HYDRASYNTH (deep dive ambient sound design)

Deep dive ambient sound design session with the Hydrasynth!
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#hydrasynth #synthesizer #sounddesign

[@krystledawne]

Excited for this vid! I got the Explorer as my first hardware synth

[@RenoFriends]

How was the experience? I'm planning on buying as my first hardware synth too 👀

[@EvilWaysGaming]

The explorer is probably the most versatile of all the hydras, not the most powerful. A poly aftertouch midi controller is worth the price alone, not only that it is portable! I have the deluxe and still drool over the explorer and desktop.

[@78thandSynth]

Explorer arrived today to play with Matriarch and Mother 32 and friends. This is my first Hydra video, so extra points. Subbed liked and dig.

[@equanim]

I love ur vids but this one hit home. Best hydrasynth vid I've watched and think I've seen almost them all lol. Traded my minifreak in for an explorer and this will really help/inspire ! Thanks a ton for real

[@BritoWorx]

I’ve had my hydra since day one and didn’t know it can get this deep. Thank you for this video.

[@8bitfactory236]

love your video man! insta-subscribed! i got a hydrasynth keyboard and to be honest im completely new at synths and well sound design in general. watching your video helped me alot with seeing the endless possibilities you can do. ive been just messing with things here and there and tweaking sounds from the init starts. and seeing new ways to tweak the sounds, like in this video, has really opens up so many doors.

[@s1gns0fl1fe]

That’s awesome!! I just got a Hydrasynth Deluxe so expect more videos coming soon!

[@lrkx_]

Fantastic deep dive, as always. Some nice principles to apply to some other hardware too. 👍

[@DTime]

:-) Nice one. @37:21 Copy/Paste for the envelopes: set env1 first, then press&hold [save] > press [env1] > press [env2], release [save]. Now env1=env2.

[@Owoshima_]

Fantastic!

[@thenamelessastronaut]

im still a noob regarding my hydra so I learned a lot from this and also from your first video about it. thanks for sharing this with us!

[@SkyscanX1]

It's always nice to see you apply your expertise to hardware synths. It would be nice to see you do some more sessions on patch design. There are alot of tricks to make the workflow go faster. for example: To copy the envelope parameters just hold the save key, hit the envelope you want to copy and paste to the envelope destination. Works great and can be used with all the workflow keys. This synth has alot of tricks up it's sleeve! The interface was thought through very well.

[@bobbycroker19]

That step LFO patch was sweet, I actually used your idea of using the noise oscillator as a high hat in an evolving step patch and it sounded great!

[@s1gns0fl1fe]

That’s awesome!! Cheers and thanks.

[@osea-later5692]

so good. thanks for another lesson 🙂

[@wavesequencer]

Hydrasynth is both approachable yet deeply capable - I think you've shown that quite well. The amount of modulation on this synth, and ease of assignment is really impressive - the Macro controls can control the mod slots, and even other macros - mod slots can send modulations to MIDI or the CV outputs and even modulate in MPE mode. The desktop synth is a good MPE target and MPE data generator (I'm using it to test Hyperion MPE functionality now). When I visited the NAMM show a couple of years ago (before covid) there were many tempting new products, but Hydrasynth jumped out from the crowd with its super flexible yet easy to use and sold feeling interface - and price. The CV ins and outs are an added bonus, and it's cool that you can bring in an external audio source into the synth via the CV in.. so you can get a extra analog mono oscillator input for example by hooking up CV (tried this with the Boog). The main missing feature for me is oscillator pan spread at the wavestack level (the oscillators are mono at the source - even if they can be panned in the mixer section).. that would really thicken out sounds, and I wish the desktop had a modwheel and pitch bend control (my master keyboard has the Roland style pitch bend/mod stick which I'm not a fan of, but I get by with the expression pedal input). On the downside, it can require quite a bit of fine tuning to get it to sound nice - it's easy to get to some pretty harsh sounds and it's sometimes difficult to get away from the slightly nasal overall tone of the synth - analog filters would have been better I think - but then it would be a different product/price category.

[@davidallred991]

I agree on the Hydra sounding a little Tinny at times and I also think the filters are a bit weak even compared to other digital filters. I have both the Hydra and a Peak, I like the sound of the Peak much better but the workflow of the Hydra much more. The peak also has better sounding effects but I am always running synths through pedals so that isn't a huge thing for me. The Peak has many more knobs per function which you think would make the workflow better, but as soon as you need to go to any function related to the screen it is a bit of a pain. Even though the Hydra has few knobs, it is so well thought out that anything you want to do is easy to access, and the macros are actually really great because I like to do things live. They are both synths I plan on always keeping. Even though I prefer the Peak I probably would recommend the Hydra first to someone, especially as a first synth. The two together are great.

[@wavesequencer]

@@davidallred991 I wish the Novation Summit and Hydrasynth Deluxe could get together and make a baby :)

[@davidallred991]

@@wavesequencer Yeah I would be buying that one for sure.

[@internalreality]

i just ordered the hydra desktop and IM SO EXCITED I CANT CONTAIN IT

[@fxdaly]

Excellent, well done

[@RuiGon1]

Thanks a lot.

[@GertBoers]

I'm only 7 minutes in, but I heard you talk about a desktop 'deluxe', because you are running out of voices. Chris, you know you can chain two Hydrasynths together and set the 'master' in overflow mode? That way, when the first Hydra runs out of voices, it overflows to the second unit for a total of 16 voices of polyphony! (Of course you need to hook both devices to a mixer, otherwise you wouldn't hear the sound of the second unit.) Just a tip. *Edit* 37:21 "I wish there was a copy / paste function." There is! Press and hold SAVE, press and release ENV3, press and release ENV4, release SAVE. Done! This works for all similar modules, like OSC to OSC, Mutant to Mutant, etc.

[@wavesequencer]

You can even add the Hydrasynth explorer instead of a desktop for 8 extra voices.. bonus - extra poly pressure keys and cheaper than an extra desktop version - sit the desktop on a stand above the explorer - that would be a very nice setup. I'm not sure how the patch sharing works between linked units though whether or not edits are immediately reflected on the second synth - it would make sense if that's the case.

[@GertBoers]

@@wavesequencer Yes, I was saying two Hydrasynths, not two desktops. ;) I think an Explorer indeed would work very nice with a desktop. But yes, when in overflow, the communication between the two synths is in sysex, so every alteration made on the 'master' unit, is immediately carried out on the second unit, including patch changes, even if that patch does not exist on the second unit.

[@wavesequencer]

@@GertBoers thanks for confirming the sysex mirroring.. so basically just have to initially mirror the patches on both synths - and then if you want to stack two different sounds I guess just have to turn off the sysex link.

[@GertBoers]

@@wavesequencer Yes, turn off overflow, and the synths behave like two separate machines. I've seen an excellent demonstration of this last year, or the year before, I believe it was something at Thomann. (?) If I find it, I'll link it below.

[@GertBoers]

@@wavesequencer I've found the video I was referring to earlier. It was shown at Thomann's Keys & Frequencies in march 2021 and for me (and I was not the only one) this was the highlight of that whole event. An excellent demonstration. If you're interested, you can find it here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/pnTNl6uifchkga8.

[@gz625]

Thank you for yhis video! I read the whole documentation come with this synth in a box. But one thing is to know what synth capable of and another - use all this capabilities in sound design.

[@macaronafterparty]

Great video

[@psychowsky]

You are not running out of voices. This is an 8 voice machine and you use 3. The effect you're getting is because the same notes you release are reused on the next chord you play. There must be a setting to use every voice sequentialy instead of retriggering the same. ;)

[@psychowsky]

That's weird... My HS Keyboard does not have this behavior in 8:11. The voices are rotated as expected. * Checked the manual :-/ There's no setting on voice stealing 😢 They should add this in a FW update...

[@tupaj123]

Hi, Great pad sound at 18:00. Would you be able to tell me the reverb and preset that you used on the computer?

[@s1gns0fl1fe]

Most likely Valhalla Room. It's my favorite reverb!

[@tupaj123]

@@s1gns0fl1fe Thanks it is mine too. There is a preset called Bright Cistern that is my favourite.

[@JamesWilliam70]

I'm thinking of getting the desktop for my first hardware synth as it has a lovely UX layout

[@s1gns0fl1fe]

Link in description. Cheers!

[@JamesWilliam70]

@@s1gns0fl1fe UK here, so cheaper to buy in UK or Europe. Thanks anyway.

[@davidsimons5944]

I've got to get one of these. I prefer the table top one but I'm a bit bemused / baffled why it seems to go for a higher price than the keyboard, especially as the latter has the ribbon too. Anyone know why?

[@s1gns0fl1fe]

You might be comparing it to the new “Explorer” model which is portable and a different synth than the actual keyboard version.

[@EvilWaysGaming]

You ever get a deluxe? I am really curious on what you could achieve with the deluxe. Watched and followed one of your vital tutorials last night using my hydra, did not even know you had a hydra. Had the deluxe for a while and it’s just been a preset machine for me until now.

[@s1gns0fl1fe]

I did get a Deluxe and I love it! The Hydra is an amazing board. The modulation options alone allow me to really explore my creativity. More than most other synths!

[@EvilWaysGaming]

@@s1gns0fl1fe what voice and multi mode settings would use to get a huge complex soundscape making drones with the deluxe? That is the part that still confuses me a bit. Had a bitimbral unison patch going last night it was decent but I feel like it could have been a lot more going on with the sounds I was getting. Have any videos making patches with the deluxe?

[@matthewdavis473]

Are you pads set to chromatic in this?

[@s1gns0fl1fe]

Most likely minor!

[@davidallred991]

Just curious, how are you running into voice issues with hydra? Is it because you have various chords running into each other with long releases? I have a hydra and wondering if I am missing something it can do on the sound design side with layering or something. I have a Yamaha Modx which has an insane amount of voices but with that I am doing layering of many different patches and also keyboard splitting so i am setting up many different sounds at the same time, but with the hydra I don't run into this because I don't do any type of layering or splits.

[@s1gns0fl1fe]

Yes, long decays. Also most of my patches use all three oscillators. It might be the envelope settings, but more polyphony would definitely be welcome. Another comment suggested I try a second Hydrasynth… :)

[@davidallred991]

@@s1gns0fl1fe I guess I am still not quite understanding. From my understanding the Hydra has 8 voices and all 8 voices can use all three oscillators and that should not affect the voice count. But I could be wrong which is why I am curious so I can understand the synth better. Also thanks for the great video, I learned quite a bit from it.

[@ErraticFaith]

From a very 'basic' laymen's perspective; it's enough to say that for most people's uses in exploration once you go beyond a point - you'll almost always run out of voices. It's more noticeable I think with the desktop, because of how people run it in conjunction with the rest of the set up. Initially they will blend it in and the demand on the hydra isn't the focus. Once they get invested in its easy UI and get the 'creation bug' from how that is - they dive deep into Hydra by itself. Soon discovering that 8 isn't nearly enough. It bothered me a lot less with the OG keyboard. Being that I played it much like a basic analogue (which sometimes had even less voices to their keys). After a while, leaning on Hydra having a certain kind of sound (ambient and other long roaming pieces) you hit the wall. It lead alot of people to combine the desktop with the OG keys for the (8+8 voice overflow) and that took care of any voice stealing for most users needs. This all being before the advent of the explorer and deluxe models. Which would of course change things a lot when they turned up. The explorer - in that it was cheap. Same engine. High quality build and it's mini keys kept to the strengths of the module (small, portable footprint). All whilst still lending you the 8+8. For those who wanted extra musicality. A normal key board approach. Splits/layers and patch mixing with the 'strip' and poly aftertouch - all whilst having the wider octave range and so on; without the need of any 'second' purchase - the Deluxe has it all. Just with the sacrifice of the portability. It's natively 16 voice with a full on suite set of features that lend to their use. Arguably considering the comparative cost (to the original keys) it's the only one worth getting - if size isn't an issue. Much like Reface and Jupiter XM: The footprint makes the Explorer for many the most compelling choice. The fact it doesn't really lose much engine wise - makes its a value-nobrainer for use with the Desktop. Giving you the polyAT keys (albeit mini ones) as the main addition for control. You can have both of them for the price of one of the bigger deluxe models. So they have really nailed the idea of something for 'everyone'. Some tote the idea of a larger model for 88 keys. But I see that as senseless. This isn't a piano and can't accurately emulate one beyond the basics. Seen as a do-all digi synth sound creator though, there isn't really anything better than Hydra. Assuming you take the time to program.

[@davidallred991]

@@ErraticFaith Thanks for the detailed response. I agree that they have nailed the lineup. For me, I have a couple key step pros, and a MODx 8 with weighted keys for really playing piano so I am so happy they have a module version. I don't want any more keybeds in my setup. Or I should say, I don't have any room for more keybeds.

[@muitosabao]

great video, thank you. Pity the camera position, your hand was covering the screen most of the time.

[@muitosabao]

29m30 bloody awesome.

[@sarkany888]

eq the sibilant zone in your voice bro