Self-Playing Patches on the ASM Hydrasynth: Part 1 (Ambient Drones)

A self-playing patch is one that you set up to constantly shift, morph, and surprise you. In this video, we'll look at making a self-modulating ambient drone you can just put on in the background and chill to using the ASM Hydrasynth: amzn.to/2KLmea1
Watch part two here: • Self-Playing Patches o...
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Thank you for watching. My name is Jeremy, and this is Red Means Recording. I've been making music for a few decades now, and this channel is a place to make music and to talk about the tools and techniques to make music with. We'll use synths, drum machines, modular gear, and software.
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[@Mibbzz]

The hydrasynth’s ui/workflow is so good. Other companies really need to learn from this synth. Thank you for the wonderful vid Jeremy ❤️

[@davebellamy4867]

They really hit it out of the park with both versions, I think.

[@miketreanor8859]

This sort of thing is so helpful for someone who totally mechanically gets what is happening on their gear but needs help seeing how to build beautiful music out of it. Thank you!

[@hughkremer4026]

Hey Jeremy, I haven't thanked you enough for how much you have helped me with synths/modular. I think your tutorial/demos are about the best on YT because you don't just say this knob does this, and this one does that. You usually have a cool end goal in mind and take us on the journey with you. Sometimes you go a little fast, but that's what pause and rewind are for. This one in particular got me motivated to dive in to my Hydrasynth, realizing how amazing it is.

[@Halfsour1]

I learn so much about my Hydra from your expert videos. They just open the doors to the relationships between the modules in a way that really speaks to me. I love to sit down at this synth, and follow the sound wherever it leads.

[@benrogmans]

Cool! You can also press two modules at the same time to quickly set up modulation. For example LFO5 + Mixer.

[@RedMeansRecording]

Brilliant

[@brakenear]

@@RedMeansRecording When you're within a module, you can click and hold a source and the available destinations within the OG module will light up. When you select one, it automatically opens the connection in the mod-matrix. An example would be, while in Env 3, click and hold LFO 5, then click the control button for Decay. Bam, auto-connected in the MM

[@ToyKeeper]

Thanks for the tutorial, and thanks for starting with a simple example. Usually people only post the end result of how these things sound, not the process by which they were created.

[@douglasl2409]

This is the best hydrasynth video on the internet. What an amazing instrument. Thank you so much!

[@BobbyDoesMusic]

Man. Maaaan. I was feeling super anxious today, and the drones just brought me some serenity on my lunch break. Super meditative and chill. Also, you've given me some stuff to play with on my Hydrasynth!!

[@jaredf6205]

Thanks for making these(and the full tutorial)! All us Hydrasynth owners definitely appreciate it. There aren't as many patch tutorials out there on this as some others.

[@LazyTelevison]

Your channel is amazing. I’m tip toeing through the basics of synth and musical electronics during these times with more time on my hands. Thank you for the hard work and content! “You gotta believe me, I got the best motives at heart”!

[@RedMeansRecording]

❤️

[@bobyatron7525]

Nice. These videos ease the gaping hole in my soul created by not knowing when the Hydrasynth I ordered is going to be in stock. Plus it’s at least several minutes that I won’t spend checking my email for a notification that my synth has shipped. Thanks for the distraction

[@xanatos387]

Patch from scratch is awesome, and I'd love more of them. I don't think I'm the only person that got into this hobby during quarantine, and such we're a little noobish still. Stuff like this, showing the sound design process is fantastic.

[@davebellamy4867]

I just got a Hydrasynth keyboard. However the module is also so cool with the touch pads. This synth sounds alive to me and goes wonderfully with analog synths.

[@mrdaviderobbins]

great video! stoked to assimilate some of these ideas to my stuff. really dig the way you draw correlations to other synths and modules as a point of reference.

[@CassowaryToenails]

If I ever splurge on something besides modules, it'll definitely be this. The Hydrasynth sounds beautiful and the workflow looks really intuitive. I'd love to own one someday. Great video! Looking forward to the next part!

[@rossnelson7084]

Exactly what I’ve been looking to do. Thanks for the great and in depth look.

[@liquidfunksoundlab602]

Ok Jeremy... You are going to make me touch my Hydrasynth. Very informative. Thanks.

[@jjbing3]

Thank you. My Hydra Explorer just arrived and your videos helped so much.

[@sickbean]

This is fantastic. I don't have a Hydrasynth but I just watched your 4 Pigments tutorials so I was able to happily follow along using that

[@RedMeansRecording]

That's rad!!

[@FrankyGun]

Awesome content and explanation! Very much enjoyed this video as it make me love my Hydra even more. Love and light from sunny Thailand 🇹🇭 ❤️👍

[@BardSonic]

Fantastic video! I've never thought to modulate the master output with LFO. Great way to get nice flowing waves.

[@PFZ]

Loved this, thanks Jeremy!

[@tamersallam5833]

Top notch at always

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

Excellent video! Always wonderful when you start with an initiated patch. Great to see someone who understands this synth and how to find the modulation source and destinations. Very interesting to watch the development of this patch. When the Hydra synth came out all I heard were awful patches, I think most to them coming from the presets. But lately getting to hear custom patches from the buyers and these patches are beginning to show the usefulness of this synth. And now with the Explorer I can take a chance on this synth without investing $1400.00, if I like the explorer I will add the 61 key and polychain.

[@davebellamy4867]

They really hit it out of the park with both versions of the Hydrasynth, I think. Wonderful idea to be able to play the desktop version directly with the touch pads. The designers used imagination to the max. To me, either version is a steal at the price. I have the keyboard but would also love the desktop for the touch pads because of the poly aftertouch and all the scale choices. Also, the different layouts would inspire different kinds of music with the module, I think.

[@jermeh]

Thank you for the video, awesome learning experience

[@darkpolarmusic]

Amazing! I don’t have the Hydrasynth, but this was both informative and inspiring for any user of a synth capable or a modular of course. And the end result was quite beautiful. Half a year ago I didn’t think I liked drones, but I guess I just had not heard the right ones (for me) yet. This one fall into the category I could listen to for hours 👌🏻

[@bryangrunauer]

so soothing, thank you so much

[@davebellamy4867]

I like arpeggiating on Prophet-6 and OB6 and now on Hydrasynth, in fact on all of them. Merge the arpeggiated notes and that can produce lovely semi drone sounds with morphing chords then playvthecsynth controls live. I'm always up for these kinds of ideas. Nice video!

[@brianreilly6545]

Great tutorial and wonderful sounds. Thx!

[@robertlundestrom473]

I always thought ambient was easy, stuff for beginners. Nope. Ambient is art!

[@fully_privatized_mass_medium]

The unipolar LFO+ tip in the mod matrix is actually super helpful; thank you so much for that. I don't even think it's in the manual for the Explorer.

[@dani538]

Red Means Droning.... DOPE man!

[@manny_f]

This synth sure is going viral, doing for hardware what Serum did for softsynths. If it gets a plugin editor it's going to be killer.

[@leandromiquet4820]

Amazing, thanks!

[@L0K3E]

Very cool. Thanks for sharing!

[@metaspherz]

State Azure has some very epic self-playing performances.

[@JTMS]

Nice! I do some similar things with the microfreak but this looks like it is more fleshed out for this sort of thing. As always, great vid!

[@kenb7540]

SO cool 🙃

[@ihavereservations]

Epic

[@joshuamorganmusic]

Oh boy!!!!!! I knew I wanted hydrasynth but all yr vids have me freakin drooling🤘is there a hydrasynth/pigments vid coming soon?? Asking for a friend 🤓

[@paultasbeeb]

love it

[@jalener8980]

Have you tried patching the Hydrasynth's CV Mod Out to its CV Mod In for creating a "threshold" value with an LFO? That's a great way to introduce some randomness (by way of envelope triggers) in a self-playing patch.

[@vladzadiraka]

thank you......

[@agustinbernal2760]

Hi, great patches! I’m not very good programming, are there this kind of patches in the factory presets? Thanks!

[@tonymahoeney]

Jeremy, how do you keep your motivation up during theese times. I have my korg minilogue, digitone and focusrite ready on my laptop. But i just cant anymore bring myself up to get creative anymore :(

[@RedMeansRecording]

It's my job. But also I have a good feedback loop with y'all here that keeps me going.

[@Tsarpf]

Getting smooth and slowly changing wavescan (that doesn’t freeze at the borders and then change really fast suddenly) is a bit PITA, I think you either need to center the initial wavescan position or use LFO+ (unipolar) from position 1. I think you need to add 16 into modulation amount per enabled wavetable (because max mod amount 128 divided by 8 wavetables is 16). In addition the default sine wave shape further boosts the effect this since it lingers longer at the borders and goes through the middle faster, whereas triangle wave makes an instant U-turn. So for example to smoothly interpolate between just two enabled wavetables, use LFO+, initial wavescan pos 1, mod amount in mod matrix 16. Oh and thanks for the video, best pad thing I found for the Hydra! Edit: actually there are only 7 intervals between 8 points so my calculation might be slightly wrong. Or not, depending on how it’s implemented. But 16x sounds ok for 2-3 wavetables I’ve tried so far. Edit2: Yes, adding 128/7 for each enabled wavetable seems to work the best. So for example WaveScan modifier at ~54 for 4 wavetables with a triangle LFO stays for the same time in each waveform.

[@drewjackson6516]

Hey boss! I know I'm a little late here, but I had a question: I can't for the life of me figure out how you enabled the envelopes to loop. This is really shaking up my Hydrasynth workflow, thank you for the awesome insight!

[@Nick-kb6jd]

Sounds great. Had a peak and sold it. Now I regret that but I might get this instead./

[@ToyKeeper]

Peak is great, but it's not designed to do stuff like this. Hydra is deeper and more streamlined for complex modulation.

[@Drakkar6163]

Good stuff! Do you guys think something like this is doable on the modal argon8?

[@jantuitman]

Not (to this extend) on the device itself, I think, because the mod matrix has only 8 free and 4 reserved slots. However, the oscillators are very rich so if you have an external device that can function as a midi cc LFO you could get very nice sounds.

[@trevord9811]

Another lovely & easy to watch video. BTW maybe a stupid question (and I'll probably kick myself) but the keyboard Hydrasynth looks very different to the desktop version here. What are the pad buttons bottom right used for in the desktop version and how do you access their functions in the keyboard version?

[@RedMeansRecording]

The pads are playable keys. They're for playing the synth. On the keyboard version you'll use the keys. You can still set up scales on the keyboard version I believe

[@trevord9811]

@@RedMeansRecording Thanks Jeremy.

[@LoVeAmBiEnT]

Had the desktop sold, it bought the Explorer because I love having a keyboard.

[@agustinbernal2760]

Hi, great video, you are a master! Do you have any kind of course or a series of lessons online? Thanks!!

[@RedMeansRecording]

I do one on one lessons! Check my website

[@brianreilly6545]

What are you using to sequence/trigger notes?

[@justinward5261]

He used the pad grid, the arpeggiator is set to Latch, so it just keeps going and going and going....

[@JB61264]

Great tutorial, but you sort of lost me at around 11:25 where you all of the sudden say that the envelopes are blinking meaning they are looping...where exactly did you set them so they are looping?

[@RedMeansRecording]

Look in the menus for the envelopes. You can have them loop.

[@polvere98]

Only patreon could access to the discord?

[@RedMeansRecording]

Yeah it's set up as a perk

[@robbiep742]

Please post more hydrasynth guides. I have had some trouble getting warm sounds (specifically on evolving pads). Would love guidance!

[@ToyKeeper]

It can help to use EQ as he showed here, or to turn up the random-detuning / analog feel knobs, or to use distortion, or to turn on warm mode, or to add a reverb with low emphasis, or to add aftertouch mappings and play the pads expressively, or to add a lowpass filter with key tracking, or use an oscillator as a sub, or ... etc. I hope these ideas are useful.

[@robbieperlstein9700]

@@ToyKeeper Great stuff, will play with these ideas!

[@maddmannmatt]

What happened to the ENV setup? Did you just not want to show it??

[@tcfween]

My synapses are cross-modulating right now.

[@Pighood]

Shall I inform the authorities?

[@jonaseggen2230]

"oscillator three is kind of sus" Lol, there is food all over my keyboard and screen now. Funny how time stops when listening to this kind of drones. Something about this one that makes me think of the band "The dead Texan". kzbin.info/www/bejne/b6vIk6uOoc55qsk I wonder how it is to work on Hydra compared to modular. What I like with eurorack is that I can mostly see what's going on, or at least where. Saying that I don't have many complex modules. This synth however seems rather comprehensible and idiot friendly. I've previously thought about getting a Digitone but knowing myself I would soon be stuck lost, wet and hungry shivering in the dark. Sobbing and whimpering: "Stepsequencer, what are you doing?!!"

[@theearthisphlat]

I got a desktop hydra a few months back and its honestly my favorite instrument inside the arsenal, its so useful and fun to explore, sometimes i get caught up exploring instead of actually making because its so fun and explorative, it’s definitely a gamechanger for its pricerange

[@jonaseggen2230]

@@theearthisphlat Hi, thanks for reply. It doesn't seem like an awful lot of menue diving and hard to remember button combinations?

[@theearthisphlat]

@@jonaseggen2230 its honestly pretty intuitive, the layout in the bottom left with the LFOs and Oscillators + other effects and such make it really fun, your eyes kinda bounce all over the device. Definitely recommend it if youre thinking about it

[@theearthisphlat]

@@jonaseggen2230 even the Presets give you more ideas to add to initial patches as well

[@jonaseggen2230]

@@theearthisphlat Must really have a closer look at this thing. I like the sounds from Digitone but the workflow seems like a nightmare.

[@monkeyattackII]

Did you just set the envelope loops to infinity? Quite the most important part of self-playing patches isn't it? .......

[@RedMeansRecording]

Indeed

[@DatasetDesign]

"We're going to use some looping envelopes." *EDITS OUT HOW TO DO THAT* "Cool." 10:54

[@iamjamessmith]

He has an entire video on the envelopes and lfos.

[@EiseniaFoetida]

Let’s play a drinking game where we drink every time Jeremy calls an LFO an oscillator 😜 I kid. Great video as usual. I’m currently trying to decide between the Hydrasynth and an Argon 8 and this video just placed a big ol’ notch in the HS column.

[@Tsarpf]

Oscillator 3 kinda sus 🤔