Abyss 2 vs Synth1

ABYSS 2 is a synthesizer plugin for musicians and creative sound design. Its sound engine arranges tone colours on a gradient, allowing sounds to change as you move through it. Samples can be dropped onto the gradient to extract spectral tone-colours, while audio files or folders can supply custom palettes. The instrument includes more than 400 presets, including more than 200 new and more than 200 upgraded sounds. A modular effects engine provides four slots and 20 modules, and a poly-rhythmic sequencer shapes rhythmic material. ABYSS 2 supports MPE and comes in AU, VST3, and AAX formats for macOS and Windows. It is a plugin rather than a standalone application, with workflow focused on DAW parameter automation instead of MIDI Learn. A free trial needs no email or registration; after three days, trial mode adds occasional mild vinyl-like crackle. Activation uses a serial number inside the plugin.

Synth1 is a free software synthesizer plugin for computer music production on Windows and macOS. Its sound engine has two oscillators plus a sub-oscillator, with FM, ring modulation, sync, and a modulation envelope. Sound-shaping options include four filter types, distortion, two LFOs, an arpeggiator, tempo-synchronized delay, and stereo chorus/flanger. The maker lists 32-note polyphony and 128 presets. Synth1 works with DAWs that support VSTi on Windows or AU on Mac; GarageBand and REAPER are named as Mac examples. The Windows VSTi release is 32/64-bit for Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 10, and requires an x86/x64 CPU that supports SSE2. The Mac AU version is 64-bit for macOS 10.8 and later; Intel Macs were tested, while M1 support is unconfirmed. Mac users must download factory presets separately. The maker permits commercial music use without contacting them. The English manual is marked incomplete, and Synth1 is not multitimbral.