The general sound quality is truly excellent. It can be precise and crisp, warm and textured, and these can be anything from high-quality ‘bread and butter’ sounds, to something truly unique, something you have never heard before.

Hydrasynth Explorer review | Engadget Hydrasynth Explorer review | Engadget

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. 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. Ashun Sound Machines introduces Hydrasynth, the eight-voice polyphonic wave-morphing synthesizer with three oscillators per voice, seemingly endless amount of modulation options, and many other unique features such as Mutators. Besides traditional analog modeling, oscillators 1 and 2 sport a Wavescanning feature, which allows you to smoothly scan through hundreds of waveshapes at will. Mutators open up potential for ever more extreme sound shaping with PWM, FM, and more. Then there are two filters: a twelve algorithm multimode, and a classic state-variable 12dB/oct, which can be routed in parallel, and in series. Hydrasynth also has a ton of effects, from Delays to Reverbs to Flangers, and much more. With the Hydrasynth Desktop, you have the same great sound engine found in the Hydrasynth Keyboard but without the keyboard.Excellent product for sound designers and it is easy to study the sounds created by the manufacturer. Once selecting a sound, go to the the MOD MATRIX or MACRO buttons and this will allow for dissection of, and provide understanding in building ones own sounds. It really is an all purpose tool and it does not surprise me why it has received the praise that has been heaped upon it since it's launch late last year. Nord’s most powerful synth to date. It has a five-octave waterfall keyboard, four parts and includes sample-based waves, virtual analogue waves, wavetable and FM synthesis, plus 48-voice polyphony. Set how the beautiful long ribbon controller affects sounds with the ribbon button. Hold the chord button until it flashes, then press up to eight notes and trigger them from one key – much like some classic polysynths. The ribbon is a very nifty thing indeed and can act as an instrument in its own right. Play it like a theremin. Alternatively, assign it modulation duties or use it to bend held notes/chords. Each of the Hydrasynth's LFOs feature a STEP mode for patterns up to 8 steps. Using five of these mini step sequencers at once, you have a huge amount of room to really manipulate your sound.

Hydrasynth Desktop | Ashun Sound Machines

All three oscillators can access any of the 219 available waveforms; these include the expected analogue modelled waves, plus families of more exotic fare, with names such as Cluster, Flux, Vokz, Klangor and Scorpio. The tonal qualities of each are rich, varied and best experienced by trying them out while watching the oscilloscope. I did initially wonder whether a couple of hundred waves would be enough, but since the Hydrasynth offers myriad ways to twist, squash, mash and trash them, it should be ages before you try every combination. Buy the ASM Hydrasynth Desktop synth from PMT Online now and begin a musical journey with the Hydrasynth as your passport. Hydrasynth Firmware Update The customisation potential really hits lightspeed when you get to the the Modulation Matrix. Using this, your creativity guides the way, all the way. The desktop version of Hydrasynth is equipped with a grid of polyaftertouch-enabled sensitive pads. More than that, the synthesizer also includes a complex arpeggiator with comprehensive options for the note sequencing, direction, and probability. Five LFOs and five DAHDSR envelopes are on board the Hydrasynth, further powering your sound shape shifting adventure.

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While we are talking performance controls, let's look at the unique paddle-style pitch and mod wheels. The paddles are clever and add a more nuanced method of moving the wheels. They also light up in several rather lovely colours along with the big selector wheel, and you can customise this when saving your patches. Three oscillators are on board the ASM Hydrasynth Desktop and give you the choice of 219 single cycle waveforms. 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. These are substantial instruments, weighing in at 10kg and 3.6kg respectively, with no skimping on I/O. MIDI is available over USB and a full complement of 5-pin ports. The keyboard model has a ribbon controller running almost its full length, and on both versions, every knob, button and encoder feels solid and trustworthy. The Colour Of Magic As well as several bug fixes, Firmware 1.4 adds some fantastic new features such as a new Mutator and some new types of Noise.