I have never experienced such complexity contained in such a simple workflow. This synth forces you to think about possibility and invites you to experiment.
The ASM folks said they started with WAY more wave tables. Then (shocker) they actually took the time to listen to them. Many of them "looked" different, but sounded identical, so they reduced the number. Admirable that they actually listened and said WTF, we can eliminate a bunch of these. As for having a third voice, the feature list mentions combining two of them via some midi feature.
That's a cool fun fact! ASM did such a fantastic job in every way with this synth. I bought the Explorer version and I couldn't be more satisfied with everything they've done for a very reasonable price.
Lots of people say the low end lacks..But load up a square or saw wave. Add a Fat filter on there is it shakes my room with the base..I did some side by side bass tests with my MatrixBrute that is fully analog and at times it was hard to tell the two apart...
I think people making that comment don't own one, and are referring to how it sounds on TH-cam demos. I recently followed a Radiohead "Everything in it's right place" Hydrasynth patch walk-through video, and my windows and walls shake and rattle so much I have to drop the sub1 channel on my Mackie mixer to half normal volume.
I just bought Deluxe version, arriving today and in my toughts is buying the Summit next.. perhaps at the end of this year. And just for the exact same reason.."what one lacks, the other provides". Summit is concidered "a dark" synth and hydra brighter. Both are exellent synths..
Bought one of these to add to my synths - so glad I did. A really innovative synth, intuitive to use and some great sounds. Thank you for your time to explore it and give us some ideas for sound design.
I just got the SH-4D and while it's extremely versitile, it can't do what Hydrasynth can. I'm planning on buying the Explorer ASAP. Regarding the statement that you're not a musician, that's purely a matter of perspective. I started my first band in '72. Along the way of my musical journey, I've found that a large percentage of people who play, AREN'T musicians and spend much of their time condescending others. Though I've spent countless hours learning to play pretty much every instrument (aside from wind instruments) it's never been to be better than anyone else. It's about enjoying the moments. I have NO regrets for spending tens of thousands of dollars on gear (with minutely fractional monetary returns on my investment) I've had a blast every step of the way. The cool people I've encountered along the way (who weren't consumed by their egos) have helped me build my forever treasure. Keep on rockin' Bud.
I may be considered crazy but I actually bought the hydrasynth (explorer) as my first synth. Synths have always baffled me with their apparent complexity but I find the hydrasynth totally straightforward in its UI design. Most of the presets are average at best I find, but designing new sounds is fun and intuitive. I started by just using it as virtual analog synth and that’s a great way of learning your way around the synth. The polyphonic aftertouch is so unbelievably cool and expressive that I will find it hard to play on any keyboard that doesn’t have it.
Nice review, I wouldn’t recommend a 30 year old poly AT Ensoniq keybed that realistically isn’t gonna cost much less than a hydrasynth (and certainly is no where near as controllable) but to each his own. Side note you can make every envelope velocity sensitive via the mod matrix :) well shot video. cheers
Same comment as i own an old Ensoniq with PolyAFT (EPS). Quite hard to use (you have to press strongly the keys). And Blofeld keyboard doesn't get at all PolyAFT, it's channel AFT.
I must admit that it has been a long time since I was so seriously interested in a synthesizer. Indeed, I am quite demanding, and in particular concerning the quality / price ratio. However, this synthesizer is full of innovations and possibilities. you can really create very rich and very deep sounds. As I do ambient, it seems really attractive to me. It could indeed complete my novation peak (as you said in your video).
After watching 30 minutes of this video I added the Hydrasynth Deluxe to my birthday wish list and received it yesterday. Looking forward to playing around with it. Thanks for the great content.
People complaining about its low end could just do what I do with my Deluxe - slave a Moog Model D to it, and maybe a couple of Mother-32s. Really helpful as extra oomph. Also recommend adding a Peak on top for extra juicyness. Then run everything through an Eventide Space and presto, synth heaven.
FWIW the Peak accepts polyphonic aftertouch. I have both the Hydra keys and Peak, which among other things mean I can use them together as a bi-timbral synth with poly aftertouch. Really happy with both of them.
My own experience with the Hydrasynth is that I haven't had to label the power supply because I use it so much, and after a year of use there's still stuff to explore. A fine machine that can eat up many hours of time either with sound design or playing.
Your comment sums up exactly how this synth makes me feel.... Sometimes I don't even feel like practicing or playing. To overcome that feeling I just power on the hydrasyth and I just lose track of time.
@@csharp57 I have my Hydrasynth (and a bunch of other boards and gear) directly behind me at my home office desk. Many mornings I'll wake and decide to play around on the Hydrasynth for 30mins or so before starting work. Then I'll look up from the clock and 2 hours have passed.
A fabulous vid, Cameron :). My Hydra has been maximum joy the past year since NAMM 2020. There's still an army of sound possibilities to expand out on the POly-T - so fun.
I got the keyboard version as my first hardware synth this month. After many years learning synthesis in the software realm. This thing almost feels like having Zebra 2 in hardware form. It’s a joy to program despite being packed with so many options for sound design & the poly aftertouch keybed is so expressive.
I didn’t go searching for hydrasynth demos with bread and butter in mind but I did hear some nice sounds even though you were not focused to much on going deep into the crazy sound design capabilities
My Deluxe model just arrived yesterday, and I can already give one word of caution/concern/advisory. I've had a Roli Seaboard Rise 49 for several years and you really have to be aware of the work out MPE/Poly AT gives your fingers, wrists and tendons. The Hydrasynth with the full size keys have a deeper throw depth than any standard synth keys I've ever played. This goes all the way back to my Rev 3 Prophet 5 up to my modern Kurzweil K synths that all feel like the depth is more or less similar. The Hydra keys reall dive deep and between that and the Poly AT your hands will get a serious workout. When I stopped playing after an hour, I didn't realize how much I was pushing things and I really needed to give them a rest. If you get any of the FS keyboard models, be aware you will need to build up your strength. Having given that phsycal impact warning, the synth engine is a beast. I haven't really dove into programming a patch from scratch but the interface seems intuitive. The 8 encoders default to good per patch controls. Example, the EP patch 8 default paramerts include controls for tremolo speed and depth, overdrive amount, tone brightness, ping-pong delay amount.... EP centric controls like the Reface CP. Another patch that is like an Oberheim pad has controls for a couple of it's meaningful effects as well as filter types and more synth-like desired immediate controls. Smart to give each preset it's own top level patch-centric controls in thos 8 encoders. IMHO it's as close as I'll ever get to sounding/playing like a CS-80 without spending 10x the price. It's a huge bang for the buck!
I owned a CS80 30 years ago. It was spectacular but a servicing nightmare. Not to mention crazy heavy. This Hydrasynth is far more powerful, full featured and ultimately more practical.
As fun as 'look at this crazy patch' is, sometimes I feel like synth channels forget to consider that like 95% of people just want to make music with these things haha.
I would just like to say that I haven't had a problem getting fat, wall-shaking bass sounds with mine. It definitely has its own flavor but It's totally musical.
Agreed. It's superb for bass. Putting it into "Warm mode" is key - it changes the output frequency response to a typical analog synth. Also dependig on the type of bass required - switching off "Random osc phase" & turning on the "Snap" parameters.
As usual, great demo! I really love the ambient music you produce in your demos and think you are a talented musician! I really like the hydra synth. Such a versital synth! It's so easy to mod and I I really find the CV controls useful, and do use it with a small modular case with alternate filters.
The desktop module will be my first real synth I have owned. I am so looking forward to getting down a dirty with this thing. Thanks for the great video Cameron. You are the best non musician I have ever heard. Who was that guy with the comment anyways? LOL
An excellent and detailed review. About the only thing I disagree with is bass. It's superb for bass. Putting it into "Warm mode" is key - it changes the output frequency response to that of a typical analog synth. Also depending on the type of bass required - switching off "Random osc phase" & turning on the "Snap" parameters...
Hey man, you made that thing sing! ASM should hire you full time. Great job, thanks for the demo. Hard to find good examples what the thing might sound like if you are playing songs, not making sound effects for video games (not that I don't like doing that, too...)
41:46 Idea to work around the LFO per cycle trigger... if you can use two LFOs, you can set the first to a random output and have it modulate the rate of the second - and then trigger the envelope from the second. Just a thought.
Still very new to this. my main question was Desktop vs keys. Which you answered. I do have the Arturia Minilab but the features that are the swaying point towards the key version are the poly-aftertouch and the ribbon strip. maybe it's the old schooler in me I prefer as one friend puts it buttons, sliders and knobs. ☮
Greetings from Greece! I must say, you sir made the best video I've seen yet, about the HydraSynth out there. Here are some thoughts that popped in my head while I was watching it: a) The preset patches you played were awesomeness to my ears, whereas the ones you designed yourself reminded me of DeepMind 12 (which I already own), meaning that, I noticed you were searching for the more analogue aspect of the HS. Which is good.. b) How come you never mentioned anything about the arpeggiator section? It felt as if you somehow lost the video segment you had made.. Otherwise, why not talk about it? It truly is a very powerful section of the HS and it's a pity to not mention it at all. And c) I believe that one important element which kept me watching this video was your "made-for-narration" voice. Being a sound engineer/music producer myself, I instinctively recognize it when I hear one. OVERALL (I know you love that word) this was a very inspiring and insightful video. Congrats, thanks for sharing, keep'em coming and.. Oh, one last thing: Today you sold me the Hydrasynth, I'm going to place an order for it right now.. thanks for that!
On your comments at the end of the How I Met Hydra section: a wise user on, I think gearspace forums, said many presets (or at least many of the initial presets) seem to show off different features, instead of just going all in on pushing the boundaries, digging deep for the incredible range of really nice sounds the engine can pump out. And for many users the initial learning curve might be very steep, but with some patience they can get good at navigating the galaxy of very many, albeit often rather small, sweet spots without getting stuck in the noisy void for too long in between them. I'm looking at a Deluxe for a nice big, bi timbral synth; that happens to be one of the biggest and best MPE keyboard controllers too. And some of the new patches for that I've heard demoed even drift right into drum machine territory with how one engine uses its available LFOs to hammer out a synthesized drum loop with a kick and a snare-like sound while the other offers the user a nice keys patch to play along with. Layering the two engines instead sounds really nice to me though, for thicker pads and basses, or more complex yet still snappy and responsive keys patches.
I'm one of those who called it a vst in a box. Not really meant to be disparaging; just an observation. Now that I own one, however, I would have to disagree with my earlier uninformed opinion. The hands-on-ness of it is really good. You just have to learn it. Once you've put a little time into it, it feels like you're molding a sound with your hands. I still love the sound of my Minilogue XD, but the Hydra is a great complement to it. I might run the sounds through my nts-1 effects at times to get that Korg reverb smoothness. Btw I have the Explorer version. It's totally worth it.
Great review, I'm eyeing this synth, even the non-key version. Hope its in the market long enough, else will try hunt down second hand; Already spent my well earned money on another amazing synth (The PolyBrute).
Been "window shopping" for a new synth for a while now...was seriously considering the Behringer DEEPMIND but once I saw this (and a few other videos) I'm now convinced to get the Hydra...great video...thanks so much.
I'm on exactly the same journey, I was eyeing the lush Deepmind 12 for some time, then I stumbled on the Hydrasynth and the UI/UX kind of sold me, the only thing I'm researching now is how phat the bass can be (or not) for the EDM style of music that I like.
As an owner of a Blofeld I was expecting to be blown away but I didn’t listen anything in the preset patches that really did that! It is a nice Wavetable synth but that’s all to my ears.. Edit:So yes,after watching the patch creation section which is what I’m mostly interested in,I’m quite convinced!Its rad!Im just bummed that it’s a mono timbral when it could easily be a 4 part.Other than that,it feels really powerful!!!
I didn't love a lot of the presets, much as I respect the craft that goes into them...more fun to make messed up multi modulated gargles that do unpredictable things!
Damn good video! Thanks! Provided a lot of straight forward and important info. Still can’t decide, but my question has been answered. Summit or Hydrasynth. I still don’t know lol
Regarding polyphonic aftertouch-- Glen from ASM has said that they prioritized making it great, and he specifically compared it to old Ensoniq keybeds that were not that great. As a former TS10 owner I concur. It may have HAD poly aftertouch but you had to bear down so hard on it that I personally just never used it. Plus, there were reliability issues; my TS10 is the only board I ever had that would crash while I was using it. Regarding waldorf boards, I have no experience of them. Still, there have been reports of build quality issues, enough of them to scare me off the Iridium, which I did want. The hydrasynth deluxe though does appear to have great build quality plus its 76 keys! To me that makes it a no brainer if you want polyphonic aftertouch. Plus after watching this video I really like the sound, so thanks for that. Other videos showcase how extreme it can go, but this video focuses on its delicate warm side which is what I look for in a synth. 19:06
Very nice video. I appreciated your expansion on the pros and cons and you mentioned things that were not covered in other reviews. I’ve had a Peak for a couple of years and really like it. I just got the Hydrasynth keyboard and am looking forward to playing them together. The poly aftertouch keyboard is great and I’m happy to set aside the Xkey 37.
Follow-up. Traded the Peak for a Hydrasynth Explorer and cash because I really wanted a portable synth with a keyboard. I put the cash towards getting my deluge retrofitted with the new oled screen, new pads, a couple of new encoders and fresh battery.
The Hydrasynth is in fact multitimbral, just not the usual way with separate patches, but within one patch: use different wave forms, different filters, envelopes, and LFOs. E.g., Osc1 in the center with a crazy wavetable, Osc 2 & 3 panned hard left/right with a lush sawtooth/PWM pad.
Nice! I am shopping. This helped. I am wowed however with ethereal moving pads... and am curious if you might do a similar vid on the less expensive amazing sounding (to me) Korg Wavestate?
oops, you missed an edit at 1:12:28 :) Don't you hate when that happens... I've had the Hydrasynth for almost a year and a half. It quickly became my go-to synth, particularly for sound design, because it's so easy to make great sounds, quickly. I agree with the paddles on the mod and pitch wheels, I didn't like them right from the beginning, and I still don't. Lastly, I thought the ribbon was a complete gimmick that I would never end up using. I was wrong. Once I started making it a part of my sound design, I found that I use it ALL THE TIME. The keybed is probably my favorite keybed in 30+ years of synth ownership. You didn't mention this in your video, but I feel that the Hydrasynth is the most EXPRESSIVE synth I have ever played. I find it interprets what I'm trying to do and creates the appropriate sound, without me really thinking about doing anything - and I think the poly AT keybed (and the way in which it is mapped) is the main reason for this.
ASM owes apple a big thank you for free tempo recording that tames the hydra’s inability to sync accurately to external clock ( one of the two most important things ) 🤔👽
Theres something magical with this , doctors office - of a machine .... oooookay - i never owned a polytouch keyboard - (well beside my Seabord, but thats a totally diff bitness ,- ) and very rarely even tried one, i think a modded OB-X way back in the wee morning hours, of modern time)- - so im - ofcourse MesMerRiotised , just sitting with the fluthe(cleverly came as nb 1 preset)through a Big Sky and a Specular Tempus - hours goes by - in total bliss - And Im - Fl abber gasted over the possibilities to use the polytouch as pressure control for Sound Morphing ( imagine this on the polybrute , such a wasted opportunit yfor the Arturia PolyBrute) i the bourght Explorer version when it came out - but DAMN , do I want the Double Hydra now ... - so addicting , and VERY hard ... to go back on my "Pre-Poly" synths -
Very cool. Think I'll pick one up after like a year of saving XD I'm good with patches for my controllers for now ✌ Thanks for the review and demo though!! Friggen love the sounds at 20:03
explorer version is super tempting as a cheap alternative to the peak. bummer it lacks filter FM (although there is a noise LFO); and I like the waveshaping options of the peak, and slightly prefer the sound. but it is almost twice the price; and I get a poly aftertouch keyboard. choices, choices.
I have both versions and I love them. I agree with you about the meh bass. Also, I'm not a fan of the feel of the keys (kind of spongy/springy). As for the desktop module, it wins first place for stupidest power switch placement (unless you have E.T. fingers you'll have to flip the module over to switch it on/off).
I have the explorer and Microfreak (not the mini), and I think I would always prefer the explorer over the minifreak. The freaks have great oscillators but I somehow never really get a good feeling of what what I am actually doing, when turning the knobs of the oscillators. That is totally different with the explorer.
You ever checked out the Hyper Light Drifter ost? I think it'd be right up your alley. I LOVE The Midnight Wood, but every track on there is so interesting, Disasterpeace is just great.
Waiting for DS80, I guess this would be a good friend. Also, it’s reminds me of the SY77, which is a good thing. Seems like a good synth for film scoring.
A really well done video......you communicate so well, articulate and knowledgeable........Personally, I really loved the sound of my Hydra, and a lot of the features - but there were just too many seriously frustrating things about it, and so I ended up selling it......(if you're interested in my 'cons', I uploaded a couple videos on it.......
The Peak's filter is the real magic I think. Hydra is insanely flexible though, just maybe lacks a bit of the character and thickness of the Peak. Purely as a sound design / flexible tool, Hydra would be my choice. In terms of sound though, I think the Peak still has the edge.
BRILLIANT OPENING TRACK !!! I was going to get the hydra but i ended up preordering the expressive e osmose instead. im still waiting for the osmose and i was one of the first too preorder it but i will buy 1 eventually.
Really appreciated this review, most balanced and least hyped of em all! I’m thinking that i shall purchase the deluxe version of this, to compliment my virus 2 ti kbd, and FA 01, in a rock band ,( British) , the FA. 06 doing the bread and butter sounds, the virus for warm synths, so looking for a pad / Lead synth to compliment. Any chance of reviewing the deluxe? Or a link if you have? Best wishes Also, according to my recording engineer, there is a particular setup that needs to be applied for recordings to u tube, which may explain the wish washy sound of some reviews,seems you aced that…
I had preordered the rack mount version of the Hydrasynth and received one as soon as the manufacturer shipped to Sweetwater. That is the first new hardware synth I've purchased in the last ten years, and maybe the last. There is one thing that annoys the living crap out of me on the rack version and that is that there is no front panel headphone output.
Just not-at-all analog … 🙃 But controls-wise, definitely. I wonder how Behringer will do with their DS-80 … ?! One would think they will take a close look at the controls on the Hydrasynths …
Banger song in the intro. Good review. Very strange recommendation for the Blofeld Keys as a polyAT controller though, since it's not cheap and doesn't have polyAT. As noted, there aren't many commercially-available polyAT controllers for less than the price of a Hydra. The only ones which come to mind are the Sensel Morph (as shown in this review), the Microfreak (also made by ASM's CEO Glen Darcy), some midi controllers from Xkey, and the Linnstrument 128. Or, of course, the entire Hydrasynth product line. The new Explorer looks appealing, since it's a bit under half the price of an original Hydra, less than even the desktop version, but still offers a nice polyAT keybed in mini-key format. The main downside for it is having half the general editing knobs removed.
I read it’s medium-sized keys on the Explorer. I have a Novation MiniNova, and its keys are too small for my liking. Demos of the Explorer definitely seem to show larger keys than on my Novation.
For sure an interesting machine after years and years of "meh". Now there are a cheap version with minikeys and this can be affordable for who switch to Vst and want return with some "physical" without pay a kidney for. Like me...
Let me know what you think of it if you do end up grabbing it! Deluxe is extremely tempting but I am pretty against getting keyboard synths as I don't really have the space for a bunch of giant keyboards haha.
Hail Hydra? What are your thoughts? 🤔
Best bang for buck. Especially the desktop version. I just sequence it anyways.
I love both of mine!
As a recent Hydrasynth owner, my thoughts are just that - Hail Hydra! It's a beast.
I absolutely love mine! I think ASM should let you keep this one and have you create a library!
Digital garbage, get a Moog. Just kidding, amazing synth, looking forward to getting the desktop later this year!
I have never experienced such complexity contained in such a simple workflow. This synth forces you to think about possibility and invites you to experiment.
The ASM folks said they started with WAY more wave tables. Then (shocker) they actually took the time to listen to them. Many of them "looked" different, but sounded identical, so they reduced the number. Admirable that they actually listened and said WTF, we can eliminate a bunch of these. As for having a third voice, the feature list mentions combining two of them via some midi feature.
That's a cool fun fact! ASM did such a fantastic job in every way with this synth. I bought the Explorer version and I couldn't be more satisfied with everything they've done for a very reasonable price.
Lots of people say the low end lacks..But load up a square or saw wave. Add a Fat filter on there is it shakes my room with the base..I did some side by side bass tests with my MatrixBrute that is fully analog and at times it was hard to tell the two apart...
I think people making that comment don't own one, and are referring to how it sounds on TH-cam demos. I recently followed a Radiohead "Everything in it's right place" Hydrasynth patch walk-through video, and my windows and walls shake and rattle so much I have to drop the sub1 channel on my Mackie mixer to half normal volume.
First of all thanks for the great video. The Hydrasynth is a real sound monster. From analog heat to digital cold, it can cover pretty much anything.
The genius of the Hydra is how deep it is without the interface becoming an obstacle to the fun.
This synth is fantastic! My favorite synth from the past 10 years, this is the future of synthesizer. Truly a new benchmark!
Like ASM says: Digital is the new analog.
A have a Hydrasynth Deluxe and a Novation Summit. They complement each other perfectly. Both are incredible, and what one lacks, the other provides.
I just bought Deluxe version, arriving today and in my toughts is buying the Summit next.. perhaps at the end of this year. And just for the exact same reason.."what one lacks, the other provides". Summit is concidered "a dark" synth and hydra brighter. Both are exellent synths..
Bought one of these to add to my synths - so glad I did. A really innovative synth, intuitive to use and some great sounds. Thank you for your time to explore it and give us some ideas for sound design.
I just got the SH-4D and while it's extremely versitile, it can't do what Hydrasynth can. I'm planning on buying the Explorer ASAP. Regarding the statement that you're not a musician, that's purely a matter of perspective. I started my first band in '72. Along the way of my musical journey, I've found that a large percentage of people who play, AREN'T musicians and spend much of their time condescending others. Though I've spent countless hours learning to play pretty much every instrument (aside from wind instruments) it's never been to be better than anyone else. It's about enjoying the moments. I have NO regrets for spending tens of thousands of dollars on gear (with minutely fractional monetary returns on my investment) I've had a blast every step of the way. The cool people I've encountered along the way (who weren't consumed by their egos) have helped me build my forever treasure. Keep on rockin' Bud.
I may be considered crazy but I actually bought the hydrasynth (explorer) as my first synth. Synths have always baffled me with their apparent complexity but I find the hydrasynth totally straightforward in its UI design. Most of the presets are average at best I find, but designing new sounds is fun and intuitive. I started by just using it as virtual analog synth and that’s a great way of learning your way around the synth.
The polyphonic aftertouch is so unbelievably cool and expressive that I will find it hard to play on any keyboard that doesn’t have it.
I mostly use presets I thought they sounded pretty good on the explorer , but I guess it’s personal taste
Nice review, I wouldn’t recommend a 30 year old poly AT Ensoniq keybed that realistically isn’t gonna cost much less than a hydrasynth (and certainly is no where near as controllable) but to each his own.
Side note you can make every envelope velocity sensitive via the mod matrix :) well shot video. cheers
Same comment as i own an old Ensoniq with PolyAFT (EPS). Quite hard to use (you have to press strongly the keys). And Blofeld keyboard doesn't get at all PolyAFT, it's channel AFT.
I must admit that it has been a long time since I was so seriously interested in a synthesizer. Indeed, I am quite demanding, and in particular concerning the quality / price ratio. However, this synthesizer is full of innovations and possibilities. you can really create very rich and very deep sounds. As I do ambient, it seems really attractive to me. It could indeed complete my novation peak (as you said in your video).
After watching 30 minutes of this video I added the Hydrasynth Deluxe to my birthday wish list and received it yesterday. Looking forward to playing around with it. Thanks for the great content.
People complaining about its low end could just do what I do with my Deluxe - slave a Moog Model D to it, and maybe a couple of Mother-32s. Really helpful as extra oomph. Also recommend adding a Peak on top for extra juicyness. Then run everything through an Eventide Space and presto, synth heaven.
FWIW the Peak accepts polyphonic aftertouch.
I have both the Hydra keys and Peak, which among other things mean I can use them together as a bi-timbral synth with poly aftertouch.
Really happy with both of them.
The opening sequence was sick. Oh those growls. 💙
My own experience with the Hydrasynth is that I haven't had to label the power supply because I use it so much, and after a year of use there's still stuff to explore. A fine machine that can eat up many hours of time either with sound design or playing.
Your comment sums up exactly how this synth makes me feel.... Sometimes I don't even feel like practicing or playing. To overcome that feeling I just power on the hydrasyth and I just lose track of time.
@@csharp57 Yes, I am a terrible player, but I think I've improved just because this thing wants my hands on it.
@@csharp57 I have my Hydrasynth (and a bunch of other boards and gear) directly behind me at my home office desk. Many mornings I'll wake and decide to play around on the Hydrasynth for 30mins or so before starting work. Then I'll look up from the clock and 2 hours have passed.
A fabulous vid, Cameron :). My Hydra has been maximum joy the past year since NAMM 2020. There's still an army of sound possibilities to expand out on the POly-T - so fun.
I got the keyboard version as my first hardware synth this month. After many years learning synthesis in the software realm. This thing almost feels like having Zebra 2 in hardware form. It’s a joy to program despite being packed with so many options for sound design & the poly aftertouch keybed is so expressive.
Demo song at the start is amazing. What a gorgeous sounding synth. Picking up the deluxe in July and super excited!
I didn’t go searching for hydrasynth demos with bread and butter in mind but I did hear some nice sounds even though you were not focused to much on going deep into the crazy sound design capabilities
My Deluxe model just arrived yesterday, and I can already give one word of caution/concern/advisory. I've had a Roli Seaboard Rise 49 for several years and you really have to be aware of the work out MPE/Poly AT gives your fingers, wrists and tendons. The Hydrasynth with the full size keys have a deeper throw depth than any standard synth keys I've ever played. This goes all the way back to my Rev 3 Prophet 5 up to my modern Kurzweil K synths that all feel like the depth is more or less similar. The Hydra keys reall dive deep and between that and the Poly AT your hands will get a serious workout. When I stopped playing after an hour, I didn't realize how much I was pushing things and I really needed to give them a rest. If you get any of the FS keyboard models, be aware you will need to build up your strength.
Having given that phsycal impact warning, the synth engine is a beast. I haven't really dove into programming a patch from scratch but the interface seems intuitive. The 8 encoders default to good per patch controls. Example, the EP patch 8 default paramerts include controls for tremolo speed and depth, overdrive amount, tone brightness, ping-pong delay amount.... EP centric controls like the Reface CP. Another patch that is like an Oberheim pad has controls for a couple of it's meaningful effects as well as filter types and more synth-like desired immediate controls. Smart to give each preset it's own top level patch-centric controls in thos 8 encoders.
IMHO it's as close as I'll ever get to sounding/playing like a CS-80 without spending 10x the price. It's a huge bang for the buck!
I owned a CS80 30 years ago. It was spectacular but a servicing nightmare. Not to mention crazy heavy. This Hydrasynth is far more powerful, full featured and ultimately more practical.
So that's much better. All the demos I heard previously sounded liked someone throwing a washing machine down a flight of stairs. Well done.
As fun as 'look at this crazy patch' is, sometimes I feel like synth channels forget to consider that like 95% of people just want to make music with these things haha.
Oh-my-Gd❤
I'm sold on this thing!
Thanks so much!
Such a wonderful piece of gear. Been using it on every track since the day I got mine!
I would just like to say that I haven't had a problem getting fat, wall-shaking bass sounds with mine. It definitely has its own flavor but It's totally musical.
I was totally relating to you right up to "I haven't had a problem getting fat", but then you lost me.
Agreed. It's superb for bass. Putting it into "Warm mode" is key - it changes the output frequency response to a typical analog synth. Also dependig on the type of bass required - switching off "Random osc phase" & turning on the "Snap" parameters.
100%@@boatfaceslim9005
Nice video, appreciate the deep exlpanations and insights!
Mine is coming in in a few days, cant wait!
As usual, great demo! I really love the ambient music you produce in your demos and think you are a talented musician! I really like the hydra synth. Such a versital synth! It's so easy to mod and I I really find the CV controls useful, and do use it with a small modular case with alternate filters.
The desktop module will be my first real synth I have owned. I am so looking forward to getting down a dirty with this thing. Thanks for the great video Cameron. You are the best non musician I have ever heard. Who was that guy with the comment anyways? LOL
An excellent and detailed review.
About the only thing I disagree with is bass. It's superb for bass. Putting it into "Warm mode" is key - it changes the output frequency response to that of a typical analog synth. Also depending on the type of bass required - switching off "Random osc phase" & turning on the "Snap" parameters...
Hydrasynth is my favorite synth.
Same here, have the KB version
Same
Hey man, you made that thing sing! ASM should hire you full time. Great job, thanks for the demo. Hard to find good examples what the thing might sound like if you are playing songs, not making sound effects for video games (not that I don't like doing that, too...)
41:46 Idea to work around the LFO per cycle trigger... if you can use two LFOs, you can set the first to a random output and have it modulate the rate of the second - and then trigger the envelope from the second. Just a thought.
Still very new to this. my main question was Desktop vs keys. Which you answered. I do have the Arturia Minilab but the features that are the swaying point towards the key version are the poly-aftertouch and the ribbon strip. maybe it's the old schooler in me I prefer as one friend puts it buttons, sliders and knobs. ☮
Greetings from Greece! I must say, you sir made the best video I've seen yet, about the HydraSynth out there. Here are some thoughts that popped in my head while I was watching it: a) The preset patches you played were awesomeness to my ears, whereas the ones you designed yourself reminded me of DeepMind 12 (which I already own), meaning that, I noticed you were searching for the more analogue aspect of the HS. Which is good.. b) How come you never mentioned anything about the arpeggiator section? It felt as if you somehow lost the video segment you had made.. Otherwise, why not talk about it? It truly is a very powerful section of the HS and it's a pity to not mention it at all. And c) I believe that one important element which kept me watching this video was your "made-for-narration" voice. Being a sound engineer/music producer myself, I instinctively recognize it when I hear one. OVERALL (I know you love that word) this was a very inspiring and insightful video. Congrats, thanks for sharing, keep'em coming and.. Oh, one last thing: Today you sold me the Hydrasynth, I'm going to place an order for it right now.. thanks for that!
On your comments at the end of the How I Met Hydra section: a wise user on, I think gearspace forums, said many presets (or at least many of the initial presets) seem to show off different features, instead of just going all in on pushing the boundaries, digging deep for the incredible range of really nice sounds the engine can pump out. And for many users the initial learning curve might be very steep, but with some patience they can get good at navigating the galaxy of very many, albeit often rather small, sweet spots without getting stuck in the noisy void for too long in between them.
I'm looking at a Deluxe for a nice big, bi timbral synth; that happens to be one of the biggest and best MPE keyboard controllers too. And some of the new patches for that I've heard demoed even drift right into drum machine territory with how one engine uses its available LFOs to hammer out a synthesized drum loop with a kick and a snare-like sound while the other offers the user a nice keys patch to play along with. Layering the two engines instead sounds really nice to me though, for thicker pads and basses, or more complex yet still snappy and responsive keys patches.
I'm one of those who called it a vst in a box. Not really meant to be disparaging; just an observation. Now that I own one, however, I would have to disagree with my earlier uninformed opinion. The hands-on-ness of it is really good. You just have to learn it. Once you've put a little time into it, it feels like you're molding a sound with your hands. I still love the sound of my Minilogue XD, but the Hydra is a great complement to it. I might run the sounds through my nts-1 effects at times to get that Korg reverb smoothness. Btw I have the Explorer version. It's totally worth it.
I sort of agree with you though. It feels like a computer as opposed to the minifreak that feels like an instrument with character.
I've recently been looking to but a Modal Cobalt 8, then I stumbled across the Hydrasynth quite by accident..... I'm getting one now 🤩
The opening tune is an absolute banger. Well done.
Great review, I'm eyeing this synth, even the non-key version. Hope its in the market long enough, else will try hunt down second hand; Already spent my well earned money on another amazing synth (The PolyBrute).
At 15:09 I thought you were going to play UK - Alaska (Eddie Jobson) ;-)
Thank you for the amazingly informative video! I got a Hydrasynth about a month back! Excited to try these ideas :)
Been "window shopping" for a new synth for a while now...was seriously considering the Behringer DEEPMIND but once I saw this (and a few other videos) I'm now convinced to get the Hydra...great video...thanks so much.
I'm on exactly the same journey, I was eyeing the lush Deepmind 12 for some time, then I stumbled on the Hydrasynth and the UI/UX kind of sold me, the only thing I'm researching now is how phat the bass can be (or not) for the EDM style of music that I like.
I am new so learning VST synths (such as Serum and Vital) and I am seriously thinking of getting the Hydrasynth as my first hardware synth to learn.
You gotta get a hands on with the UDO Super 6 sometime too I'd be very interested to hear your takep on that.
As an owner of a Blofeld I was expecting to be blown away but I didn’t listen anything in the preset patches that really did that!
It is a nice Wavetable synth but that’s all to my ears..
Edit:So yes,after watching the patch creation section which is what I’m mostly interested in,I’m quite convinced!Its rad!Im just bummed that it’s a mono timbral when it could easily be a 4 part.Other than that,it feels really powerful!!!
The deluxe is bitimbral, for what it's worth
I didn't love a lot of the presets, much as I respect the craft that goes into them...more fun to make messed up multi modulated gargles that do unpredictable things!
Damn good video! Thanks! Provided a lot of straight forward and important info. Still can’t decide, but my question has been answered. Summit or Hydrasynth. I still don’t know lol
Regarding polyphonic aftertouch-- Glen from ASM has said that they prioritized making it great, and he specifically compared it to old Ensoniq keybeds that were not that great. As a former TS10 owner I concur. It may have HAD poly aftertouch but you had to bear down so hard on it that I personally just never used it. Plus, there were reliability issues; my TS10 is the only board I ever had that would crash while I was using it.
Regarding waldorf boards, I have no experience of them. Still, there have been reports of build quality issues, enough of them to scare me off the Iridium, which I did want.
The hydrasynth deluxe though does appear to have great build quality plus its 76 keys! To me that makes it a no brainer if you want polyphonic aftertouch.
Plus after watching this video I really like the sound, so thanks for that. Other videos showcase how extreme it can go, but this video focuses on its delicate warm side which is what I look for in a synth. 19:06
Really like the patch you made here at about 29:47. Very organic.
Not geared towards low-end?? Man, I got a moog bass patch I made that RUMBLES the stage unlike any other synth I've used yet!
Bass is the easiest thing a synth can produce, anyone claiming a synth lacks bass is a moron.
Immediately drawn to the retro quadrant style Pitch and Mod levers.
A nice touch.
Very nice video. I appreciated your expansion on the pros and cons and you mentioned things that were not covered in other reviews. I’ve had a Peak for a couple of years and really like it. I just got the Hydrasynth keyboard and am looking forward to playing them together. The poly aftertouch keyboard is great and I’m happy to set aside the Xkey 37.
Follow-up. Traded the Peak for a Hydrasynth Explorer and cash because I really wanted a portable synth with a keyboard. I put the cash towards getting my deluge retrofitted with the new oled screen, new pads, a couple of new encoders and fresh battery.
I'm not sure I like the sounds of it. But I'm very sure that you are a musician. Cheers!
I LOVE my Hydrasynth! Thanks for sharing..
The Hydrasynth is in fact multitimbral, just not the usual way with separate patches, but within one patch:
use different wave forms, different filters, envelopes, and LFOs. E.g., Osc1 in the center with a crazy wavetable, Osc 2 & 3 panned hard left/right with a lush sawtooth/PWM pad.
I would not have ever guessed that any of those patches were sine wave based!
Awesome review. Such a great synth.
Nice! I am shopping. This helped. I am wowed however with ethereal moving pads... and am curious if you might do a similar vid on the less expensive amazing sounding (to me) Korg Wavestate?
oops, you missed an edit at 1:12:28 :) Don't you hate when that happens...
I've had the Hydrasynth for almost a year and a half. It quickly became my go-to synth, particularly for sound design, because it's so easy to make great sounds, quickly.
I agree with the paddles on the mod and pitch wheels, I didn't like them right from the beginning, and I still don't.
Lastly, I thought the ribbon was a complete gimmick that I would never end up using. I was wrong. Once I started making it a part of my sound design, I found that I use it ALL THE TIME.
The keybed is probably my favorite keybed in 30+ years of synth ownership. You didn't mention this in your video, but I feel that the Hydrasynth is the most EXPRESSIVE synth I have ever played. I find it interprets what I'm trying to do and creates the appropriate sound, without me really thinking about doing anything - and I think the poly AT keybed (and the way in which it is mapped) is the main reason for this.
Ordered mine yesterday, arriving tomorrow. So excited!
The intro track is dope.
You can also have the Macro controls as mod destinations, and you can mod macros with other macros. :D
Macro ception... :)
ASM owes apple a big thank you for free tempo recording that tames the hydra’s inability to sync accurately to external clock ( one of the two most important things ) 🤔👽
THANK YOU, VELVETEEN VOICED RAPSCALLION.
Just got my hydrasynth.. time to party and pretend it's a cs80.. yeah I went there... That just happened!! Lol
Theres something magical with this , doctors office - of a machine ....
oooookay - i never owned a polytouch keyboard - (well beside my
Seabord, but thats a totally diff bitness ,- ) and very rarely even
tried one, i think a modded OB-X way back in the wee morning hours, of
modern time)- - so im - ofcourse MesMerRiotised , just sitting with the
fluthe(cleverly came as nb 1 preset)through a Big Sky and a Specular
Tempus - hours goes by - in total bliss - And Im - Fl abber gasted over
the possibilities to use the polytouch as pressure control for Sound
Morphing ( imagine this on the polybrute , such a wasted opportunit yfor
the Arturia PolyBrute) i the bourght Explorer version when it came out
- but DAMN , do I want the Double Hydra now ... - so addicting ,
and VERY hard ... to go back on my "Pre-Poly" synths -
1:04:20 The blofeld keyboard doesn't have polyphonic aftertouch.
Your voice sounds better than the synth itself bro… (it could be the marvel t shirt that gives to u some extra voice power)
Very cool. Think I'll pick one up after like a year of saving XD
I'm good with patches for my controllers for now ✌
Thanks for the review and demo though!!
Friggen love the sounds at 20:03
explorer version is super tempting as a cheap alternative to the peak. bummer it lacks filter FM (although there is a noise LFO); and I like the waveshaping options of the peak, and slightly prefer the sound. but it is almost twice the price; and I get a poly aftertouch keyboard. choices, choices.
I have both versions and I love them. I agree with you about the meh bass. Also, I'm not a fan of the feel of the keys (kind of spongy/springy). As for the desktop module, it wins first place for stupidest power switch placement (unless you have E.T. fingers you'll have to flip the module over to switch it on/off).
Another level! Killer take and brilliant sounds.
I can’t wait to buy the explorer for my Xmas present!!
Astonishing. I'm currently deciding between purchasing the Explorer version of the Hydrasynth and the newly announced Minifreak from Arturia.
What direction did you go?
I have the explorer and Microfreak (not the mini), and I think I would always prefer the explorer over the minifreak. The freaks have great oscillators but I somehow never really get a good feeling of what what I am actually doing, when turning the knobs of the oscillators. That is totally different with the explorer.
You ever checked out the Hyper Light Drifter ost? I think it'd be right up your alley.
I LOVE The Midnight Wood, but every track on there is so interesting, Disasterpeace is just great.
Waiting for DS80, I guess this would be a good friend. Also, it’s reminds me of the SY77, which is a good thing. Seems like a good synth for film scoring.
The Blofeld doesn't have poly aftertouch. It can receive it, but it can't transmit it.
A really well done video......you communicate so well, articulate and knowledgeable........Personally, I really loved the sound of my Hydra, and a lot of the features - but there were just too many seriously frustrating things about it, and so I ended up selling it......(if you're interested in my 'cons', I uploaded a couple videos on it.......
Mr Virus! 😎
So I love all the weird shit that the hydra synth does , but I am in love with the lush pads the novation peak can do. Any opinions between the two ?
Get both!! 😜i have the hydra but love to have the peak too
The Peak's filter is the real magic I think. Hydra is insanely flexible though, just maybe lacks a bit of the character and thickness of the Peak. Purely as a sound design / flexible tool, Hydra would be my choice. In terms of sound though, I think the Peak still has the edge.
BRILLIANT OPENING TRACK !!!
I was going to get the hydra but i ended up preordering the expressive e osmose instead.
im still waiting for the osmose and i was one of the first too preorder it but i will buy 1 eventually.
Really appreciated this review, most balanced and least hyped of em all! I’m thinking that i shall purchase the deluxe version of this, to compliment my virus 2 ti kbd, and FA 01, in a rock band ,( British) , the FA. 06 doing the bread and butter sounds, the virus for warm synths, so looking for a pad / Lead synth to compliment. Any chance of reviewing the deluxe? Or a link if you have? Best wishes Also, according to my recording engineer, there is a particular setup that needs to be applied for recordings to u tube, which may explain the wish washy sound of some reviews,seems you aced that…
Oh, and angry guy, wherever you are….yes, he’s a REAL musician….
I had preordered the rack mount version of the Hydrasynth and received one as soon as the manufacturer shipped to Sweetwater. That is the first new hardware synth I've purchased in the last ten years, and maybe the last. There is one thing that annoys the living crap out of me on the rack version and that is that there is no front panel headphone output.
I think Hydrasynth is a modern version of classic Yamaha CS80 from the '70s.
Actually a really good way of putting it!
Just not-at-all analog … 🙃 But controls-wise, definitely. I wonder how Behringer will do with their DS-80 … ?! One would think they will take a close look at the controls on the Hydrasynths …
@@VenusTheory they definitely lean towards that direction with all those Blade-Runner-ish presets and the polyphonic aftertouch.
That outro tho, why did it make me emotional?
Incredible!
Banger song in the intro. Good review. Very strange recommendation for the Blofeld Keys as a polyAT controller though, since it's not cheap and doesn't have polyAT.
As noted, there aren't many commercially-available polyAT controllers for less than the price of a Hydra. The only ones which come to mind are the Sensel Morph (as shown in this review), the Microfreak (also made by ASM's CEO Glen Darcy), some midi controllers from Xkey, and the Linnstrument 128. Or, of course, the entire Hydrasynth product line.
The new Explorer looks appealing, since it's a bit under half the price of an original Hydra, less than even the desktop version, but still offers a nice polyAT keybed in mini-key format. The main downside for it is having half the general editing knobs removed.
I read it’s medium-sized keys on the Explorer. I have a Novation MiniNova, and its keys are too small for my liking. Demos of the Explorer definitely seem to show larger keys than on my Novation.
For sure an interesting machine after years and years of "meh". Now there are a cheap version with minikeys and this can be affordable for who switch to Vst and want return with some "physical" without pay a kidney for. Like me...
saw it once and dove right in..it's great..
great production! Greetings from Vienna!
6:10 Welcome to Hearts of Space.
Dat patch at 13:15 is 👌
Hey, I have a Hydrasynth Deluxe coming on Wednesday. How do I download these custom patches?
May you upload the uncompressed audio or mp3 (if it sounds near indiscernible) somewhere?
Fantastic and informative analysis, sir.
Wow and now there's the HYDRASYNTH deluxe model...
An obvious advantage of the ASM over the Novation - it has a keyboard!
Beautiful! Well, now I need one of these!
About to pull the trigger on the Deluxe.
Let me know what you think of it if you do end up grabbing it! Deluxe is extremely tempting but I am pretty against getting keyboard synths as I don't really have the space for a bunch of giant keyboards haha.
Are the patches you play at the beginning are stock patches? I mean at around min 12.