Native Instruments Absynth 6 review: The return of a vintage classic€199 / €99 upgrade price from Absynth 2 or higher, native-instruments.com
Absynth was a truly groundbreaking synth when launched in 2000, way back at the advent of the soft-synth. It was designed to be an entirely original instrument to showcase the phenomenal potential of real-time, computer-based synthesis.

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By the time its fifth version rolled around in 2010, Absynth’s unique character and astonishing sound-design prowess had gained it many adherents and fans, yet there it stayed at version 5, developmentally dormant and falling ever further behind the technological curve. Despite the writing on the wall being written in metre-high text, it still came as a shock when, in 2022, NI announced its decision to retire Absynth.
Roll the clock forward to 2025 and, with the disgruntlement of fans showing little sign of abating, NI quietly put together a team led by original developer Brian Clevinger and tasked it with giving the aged synth the complete overhaul it has needed for so long.
At long last, rising phoenix-like from the ashes of its outdated code, Absynth 6 has finally arrived.

Balancing old and new
Despite receiving a belt-and-braces rewrite and a number of new features, NI and Clevinger have taken great care to retain everything that made Absynth so special in the first place. The new interface design epitomises this balancing act, being fully refreshed and modernised whilst remaining reassuringly familiar and accessible. Newcomers to the synth will see a smart, slick user interface, while old hands will feel right at home.
Similarly, from the user’s perspective at least, Absynth’s core synth engine remains much the same as it was. It has the same semi-modular architecture featuring three oscillators, each feeding through a pair of processing modules before being mixed into a master bus featuring another pair of processors and an effect module.
Although visually refreshed, Absynth 6’s oscillators are largely unchanged from v5, retaining the same choice of nine models: Single waveform, Double waveform, FM, Ring Mod, Fractalize, Sync Granular, Sample, Granular and Audio In, the last also serving to support Absynth’s effects plugin variant. The only functional difference lies in the Granular engine, where increases in computing power have allowed a four-fold increase in the maximum number of grains it can produce, allowing it to create thicker, richer tones than before.
Unchanged too are the pairs of ‘insert’ processing modules that follow each oscillator, and the further pair of such modules that are the first port of call in the master bus. The graphical reworking makes these look like new modules, but their function remains much the same, offering a choice of modulators (frequency shifter, ring modulator and waveshaper) and 13 different filter models.
Multi-model oscillators and processors are commonplace these days, but Absynth was a pioneer of this concept. Its choice of models isn’t perhaps as sonically diverse as the likes of UVI Falcon or Kilohearts Phase Plant, but they have a clarity and character that lies at the heart of the classic Absynth sound. If it ain’t broke…
Improved effects page. Image: Press
Reworked filters and effects
The filter models have been overhauled, with a new suite of ladder filters (low-pass, high-pass, band-pass and notch) that give a wonderfully analogue-like sound and response. The original Absynth filters are included as ‘legacy’ filters, but these have lost the option to add a modulator to the internal feedback loop, which drives their resonance, an ability that now lies in a new pair of Feedback Filter models.
Also carried over from Absynth 5 are the Comb, Supercomb and Cloud filter models, the latter being a rather novel beast that uses granular processing to create shifting, comb-like filter effects, perfect for the ever-evolving soundscapes for which Absynth is deservedly famous. As with the Granular oscillator, the Cloud filter can now produce a denser cloud of grains thanks to a new ‘HD’ switch, and this gives the filter a smoother, fuller sound.
The effect module, which follows the two master insert processor slots, retains the same choice of six somewhat esoteric processors: Multicomb provides another opportunity to shape and animate the harmonics in a sound, Resonators and Pipe generate natural and artificial resonances, and Echoes and Multitap give two different takes on (relatively) conventional delay effects. But the star of the show is surely the Aetherizer effect, a granular-based delay that can transpose, filter and resonate the grains it produces, and this too has received the same grain density upgrade as the Granular oscillator and Cloud filter.
Innovative patch browser. Image: Press
Searching for sounds with Absynth 6
Admittedly, these changes to Absynth’s sound engine aren’t extensive, but they add massively to the synth’s sound-design potential without losing compatibility with older Absynth patches. In fact, Absynth 6 can load patches from any previous version, so if you have a library of custom patches, they will still work, and the synth comes with all factory presets from previous versions alongside a bunch that are new to v6.
In the patch browser, sounds are categorised by type and sub-type, for example, the Bass category wraps Analog Bass, Bass Line, and more. Nevertheless, finding sounds within such a vast collection would be a creativity-crushing hunt for a needle in a haystack were it not for one of Absynth 6’s most impressive innovations: the Preset Explorer.
This presents a cloud or constellation of dots in which each dot represents a patch within the library and is coloured according to the patch type (bass, pad, lead, etc.). Using an AI deep learning system, the unique timbral qualities of a sound are analysed, and the greater the similarity between two patches, the closer together their dots in the browser. Hovering over a dot reveals its patch name and attributes, clicking a dot focuses the view and auditions the patch’s sound, and double-clicking loads the patch ready to be played. Better yet, the included presets are created by synth heroes Brian Eno, Kaitlyn Aurelia Smith and Richard Devine.
This graphical browser is exceptionally intuitive and, more importantly, makes light work of finding suitable sounds. Once you find something close to what you want, you can easily check out all of the other patches in the same timbral neighbourhood (or, indeed, in completely different neighbourhoods). It really is the most effective sound browsing system I’ve ever encountered.
Improved modulation management. Image: Press
Modulation and mutation
Absynth has a well-deserved reputation for producing endlessly evolving pads and soundscapes, the key to this being its generously flexible parameter modulation tools – 28 envelopes with built-in LFOs and up to 68 breakpoints each, three advanced standalone LFOs with support for custom waveforms, 16 assignable macros and various incoming real-time controllers. The exciting news here is that Absynth now supports MPE slide and polyphonic aftertouch, bringing a new depth of performability to what was already an abundantly expressive instrument.
That aside, the main changes here are, again, visual, with the clunky interfaces of yore replaced with clean, slick views that are much easier on the eye, and feature modern interaction methods that make them far more pleasant to work with. Similarly, the tools for creating custom waveforms for use in oscillators, signal modulators and LFOs have been refreshed so that it’s easier to form accurate shapes, or to position harmonics when creating waveforms in Spectrum editing mode.
And of course, there’s Absynth’s Mutate function, the forebear of parameter randomisation features that are now commonplace. Control over the target and strength of mutation is more manageable, and the obligatory Mutation History list remains, so that you can quickly step back and forth through the results of multiple mutations.
Flexible envelopes. Image: Press
Absynth 6 – worth the wait?
The updates in Absynth 6 may seem meagre given the 15-year hiatus since its previous release, and some may argue they haven’t been worth the wait. This isn’t the right way to look at it, though. After all, was the rerelease of the Minimoog or Sequential Prophet 5 worth the wait? No. But they were welcome returns of unique vintage classics, subtly updated to make them more amenable to modern music makers.
What’s that you say? A software synth can’t wear the ‘vintage classic’ badge? I beg to differ! Absynth has been around for 25 years, the same amount of time as lies between the launch of the Synclavier and the release of NI Kontakt. Similarly, the 12 years between Absynth 5’s launch and the instrument’s (now reversed) retirement is the same as the span between the first Minimoog and the arrival of its nemesis, the Yamaha DX7.
By any reasonable measure, then, Absynth qualifies as a vintage classic synth, and so Absynth 6 should be seen in the same light as any other rereleased classic. And seen in those terms, Absynth 6 is a masterstroke, its updates making it better than ever without sacrificing any of its originality and unique appeal. I absolutely love it!
Key features

Plugin and standalone software synthesizer
Includes effects plugin variant
Semi-modular architecture
3 multi-model oscillators
2 multi-model processor stages per oscillator
2 multi-model master bus processors
28 envelopes with maximum of 68 breakpoints per envelope
3 advanced LFOs
Master effects processor
Custom waveform creator
Mutate parameter randomisation
MPE slide and polyphonic aftertouch
Innovative graphical Preset Browser

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