How To Create The Classic Ambient Theremin in NI Absynth

This Ambient Theremin is an extremely simple patch but very effective. It uses 2 oscillators and a delay effect with simple modulation and that’s it, simple huh!

Hi There welcome to this tutorial on how to create an Ambient Theremin using Native Instruments Absynth.

I am going to be doing quite a lot of ambient patches in the future due to many requests however I am referring to tracks that are more like 100 bpm + ambient, so chill out/downbeat type dance tunes.

This Ambient Theremin is an extremely simple patch but very effective. It uses 2 oscillators and a delay effect with simple modulation and that’s it, simple huh!

The oscillators are pretty much the same, both pitches have tuned up 7 semi-tones and panned left and right respectively, they are both set to use sine waves and are using a dual oscillator (2 sine waves) and have been separately detuned.

We also work on the oscillators amplitude envelopes to get a nice floaty, long ambient curve in the envelopes. In the Absynth Ambient Theremin patch we use unison for detuning and we also use panning to create additional space.

We also work on some of the oscillator mod settings to create a slight difference in each oscillator to help create the ambiance part of the Ambient Theremin patch. The final part of the patch which adds most of the ambiance to the overall sound is the delay effect, in this case Absynths Multitap. The settings are pure individual taste so go mad.

There is a minimum amount, but highly relevant modulation added, namely to the pitch of Osc A and some specific parameters sourced to the modulation wheel.

All in all a simple but effective patch and a clear classic sound which has been used in so many famous movie soundtracks its almost impossible to find a moody classic that doesnt have the Ambient Theremin sound in there somewhere.

Thanks for watching and enjoy the video. See you in the next tutorial.