now always displays the correct patch