With its multi-stage envelopes, deep modulation system and capacity for long-form sound design, Absynth by Native Instruments has always offered far more than evolving pads and cinematic textures. Using a single gong sample, we explore how the newly revived instrument can generate a complete, performance-ready techno riff.
Absynth is best known for complex atmospheres, unconventional timbres and sounds that evolve over extended periods. The instrument’s architecture makes it such a powerful instrument for scoring and experimental sound design, but naturally lends itself remarkably well to techno. And the latest update to Absynth 6 , available in Komplete 26, is the most powerful version yet – by far.
Its envelopes can shape far more than amplitude. They can control pitch, filtering, effects and modulation over multiple stages, allowing a single source to become rhythmic, layered and constantly shifting. Shorten those movements, tighten the amplitude contour and introduce repetition, and an expansive texture can quickly become a focused riff or loop.
Absynth 6 builds on that foundation with an expanded set of sound-design and modulation tools. In this tutorial, we’ll use a single gong one-shot as the source for a multi-layered techno patch, transforming it into a heavy, evolving sequence with enough variation to function as the central element of a track.
Everything begins with one sample.
Starting soundKing GongStep 1
First add Absynth 6 to your DAW and program a MIDI clip. You can copy what we have below or make something of your own. We are at BPM129. Select New Preset in Absynth, hit play and we’ll hear a boring sine wave playing our riff. Go to the Patch tab, replace this default oscillator with a Granular Engine and select the Peking Opera Gong.
Starting SineGong sample
Step 2
It sounds a bit more interesting but nowhere near ‘filth’ yet. Detune the sound by 12 semitones / one octave. Then swap to the Grain tab and pull the size down to 3ms. Dirty. And that’s due in no small part to Absynth’s overhauled Granular Engine. The maximum density has now been whacked up to a whopping 32. To hear how it sounded before, drop that Density to 4 and listen to how limp it sounds.
32 densityOld density
Step 3
Envelopes now (the source of Abysnth’s secret… er… sauce). Click Osc A Amp then select Expand to Rhythm from the Transform menu and engage BPM Sync. Next click New Envelope and select Osc A Main Pitch. Click the LFO button and pull the first envelope breakpoint all the way down. Now we have an envelope pumping the level and an LFO creating pitch modulation. And, remarkably, it’s an acid b-line!
Amp envelope actionLFO pitch mod
Step 4
Go to the LFO page and deselect channels B and C from the LFO’s pitch assignment – we only want it to affect this layer of the patch. Now raise the Pitch slider to 25, the time to 1.6919 and the phase to 32.063. This creates some wobbly pitch modulation and some nice, nasty spikes. Even more remarkably, we now have a filthy acid b-line!
Envelope tweaks
Step 5
Now let’s shape it a bit more, and there’s no better tool than Absynth’s new Moog-modelling Ladder filter suite. We’re gonna add a Ladder BP (band-pass) first set to 542.92. This really isolates and highlights that boxy acid mid-range. Next, we add a Ladder Low Pass set to 500.56 and crank the resonance up on this one to 43.875. Now it’s a really filthy acid line.
Moog style filtering
Step 6
Let’s add another layer. Load up a Sample Engine in Channel 2, add the same Peking Opera Gong Sample, then transpose it down 24 semitones. And let’s pull the volume down on Channel A for now so we can hear what we’re doing. Next go to the Envelope section, select the Osc B Amp and use that Expand to Rhythm function again. Now change the Mode to Retrigger.
Layer two basicAdded rhythmPlaying with breakbeat
Step 7
Pull the beat length / timing down to 0.250 to generate a fast, syncopated, almost delay-like vibe. Then grab the bottom of the two pink circles and pull it to the left to the start of the second envelope spikes. What we’ve done here is tell Absynth to rhythmically retrigger the envelope until the second two MIDI notes play, at which point the retriggering stops and the rest of the envelope plays. Now it’s got groove.
Fast retrggerEnvelope syncopationNow add the four four
Step 8
Let’s add Abysnth’s lush new Aetherizer effect. Instead of feeding it with the Master signal, pull that slider all the way down and use only the input from our new Channel B. Now whack up the Feedback to 75 and set the Wet signal to around 0.562. You could also assign this to a Macro if you want to be able to sweep the effect in and out. And remember, it won’t affect Channel A… which you can now add back in.
AetherizerAetherizer plus drumsOriginal layer added
Step 9
Let’s add one more layer. On Channel C, insert another Sample Engine and Peking Opera Gong. Lower the volume on Channel A and B and play this with the Techbeat loop. Now open Absynth 6’s freshly-overhauled Loop section and set a loop start point of 5600 and end point of 12644. It’s still playing that main riff… but with some filthy syncopated repeats. Now raise the volume of other layers back up…
Layer threeLayers three and oneLayers three and two and oneLayers two and one
Step 10
Now we can just play around with the balance of the different layers. They all sound great on their own and in different combos. If you like you can assign some macros to some key parameters like the Channel levels and the Aetherizer Wet amount… all of which turns Absynth 6 into a pretty fierce live-jamming techno groovebox.
Quick jam no processing
Absynth is available in Komplete 26. Find out more on the Native Instruments website.
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