Colourful Sounds of Hydrasynth Part 1

In this video I play a range of original sounds created on the Hydrasynth to demonstrate how wide, deep and expressive this instrument is. I also give tips on programming and using the key features of Hydrasynth. All sounds are my own, except for a few chosen from factory and commercially available banks (these are linked below). There will be three parts to this video series.
Although I’m playing a Hydrasynth Deluxe (which has two sound engines), all sounds in this video use only a single Hydrasynth engine. The original Hydrasynth, Hydrasynth Explorer and Hydrasynth Desktop are all capable of creating these sounds.
*UPDATE* All the original sounds in this video are now available to purchase in two Hydrasynth sound banks totalling 128 patches. See the following link for video demo 1 and the link to purchase: • ASM Hydrasynth | Synth...
In these videos I've tried to include a wide selection of sound types including pads, ambient, polysynths, epianos, FM, bass and FX. Although Hydrasynth is completely digital, it's surprisingly capable of emulating analog sounds, as well as creating sonic textures that sound nothing like any other synth.
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Thick pitch pad
00:49 Synthex power
01:30 Mellana pad
02:28 Vocal pulse
03:38 Fat synth brass
04:49 Vibrato sizzle
06:13 Choral pad
07:29 Suitcase Electro RA
08:12 Hydra strings
10:06 Universe pad
11:08 Moog bass lead
11:51 Munchies
12:30 Variabell
13:30 Space pad
14:18 String machines
The effects you hear on the sounds are all internal to Hydrasynth: no external effects were used and no other processing applied other than a small amount of limiting and EQ for mastering to KZbin.
If you own or are thinking of owning a Hydrasynth, I strongly recommend using an expression pedal (I use a Moog EP-3). You can send any modulation from the mod matrix to it and if you play two-handed it allows you to keep sounds evolving without needing to use a hand for the mod wheel or other controls.
There was no sponsorship or affiliation to ASM or their products in the creation of this video.
All musical ideas in this video are my own and are copyright to me.
SELECTED HYDRASYNTH SOUNDBANKS
- Ultimate Patches Vol.1, 2 and 3. www.ultimatepatches.com
- Hydrasynth Patch Banks including Spacescapes, available to download on ASM website: www.ashunsoundmachines.com/do...
BUSINESS ENQUIRIES ONLY
Contact Jim at: [e-mail]
Hi I'm Jim: a musician, composer and sound designer. Welcome to my channel!
This channel focuses on the musical and performance potential of synthesizers and helping you to get the most out of them.

[@wedream2]

I was able to demo both the Hydrasynth Deluxe and the OB-X8 at NAMM since the ASM and Oberheim booths were right next to each other. While the OB-X8 delivered what one would expect, I found the sounds on the Hydrasynth a lot more interesting and complex. So I purchased the Hydrasynth Deluxe.

[@synthuniverse]

Interesting and thanks for sharing. While the OB-X8 is a dream come true for many and delivers that robust analog sound, the Hydrasynth is a very different beast isn't it. I agree it's interesting and complex and I like the fact that Hydra is forging new ground and is nostalgia-free, meaning we're less constrained by creating only the sounds we've heard in the past. Have fun with it!

[@artisan002]

Well, this absolutely sells me on the thing. I also can't help but notice how many riffs you played that had a distinct Jean-Michel Jarre vibe. Bravo.

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for the feedback! I haven't listened to much JMJ at all since Oxygene back in the day. But I love the harmonic minor scale and I know he does too, so perhaps that's where the similarity lies.

[@artisan002]

@@synthuniverse Ah! That may well be it. I was reminded in particular of his early '90s stuff, like Chronology, except better. (feels a bit weird to say that last part, but it's true.) Whatever the case, it worked well for me.

[@chriskelvin248]

Your playing, your content, your production and some intangible thing. I watched and listened through all three parts of this series. Then I subscribed! Thank you.

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for this feedback! I'm pleased you enjoyed it and thanks for subscribing

[@boolage]

I would definitely be interested in these - great variety and interesting subtle touches on a number of them.

[@synthuniverse]

Glad you like them - thanks for the feedback

[@emptyfame7141]

This makes me want to give the Hydrasynth another shot. Other demos and my experience using it sounded very much like 'waveforms,' but your demos sound 'natural.'

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for your comment. Yes I know what you mean regarding waveforms. I find I often get better results with it using simple sine and saw waves as the basis for sounds, and use the other digital waveforms only when I need those overtones or frequencies in the sound. Also to my ears, obvious wavetables can sound good on their own but don't fit in well with other sounds in a mix. Good luck with it!

[@Noiretranquility]

I agree, to me normally sounds way harsher than this demo, I believe the polytouch has a nice impact compared to my desktop pads , great job !

[@jacobbrown1690]

I like it as a controller only. Synth wise it leaves a lot to be desired. I did buy the deluxe and still use it.

[@jaderington]

I have heard some amazing sounds from the Hydrasynth in my search to try and learn to use mine better. I don't think I'll ever fully grasp it, its really hard to learn despite what they say. I don't love sound design, I am not great at it. I have made Trax with sounds that I have made on it and I would never sell it. I'm stuck with it 🙂 I have other synths to use if I'm not in the mode to feel frustrated by it.

[@RayyMusik]

@@jacobbrown1690 Pretty expensive “controller“. What do you dislike, synth-wise? It‘s one of the most versatile synths I’ve ever had, from creamy VA to wavetables with tons of possible modulations, many excellent filter types, and a great UI. It also provides FM, albeit I prefer my MODX in so far. Maybe delay & reverb are not so good, but all in all this is the most bang for your buck.

[@raffaelesantabarbara1449]

This synth is the only one that really made me fall in love with sound design. I’ve spent months looking for my core instrument for my setup, and I’m so glad I decided to buy one of these. It can do it all; from crazy FM to… beautiful ensembles? Yes, maybe the FX are not the greatest, but I have pretty awesome pedals to cope with that 🤷🏻‍♂️. It’s amazing. Thank you for sharing.

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for sharing. Yes I agree that most synths benefit from using external FX, however I've found I'm using the FX in Hydrasynth as another way of manipulating the sound which has unlocked more creativity to use them in unconventional ways, compared to traditional effects.

[@sonicflow]

You really know how to get the best out of these patches. Sounds superb 👌

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for your kind feedback - appreciated!

[@alessandrogasperoni8444]

I recently got a deluxe. I've been lucky enough to play with many old and new, famous and renowned Synths...hydra is a special, intuitive, well-built, creative machine...what a piece of hardware. it's not a simple vst in a box. it's a project for those who want to create music and want to express themselves...congratulations ams, your creation remained in the studio together with a lucky few!

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for sharing!

[@Beermastergeneral]

Great video ! Great playing and fab sounds - Thanks !

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for the comment - pleased you appreciated it!

[@MrGoldzilla]

beautiful sounds and keyboard playing

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for the feedback - pleased you enjoyed them!

[@thefool2007]

Bravo! Beautiful patches.

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for the feedback!

[@RobFisherUK]

Ok you got my attention! Especially that last ensemble string patch. And it's always good to hear sounds demonstrated by someone who can play. Can't wait to part 2!

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for the feedback! Part 2 coming soon...Cheers

[@iseeolly9959]

The pads are lush, well done.

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for the feedback!

[@ferg303]

Beautiful Sounds !

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks Mark - appreciated!

[@ronaldwild]

Wonderful sounds and cool playing!!

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for your comment! More to come soon in part 2...

[@ronaldwild]

@@synthuniverse looking forward, Jim! And please consider sharing/selling your sounds, great potential! 🙂

[@vtxpony]

This thing is a beast, and I say that as an owner of a Prophet 6 and Moog Subsequent 37. The programs you've created are very impressive...I'd certainly buy them when they become available. I ordered the Hydrasynth today and am very anxious to get my hands on it. :)

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for your feedback! Pleased you've ordered a Hydrasynth. If I could give any advice for new owners I would say take the time in particular to learn the different oscillator mutants and what they can do - they are the key to the wide range of timbres this synth can produce. The Filter 'Drive' parameter can add a lot of body to a sound. Using the mod matrix and the many LFOs and ENVs you can add subtle modulation and movement to any sound which makes a big difference as well. Good luck!

[@vtxpony]

@@synthuniverse Thanks!

[@istvantoth7431]

Very well played demo!! (You should be demoing the 3rd Wave as well!)

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for the feedback! Yes I would love to demo the 3rd Wave but can't afford to add it to my studio yet.

[@michele709]

These sounds are just great. New subscriber

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for your feedback and for subscribing! All best

[@philippedubern4650]

Pure genius programming. And the Poly AFT brings a lot

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks! I agree the poly AFT is very expressive. Programming the Hydra is usually a pleasure, rather than a chore on many other synths

[@Kung_Fu_Jesus]

Seminal programming skills, outstanding 👏 👏👏

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for your feedback - appreciated!

[@synthzone1207]

Wow, this Progression with the Brass was just wonderfull😍

[@anonymous_friend]

I thought so too!

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for the feedback - pleased you enjoyed it!

[@arturoalonso9174]

Beautifull sounds....

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for the feedback!

[@TRaddcliff]

you've got that monster under control. nice sounds.

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for the feedback! Yes it can seem like a monster but luckily the user interface makes it easier to tame than many other synths

[@jona2692]

Awesome

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for the feedback!

[@jonotwycross8998]

6:51 awesome beautiful love this !!!!

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks very much for the feedback!

[@synthsamuraiproductions]

Amazing

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for your feedback!

[@synthsamuraiproductions]

@@synthuniverse love the channel, thanks for the great conent

[@user-nk2cc5gr7g]

инструмент великолепный во всех отношениях.звуки потрясающие хоть и устаревшие некоторые поэтому скоро его надеюсь приобрести просто для удовольствия,для души.а чтобы музыку продавать,приобрету другую муз.раб. станцию.спасибо вам большое за обзоры и Вам творческих побед,успехов!!!

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for your feedback!

[@m1nnefr3d]

Nice patches and great tunes, mate! Perfect showcase for what might be called the Hydrasynth hallmark sound. Looking forward to part 2. BTW for how long have you been exploring the Hydrasynth? Since it's a Deluxe model, you achieved a lot in a relatively short time.

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks Manfred for your comments. To answer your question, I bought the 49 key Hydra when it came out and spent lots of time programming that. Then I upgraded to the Deluxe for the extra keys. I'm still exploring having two Hydra engines - that will be for future videos...Cheers

[@mark35mi]

Fab!

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for the feedback!

[@dougie6897]

Splendid demonstration and superb patches… it’s obvious you’re a top top pro keyboard player /accompanist …. Is your musical background the church or musical theatre?

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for your feedback and comments! To answer you question - actually neither! Mainly touring and playing in bands

[@matthewwilson3673]

Any presets that sound like deep house pads/chords? I want to get into making deep house but am unsure if can use the hydrasynth or another wavetable for that

[@synthuniverse]

For smooth buttery pads, soft synths like Alchemy, Massive or Serum do the trick. The Hydrasynth sounds almost always have an edge - which is part of the personality of the synth - which may or may not be what you want. The Chord mode can be your friend though, as you can stack up notes on one note for massive chords and sync the clock to your DAW. Hope that helps!

[@dantarradellas7351]

Wow. Choral pad is right out of Clockwork Orange!

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for your feedback! Yes I've been surprised at how convincing the Hydra can be with choral sounds

[@xisotopex]

lovely sounds.... but what is that you are using for cable routing? tangles of cables are biggest frustration

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for the feedback! To answer your question, it's a short length of plastic cord/ cable tidy/ trunking which has an oak finish

[@BrJD-ii4iv]

Beautiful sounds. Does it have seamless change?

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for the feedback! Re: your question - if you mean do the FX and sounds continue when changing a patch - then no it doesn't

[@jfishnotes9177]

Wonderful job! Can you tell me what piece you were playing during the Mellana patch? It was beautiful

[@synthuniverse]

Many thanks for the feedback! It was my own piece - a little contrapuntal thing inspired by the sound

[@jfishnotes9177]

@@synthuniverse I thought that was excellent! Bravo

[@lapindiciteplay]

Do you plan to make these custom patches available to download ? it's awesomeeeeee

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for the feedback! Yes in future I plan to include some of these in a patch bank. Part 2 video has more sounds and part 3 to follow

[@notsospy]

Ohhh man that choral pad and string machine sound amazing!! Where can I get them?

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for the feedback! They're not available yet but I'm working on sound banks

[@notsospy]

@@synthuniverse glad to hear it, reallylooking forward to it because those patches are amazing! Could you maybe for now give even just a general outline on how to go about creating similar sounding patches (waveshapes, filters, etc) for those of us who just aren't that great sound design?

[@synthuniverse]

@@notsospy I will be producing more videos on sound design that I think will address your points but, as ever in life, time is the limiting factor!

[@Hardts]

Any thoughts on an alternative to the Hydrasynth? Or should I man up, and just learn to program it? I recently purchased the Hydrasynth Deluxe, but most of the presets are not very useful to me, they're not 'musical' enough. I admit I am intimidated by the interface, even though people say it's logical, and I suppose it is. There's a bad key on my unit though, so I'm sending it back. If I get another Identical one, I think I'll buy all your presets, there are many really good ones.

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for the question and feedback. To answer your question it may be a matter of what you want from a synth. People who want great, playable sounds out of the box and who are not so worried about doing their own sound design and are happy to just tweak presets I guess go for Yamahas or Nords among others. Whereas if you want to really customise your sounds or create from scratch then there's always going to be a learning curve in getting to grips with any synth - particularly modern synths that tend to be stuffed with features. I would say with the Hydrasynth once you get over that initial head-scratching phase it becomes quite quick and intuitive to create sounds on. And importantly with very little menu-diving which is usually the curse of digital synths. Good presets can of course serve as inspiration for your own sounds, so you don't have to create them from scratch if you don't want to. I hope that helps - others may have alternative suggestions...

[@Hardts]

@@synthuniverse Thanks a lot for taking the time to give such a detailed answer! I had a Yamaha Motif XS8 for something like 13 years. During that time, I mostly used it for playing Piano and EP's, layered with other sounds, or split with bass etc. As a synth I never really found it very appetizing. I have a Nord Grand, and a Nord Electro, those do great piano and organ sounds, and the EP's are almost as good. Maybe you're referring to something like the Nord Wave, or lead? I really like their knob-per-function approach, it's always so logical to set them up. I'm still really undecided with the Hydra, but I feel like in the week I've had it, it's grown a little on me, and I hope you're right about the head-scratching phase. I actually just uploaded a video on it. At least then I have a reference for later. Thanks!

[@jackjohnson7037]

Are you going to release these patches for purchase? I think a lot of people would buy them based on these videos.

[@synthuniverse]

Hello thanks for your question. Yes I will be releasing these sounds as part of patch banks very soon, hopefully before Xmas. Cheers

[@w.kempert1858]

super Grüße aus Berlin

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks!

[@andrewgeary9749]

Is the music for Mellana Pad something you came up with or Bach came up with?

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for your question! This little piece is something I composed, inspired by the sound (that's how it normally happens for me)

[@notsospy]

Any updates on when we can get our hands on the choral pad?? Will it be part of the bundle?

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for your interest. I'll be releasing two patch banks in the next few days. The original choral pad will be in Bank 1, as well as one other choral sound. There's also a mellower version in bank 2. All sounds will have video demo and purchase link will be in video descriptions. Both banks will be in a discounted bundle. I hope you'll enjoy the other sounds too!

[@notsospy]

@@synthuniverse awesome!!! This is great news, I'll be getting the entire bundle for sure now! Thank you so much for the update!

[@hoagy_ytfc]

Mellana Pad 1:30 is nice :)

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for your feedback - appreciated!

[@aopaul]

Please make a vid showing the Deluxe’s dual layer sounds. There are nothing but single layer sounds from all the other Hydra synth vids. Very few showcasing the very reason I clicked on this one.

[@synthuniverse]

I think people are still getting their heads around the possibilities with the Deluxe. No point rushing out any more preset demos - need patience...

[@aopaul]

@@synthuniverse No rush, just would love if you could demo the multilayer sounds. I am very interested in expanding into something with more epic 'Vangelis' sound design potential.

[@synthuniverse]

@@aopaul Yes I'm working on this. I think the dual layers will really give the kind of epic sound design potential you describe, with effectively 6 oscillators to play with!

[@aopaul]

@@synthuniverse Awesome! I have a Mercury7 reverb pedal: it's been said to replicate the one Vangelis used for Blade Runner. . . looking forward to a "wall of epic sound".

[@leonardoendara8431]

Hi do you give any training to learn how to make sounds?

[@synthuniverse]

Thanks for your question. I've had other requests for tutorials and yes I hope to make some in future

[@lenochod7950]

15:00 ABBA lay on your love one me sound😆

[@synthuniverse]

Yes you're right it does sound similar. I guess they would have used a string machine or poly synth in 1981

[@carlosgomepimentel4151]

Bom dia , ele tem sequencer?

[@synthuniverse]

Hi, no the Hydrasynth does not have a sequencer

[@24framemedia]

well it kind of does, you can use the LFO's as sort of a sequencer, basically you can simulate a sequence.

[@jfracine_composition]

1:40 I see you know how to play counterpoint !

[@synthuniverse]

Thank you - only very basically by ear I'm afraid!

[@jfracine_composition]

@@synthuniverse Your entire Mellana Pad demo is an absolute mastery of the voices. Holding the G or ''Sol'' gives a complete orchestral feel to your ''2 hand'' playing ! Bravo !

[@synthuniverse]

@@jfracine_composition Wow! I'm humbled by your kind comments - thanks

[@VID525]

Does this instrument have a multitimbral? If yes, how many tracks?

[@synthuniverse]

No the Hydrasynth is not multitimbral

[@VID525]

@@synthuniverse Without a multi-timbral, this instrument SUCK!!!!!

[@yavamaystudio8045]

Some of them not in tune be careful what you doing

[@ronaldwild]

Like these aged, venerable vintage synthesizers 😀