My ASM Hydrasynth Review my opinion : a few tricks, features, ...problems

This video takes an in-depth look at some features on the ASM Hydrasynth:
• the hidden menu pages
• unusual features
• tricks
• shortcuts
• clarifications
• demonstrations of the effects, macros, etc.
• also includes a list of 'issues' - problematic design elements and operational shortcomings
0:00 intro
0:54 editing basics
1:18 hidden pages
4:00 'Voice' section
5:52 Scales
6:32 Effects section
11:55 Envelopes & LFOs
13:40 Macros
16:29 the SHIFT key
17:08 Favourites
19:07 MPE
20:20 criticisms
22:55 Conclusions
This is my independent review - not sanctioned, endorsed or requested by ASM - and I have received no compensation from the manufacturer in any way (it is not a complete review of the synthesizer - by any stretch, it just addresses some things I hadn't seen mentioned in other YT videos)
Check out my custom Ambient patches for the Hydrasynth, here:
• ASM HYDRASYNTH - FREE ...
Happy to hear anyone's feedback I hope you find it informative in some way
Here are some of my 'ambient Hydra patches:
• Video
Looking for more detailing reviews about the waveforms, other features?
Try these great reviews:
• HYDRASYNTH: Full Revie...
• Stimming reviews the A...
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• Hail Hydrasynth - Soni...

[@CorruptPianist]

Oh, wow. I've been playing piano since I was a kid, and I finally bought one of these as my first synth a few days ago. I had no idea I accidentally stumbled into one of the best synths ever made!

[@willswitchcraft]

Yes, you made a great choice. It is really going to be different than something like a piano, but it's much more expressive than 90% of the synthesizers out there, so your years of training won't be wasted. (I started playing on piano as a small child myself - never hurts to have some formal training). Hope you enjoy your new machine....

[@johncaccioppo1142]

@@willswitchcraft I'd love to hook this up to my LinnStrument.

[@willswitchcraft]

Just saw this reply now (sorry)... Yeah, I used to have a Linnstrument (200). Excellent controller to be sure. I'm going to be using my Hydra with a sort of 'art project' which has limited space for a controller, so I just bought a Joué instead. Similar in some of it's functions, but smaller and cheaper. I think the Linnstrument/Hydrasynth combo would be unbeatable - so much potential for nuance....

[@amoszahir7346]

instablaster

[@chapmoss]

So interesting to get such in-depth information.....First time I've actually heard the reverb clearly, etc. Great upload..... some of those patches I hear on this are KILLER!

[@willswitchcraft]

Thanks. Really love this synth, so I'm happy to help spread the word....

[@csharp57]

This comment is to no way diminish the other Hydrasynth videos here on youtube, but you added so much. And the way you explained each function was clear and precise. I'm a long time keyboardist that never explored past the preset given by the manufacturers. Thanks for giving me courage to look further

[@willswitchcraft]

Wow. Thanks for the positive feedback. I haven't done any videos like this before, and frankly, I do know it could have been better, if I'd had an extra camera, and took a little time to explore other aspects of the Hydra.... So nice of you to take the time to write.......Much appreciated. It is an excellent piece of gear (just got better with a new software update a week ago) and I'm glad if my video did some of it's features justice........

[@SnigFargle]

Nicely done! I learned some tricks I wasn't aware of, so many thanks for making this video. The first patch you use to demo the macros is excellent ::-)

[@willswitchcraft]

Glad you enjoyed it! I was not sure I was going to be offering anything new...

[@vanelsys]

Still my personal Hydrasynth has to arrive in a few weeks from now, yet all the hidden and special possibilities you have shown here are very helpful. Can't wait to explore all these gems and spoil my eardrums over and over. Thank you!

[@willswitchcraft]

In my experience, the Hydra has the capacity to deliver a broad range of sounds, suitable to many different music genres. Without too much programming time, you can pull all manner of sounds from the Hydra. When I purchased mine, I was a little concerned - I'd heard so many similar sounds on YT, many of which I found annoying and dated. Luckily, I saw a couple of videos that inspired me to give it a shot. I found it to be very powerful, deeeeeeeeep and satisfying..........I guess this whole world wide drama has created a perfect opportunity to put on some headphones and explore........You'll know as soon as your arrives......All the best!

[@TJ-rf1xl]

Very interesting and informative video. I just acquired the HS Desktop and am eagerly watching everything I can on this wunderkind synth...so far it's looking like this may have been one of my best musical purchases ever!

[@willswitchcraft]

I no longer own a Hydra, but I'm glad you got something from the video.....

[@wendelynmusic]

I just bought one and this video has been extremely helpful in learning the machine.

[@willswitchcraft]

So glad that you found the video helpful. These machines are so awesome......

[@SkuppyVincenzo]

Thank you so much for the review , tips and hidden features. Your quite a natural at talking and training. That 24 mins just went in a blur

[@willswitchcraft]

Wow. Glad it was helpful! I actually wondered if it was worth uploading. I don't have a decent camera, and I worried that the video would be too boring. Thanks for your kind comments, and for watching!

[@mauchkimberly]

You did an excellent job of selling this synth. I've been watching loopops reviews (looking for the right thing and he's really informative) and he knew a lot about this one, but didn't provoke me to want to look into it more. You did. Well done.

[@willswitchcraft]

Wow, so glad to have helped. I have to say this piece of gear is really really deep and powerful. Thanks for watching. Yeah, I've watched those others reviews - great

[@willswitchcraft]

...and as much as I like Looloop's reviews, they are very informative, but I find they tend to be a little dry. This review really drew me in - this guy has some passion and excitement, and he really sold me: kzbin.info/www/bejne/paeVaqSplMqpr6s

[@fincorrigan7139]

Excellent presentation and demonstration of the "under the hood". Thank you so much for putting this together.

[@willswitchcraft]

Wow. Thanks Fin. I'm really not properly set up for this type of thing (old, poor quality iPhone camera, etc.), but LOVE the synth, and wanted to offer something to potential buyers and users.... Really appreciate your kind comment.

[@fincorrigan7139]

@@willswitchcraft You are most welcome. I'm awaiting delivery of this machine and your video alleviated some concerns I had about it in relation to parameter access.

[@willswitchcraft]

I suspect you'll be really happy with your purchase. It's a really deeeeeeeep and powerful piece of gear. All the best.... w ;0)

[@scotth.johnson4901]

Great video… Thank you for this. Very helpful!

[@willswitchcraft]

glad you found it then! Thanks for taking the time to comment

[@subradial]

Got this lovely synth now (getting ready for winter recording), great to hear your thoughts and tips, thank you!

[@willswitchcraft]

They are really amazing sounding, however I've since sold mine.......Hopefully, you'll really enjoy it. My best friend has one, so I'm playing his at a synth jam later today, so I still get my fix

[@oliverjohansson8608]

@@willswitchcraft Why did you sell it?

[@willswitchcraft]

There were a few big concerns - most important, when you 'save' a patch, the sound cuts out for a few seconds. I am frequently involved in jam sessions with my friends, during which I alter sounds, twisting them sometimes for up to an hour, as we explore (3 people on synths) It's just way too frustrating to have the sound cut out. Also, the main display is quite small, and my eyesight is shit, so that was another big issue......those are the major ones, but I still have to say, they really sound amazing and have loads of excellent features.

[@oliverjohansson8608]

@@willswitchcraft Thank you for the response! I'm getting mine in a couple of days. Relieving to hear that those limitations wont affect me much :)

[@willswitchcraft]

No, these things are still an excellent piece of gear, and frankly, I think that for the features, sound and build quality, they're actually UNDER valued. I'm sure it will blow your mind. It's a solid purchase, I'm just trying not to collect gear anymore, so it it's not well suited to my use, I just dump it....

[@brianreilly6545]

Incredible synth in every aspect👍🏻

[@willswitchcraft]

yeah, it's so cool...................(just saw this comment now for some reason)

[@misterinterrupt]

great to hear all the details of your preferences and insights into the hydrasynth. I like a lot of the same things on mine. Casue it is a valuable feature, I thought I would mention that the Novation Ultra/MiniNova and alesis micron/ion also have nice filter routing like the hydrasynth's.

[@willswitchcraft]

Just saw this now.........good points

[@Sam_Utah]

Agreed. Been buying and selling synths since the 70's and this is a keeper. It is a technical marvel and a true synthesizer. I could use a larger display or a software editor or a touchscreen out put or even VGA. But for sound generation, it is a premium synth all the way. Enjoyed your review, you have gone deeper than I have so far but have the module and the keys, it is that good.

[@willswitchcraft]

I agree. Not much gear coming out these days that stands so far above the rest....They've obviously put a shipload of thought into it......Thanks for watching Sam.

[@RuiGon1]

Nice work. Thanks.

[@willswitchcraft]

thanks

[@lumena1921]

GREAT VIDEO! I felt like someone was actually taking the time to explain something about this synth after playing it. So many youtube videos seem to just grab the low hanging fruit and move on to the next piece of gear. Thank you for explaining about the lights on the lfo/env and for throughout the whole video keeping a steady and real tone to your voice - I so much hate all the yelling - phoney jokes and all that- your voice was very pleasant to listen to.

[@wc7511]

Wow, how kind. Very cool of you to take the time to write your response. It seems so many people just blast from one video to another - the ADHD world we live in I guess. I'm always grateful that people even take a moment to watch.... One response like yours makes the whole effort doing a video like this worthwhile. with respect....Will

[@hurricane6014]

Yes indeed I concur absolutely. Great vid and thanks so much for all of the most valuable information, Thanks WW

[@amb13nt59]

Excellent! Thank you. Much appreciated.

[@willswitchcraft]

Thanks for taking the time to watch it

[@mrfork]

Very nice video Will. I actually just picked a hydrasynth up. You had an ambient video a little bit ago where you used it and I loved the sound. Unfortunately I’ve had 2 defective units in a row and I’m waiting on the third one. Can’t wait to start writing with it.

[@willswitchcraft]

Damn, that's gotta suck, having problematic units. You're showing a lot of commitment still having one on order. I've had a couple of very small issues with mine, but I'm still completely sold on this synth. Before this, I sold my Waldorf MicrowaveXT, and also had a Blofeld. Both were excellent sounding pieces of gear, but the rotary encoders kept dying. I bought the Hydra, to give me access to the wavetable sound, and feel much more confident about the build quality. To be really honest, I've owned quite a few synths over the past few years, that I wouldn't have felt comfortable touring big shows with. If you're playing to 20,000 people (or even 200, really) you really need to feel that your gear is rock solid. I really hope the Hydrasynth works out for you. Thanks for saying Hello. ;0)

[@willswitchcraft]

PS I see that you're also into the Deluge. If you're interested, I've uploaded a few Deluge things as well....another bizarre and awesome little box to be sure.....

[@just_pierre9730]

Very good, nice to watch and listen to and enough information. I fully agree about the blur/reverb, sometime it's hard to find out where a certain FX is coming from. Hope ASM will look at this again. On the ASM Hydrasynth Facebook forum there are also some topics about the use of the macros. They have a point, I think.

[@willswitchcraft]

I'll take a look at FB thanks (not a member) I had a bunch of other things I wanted to cover, but didn't want it to get too long. Thanks for writing

[@just_pierre9730]

DJ Will D'Beats Maybe making a part 2? Going deeper, i.e. macros, lfo, envelopes........Hope to see you in the Hydrasynth FB group, always good to have someone around with knowledge.

[@Getthenderson]

Yes part 2 please, the more info I can find I this the better, seems like a great synth to add.

[@CLdwyer]

I think the Macro function is affecting the reverb as it should. Because the function of macro is to modify the parameter, relative to its module position. I use that function all the time. Put something on zero and utilize a macro to increase it. I don’t think this is a bug.

[@MyWorstEnemyIsMyself]

Interesting approach and thank you very much for explaining the issues on live situations, right now i have a really humble setup with a Drumbrute Impact, Crave, a Minilogue xD and a Microfreak, with a Oceans 12 pedal, despite the cut of audio between patches changes on my devices, the muscle memory i developed makes me really comfy, after watching your full video, didn't find the tweaking and navigation on the Hydra much exciting or simple for my needs (maybe i'm more a musician than a synth/engineer nerd) but i can see how much you can do in the studio, from a sound design perspective. I think i'm gonna grab a Circuit Tracks instead (different thing of course but i'm looking a device to create textures, basic beds and ornaments for my music), a more budget friendly decision hahahaha, cheers and you have another follower for your channel. Take Care.

[@willswitchcraft]

Thanks for watching and commenting......I understand - some of us are more into 'tweaking' and some, more into writing and performing......

[@Zenkman]

Hi Will A wonderful tutorial for my new hydra synth thank you a lot , best wishes from Germany ✌️

[@willswitchcraft]

I hope you enjoy your new machine. The sound is so incredible.......If you're interested, I have a couple of videos showcasing my small banks of Hydrasynth patches......just email me (info with the video) and I'll send them to you for free.......Enjoy your self imposed quarantine.

[@KRISH-dp6qn]

Thank you sir, it's very informative 👍

[@willswitchcraft]

Thanks for watching (& commenting) I appreciate it!

[@dfxmonkeyhead]

I think critiques of the Hydrasynth's functions are apt; but the hardware is what it is - maybe they'll incorporate larger displays and front-panel headphone outs on their next synth. Until then I guess you just need to adapt. There's no such thing as "perfect", but this synth is so powerful; it's like the Photoshop of the synth world. You can learn enough about it to enjoy playing it in a half-hour, but you could spend years learning all of the ins and outs.

[@willswitchcraft]

I like the PS analogy.....I sold my Hydra, although it was a very powerful synth, no question..........Hope you're enjoying yours regularly

[@johncaccioppo1142]

That reverb is stunning, worth half the price alone

[@wc7511]

Yeah, the effects are solid, and with the 1.5 update, it possible to use envelopes and LFO's, etc. to modulate all the Macros - a very powerful update......

[@WAVYFUTURE]

Just got one a few days ago. My first hardware synth.

[@willswitchcraft]

Nice! (just saw this comment now for some reason)

[@chapmoss]

16:00 -so dreamy!

[@willswitchcraft]

Dream On

[@markchristopher2signal2]

This synth I experienced in L.A(l.a synth convention ) and what I like is the endless arp programming. It's like it has this randomness that eventually there's a sequence that you'll like. But I only played 10 min. Do you like it more than the virus

[@willswitchcraft]

Just saw your comment now - not sure why.........I have found the Virus to be more useful, solid and ideal than anything else. The ability of having a sound fade out, even after you've changed patches and are playing another one, is really brilliant for jamming and live use.....

[@ComposerMichaelDow]

Now you've got rid of your hydra, do you miss anything from it while using the Ti? I love my ti and also love the sound and functionality of the hydra but they seem to cover similar sonic territory with the wave tables types. I do love the possibilities of poly touch but you can do that in a way with the virus if you copy and paste the patches and have your DAW cycle through midi channels while playing each note and automate or wiggle knobs as each note/channel plays... you can get a similar feel, not quite as playable and natural of course and takes a bit to setup

[@willswitchcraft]

I loved the Hydra, and the lack of support with the Virus line is frustrating....but to be honest, the Virus NEVER disappoints......I'm still just blown away by how much it inspires me.................

[@04Hunters]

Will, is it possible to get the sounds, warmth Virus like?

[@willswitchcraft]

Yes, the Hyrdasynth is probably the most capable of sounding like a Virus synth of anything else

[@04Hunters]

@@willswitchcraft And that's a good recommendation :) Thank you, Will!

[@mobilebarber2.0]

Can you show how the construction of a song, process that will make a song.

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

The two items I wanted the most you hit at the beginning. Panning of oscillators and individual control of oscillator filter influence. Rare today to have panning of oscillators, I have this on my Roland Gaia and it makes the sweetest stereo field you ever heard with proper sound design. The other I can't understand, why isn't there a switch on every synth mixer to bypass the filter. Bypass the filter with one oscillator and not the other two or one give us incredible sonic possibilities. Why this simple bypass switch isn't on every synth is just stupid.

[@willswitchcraft]

Thanks for your comment. I agree, to be able to not just bypass the filter, but control it's use by percentage is awesome, and really could be easily implemented by others....

[@jalener8980]

I agree that some of the macro names can be confusing and that having dedicated reverb/delay knobs would have been superb. It's great that we can customize the macro names, and some of the built-in names are rather whimsical, but in respect of the presets or third party patch banks, there is no consistency in either the macro location for reverb/delay or their macro names. Also agree that a copy from patch feature would be awesome. Not just for macros, but for mutants, envelopes, LFOs, wavetables, arp settings, effects and well everything. For now, perhaps the best workaround is to create some custom starting templates for making new patches with a few macros and mod matrix settings already prepared.

[@willswitchcraft]

Thanks for your detailed and accurate response Jalene. Glad we're having this conversation. Esp. to let people know who have not yet purchased, to assure people understand it more fully. Overall, I think it's an amazing instrument, and I hope that ASM continues to support, revise and refine it. It could continue to evolve into a really ultimate piece of gear.

[@kiko1935]

I'm a little concerned about going through multiple pages and menus, I know it's laid out similarly to an ESQ1 which is logical but I fear it would burn me out pretty fast. Have you found the workflow to be engaging?

[@jalener8980]

@@kiko1935 I think the workflow is really good -- probably the best of any digital synth I've owned. Most of the important stuff is usually on the first page of a module. Still, I would recommend taking a little time to make a few starting templates you can use to save even more time when making patches. Setting up a few commonly used macros, mod wheel and ribbon settings, starting envelopes and such in your custom template will greatly reduce the amount of menu/page diving later.

[@juan_ta]

@@kiko1935 The programming scheme is rather shallow and intuitive. It is hitting a button among those depicting the signal path and then adjust one of the buttons or the knobs. There are just eight of them (pairs of knob and button) so you need sometimes to select the page where the seeked setting appears. Setting the modulation matrix is equally easy. Well, for a few, few things you have a further deep level, when you choose a menu instead a setting, and then whatever in the menu. But it is rather shallow, overall.

[@juan_ta]

@@willswitchcraft I was shocked by your disappointment with the fact that you can control e.g. reverb through its dedicated settings or through a macro. It's not a machine fault, but a choice the patch programmer took to control reverb among other things through a given macro he/she defined. Macros are the first thing to use in a performance, no matter how accesible the deeper patch settings are. And they are also the first thing to customize if you are unconfortable with them, their names or the way they control multiple things with a single knob. I think macros are a great feature! Nice to have videos like yours at hand, anyway.

[@christophepetchanatz3028]

by the way : there is no software to work on sounds ?

[@willswitchcraft]

there is a patch librarian, but (last I checked) no editing software, which would really be a useful tool frankly.....

[@christophepetchanatz3028]

@@willswitchcraft sure

[@AncientMusicVideos]

Never had an oscillator but I sat here and watched his whole thing and now I want this

[@willswitchcraft]

Thanks. Glad you like the machine. It's truly blowing my mind, still, many months after first getting it.... I'm hooked...

[@kalondusd.4627]

Maybe not the best beginner synth :p

[@willswitchcraft]

It's definitely deep and complex. Still, any synth can be a good place to start if you are mostly interested in playing sounds. The programming of sounds is a completely different matter, so the Hydra, or anything else could be a suitable first synth.....

[@lstlvls2521]

Otacon makes some great videos these days!

[@willswitchcraft]

thanks

[@GrootsieTheDog]

Just a few small complaints - the lack of original value indicators - so like the Korg xd gives you an asterisk whenever a value is matched to original saved value. Really find myself missing that functionality. Also, Having the left screen switch display when filter knobs are being adjusted - E.g. turning the filter cutoff knob will cause left screen to show filter cutoff display etc. Finally, Choosing colors of pads would be nice too - I’m guessing some of these will be in future firmware :)

[@willswitchcraft]

I was thinking the same thing about the pad colours. It's obvious from the light display when you 'time out' your programming, that other values are possible. There are quite a few other little things that I'm finding frustrating, but I wanted to keep the video (pros & cons) from getting too long. Because ASM has spent so much time developing this, I'm really hoping that they follow through with continuing firmware updates. I have a Deluge, and since I got it, Synthstrom has been constantly improving it - hoping for the same.....

[@flamesofyesteryear9627]

Just wanted to say you have a cool voice and vibe!

[@willswitchcraft]

so kind and considerate of you! thanks

[@flamesofyesteryear9627]

@@willswitchcraft you're very welcome! Also really liked your review. Got a hydra on the way to me, really stoked about getting into synth and music making. It is really interesting to get to see the opinion of someone who is as long in the synth game as you.

[@willswitchcraft]

Thanks......yeah, it's a really powerful piece of gear. I'm sure you'll spend a great deal of time getting lost in it...............BWT, if you search on my YT site, I've done a couple of small, 'ambient' patch banks for the Hydra, which you can check out. I offer them for free (even though originally, I charged a small fee for one of them) That info is in the video description....

[@flamesofyesteryear9627]

@@willswitchcraft oh thank you for the tip! I will definitely check it out. My hydra just arrived, played the first couple of chords and got literal chills.

[@willswitchcraft]

getting a new synth......always such a thrill

[@wickeddubz]

Which was your first synth?

[@willswitchcraft]

I'd have to say it was likely a Minimoog. At that same time (late 70's) I also purchased the first guitar synth, a Roland GR-500, and over the next couple of years, started to get other gear..........An addiction, no question.

[@wickeddubz]

@@willswitchcraft whoa... you have heard a lot of oscillators! 🤘🏼And today - which one is your favourite amond old and new synths?

[@willswitchcraft]

I really love Waldorf's stuff, but I've had a Blofeld and a MWXT, and both ended up having serious issues with their rotary encoders, so I sold them (I live in the middle of no where, so it's really had to get stuff repaired). I recently bought an Access Virus Ti - it's excellent, so is the Hydrasynth - but really - there is SO much great new stuff out there, a lot of which I haven't had a chance to check out in person......I do love the old Moog and Oberheim stuff, but frankly, I'm always happy to check out new gear, with new sounds. The old stuff didn't have stereo outputs, no effects, very limited memory, no velocity sensitivity or aftertouch...... It's a brave new world.

[@wickeddubz]

@@willswitchcraft i also have virus ti2 desktop, and right before new year i got myself hydrasynth, keyboard version on discount costed almost the same as desktop , so i could not resist. I respect old synths, but i doubt i would buy one. They all need care and maintenance, but there are no specialists in my area who can do it properly. I really like and respect Oberheim, Moog, DSI/Sequential Stuff, all music of my childhood was made on these machines. As a noob, i started my journey with volcas few years ago, i still love them, but for home i decided to get 4 powerful synths: virus, hydrasynth, wavestate, summit. Right now i think that they will cover all my needs, maybe few drum machines will be added too. Hopefully we all will witness many wonderful machines and sounds within next few years

[@wc7511]

Sounds like you've got a great set up now. A W E S O M E. I agree - the old gear was great, but the new stuff is truly next level. Hope you have lots of time - I think a 'pandemic' is the perfect time for such undertakings and explorations. Happy Now Here

[@MichaelRohaly]

Two minutes in, no, it's not the percentage of the oscillators going through the filters. There's no filter bypass. It's about WHICH filter you're hitting. You're alternating between Filter 1 and Filter 2.

[@willswitchcraft]

Damn. So sorry for passing on bad information. I truly appreciate your feedback. I know that there are a few other little things in the video which are not entirely accurate or clear. I had a hard time deciding on what to cover, and what to leave in during editing. I'm looking forward to digging into the 2 filter destinations and getting a better understanding of that. ..really appreciate you taking the time to write...

[@willswitchcraft]

I tried to upload a correction (as a subtitle - not ideal, but at least there's a chance people will read it) Thanks once again.

[@vincentsky]

this was a great add-on to all the other basic videos out there. learned quite a bit. the "Macros can be named whatever you want" tip/problem had me hung up for awhile. I too could still hear Reverb after it was set to Dry. For the life of me couldn't figure it out. Oh - it's a Macro named "Depth"....Right.

[@willswitchcraft]

It's not as obvious as you might hope, but - when you're creating a 'Macro', you just have to use the "next page down' arrow, and you'll get to the Macro Name. You can choose from a bunch of factory names, or create your own. I'm just finishing up a series of 16 patches for Ambient type stuff, I've created some interesting Macros and sounds. If you check my channel soon, they'll be available for a few dollars. Glad you got something useful from my video Vincent. All the best

[@mojodrum3215]

I wish it had a sequencer and a chord setting which would make playing the pads a little easier :(

[@wc7511]

There are a few things it could have included...but when I think about the price - I guess it's still a pretty good purchase

[@mojodrum3215]

@@wc7511 l was debating about purchasing this or the modal cobalt 8m and l think l like the warm sounds of the cobalt it also has a great sequencer and you can even play the arp over it also is a bit cheaper. l'm not a keyboard player l'm actually a drummer and l think having chord mode and the sequencer will make it easier since this my first synth :)

[@willswitchcraft]

(I think I responded from the wrong YT account earlier - sorry) Actually, I am a drummer too. I played full time, professionally for a couple of decades, both in the studio, and live on tour. I hear you - there's a lot of great gear out there. It's difficult to know what will best suit your style and workflow until you play with something. I guess, in a perfect world, if you lived in a large city, maybe you could rent a piece of gear for a month, then, after a few months of renting different synths, you'd feel more confident about a purchase. Since I uploaded this video, I sold my Hydra, (even though it was amazing) and bought a Virus. It also does wavetables, etc., (although I'd seen very little proof of that online) and I'm thrilled with my purchase........There's a lot of exciting new stuff out there. Pretty tough decisions......

[@mojodrum3215]

@@willswitchcraft Nice to hear your prospective as a drummer congratulations on the the purchase of the virus it sounds amazing. I have some groove boxes and would like to add a synth to the setup. I like to create drumless tracks and load them onto my spdsx so l can jam on my drums it's a great little hobby.

[@willswitchcraft]

2 years ago I was rehearsing for a tour with an electronica act (from the 80's) who was going out on tour. I had an spdsx so that I could play all my custom samples and trigger the original snare drums, etc. from the original recordings. I had a Roland drum brain too (for multiple outputs), and also my trusty HPD-20. What I'm saying, is that I can totally relate....

[@alexmax9832]

This aren't original patches?

[@willswitchcraft]

Some are custom, some are factory, and some may be from the 'Sun God RA', or other patch libraries....

[@brentvirgin4902]

So I watched a couple of your videos on the Access Virus recently. I previously owned an Access Virus B and a year ago upgraded to a used Access Virus Ti2. I actually was looking at the Hydrasynth very seriously but have to admit that every video I watch the sound of the Hydrasyth just doesn't work for me. It just sounds too digital and buzzy, and not enough low end. I'm not sure if that is just the recordings and it would sound better in person, or if I'm just so accustomed to the phatt and dark sounds of the Virus. So for the same $$ as the Hydrasynth I picked up a used Virus TI2 desktop. I like what ASM did with the user interface, and I'm totally lusting for the polyphonic aftertouch. But given the additional polyphony, the multitimbal, the staggering number of effects, the TI integration with my DAW, and most importantly the SOUND of the Virus, I just can't see me giving up my Virus for a Hydrasynth. Since you obviously have both, how would you compare them? Is there lot of overlap? Would they make good companion synths? If you had to have just one, which would it be (or at least say what genre of music you'd prefer each for). Thanks

[@willswitchcraft]

Hello Brent. I agree with your assessment overall. The Hydra sounds really amazing and has more subtle complexity - and the capabilities to customize and program those nuances, but there is certainly something about the Virus sound that is awesome. Someone who explained it to me, mentioned that - compared to many other company's filters, the Virus actually has a lot less top end.. (ie. if you look on a frequency analyzer, there will be less activity above 2 Khz for instance). That is why if you create a very similar sound on a Roland, Korg (or ASM for that matter) the Virus will seem punchier and fuller because relatively - it has less potentially offensive buzz. Of course, on both the Hydra and the Virus, you can program an eq setting that suits your ears - but overall, the virus will always pack more punch. I think when it comes to picking a piece of gear these days, it really comes down to what works best with your workflow, your musical style, your area of work (dance music vs. sound design, etc.) and what works well with the other gear you use. Both are excellent pieces of gear, and frankly, I was blown away at how incredible the Virus was compared with the Hydra (which I actually sold to buy the Virus), especially considering that it is so much older technology. I truly loved the sounds I could pull from the Hydra, but in my experience, the Virus is capable of far more types of sounds. The polyphony is also a massive benefit, and there were some features on the Hydra (the way all sound stops when you SAVE a patch, etc.) that I found very poorly thought through.................................Hope that helps

[@brentvirgin4902]

@@willswitchcraft Thanks Will! Appreciate your assessment and keep the video's coming! I have had a Virus now for 20 years and every time I get tempted by another piece of new gear I eventually turn back on the Virus and rediscover how much I love the sounds its makes. And with the TI Control Center on a Windows PC it works really well with the workflow in my DAW (Cubase Pro). Having said that, I also own a Deepmind 12 for some true analog sounds, as well as a Kurzweil PC4 for an all purpose ROMpler. I'm really sad that Access seems to have walked away from synth development (probably due to the growth of softsynths) and wish that Chistoph Kemper would either recommit to furthering the Virus line or sell it to someone (hell, I don't even care if he sells it to Behringer if they keep improving the product). So that is why I was excited about the emergence of ASM and I will root for them to continue developing the Hydrasynth. Cheers

[@willswitchcraft]

Totally agree about Kemper - 'use it or lose it'........If another company could take it over, I think they could continue to be at the forefront of the hardware market. As I said before - when you look at how advanced the Ti series was - no one else was even in the running as far as their implementation and vision. I've owned a shipload of gear over the decades, and these days - no matter how amazing the hardware, there are still some pieces of gear I wouldn't feel confident enough in (as far as reliability) to take onto 'the big stage'....... I too hope that ASM keeps revising and updating their Hydra. There are some really interesting features and ideas there.

[@js-sound]

ASM Hydrasynth has many more current problems. For example, all other my hardware synthesizers except ASM react to changes the volume parameter through the DAW, I have to turn the volume knob not in time, but on the synthesizer. Due to the fact that the ASM does not respond to standard MIDI parameters such as Volume, you have to change them manually on the synthesizer itself.

[@willswitchcraft]

Interesting. I haven't used it with my DAW (receiving MIDI) so I was completely unaware of that. Have you contacted ASM? From my limited interactions with them, I get the feeling that they are happy to hear of user's problems, and are working hard to resolve such issues.....

[@jalener8980]

It does respond to standard CC#11 for Expression. I dunno if you can configure your DAW to send out Expression instead of Volume CC#7 for only the Hydrasynth, and that might require some mod matrix assignments -- such as MIDI CC#11 to Amp Level. Not ideal but could be a workaround until ASM improves their MIDI implementation.

[@js-sound]

@@jalener8980 Thanks for the answer, it’s clear to me, but it’s just that if all the other synthesizers use a different controller CC#7, then why should they not comply with the MIDI world standard in the ASM. It use another CC# . :-) Some knobs work roughly in steps in the settings ... you want to set, for example, the value 1000, and he puts 988 or 1012 value :-)

[@jalener8980]

@@js-sound I don't know why they didn't implement some standard MIDI stuff. ASM is a new and small company. There is really only five people in total working there, if I recall correctly. Someone made an editor called Hydramorph that gives you finer control of settings and parameters. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z6Szn6Zpbc2YrLM So those "in-between" numbers seem to be possible only with an editor. That sucks, but at least you can get at them via a computer interface. The editor is for Mac right now, but a Windows version is in the works....

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

I have not heard a good patch on this synth yet. I have no doubt it can make one though.

[@sqreef5736]

The sweetwater sounds review has some nice sounding patches, very musical

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

@@sqreef5736 Yes, thank you, I have heard those sounds from Daniel, and a few others in the 4 months since this comment. Also the Explorer is the way I am going, if I like the Hydra engine I will combine the Explorer and the full sized keyboard for a 16 voice Hydra. The Explorer is a cheap enough way to see if the Hydra has potential.

[@hyderhydra3269]

your mic is clipping a bit??

[@willswitchcraft]

the mic I'm recording my voice into, perhaps a bit - I can't recall. However, the audio from the synth is recorded directly into my laptop, and is not clipping

[@hyderhydra3269]

@@willswitchcraft yea the synth sounds great, mic's a little hot. great video btw im on the fence about buying one

[@willswitchcraft]

You're probably right about the mic volume - but as long as people can make out what I'm saying.............They're really great synths, especially for the price, but I ended up selling mine. There were a couple of things that really annoyed me, and found another piece of gear that suits my needs and does a lot of the same sounds, so I'm happy about my change. Tough though, there is a lot of great gear out there these days.

[@christoroppolo8742]

The biggest and only complaint I have is the sequencer. It’s stupidly hard to get a new sequencer pattern going . Ridiculous actually and primitive in the worst way . Let’s just say it garbage. I’m hoping for a major firmware implementation for the method of entering notes . Like playing them without holding buttons down too ! So clunky and hideous. 👽

[@willswitchcraft]

I agree fully, and quite frankly - being able to do on screen editing and patch librarian stuff would be a massive improvement.........being able to Copy & Paste your custom Macros, etc........It would transform this machine.........(I sold mine a while back, even though I did like the sound) Replaced it with a Virus T1

[@christoroppolo8742]

@@willswitchcraft the virus is an excellent alternative too! 👽

[@willswitchcraft]

Yeah, I'm heavily addicted to my Virus.......(and I've uploaded lots of Virus videos on this channel if you're interested......)