Hydrasynth Desktop

Product Information

Besides traditional analog modeling, oscillators 1 and 2 sport a Wavescanning feature, which allows you to smoothly scan through hundreds of waveshapes at will. Unfortunately, because the Hydrasynth Explorer doesn't have these inputs, this particular technique isn't possible on that model.

ASM Hydrasynth 49-note Virtual Analog Wave-Morphing Keyboard

The clear backlit buttons are soft under the fingers with a very pleasing orange glow – the ASM signature colour, very ’70s! Great care has been taken to ensure accuracy in the preparation of this article but neither Sound On Sound Limited nor the publishers can be held responsible for its contents. Andertons Music Company is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority, firm registration number 716155. This contrasts with practices in the Baroque period as well as numerous traditions in Eastern music, where note relationships were defined in just ratios around a specific tonal center.

The Hydrasynth is a deep synth, so it’s always advisable to sketch out mental maps of your sounds first, then go in. Imagine using LFOs, Envelopes, Polyphonic Aftertouch or the Ribbon controller to modify your arpeggios in real time! In its place, you have 24 Polytouch pads to perform with and the option to connect an external keyboard. However, much like how I consider the Hydrasynth Mutators to challenge my prior notion of synthesis methods like FM and Sync, the Step mode available in the LFOs is ASM's answer to anyone looking for a sequencer.

ASM Hydrasynth

This wasn't a feature I'd met before but it's a cracker, and at its extremes, is capable of further variations on the theme of 'nasty and noisy'. Amending or starting a patch from new is a total breeze, I find myself able to put very 10 complex patches together in under an hour. User friendly with all parameters there to change on knobs, not menus, instant octave up and down capability, after touch keys and the ribbon all very usable. If we repurpose our first tip, we can use the oscillators in sub-audio ranges for another reason: manipulating the characteristics of the filter drive in a periodic way. The ASM Hydrasynth Desktop features 24 Polytouch pads and a powerful, highly customisable sound engine.We were less fond of the ribbon-based pitch and mod wheels, though the experience did improve with familiarity. Their polyphonic pressure implementation is pretty thorough, and includes user tailoring of parameters such as delay, onset time, fade and release, to reduce bounce, jitter and so on. Each step of this 'almost sequencer' is programmed by those ever-present encoders, with a smoothing option if necessary. They obviously had to make some compromises in terms of direct control with this version, and while the larger screen and more hands-on approach of the original is missed, the sound engine and quality of the synth’s output remains. These now include red, blue, violet and grey noise which pushes the Hydrasynth to new sound design capabilities!

Hydrasynth Explorer review | Engadget Hydrasynth Explorer review | Engadget

LFOs have some exciting new features, including a Step option for the One-Shot mode that allows the Step wave to advance by one step per trigger. This should be clearly audible, but it will be easy to notice on the Hydrasynth oscilloscope display as well—playing octaves and fifths should be rather stable, but adding a third or other intervals should bring movement into the sound, a trait Hordijk refers to as intermodulation distortion.

This is especially true on the Deluxe model, which allows for both layers in Multi mode to use their own arpeggiator independently. A quick recap of the Hydrasynth sound engine’s offerings: each voice (of the eight available) gets three oscillators, all capable of selecting from over 200 different wave forms. The tonal qualities of each are rich, varied and best experienced by trying them out while watching the oscilloscope.

HYDRASYNTH: Full Review // Keyboard vs Desktop // Poly HYDRASYNTH: Full Review // Keyboard vs Desktop // Poly

I recommend the ASM Hydrasynth to any synthesist, but especially anyone who loves to build patches from scratch. Whether you just perform with the 24 built-in poly pressure touch pads or attach a keyboard controller, you will love performing with the Hydrasynth Desktop. You can route the modulation in almost any direction, including the effects, arpeggiator and Modulation Matrix points. Filter 1 has 16 different models ranging from 1 to 8 poles, many with high-, band-, and low pass options. More than that, the synthesizer also includes a complex arpeggiator with comprehensive options for the note sequencing, direction, and probability.And while the third oscillator lacks the scanning functionality, it can still select any waveform and you can modulate the selection too. This might be worth exploring sooner rather than later, because the synth always powers up at Bank A's first patch, while your own will probably begin in the empty Banks D and E.