You could see the real pleasure you were having in playing this synth, it sounded fantastic and helped to bring out the real joy in playing an instrument which helped you play well because it just felt right, I can imagine vangelis playing this and thinking it was as good if not better than the CS80. A wonderful synth that you played with real feeling.
There was an article published in a French magazine shortly before Vangelis passed that revealed that he indeed had two Hydrasynths in his studio, and that the Deluxe was his favorite since the CS80!
In that it has poly aftertouch? I'd say to be this generations CS80 a synth needs to be bulky, expensive and a little more exclusive. To be a CS80 contender you need to be analogue too, VCOs. Something more like a Polybrute.
@@6581punk certainly in terms of performance control. Analog is overrated. Exclusivity is elitist. This axe is still not inexpensive for most musicians. Digital sound generation along with controlled emulations of distortion is now indistinguishable from pure analog, which was always harmonically limited.
M1-008 Morning Sun Ra positively took my breath away! Nice little Kraftwerk homage, Woody! It's amazing how "complete" that performance sounded with that multi-patch.
oh yeah, although the 49 keyboard would also have been a good choice, as it is so much more compact! but of course, then you wouldn't get these sounds...
@@WoodyPianoShack I sold my 49 key version that I bought the day they were released and replaced it with the Deluxe when it came out, and I've never been sorry. :)
@@ScottsSynthStuff Scott , how is the editing bewteen patches (layers), not a pain to jump form one to another ( link option or double / copy for an binuaral type of patches ) ?
I’ve been waiting for this video! Thanks Woody!! 👍 I’ve gone into the studio many times with the intention of writing and ended up losing all that time on the Hydrasynth playing a performance that only I will ever hear. So many hours beautifully lost in sound.
@@WoodyPianoShack I ordered my Deluxe yesterday -- the local music shop should take delivery in about a week. I blame you for forcing all these recent purchases upon me, Woody 😉
Wonderful sounds, it really does a great job of giving you classic analog style tones, early wavetable digitals, modeling, FM, just about everything. And all the real-time controls to tweak and express with, it seems to be a keyboard geared toward live performance. ME LIKEY!
Great demo Woody, thank you. Been toying with getting one of these for a while but your performance has made me push the button and buy!! Can’t wait to explore!! BTW - excellent channel, keep up the great work fella 😊
WTAF!! That Morning Sun Ra sound and the Kraftwerk Pocket Calculator/Denkatu and Computer World improv has me sold on the Deluxe version. Part way through your tweaking of That Icy Brass preset, the tone has a Roland Juno/JX3P quality to it it sounds very Clanad - Legend - Robin The Hooded Man. Absolutely love your demo, your enthusiasm and your reactions. 👍 I hope ASM let you keep the Hydrasynth Deluxe for free because your demo has probably sold a load of their instruments.
Thankyou Woody. Can I just say I am on the verge of buying this. After watching numerous videos I found yours to be the only one that has expressed emotion , snd someone actually bloody playing it properly!! I am totally sold on it now nd can't wait to have it in my studio- Greetings from Ireland and thankyou ❤ Mick.
Bloody hell. What a piece of kit. I was thinking of getting a MiniFreak as my first 'proper’ hardware synth, then the Hydrosynth Explorer caught my eye for around the same price… but I thought it might be best to splash out on the full size 4 octave original version. Now I know I'm just going to have to save up and get the Deluxe!
Really lovely how you go into Kraftwerk kling klang mode at 5:03 and then the amazing swell later on 🤩. Multi patch courtesy of the talented Mr. Roger Austli
@@WoodyPianoShack , okay, maybe I don't have to sell the Montage to get the Hydrasynth. But I would like if I could upgrade to a non-weighted Montage with Poly AT and a loooooonnnng pitch ribbon! Maybe next round of the Montage 7 (if they even stay with the series another generation beyond the M!)
What is THAT beautiful haunting song ? Ahhh yes, Massive Attack's Teardrop. I had to pause and figure it out. Music is the nectar and you are the God pumping it out over the Earth's airwaves Woody. Muchos Respect ...
Woody you know what it says to me. The modern grown up cs80. It's genes are in this synth. And the baby has arisen. To give us one hell of a synth. Beautifully played.
Hi my mate. Well, i don't recall ever seeing you enjoy playing a synthesizer so much. You can tell the sheer joy on your face sums it up. And rightly so, its an incredible sounding and synthesizer. Something that gives you so much joy should kept. And just think, you are merley scratching the surface with this thing:). Good man, enjoy. 👍
ASM put an incredibly versatile synth on the market that is a deep, sound design tool and for less than $2K (which in itself is a feat). Yes it’s digital…but it crosses over into the flexibility of what any number of analog synths can do. Cutting edge technology and the most satisfying sounds.
Absolutely beautiful playing and sounds! ❤ I'm considering getting this as my first 'serious' synth (I only have a Reface CS). I'll probably mostly use presets. Wavering between this and the Expressive E Osmose, though.
Whoah! At 11:54, that intense vibratto brass sounded so much like the brass sounds Vangelis used! I think the Hydra was largely designed to be able to recreate CS80 sounds. I'll highlight the Bladerunner patch as a prime example. What other synth can produce the brilliance that you get from the aftertouch on that patch?
I’d agree. When I played it yesterday I was tripping into vangelis tunes all the time. Plus some of the patches are named after the CS80 and Vangelis films.
It just sounds so BIG ... heard lots of sounds online from the Deluxe, but just as the original Korg Wavestation you will have to choose one sound and build your music around that sound cause the soundspace is so big and lushsounding. you can't slap 4 of those kind of sounds together
Great sound and features but wondering if the price of entry is worth it. With the introduction of the Montage M line you get all the analog'ish goodness, touch interface for modifying sounds live, the AN engine plus the FM and AWM2 engines AND a full featured workstation. Granted at a little over 2x the cost for the Montage M8x you also get the polyphonic aftertouch as well and it's an all in one, one and done, solution.
yes, that is worth pondering over. question is do you need or want the workstation or the synth! i would say that the hydra is much more hands on in the control and expressiveness of the synth, and the OS of the montage can be quite intimidating compared to the the hydra. but if you need all the realistic pianos, guitars, woodwinds, drums, multitimbral, sequencer then montage ftw!
Fabulous video and playing Woody! Your enthusiasm and enjoyment from playing the Hydrasynth Deluxe is clear to see (and not something that can be faked!). Sorely tempted to buy one myself, but just recently acquired a Wavestation SE Platinum, so might have to hold off for a while... 😔
Hello Woody, may I ask a question regarding an older video? When you were comparing Yamaha MODX's piano to a VSTi piano you mentioned that computers tend to have a latency issue. I always have some latency on my computer, but it's old and not fast enough altogether. I wonder if buying a really good computer with a proper audio interface (ASIO driver) would solve the latency problem completely. So I want to ask if you notice at least a slight latency while playing VSTi piano, I mean really playing, a lot of notes with a sustain pedal, or it works as smoothly as a hardware instrument? Thank you a lot.
Soi, Woody - you gonna keep it? Seems like with all the smiling and inspirational factory patches you might have been doing some quality bonding there! (I LOVE mine, BTW.) 😎 Gerat playing - I enjoyed that a lot!
Hello Thanks for this delicious video, hydrasynth appearing here under your fingers like a big sweet. Looking at the market and the sounds I like then the best immediate workflow, no doubt Deluxe is ticking almost all boxes. I have a question regarding the relative low 16 notes polyphony announced, was it noticeable to you while playing ? b
Wonder if there will ever be a workstation version of the Hydra. 32 or 64 voice, multitrack sequencer :) In the meanwhile, I'm selling my explorer and upgrading to the Deluxe soon. For the money, it's a very solid synth that is very unique and expressive. I will say, it would have been cool to have some sort of electronic drum setup via a 16 channel multi timbral ability. Can't got two far with only two different timbrals LOL. Another cool thing would be an actual drum machine with all the functions of Hydra . Even if it was only 4 or 6 voices at once. We can step into the realm of Elektron level drum sounds.
I dream about buying 6 of the desktop models to go with my original Hydra, and layering the sounds. Imagine what a bank of these could do, even with a good generative sequencer. Still, being able to play with the sounds so easily on the Deluxe is amazing.
yeah, having 2 hydras would be lovely too, but maybe not so easy to perform on, lacking the ease of creating splits and layers, and the mix control knob. but i have coaxed some fantastic single sounds from the hydra too so your model aint no slouch either!
There's loads of synths around. But you probably would look for one with a hammer style keybed if you want a piano style feel. Sometimes synths have too much depth. If you don't have too much free time for sound design then find something less deep.
yeah, all depends on what type of sounds you want. maybe you want electric pianos, strings, choirs and stuff? this wont do that, but for proper synth sounds I think this, or the 49 note model is a good choice for first synth.
@@WoodyPianoShack You can definitely get decent EP sounds out of the Hydrasynth, with a little bit of sound design. You can even get a passable piano - not great, but passable in a live mix. Using the wavetable and formant filters, you can also get passable choir sounds out of it as well. And strings...the Hydrasynth can definitely do string sounds. You're not going to mistake them for sampled orchestral strings, but they do sound excellent.
Ask Aimee Nolte. She has a jazz/standards piano channel here on TH-cam. She seems to have chosen a Hydrasynth as her synth. I like the multi sounds in this video, which are only possible on the largest version of the keyboard. Polyphonic aftertouch is an underrated feature for slower sustained sounds. A large ribbon controller is another great thing that's easy to forget about, then... wow!
As usual, very inspiring sounds and demos ! May you help me choosin between Kord Modwave MK2 and Hydrasynth Deluxe ? Modwave seems going far and deep in synthesis, even having a low cost keybd. But exexp this feature, what are your opinion ? Which one may lead to better sound discoveries ? Best regards and keep the line, Sir ! MV
i don't think you can compare those two, different sizes, price, quality etc. maybe the normal hydrasynth with 49 keys is comparable, then i say that one for the high quality construction, UI and sounds.
@@WoodyPianoShackThanks WPS ! Both are inspiring (I love Vangelis sounds and find them on the hydrasynth ; is it about the filters ? Regarding the waveforms, are the comparable ? Ok, the ears will decide which one to investigate ! keep on my friend ! MV
How is the keybed in comparison to NI MK3 Fatar? No mention of it in any of your videos. It is very concerning… Being sponsored sometimes can be VERY deceiving to reach objective decision
i'm only playing it here, so there should be no influence on your decision, you can listen and judge for yourself. the keys on NI and Hydra feel extremely different, no comparison, except both are nice.
@@WoodyPianoShack to change your sustain pedal options in 2.0, select the Voice button, then the press the page down button 2 times , your sustain options will be right there at the bottom left, turn knob 5 until you reach sostenuto ! hope that helped you out
I would say, compared to a Seventh Generation synthesizer, this doesn’t sound bad! Very open sound. I do feel like it’s a little biting at 4K and 8k. But not bad.
Enough demos where people talk and talk and talk and play poorly. I did enjoy listening to your demo, nice patches without you telling me that you are pressing a button
It's one hell of a synth. The only thing I don't like it's the wavetables. I really don't like their implementation. Way too complicated, WT are supposed to be easy, I would had much more preferred the traditional implementation and to be able to import your own wavetables. But even if their WT is barely usable for me, that thing is a beast!
@@WoodyPianoShack Hi Woody ! look at video Synth 1 Xavier Radix . Hydrasynth sounds very close to Synth 1 . Any way Hydrasynth is grate synthesizer , no doubt !
The Hydrasynth is not breathtakingly beautiful! The sounds are way too basic and there aren't the crazy random alterations going on in a vintage synth. Hell, soft synths like the GX-80 and Diva are better sounding than this! Its a shame synths evolved in this basic direction and fooled everyone when their origins were far better.
Hey Woody, As much as I always appreciated your blogs, this must be the worst Perhaps it is for it being paid presentation Hopefully you will get back on track soon-once your ASM expires
Vangelis would no doubt if he was still with us have highly regarded this beautiful synth .
I read somewhere that he had two hydra deluxe at his studio
@@janneliimatainen6186 yes he had atleast one in his setup
You could see the real pleasure you were having in playing this synth, it sounded fantastic and helped to bring out the real joy in playing an instrument which helped you play well because it just felt right, I can imagine vangelis playing this and thinking it was as good if not better than the CS80. A wonderful synth that you played with real feeling.
thank you, yes, that pretty much sums it up.
There was an article published in a French magazine shortly before Vangelis passed that revealed that he indeed had two Hydrasynths in his studio, and that the Deluxe was his favorite since the CS80!
This generation’s CS80. Love the Jan Hammer patch. I want one. You’re having too much fun!
In that it has poly aftertouch? I'd say to be this generations CS80 a synth needs to be bulky, expensive and a little more exclusive. To be a CS80 contender you need to be analogue too, VCOs. Something more like a Polybrute.
@@6581punk certainly in terms of performance control. Analog is overrated. Exclusivity is elitist. This axe is still not inexpensive for most musicians. Digital sound generation along with controlled emulations of distortion is now indistinguishable from pure analog, which was always harmonically limited.
Insane value….perhaps the best bargain in synths EVER.
Absolutely. No other Synth that i know gives this much value.
M1-008 Morning Sun Ra positively took my breath away! Nice little Kraftwerk homage, Woody! It's amazing how "complete" that performance sounded with that multi-patch.
Now Woody....aren't you glad that ASM insisted on the Deluxe for you, and not the Explorer that you originally had your eye on? :)
oh yeah, although the 49 keyboard would also have been a good choice, as it is so much more compact! but of course, then you wouldn't get these sounds...
@@WoodyPianoShack I sold my 49 key version that I bought the day they were released and replaced it with the Deluxe when it came out, and I've never been sorry. :)
@@ScottsSynthStuff Scott , how is the editing bewteen patches (layers), not a pain to jump form one to another ( link option or double / copy for an binuaral type of patches ) ?
Yes, please more presets/patches. The programmers deserve a good player like yourself to show them off. Well done.
much appreciated, yes more to come!
I’ve been waiting for this video! Thanks Woody!! 👍
I’ve gone into the studio many times with the intention of writing and ended up losing all that time on the Hydrasynth playing a performance that only I will ever hear. So many hours beautifully lost in sound.
I listened to this up loud and through a good subwoofer and had my mind blown. Awesome work, Woody!
good for you, i bet a fair few are listening on their phone or laptop speakers!
hey, are you spying on me?
@@WoodyPianoShack I ordered my Deluxe yesterday -- the local music shop should take delivery in about a week. I blame you for forcing all these recent purchases upon me, Woody 😉
@@runestone1337 oh dear, don't make me feel guilty now. but i'm confident you'll enjoy the deluxe, congrats!
The Deluxe is amazing and I love what you did with the Morning Sun patch. Awesome Woody
Ended up with an explorer as my first synth ever. The deluxe looks super amazing and even more capable.
What a sound! Thanks for playing ❤
Nice to see you… to see you again.👍💪😎
Wonderful sounds and so much control under your fingers, on this synth. What a delight!!! This was like a time machine, man!!! Thank you!!! 🙌🙌🙌
Wonderful sounds, it really does a great job of giving you classic analog style tones, early wavetable digitals, modeling, FM, just about everything. And all the real-time controls to tweak and express with, it seems to be a keyboard geared toward live performance. ME LIKEY!
totally agree!
Sounds fantastic! Definitely getting one of these. Was great to hear Massive Attack 6 minutes in.
Some beautiful- and more important very usable- sounds there. I would certainly love one of these.
Really a lot of fun hearing this. Good work.
I played this for the first time yesterday and it was simply incredible.
I just adore watching the surprise and delight when you discover these sounds. It’s joyful and heartwarming! 🎉❤
So great to see you having fun!
Great demo Woody, thank you. Been toying with getting one of these for a while but your performance has made me push the button and buy!! Can’t wait to explore!!
BTW - excellent channel, keep up the great work fella 😊
oh wow, exciting times for you ahead! enjoy!
This is one video that needs to be heard on your car stereo.😁🎶🎹🎶Play On
Woody, just a breathtaking demo of this powerhouse. You have sold me on the Deluxe😊
never my plan to sell anything, but cool!
The sound of that, wow!
indeed!
I really wasn’t sold we needed the Deluxe but my Mrs was insistent and damn she was right...that keybed is the best
Great demo! I enjoyed your playing and tweaking. Really showcased the synth nicely.
WTAF!! That Morning Sun Ra sound and the Kraftwerk Pocket Calculator/Denkatu and Computer World improv has me sold on the Deluxe version. Part way through your tweaking of That Icy Brass preset, the tone has a Roland Juno/JX3P quality to it it sounds very Clanad - Legend - Robin The Hooded Man. Absolutely love your demo, your enthusiasm and your reactions. 👍 I hope ASM let you keep the Hydrasynth Deluxe for free because your demo has probably sold a load of their instruments.
Thankyou Woody. Can I just say I am on the verge of buying this. After watching numerous videos I found yours to be the only one that has expressed emotion , snd someone actually bloody playing it properly!! I am totally sold on it now nd can't wait to have it in my studio- Greetings from Ireland and thankyou ❤
Mick.
hello to ireland and thx for the message! which model are you leaning towards? glad to have helped btw.
Oh the deluxe 100%! I have to feel that keybed-
@@mik300z same keybed on the 49 model, just so you don't make expensive mistake, well except less keys of course on the 49 but same feel.
Bloody hell. What a piece of kit.
I was thinking of getting a MiniFreak as my first 'proper’ hardware synth, then the Hydrosynth Explorer caught my eye for around the same price… but I thought it might be best to splash out on the full size 4 octave original version.
Now I know I'm just going to have to save up and get the Deluxe!
Woody I Love synths...this sounds amazing...love love love it.
Definitely a whole lot richer than the single patches on the original Hydra, and a lot more than the sum of their parts. Gorgeous 🙂
The Hydra packs so many features and a great sound for relatively little cost. Not without its flaws, but it is a very good live performance platform.
Thank you very much. Some of these sounds are absolutely splendid.
Really lovely how you go into Kraftwerk kling klang mode at 5:03 and then the amazing swell later on 🤩. Multi patch courtesy of the talented Mr. Roger Austli
It definitely has the Wow factor, as I think you have found (and even said!). A delight to see your joy playing it.
Would love more preset explorations with hydra and deep dives into omnisphere
Great demo!
Great demo. Sounds pretty nice.
You make me like the Hydrasynth more than my Montage! I might have to make a change. Thanks, Woody.
not my intention, can't go wrong with the montage!
@@WoodyPianoShack , okay, maybe I don't have to sell the Montage to get the Hydrasynth. But I would like if I could upgrade to a non-weighted Montage with Poly AT and a loooooonnnng pitch ribbon! Maybe next round of the Montage 7 (if they even stay with the series another generation beyond the M!)
Sounds great.
Awesome stuff! Oh how you will miss the poly aftertouch once this beast has to be returned ;) Personally I can't imagine living without it anymore :)
11:05 please do a full track of this, I loved Miami Vice, I'm so nostalgic of that time period 🫶🙏
i do have some plans to do a full cover, but on another synth.... ;)
What is THAT beautiful haunting song ? Ahhh yes, Massive Attack's Teardrop. I had to pause and figure it out. Music is the nectar and you are the God pumping it out over the Earth's airwaves Woody. Muchos Respect ...
and my performance of that song was very vague, as I lost track of the chords half way through the progression! well spotted and thanks!
@@WoodyPianoShack I freaking love that song !!!
I just pair my hydra with Omnisphere/GX80 totally lush and huge sounding 😁
i bet!
@@WoodyPianoShack sounds great by the way 👍
Wonderful video, thanks Woody! :)
I love this demo!
11:00 The greatest TV series theme music of all time.
What is it? It's very familiar.
@@funkingitup1805 th-cam.com/video/Lfgf9HatIHI/w-d-xo.htmlsi=R9U-wnoWG44j0BAa
Woody you know what it says to me. The modern grown up cs80. It's genes are in this synth. And the baby has arisen. To give us one hell of a synth. Beautifully played.
Now I want to get my hands on one of these
Man, I love my hydra explorer, but I want to try a deluxe now!
Sounds great. Reasonable price as well. Great job.
Oh, at 11:55 you're unexpectedly trying to play "Spectrum" by Zedd feat. Matthew Koma, 💜 that song.
haha, "trying" being the operative word!
Hi my mate.
Well, i don't recall ever seeing you enjoy playing a synthesizer so much.
You can tell the sheer joy on your face sums it up.
And rightly so, its an incredible sounding and synthesizer.
Something that gives you so much joy should kept.
And just think, you are merley scratching the surface with this thing:).
Good man, enjoy. 👍
thank you so much, actually I enjoy them all, otherwise they would not even be featured here on the channel!
Sounds great Woody. I’ll almost certainly will get one of these but a 61 key might have been better for me,but I guess I can make room for it.🙂
ASM put an incredibly versatile synth on the market that is a deep, sound design tool and for less than $2K (which in itself is a feat). Yes it’s digital…but it crosses over into the flexibility of what any number of analog synths can do. Cutting edge technology and the most satisfying sounds.
Absolutely beautiful playing and sounds! ❤ I'm considering getting this as my first 'serious' synth (I only have a Reface CS). I'll probably mostly use presets. Wavering between this and the Expressive E Osmose, though.
nah get the hydra and a c-15 your then done
@@johnb2044Probably will go for the hydra, it seems like the more finished or complete package. What is the C-15?
It sounds great, definitely, but can any of them do Iridium-esque ambient pads?
Whoah! At 11:54, that intense vibratto brass sounded so much like the brass sounds Vangelis used! I think the Hydra was largely designed to be able to recreate CS80 sounds. I'll highlight the Bladerunner patch as a prime example. What other synth can produce the brilliance that you get from the aftertouch on that patch?
I’d agree. When I played it yesterday I was tripping into vangelis tunes all the time. Plus some of the patches are named after the CS80 and Vangelis films.
It just sounds so BIG ... heard lots of sounds online from the Deluxe, but just as the original Korg Wavestation you will have to choose one sound and build your music around that sound cause the soundspace is so big and lushsounding. you can't slap 4 of those kind of sounds together
i agree with that, these sound great solo, but you need to be careful in the mix.
Great demo.
You look more youthful with that hairstyle, buddy 😎👍
haha, you think? :) scruffy some might say.
@@WoodyPianoShack is that what your wife said? 🤣
Great sound and features but wondering if the price of entry is worth it. With the introduction of the Montage M line you get all the analog'ish goodness, touch interface for modifying sounds live, the AN engine plus the FM and AWM2 engines AND a full featured workstation. Granted at a little over 2x the cost for the Montage M8x you also get the polyphonic aftertouch as well and it's an all in one, one and done, solution.
yes, that is worth pondering over. question is do you need or want the workstation or the synth! i would say that the hydra is much more hands on in the control and expressiveness of the synth, and the OS of the montage can be quite intimidating compared to the the hydra. but if you need all the realistic pianos, guitars, woodwinds, drums, multitimbral, sequencer then montage ftw!
Fabulous video and playing Woody! Your enthusiasm and enjoyment from playing the Hydrasynth Deluxe is clear to see (and not something that can be faked!). Sorely tempted to buy one myself, but just recently acquired a Wavestation SE Platinum, so might have to hold off for a while... 😔
wow, the flagship wavestation, congrats, i bet that would give the hydra some stiff competition!
Hello Woody, may I ask a question regarding an older video? When you were comparing Yamaha MODX's piano to a VSTi piano you mentioned that computers tend to have a latency issue. I always have some latency on my computer, but it's old and not fast enough altogether. I wonder if buying a really good computer with a proper audio interface (ASIO driver) would solve the latency problem completely. So I want to ask if you notice at least a slight latency while playing VSTi piano, I mean really playing, a lot of notes with a sustain pedal, or it works as smoothly as a hardware instrument? Thank you a lot.
I love my Hydra
Forget the sounds, where's the awesome shirt from?
thanks! my mum of all people bought it from m&s :)
@@WoodyPianoShack A woman of fine taste
Hi, great playing!! I have a question: are the HYDRASYNTH DELUXE D/A converters better than the HYDRASYNTH KEYBOARD? Just a curiosity... Thanks!
Soi, Woody - you gonna keep it? Seems like with all the smiling and inspirational factory patches you might have been doing some quality bonding there! (I LOVE mine, BTW.) 😎 Gerat playing - I enjoyed that a lot!
this one is a keeper for sure! probably the only "synth" synth you need!
@@WoodyPianoShack I agree - it's probably the most fun I've had since my DX7 Mk1 in 1985 to be honest!
Hello Thanks for this delicious video, hydrasynth appearing here under your fingers like a big sweet. Looking at the market and the sounds I like then the best immediate workflow, no doubt Deluxe is ticking almost all boxes.
I have a question regarding the relative low 16 notes polyphony announced, was it noticeable to you while playing ? b
Merci!!
Wonder if there will ever be a workstation version of the Hydra. 32 or 64 voice, multitrack sequencer :) In the meanwhile, I'm selling my explorer and upgrading to the Deluxe soon. For the money, it's a very solid synth that is very unique and expressive. I will say, it would have been cool to have some sort of electronic drum setup via a 16 channel multi timbral ability. Can't got two far with only two different timbrals LOL. Another cool thing would be an actual drum machine with all the functions of Hydra . Even if it was only 4 or 6 voices at once. We can step into the realm of Elektron level drum sounds.
I dream about buying 6 of the desktop models to go with my original Hydra, and layering the sounds. Imagine what a bank of these could do, even with a good generative sequencer. Still, being able to play with the sounds so easily on the Deluxe is amazing.
yeah, having 2 hydras would be lovely too, but maybe not so easy to perform on, lacking the ease of creating splits and layers, and the mix control knob. but i have coaxed some fantastic single sounds from the hydra too so your model aint no slouch either!
Just how rich it sounds. Will it be a good alternative for a first synthesizer for an amateur pianist. I’m looking for a synthesizer.
There's loads of synths around. But you probably would look for one with a hammer style keybed if you want a piano style feel. Sometimes synths have too much depth. If you don't have too much free time for sound design then find something less deep.
yeah, all depends on what type of sounds you want. maybe you want electric pianos, strings, choirs and stuff? this wont do that, but for proper synth sounds I think this, or the 49 note model is a good choice for first synth.
@@WoodyPianoShack You can definitely get decent EP sounds out of the Hydrasynth, with a little bit of sound design. You can even get a passable piano - not great, but passable in a live mix. Using the wavetable and formant filters, you can also get passable choir sounds out of it as well. And strings...the Hydrasynth can definitely do string sounds. You're not going to mistake them for sampled orchestral strings, but they do sound excellent.
Ask Aimee Nolte. She has a jazz/standards piano channel here on TH-cam. She seems to have chosen a Hydrasynth as her synth. I like the multi sounds in this video, which are only possible on the largest version of the keyboard. Polyphonic aftertouch is an underrated feature for slower sustained sounds. A large ribbon controller is another great thing that's easy to forget about, then... wow!
@@GizzyDillespee i follow aimee but had not noticed she plays the hydra, cool!
Is the lead at 2:00 an fm patch? That is a beautiful soft saw.
I do not know and dont have it to hand right now!
After reading more on Hydrosynth, I see it uses a lot of fm. Very cool.
Thanks for this enthusiastic demo!
Just a question, what's that tune at 11:02? Another Kraftwerk I guess but I can't quite put my finger on it.
Think it is Vangelis
As usual, very inspiring sounds and demos ! May you help me choosin between Kord Modwave MK2 and Hydrasynth Deluxe ? Modwave seems going far and deep in synthesis, even having a low cost keybd. But exexp this feature, what are your opinion ? Which one may lead to better sound discoveries ? Best regards and keep the line, Sir ! MV
i don't think you can compare those two, different sizes, price, quality etc. maybe the normal hydrasynth with 49 keys is comparable, then i say that one for the high quality construction, UI and sounds.
@@WoodyPianoShackThanks WPS ! Both are inspiring (I love Vangelis sounds and find them on the hydrasynth ; is it about the filters ? Regarding the waveforms, are the comparable ? Ok, the ears will decide which one to investigate ! keep on my friend ! MV
How is the keybed in comparison to NI MK3 Fatar?
No mention of it in any of your videos.
It is very concerning…
Being sponsored sometimes can be VERY deceiving to reach objective decision
i'm only playing it here, so there should be no influence on your decision, you can listen and judge for yourself. the keys on NI and Hydra feel extremely different, no comparison, except both are nice.
So are getting to like polytouch? 😊
yes, but would probably be just as happy without it, there are so many other performance controls available...
it can replace Omnisphere 😮 Thank you ❤
Woody is your deluxe updated to 2.0 ?? you can set the sustain pedal to sostenuto which i thought was useful
yes, on the latest, but not sure I would use that feature, but will keep it in mind, thx for the tip
@@WoodyPianoShack to change your sustain pedal options in 2.0, select the Voice button, then the press the page down button 2 times , your sustain options will be right there at the bottom left, turn knob 5 until you reach sostenuto ! hope that helped you out
Hey great video! one question: how do you setup the synth sound to be recorded with the video?
just connected to focusrite usb audio interface and into reaper daw
@@WoodyPianoShack Hey thank you! Do you sync the audio with the video after ?
I would say, compared to a Seventh Generation synthesizer, this doesn’t sound bad! Very open sound. I do feel like it’s a little biting at 4K and 8k. But not bad.
Your hair reminds me of the low flow shower head episode of Seinfeld. 😉
And tonight Mathew, I'm going to be Woody
Do these sounds come with the unit?
definitely.
Ready to give wobbly keys a go yet? 😀. With love, Ken
Not super fond of the looks, but man does this sound beautiful.
I’m the opposite, I like the look, I love the idea of it, I’m just never grabbed by it’s sound
🙏
Your speech is uncannily like Ned Boulting's...
Enough demos where people talk and talk and talk and play poorly. I did enjoy listening to your demo, nice patches without you telling me that you are pressing a button
I don't get old timey synths like this. Why not just buy a Yamaha Montage 8x?
many would argue that the synth engine on the hydra is much more modern and powerul that the montage. and to answer your question, $4500!
think this and a C-15 you would not need much else
It's one hell of a synth. The only thing I don't like it's the wavetables. I really don't like their implementation. Way too complicated, WT are supposed to be easy, I would had much more preferred the traditional implementation and to be able to import your own wavetables. But even if their WT is barely usable for me, that thing is a beast!
aren't wt synths always complicated? i don't see how this is harder than other hard/software implementations.
Охуенно! 🔥
The only one you need x.
Now this would definetely not fit in my closet!!!
Sort of a PPG on steroids.
Hydrasynth sounds like copy Nord Leed 2 vst Synth 1 , no differens at all !
hmm, that is peculiar, since they use very different architectures and oscillators.
@@WoodyPianoShack Hi Woody ! look at video Synth 1 Xavier Radix . Hydrasynth sounds very close to Synth 1 . Any way Hydrasynth is grate synthesizer , no doubt !
@@Viktorian_Litvius i think then, you are basically saying that all synths sound the same... and in some ways, they do, I agree :)
@@WoodyPianoShack All synths means Yamaha , Korg , Roland ? ... You are humorist ! 😂
Hydra has a weak/boxy sound. Change my mind 😎
The Hydrasynth is not breathtakingly beautiful! The sounds are way too basic and there aren't the crazy random alterations going on in a vintage synth. Hell, soft synths like the GX-80 and Diva are better sounding than this! Its a shame synths evolved in this basic direction and fooled everyone when their origins were far better.
You are in a microscopic minority in that sentiment.
Hey Woody,
As much as I always appreciated your blogs, this must be the worst
Perhaps it is for it being paid presentation
Hopefully you will get back on track soon-once your ASM expires
dude, i'm just playing and enjoying a synth, that's what I always do!