Hydrasynth Desktop

Product Information

The response is pretty much perfect too – not too hard to trigger, not too easy. This is reason alone to buy it, and an achievement all round. The Hydrasynth effects chain goes beyond the typical ones found in other synths. Pre-effects and post-effects give you some unique ways to process your sound, including pitch effects, Lo-Fi, EQ, and Distortion. You can also generate waveforms with the Mutators in both FM and Sync modes so you don't have to use another oscillator (unless you want to!)

ASM Hydrasynth review | MusicRadar ASM Hydrasynth review | MusicRadar

There is something of a learning curve but remember we are dealing with a lot of complexity. The Hydrasynth is a deep synth, so it’s always advisable to sketch out mental maps of your sounds first, then go in. I also suggest reading the manual too. It can't hurt. But if you’re into modular then the Hydra, with its module-based layout, will be very easy for you to get to grips with. The version 2.0 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.In fact, you can also loop the envelopes, which turns them into LFOs that can be shaped by any source in the modulation matrix. Lets say, I'm incredibly glad I considered this synth and it is one of the most versatile and unique products I own -Favorite. It's hardly surprising that the Hydrasynth's factory patches set the scene with some impressive Vangelis tones, paying particular homage to the Blade Runner score. Scrolling on, you'll encounter usable brass, strings, bells, basses and arpeggios — sounds that wouldn't seem out of place on a synth from the 1990s. I was most taken by the wavetable sweeps, glassy digital textures, pads and electric pianos, many demonstrating the excellent reverb. While there are a host of worthy bread-and-butter patches, very few give a sense of how strange and 'out there' the Hydrasynth can be. Hydra Eclectic Power At first I was not sure about this product as it truly is a synth where everything is built from the ground up sound wise. I did not know how the bread-and-butter sounds were going to be as I create music and don't have much time for sound design. Filter 1 has 16 different models ranging from 1 to 8 poles, many with high-, band-, and low pass options. There is also a flexible vocal filter with formant control. Even if Filter 1 were the only filter the Hydrasynth had, it would take a lifetime to exhaust the possibilities.

Hydrasynth Explorer review | MusicRadar ASM Hydrasynth Explorer review | MusicRadar

Extra customisation of your sound comes in the form of Mutators. Both oscillators 1 and 2 are routed into Mutators which give you 7 processes with with to transform your sound. The customisation potential really hits lightspeed when you get to the the Modulation Matrix. Using this, your creativity guides the way, all the way. When scrolling through the waveforms, it's easy to notice that a number of them have rather complex shapes. Upper harmonics manifest as higher frequency waveforms themselves, and depending on the distribution of partials may cluster together into dense, noisy timbres or appear as discrete, discernible tones. At the extremes, the highest harmonics add sparkle on top of the more tonal portions of the waveform, but by tuning down the fundamental frequency of the oscillators into sub-audio territories, what was once textural becomes the primary component of a sound. Of course, should the lower harmonics still be somewhat audible, lightly applying a highpass filter to your patch will clean up the low-end rumbles.The second filter is a 12dB state-variable design with smooth morphing between low-pass, band-pass and high-pass modes. Potential uses include shaving the excesses from the first filter or, when connected in parallel, applying completely different filtering to selected sources. Utterly stunning synth that keeps getting better with every firmware update adding new and brilliant features. Loving the polyphonic aftertouch and the ribbon controller, it makes performing a joy on this, The Synth is a beast - simple and complex - its all about how deep you want to dig and how much time you have to explore and learn. Registered office: V12 Retail Finance Limited, Yorke House, Arleston Way, Solihull, B90 4LH. Authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. FM-Linear: This is for making classic FM sounds. Choose multiple FM sources, including external inputs.