Dawesome Abyss II by Tracktion synth plugin interface

Dawesome Abyss II: Colour-Based Synth Plugin by Tracktion

Rated 4.9/5 on Plugin Boutique (8 ratings)

Dawesome Abyss II is a synth plugin from Tracktion that shapes sound through colour-based controls and a gradient-driven interface. It runs as VST3, AU and AAX on Windows and macOS.

VST3AUAAXWindowsmacOS64-bit

AVAILABLE ATPlugin Boutique

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01Overview

Dawesome Abyss II is a synthesizer instrument plugin built around the idea that sound can be picked and shaped the way you would mix paints. Instead of working through dense parameter trees, you place sound-colours on a gradient and judge the result by ear. The developer, Tracktion, positions it as a synth for musicians rather than engineers. It is the successor to Abyss 1, and it includes a V1 preset import path for existing users.

Best for

Evolving synth pads
Textural sound design
Rhythmic sequenced motion
Sampled sound transformation
Abyss 1 preset migration

Developer: Tracktion
Category: Synths
Store: Plugin Boutique

02Key features

What you get

Gradient-based, colour-driven sound design interface
400+ presets, including 200+ new patches
Sample-to-Colour Extraction from dropped audio
Custom Palettes built from audio files or folders
Modular FX Engine with 4 free slots and 20 modules
BRUTE, VELVET and SYNTIFY tone-shaping controls
Poly-Rhythmic Sequencer with independent step counts
Wave Drag-Out of rendered audio into your DAW
V1 preset import from Abyss 1
Full MPE support and light CPU use

03In depth

Colour-Based Sound Design and Workflow

Abyss II uses an intuitive sound engine that Tracktion says is built around how human perception processes sound. You combine sound-colours on a gradient and listen for what works, rather than adjusting abstract formulas.

Sample-to-Colour Extraction lets you drop audio samples onto the gradient to pull out their spectral tone-colours. Custom Palettes go a step further by turning single audio files or whole folders into palettes of tone-colours. The BRUTE, VELVET and SYNTIFY controls are aimed at tone-shaping, warmth and aggressiveness.

The Poly-Rhythmic Sequencer gives each lane an independent step count, which produces evolving, shifting motion across a pattern.

Effects, Presets and Compatibility

The Modular FX Engine provides four free slots and 20 custom-designed effect modules. The library includes 400+ presets: over 200 new patches and 200 upgraded classics carried over from Abyss 1.

Wave Drag-Out lets you drag the rendered audio of played notes directly into your DAW, or back into Abyss II. The plugin supports full MPE and is described as light on CPU.

The interface also adds undo and redo, mono-synth mode, a preset browser with tags and favorites, a randomizer, and a high contrast mode for accessibility.

04Specs

Will it run?

Formats, systems and requirements as listed by Plugin Boutique. Missing details are left out, not guessed.

Developer	Tracktion
Type	Plugin
Category	Synth
Formats	VST3, AU, AAX
Operating systems	Windows, macOS
Architecture	64-bit

05Upgrades

Upgrade and crossgrade options

Option	Store link
Dawesome Abyss II Upgrade from v1	Plugin Boutique ↗

06FAQ

Questions, answered

What formats and operating systems does Dawesome Abyss II support?

Abyss II is available in VST3, AU and AAX formats. It runs on Windows and macOS, and the plugin is 64-bit.

What do I need to run Abyss II?

On macOS, it requires macOS 10.13 or later on 64-bit Intel or Apple Silicon. On Windows, it requires Windows 10 or 11 64-bit. Check the format list above for the host support that applies to your system.