The Battle for "Warmth": Novation Peak vs. ASM Hydrasynth

The Novation Peak and ASM Hydrasynth represent the pinnacle of hardware desktop synthesizers, but the real question is: which is the warmer synth? It's not that simple. It's a stupid question. Why did you ask me to do this?
Check out a writeup and lossless sound files over here: / 46206314
00:00 intro and methodology
04:19 raw saw
06:22 saw and filter decay
07:58 saw and filter attack (exponential envelopes)
09:28 triple oscillator chords
11:48 chorus
14:15 long filter sweep square
17:27 reverb
21:27 bass
22:31 hydra low pass filters
24:31 filter drive
27:09 soft triangles
28:58 lfo lead
30:11 detuned lead
33:38 the most important tests
------------------------------------
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.
If you'd like to support the channel, I have a Patreon: bit.ly/rmrpatreon
I have music as "Jeremy Blake" on all the major services:
Bandcamp: bit.ly/2Kq617o
Soundcloud: bit.ly/2NOH9Is
Spotify: spoti.fi/2N40SoX
Google Play: bit.ly/33M9aG5
iTunes: apple.co/2pqh3SK
Amazon Music: amzn.to/2O9q1fe
I have some merch here: bit.ly/rmrshirts
And you can connect with me here:
Twitter: bit.ly/rmrtwitters
Website: bit.ly/rmrmedia

[@nickestvorace]

The warmth of the Novation Peak is due to the wooden sides panels

[@RedMeansRecording]

You're correct

[@mmmkkkeee]

It’s the rich tone-wood they use... As we all know it makes all the difference in transferring the vibrations from the low frequency modulators.

[@rolandkramer]

you have to set them on fire though

[@grouponspeam9236]

very reasonable😂

[@thesesmallboxes]

Imagine if they had been covered in “fine Corinthian leather”!

[@activelow9297]

I put my Hydrasynth in the oven at 350 for about 2 hours... when I took it out, it was really, really warm!

[@PunguinYoga]

So did I. It tasted horrible!

[@kierenmoore3236]

Best place for it … 🤫😉

[@dangerbird64]

i was the stupid person that asked the stupid question. i apologize.

[@RedMeansRecording]

Lol. Turned out not to be a stupid question! Was interesting.

[@DevaDuta]

Thanks, loved the video. Especially when I thought I preferred the peak on a certain sound and then got the explanation about the tail on the envelope that wasn't supposed to be there.

[@brentgreeff1115]

Just record the music to tape in a bathroom with a bath full of hot water.

[@leandromiquet4820]

Thanks for the trigger to another ultra-informative video by Jeremy

[@donaldpriola1807]

All us synth nerds support one another. Asking a question means you're curious, and not stupid. :)

[@wpf312]

The orange waveforms look much warmer than the blue ones.

[@midnightsocean2689]

Well since I'm pretending everything isn't digital compressed and cold because it's a youtube vid, I say, why settle for orange, when you can go full warm with hot red waveforms

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

The orange has a less uniform wave form then the peak. The first time this guy shows the sine waves He says they look the same but I disagree.

[@midnightsocean2689]

@@HOLLASOUNDS mm, noted. Personally don't feel as if I really know a wave, till I've sat down and had some tea with it.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

@@midnightsocean2689 I know that the Hydra wave is something I would need to do additional processing to get rid of those spikes or its going to muddy up the mix.

[@midnightsocean2689]

@@HOLLASOUNDS Ooh! yes yes indeed. I had to do that on the high end of many synths I used. It's just my opinion but a truly epic synth shouldn't need loads of post processing every time you use it.

[@derekfernandez7701]

Hey thank you so much for making this video (despite finding the question so repulsive! Which I can understand) I'm so intrigued by the possibilities of the Hydrasynth, this breakdown has helped me a lot - it's great to hear the stripped back, raw tones of the synth as you've done here - thanks again!

[@daddysppok]

This was great. I learned so much just listening to you talk through your thoughts as you shape the sounds.

[@maunstermusic]

Thank you for the huge amount of work for such a nerdy (and wonderful) thing. It's nice to see these two so directly compared.

[@winddealer1]

I own a Peak and from a value perspective must admit that the Hydrasynth is hard to beat for what it offers. Thanks for doing the comparison, that was not easy.

[@MatsMorlund]

Thanks for doing this test, Jeremy👍 And I must say *thanks a million* Novation for making the Peak so awesome❗️I really think you did a lot of very smart choices when you were designing it. 😃

[@duckwrth2472]

Dude you are the absolute best.. I love your personality, based on the videos, i bet you are even better in real life. I appreciate your work to the highest. I've learned so much from you. Never stop please! Love from Sweden (:

[@boatfaceslim9005]

Hydrasynth has adjustable curves in *all* envelope stages (from exponetial thru linear to logaruthmic) Meaning you could probably precisely match the Peak's envelopes with some tweaking.

[@nathanschneider1805]

You are an invaluable asset to people trying to figure out what kinda gear to get and how to get the most out of it. We don’t deserve you!

[@MattiasHolmgren]

Excellent comparison video. Enjoyed watching and listening Jake. Indeed very subtle differences. I played the Hydrasynth at NAMM 2020 and loved it. Very versatile synth.

[@rrocktoo]

After three watches all you've done is convince me that I need both, when I can afford them. Brilliant and thanks for taking the time to enlighten me.

[@jean-pierremartineau4136]

Thanks for making this. They're both great synths and I really enjoyed this head-to-head comparison. Great angle!

[@RayyMusik]

Funny ending! :) However, the warmest modern synth is probably the Moog One with its fans switched off.

[@robbiep742]

Thank you SO MUCH for this! I had asked about warmth on HS on your previous videos. Appreciate it, even if you hate the topic ;)

[@rardubar728]

Thanks for a very useful and informative video - I think you've really highlighted the differences well.

[@JohanWave]

Great video! Very impressive sounds - I want both. Now!

[@MaynardAndEuniceShow]

Thank you for making this video... It's pretty clear that there's no real winner or loser in this as the word "warmer" can be a bit subjective. There were nice tonalities coming out of each one and really, at the end of the day, it's how the musician is able to create a tone specific to the song or jam they will be playing to. We're better off sometimes not spending so much time and energy on trying to answer unanswerable questions and investing the time into creating. Thanks again!

[@Brumata]

Awesome! I appreciate what this video ended up demonstrating. I'm not too familiar with wavetable synths in practice, and demos tend to get really wild really quickly. This grounded the ASM's capabilities in more sonically familiar territory. I have a much better understanding and appreciation for the Hydrasynth. I always thought it was a really cool synth, but I find it far more appealing now. I may have to grab one. 😬

[@adamhurst86]

I own both the Peak and Hydrasynth. I have had the Peak for about a year, and the Hydrasynth for a couple of weeks. Both are extremely capable synths and offer a very wide palette. I completely agree about the Peak sounding like it's in a well defined space. For some sounds, the Peak fits in perfectly, and for others it needs more work to make it fit. The Hydrasynth I feel needs more work to get it to sit right in the mix. I haven't been able to deep-dive the Hydrasynth FM synthesis yet, but I am not disappointed in owning both. They are amazing pieces of hardware. I do most of my producing in the box, so the only 3 pieces of gear that I have are a fully analog Deepmind 6, a hybrid Peak, and a fully digital Hydrasynth. I wanted to have these 3 sonic palettes to add something extra to my arsenal while producing/sound designing.

[@JYelton]

I know you hated making this video. But I wanted you to know I enjoyed it. Your expertise and approach are appreciated! Also, the actual temperature check (and cat) at the end are fantastic. :)

[@ZenMountain]

"I know you hated making this video". Yeah right mate. I'm sure he hates the 50K views the video ha$.

[@brymilan]

Thanks for nailing the description about the Peak being in a pocket, or sounding compressed. It's almost like the sonic equivalent of silly putty, you know when you cut silly putty with a knife and you get a very well defined snap cut. That is what the Peak sounds like to me. Personally, it's this quality that keeps me from choosing it. But I keep coming back to listening to examples of it because it seems so capable and high quality.

[@Cesiumswimsuit]

Excellent insight, thanks for doing this comparison! Hydrasynth is extremely impressive, especially up against the classic Peak

[@yotaka001]

I think it is a very good test. Your point of view on the envelope is solid, and it is also my main concern when it comes to synthesizer sound creation (Especially the attack changes). The difference in waveforms was very informative, and Peak's design is good. Thank you. Keep up the good work.

[@SuperMegaR]

I'm sorry you didn't enjoy making this, but I, for one, thoroughly enjoyed watching and listening

[@Anth8787]

The fact that you literally took their temperature earned you my thumbs up. Thanks for the video.

[@dinkledankle]

Not only does the Peak sound incredible, it is a striking piece of hardware. When I look at it, I'm hit by what synthesizers have become. This clean, refined, compact, box that can do it all and sounds glorious. Look at all those knobs!

[@zrolo6329]

i have the summit, which is essentially two peaks and a keybed and i absolutely love it. Its been my main driver ever since i got it.

[@ZenMountain]

@@kesnielchan8082 Just type "Novation Summit"on the search box man...

[@LesSondiers]

The Peak has keyboard filter tracking turned on by default, which can make waveforms sound a bit less bright on lower notes.

[@zerorossing207]

Right. When he starts out, we’re listening to a filtered sawtooth.

[@leftovernoise]

He says key tracking is at 100 on both

[@mark35mi]

Nice share bro! So close in warmth. So subjective. Well done. And agreed... the low pass gate on bass was SICK on the hydra! Also liked that Steiner Parker 12 on the Hydra bass. And yes... the physical temp test was... Hysterical.

[@0072gldnfngr]

This video is just what I needed. I was concerned, but not so much about “warmth”. Just that the Hydrasynth sounded thin in comparison after a few other reviews I watched. I do hear a small difference and obviously since this video is focused on sound and they’re side by side, it’s easier to tell but if they were not, it’s very likely I wouldn’t notice the difference. Thanks for clearing this up for me! Great video!

[@UberRobot]

I know you used it here for demonstration purposes, but having two different synths play very similar sounds and each panned completely to one side sounds really cool! Now I want to try it out in actual music but dang that's a lot of money for a stylistic device.

[@leachim66]

This video is great and I am glad you made it. Also I am glad, you.

[@Fruitbat-tb3lg]

Wonderfully interesting. Would love to hear you do the same with the Roland Fantom and the peak. Good stuff😎

[@CaidicusProductions]

What a cool video, Jeremy! I have both of these synths and they both sound pretty awesome. I find the ASM Hydrasynth is able to sound much more otherworldly, while the Peak nails the traditional sounds beautifully. Anyway, I'm enjoying watching this video. (It's still playing, while I write this)

[@CaidicusProductions]

I should mention, while the reverb on the ASM Hydrasynth is good, the one on the Peak is absolutely dreamy.

[@CaidicusProductions]

I'm about 12 and a half minutes into the video and so far, the Peak has sounded warmer, more full.

[@Blackeyedangel]

Thanks for doing this. as someone who doesn't own either, it's fun to listen to them and get GAS for both.

[@ocdude07]

More people need to use your final method of testing on synths. It's important to know, regardless of whether it worked out the way you wanted it to or not.

[@aviolentpurple9925]

Great video. Right off the bat I thought the Peak had a more pleasant sound. The “warmest” digital synths I’ve ever played are the Nord Lead 4 and A1. Two really great distortions per patch, very harmonic filters, filter drive, all the good stuff.

[@browe]

Big fan, too, of the Nord Lead series--my 2X and 4 both lovely and so full of character.

[@SynthAddict]

good comparison - I already have a bunch of great Novation stuff and the Hydrasynth keyboard will give me more options as well as an amazing control surface (plus ribbon and MPE) and very little menu diving - scribble strips rule (like on the Solaris) the new features are great too like Scala microtonal options and more some amazing patch makers out there now for HS that sound incredibly warm and lush, but I also love digital synths (PPG, Blofeld, CZ-1, DX-7, etc.)

[@martinwhite4658]

Love the outro test. Chefs kiss!!!!

[@bobyatron7525]

Yeah, the Peak does analog tones a bit better, which makes a lot of sense since it has some analog parts. But buying a Hydrasynth for analog tones is like buying a Nintendo switch to play the classic Mario games. The Hydra is for people who want a sound design box that’s comparable in flexibility to something like Zebra2 or Pigments. A couple observations... Peak has fantastic on board effects. Hydra’s range from very good to so-so IMO. But there’s plugins for that unless you’re trying to record DAWless. Peak always sounds slightly saturated to me, even when it’s not going through the filter. Maybe there’s something to that. I know my Sub37 saturates when the oscillators are cranked past 50% or so.

[@RedMeansRecording]

Agree 100

[@leftovernoise]

I have the summit and I absolutely love the on board effects. They are surprisingly amazing. If they sold it as a standalone effects pedal I would likely buy it just to be able to use it on another synth at the same time. I never have high hopes for built in effects but these blow me away.

[@danikoenig]

Seriously I wanna know which one sounds "Colder".

[@spaceman103]

The other one.

[@claudekaber609]

There's a lot of truth in this, after all they're digital synths

[@brentgreeff1115]

A follow up video on which one sounds more "Rich" or more importantly which is more Rounded & Full?

[@jshell]

Modor NF-1 is beautifully icy. I know it’s neither of these but it’s a cool (ha!) synth.

[@danikoenig]

@@jshell mordor? isn't it warmer?

[@splintercast8092]

The oscillators sounded virtually identical when the Hydra was in 'warm' mode. The filter was definitely nicer on the Peak and the Peak's reverb was on another level to the reverb on the Hydrasynth.

[@fattyboombatty7736]

Interesting Friday afternoon demo, Jeremy, though I agree it is a bit of a waste of time. I find them both very capable machines and the results can seem quite nuanced. Some of the differences are lost on KZbin, especially noticeable in the reverb demo, the Peak's is so lush with a very sweet tail. My own workflow doesn't really revolve around sound design, so I don't use the Hydra as often as I should. My holy grail is for a pristine sound rather than lots of variety. (I love the Moog Sirin, very basic, but sounds beautiful). I use the Hydra mainly for sampling of fill FX when I get the time - usually noodling in front of the telly, while my wife's Summit (Peak) is the workhorse in our wee studio as it does everything that we need very well. As an aside , I'm using the UDO Super 6 at the moment, which is looovely sounding, though on paper is less capable than either. With a foot on the GAS pedal, a synth I think is interesting is the Dreadbox Typhon, though I've not tried one yet.

[@macronencer]

Apparently Brahms had synaesthesia and used to ask the orchestra for "more pink". So I think the question of which synth is warmer is probably quite sensible by comparison! I have a Hydrasynth, and I was curious to discover how the PEAK sounded. It sounded great! Mostly I thought the two were very evenly matched, and it probably comes down to how fussy you are and what type of sound you're trying to make. Good video, thank you.

[@xpump876]

Fun comparison! .. I'd love to see a 'warmth' comparison done choosing either of these 2 'digital' synths compared to the Black Corp 'analog' synths that are know for their 'warmth', like the DDMk2 or Xerxes. It would be interesting to see if there is anything significantly noticeable to warrant the 3x price tag.

[@Bawookles]

My favorite thing about the Hydrasynth (keyboard version) is the polyphonic aftertouch and the ribbon controller. I think it's totally criminal that those are rare elements in a synthesizer. The degree of nuance and control you can get from polyphonic aftertouch makes the Hydrasynth one of the best synths for me to come out in many years.

[@lordha-ha4242]

Amen

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

I have the Peak but I like the look of the Hydrasynth with its pads.

[@Il-Cane]

I'm Not a performer, as a sound designer i do not need a keyboard, that's why many synths are desktop.

[@dbjungle]

Both of these synths sound phenomenal. I sold a DSI Pro 2 and picked up a used Peak in the spring. I feel like the Peak has a defined character and the Hydrasynth is more neutral after watching. I think if you're going for the Peak sound then it's probably a bit easier to get that character, but as you've shown the Hydrasynth can come quite close and is able to do some stuff the Peak can't.

[@AlexisAndre]

I can't agree more with the conclusion. Hydrasynth can do so much more, but if you really want the sounds of the Peak "pocket", yes, Peak sounds refined in that area, and the reverb is designed for that space. Very good answer to an impossible question.

[@MichaelRohaly]

I guess the other thing you can do on both synthesizers is just find an interim wave in the wavetable if you want your saw to be bassier or your triangle to be brighter, and then there's other waveshaping besides. There are just so many options on both, and getting where you want to go is glorious.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

You mean an initialize empty patch? Yes you can do that on the peak easy.

[@MichaelRohaly]

@@HOLLASOUNDS No, I just mean using a wavetable to get an in-between wave that you like instead of some wave that you might think is "too bright" but hey, both machines have filters.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

@@MichaelRohaly In video He shows the two waves and says they look very similar but I dont think they do, Peak has a cleaner looking wave. I noticed that Hydra as spike like peaks and for Me that's the short of wave shape that creates problems with clipping and clashing sounds and I would need to use additional processing to smooth that out.

[@MichaelRohaly]

@@HOLLASOUNDS The point is you can, on either synth. But I don't remember where in this video he actually shows the waves. I think you're talking about the display of what's going on with the envelopes.

[@JamesPery]

I've wanted a Peak for about four years now. One day you will make noise for me!

[@Getthenderson]

I would have loved this video right about 5 months ago. Got the Hydra because of the interface which I really gel with, I actually thought at the time the Peak sounded a little better, there's one other video floating around comparing them that I based it off.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

I just got a Peak and video is interesting, I'm not planning on getting a Hydro

[@JoshIsMakingMusic]

Great video. I love your remark about hating the "which is warmer" question. You gotta get what sounds good to you!

[@BottleMakesMusic]

The cat experiment is the only valid test :D in all seriousness, I'm totally blown away by the Hydra. I've been GASing for a Peak for ages now and this could be the pretender to the throne. Damn :/ well, I'll add the Hydra to my audition list for this year (if we can ever go back to in-store browsing. Meh)

[@strangersun7721]

Korg Minilogue OG sounds "colder" to me than both of these.... And it's all analog! Go with the sound that resonates with you.

[@MattiasHolmgren]

Totally agree, I have the Minilogue XD and I feel it even lacks the warm bottom end often heard with pure analog. I own the Novation Summit and it's an awesome synth on all levels, oscs, controls, pristine effects & saturation nodes.

[@leftovernoise]

​@@MattiasHolmgrensummit creeeeeew.

[@tobyb8511]

EXCELLENT stuff. I have both, I like them both, probably as much, and apparently, like you. "Refined & Defined" vs "Wider & Wilder"? Sometimes I think the Hydra has a slightly "metallic" edge to enhance or dial out depending on what I want, and you perhaps hinted at this too. But even if you hated making it, this is a great demo of how often sounds are about the maker, as much or even more, than the tool. Final section ... 34 mins ... JUST BRILLIANT! A delightfully appropriate answer/response to the question posed ... B)

[@jasoncaldwell0613]

which synth sounds saltier?

[@RedMeansRecording]

Asking the real question

[@chriskaprys]

Let me swap out the quartz crystal with a salt crystal and get back to you.

[@macronencer]

Someone's making sea shanties...

[@hostnik777]

I love that in the methodology you're having to make sound design limitations on the Hydra to match the inherent limitations on the Peak... regardless of warmth, that is instructive in itself.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

No sythersizor can actually be compared it's all down to personal preference.

[@hostnik777]

@@HOLLASOUNDS - then why are you even watching this video?

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

@@hostnik777 Because I want to hear and see how this youtuber was going to do it and it entertained Me. Also I wanted to have a look at the Hydra Sythersizor.

[@Owoshima_]

Dig the video, when adding in Analog Feel and Warm Mode, did you also enable Random Phase in the Voice menu? That would prevent some of the unison-phasing-esque sounds when doing chords for the 'Soft Triangles" part of the video.

[@nicolascarta2626]

Thanks for this video !

[@2morningz]

Music education is fundamental. Great job!

[@deltank]

"Warming Cat Test" is the only valuable synth test protocol :)

[@donaldpriola1807]

As a lucky owner of both, worrying about "warmth" is indeed silly, as Jeremy says. If you know how to program synths, either one can do almost anything you can imagine. If you want to simulate an analog sound, watch Marc Doty's Intro/Analog Sound video on the Pro 2. I can guarantee you that if you program a bit of pitch instability into a patch, almost anyone will think it is analog.

[@macronencer]

I think this is a great point. When I got my Hydrasynth my immediate reaction was that it was very harsh. However, I quickly realised that there was simply a learning curve, and I had to learn how to tame it. It can sound really lovely.

[@c137medina]

I listen to your videos in the car a lot (audio only), and I just keep seeing the cat talking in my mind.

[@ryokokofficial]

I think this is a great Video Jeremy, I think the take away here is to get both. To be honest, im getting both I love them both. and HA the hydra is totally hot.

[@fincorrigan7139]

Just like to add that I use a MicroFreak along with the Hydra Desktop for layered sounds (you get 2 octave poly aftertouch and 2 octave ribbon control by using the little Freak as a controller). These two combined are slightly lower priced than Peak here in Europe - they make a combo worth considering.

[@positionnormal]

That's definitely good to know. Thanks.

[@jaguarvssnake]

@@positionnormal I love your music!

[@MelissaAtwell]

There is something about the Peak that is more musically pleasing to my ears. While the Hydrasynth is phenomenally powerful and capable of huge sound design, there is still some sort of intangible quality about the Peak that is very compelling.

[@bitterpearls]

I swear there's magic inside FPGAs

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

Hard to describe sometimes, but in digital waveforms I hear a "crackly harshness" especially noticeable in higher pitches. BUT...by the time I have mixed 5 synths, a groove box and a sampler into a song, only a great big lead synth way out in front and loud does this become irritating.

[@kierenmoore3236]

An actually analog filter goes some way to masking its digital (FPGA) oscillators …

[@Rookieathome]

Super video! Thanks

[@gossamyr]

Really enjoyed this, I don't give a crap about one better than another, just like to geek out with synths and 'tests'. It's never the car, it's the driver ;) My favourite thing about hardware synths is they NEVER require me to plug them into the internet to prove I bought them and didn't download them illegally, hahahahah

[@9877joseph]

Couldn't agree more 👏

[@T.H.W.O.T.H]

You've just convinced me to buy the Hydra. :)

[@davidsobel3303]

I own the Peak and enjoy it for what I would consider that more compressed, smooth tone. Listening to the ASM it had more edge to it that would be useful in more aggressive patches. But the reverb is on the Peak is on par with some of the more high end reverb pedals out there

[@GertBoers]

Awesome comparison! I own both, love both. But must admit, as I have the keyboard version of the Hydrasynth, that I tend to use that one the most.

[@kierenmoore3236]

Poly AT FTW! You can use that with the Peak via MIDI, tho’, right?! That would be great!!

[@GertBoers]

@@kierenmoore3236 Yes! Peak responds to PolyAT. 😀

[@lesterfalcon1350]

"Sounds like I'm on Nitrus" Brilliant I new exactly what you meant, and then it did.

[@logangabriel4247]

Great video. I was deciding between these two a while back, and kept reading users saying things like "I struggled to make the Hydrasynth fit in my mixes", while also complaining about how cold and shrill the sound was. I eventually went with the Peak due to this. Maybe the new(er) warm mode makes a big difference, but comments like these strike me as pretty ridiculous now. The differences are so minuscule in this video that in a full mix of a track there's no way you could tell. Makes you wonder about our biases on analog vs digital (analog = warm, digital = cold) and how that ultimately influences our opinions of the sounds we're hearing.

[@geephlips]

I think a huge factor that rarely gets mentioned is how responsive a synth feels to things like moving knobs and sliders. If a synth responds like an instrument, if you feel you can make it sound like you want, I would take that over glorious sounding analog oscillators and filters. I’ve had warm sounding analog synths that responded coldly and I’ve had digital synths respond warmly.

[@kierenmoore3236]

@@geephlips 😐 … if ‘warm’ hadn’t lost all meaning before, it certainly has now … 🙄

[@WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

VERY interesting video and well done....thank you!! EQ, oscillator choice/combination, and filter brings forth warmth, as well as obviously the pitch range chosen for the given patch. I don't think analog or digital has anything to do with it. I think the Hydra has been tough to get warmth because the mutants can introduce large amounts of FM processing. FM has never been described as warm, but with enough above listed control I thought FM with a filter had a chance to be tamed? I agree, the term "warmth" is not good enough to make a decision on which synth to buy. Some describe warmth in analog from the low level of distortion that is inherently in analog. An analog square wave at higher pitches can become mostly sine, this is one good reason analog automates warmth; where digital waves are stable at higher pitches and remain a square wave in this example. I have been adding a minimum of 10 bands of stereo graphic EQ to my digital synths, by buying cheap analog EQ devices I can introduce that low level distortion into my digital synths by plus EQ gain through any or all of the frequency spectrum; and added benefit is the immense tone control a stereo 31 band EQ has on a synth. Synth sound designers like you and many of us should consider buying 31 band stereo EQ for our digital synths as standard equipment. (this comment is for hardware musicians only, adding a plug-in 10 to 31 band EQ in the digital realm may not function the same at all for adding distortion).

[@deathisimminent9518]

There's just something about the PEAK that just sounds amazing i am absolutely stunned, if money was a no factor i'd always get the peak i guess... but hydrasynth explorer for half the price is just a steal of a deal

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

That's somthing Navation sythersizors do.

[@KristianWontroba]

Hydrasynth is about a cool $600 cheaper. What's the warmth per dollar rate here? LOL

[@perkypat.]

Apart from that ringing in the chorus test and an associated lack of detail from the hydra ( a little muddy) in only that test. I felt that the hydra is an amazing sonic equivalent to the Peak and at half the price that’s astounding. Hats off to you in getting those patches matching so closely you must have had one dinger of a headache at the end of it all. The main take out- two very accomplished ‘warm sounding’ synths.

[@jesuslovestoastyaya]

For the Peak/Summit, the Diverge and Drift settings are the single things that add the most "warmth". I'm not sure if the Hydra has something like that or not. If you compare these to any VCO based analog Poly like the Korg Prologue or Prophet 5, you will hear this subtle smearing and detuning of the sound because the oscillators aren't completely perfectly in tune. Additionally, I always find analog synths have a bit of extra drive to their oscillators. So, it is important to compensate that with drive on digital synths. Peak is great for that. For me those two things are a big part of what warmth is, and why, without diverge/drift and drive, digital synths still are missing something.

[@benwearne542]

I have both and I played the hydrasynth everyday for almost 2 years. When my Peak came in the mail, the difference between the two was striking. It didn't sound "different," it sounded better. Much better. Its like comparing two expert singers that both have 20 years of experience and perfect technique and both have the exact same range. Chances are if you take a pole, one singer is going to be much more popular than the other one, and there will be no debate that they sound different.

[@AndriSoren]

Loved the heat gun bit - and the kitty test 😅

[@jasonmoyer]

I have a Hydra keys, and I think it's actually really good as a warm-sounding VA if you want to do classic subtractive sounds. I've struggled to make it sound good in other contexts though, something about the wavetables seems to fatigue my ears in a way that the PPG/Waldorf synths don't.

[@Michael_Smith-Red_No.5]

I also have a Hydra keys, and I've had the reverse experience. I've never tried using is as a standard VA, because I wanted the way it worked with wavetables. I love my Blofeld, but I don't like it as much as the Hydra.

[@jasonmoyer]

@@Michael_Smith-Red_No.5 I don't use mine as a VA, either. I bought it to make weird sounds and to mess with wavetables. It's just that, for whatever reason I find the VA waveforms coupled with the excellent filter models sound great and the wavetable/fm/etc is very hit-or-miss.

[@constantineapokis445]

I'm going to buy the Hydrasynth because it can incorporate into Eurorack modular. How cool or warm is that ?

[@jasonmoyer]

@@constantineapokis445 I mean, how warm/cool is CV.

[@strangersun7721]

Hydrasynth is awesome for the price. I would have had a rough time deciding between the two. Glad I was lucky enough to buy a Peak at launch.

[@FairuzOsman]

Lol yeah I’ve been spending weeks trying to decide and still on the fence

[@fosferus]

i heard something like chorusing/phasing/beating in the hydra saws, where there wasnt any of that interference-y sound in the peak. but none of that was evident once the filter was introduced. in the triangle test, sounded like the peak had some saturation going on somewhere.

[@BrentODell]

This is a cool comparison, and as a guitar guy who has recently gotten into synths, it's great to see how these match up. On the other hand, I have a little bit of a practical streak(thankfully, helps with the GAS), and rather than asking "Would I rather have a Peak or a Hydrsynth?", the correct question seems to be "Would I rather have a Peak or TWO Hydrasynths?"

[@BrentODell]

Just gonna make a thread with myself... so, I'm at work, and not on the best headphones, but in many cases, I can hardly tell when you switch synths. The Peak seems really cool, and I know Novation makes great stuff(looks slick, too), but... at about 11 minutes I've seen what I needed to see: Hydrasynth. I can always double track with an entire second Hydra if I want :)

[@kierenmoore3236]

Correct answer: you want a Summit.

[@lowbias]

Good call leaving those most important tests to the end... Ha ha ha!

[@Lainer1]

One thing I've noticed over the years of using so many synths is that I can only take so much of the warmer sounds, especially in headphones. My ears resonate and ache after a while. So I can only listen to synth music for a certain amount of time. (But I've been playing since the 1980s). Funny thing is, my acoustic guitar and piano never fatigue my ears. Those lower tones really hurt sometimes. LOL!

[@kenb7540]

Excellent ! Really informative. 👍 temp test at end..... LOL 😂

[@KordTaylor]

Stupid question but understandable. Thanks for doing this.

[@billjacobs5577]

My guess is by "warmth" people are referring to pleasing analog or analog-like harmonics, distortion, presence, space, and a gentle rolling off of high frequencies, and on the flip side a lack of digital harshness or flatness. Converters and processors can make a difference, even in comparing digital synths. The Hydrasynth at times (but not always) sounds a little bit flat in comparison, although it has nice bass. I would say the Peak sounds warmer much of the time, but it's close.

[@kylechumchal]

Novation really knocked it out of the park with the peak. Still prefer my rev 2 but man the peak is a beast!

[@kierenmoore3236]

Fully analog FTW.

[@Skarlet_Overdrive]

​@Kieren Moore eh not necessarily since the oscillators are FPGAs but it sounds indistinguishable imo

[@kierenmoore3236]

⁠​⁠@@Skarlet_Overdrive I was referring to the Rev 2 … which IS fully analog … Yes, the Peak/Summit has FPGAs … I have a Rev 2-16-KB and a Summit … love both, but they are very distinguishable … The Rev 2 does a better job of imitating vintage Oberheims and Prophets … and the Summit does a better job of imitating vintage Rolands/Synthwave/Synthpop … and each has 16 voices; or 8 when split/layers … If you can only have one fully analog poly synth, or one hybrid synth, these are the ones (best bang-for-buck value, for sure!) I’m planning to add a Hydrasynth Deluxe - for edgy digital sounds (and that poly AT/ribbon, which I can use with my other poly synths!) My other synths are a Matriarch, MS2000B (relatively warm digital/early VA) and a Pro 3 SE.

[@jantuitman]

thanks Jeremy, awesome video, very educating. It is funny how small the differences become if you restrict the parameters to a well thought out subset. I feel attracted to the simple UI of the hydrasynth but can’t convince myself because I think the wavetably sounds don’t sound so nice as Waldorf wavetable sounds. But maybe this is also only what I have heared so far and restricting parameters could also do the job here......

[@kierenmoore3236]

“Very educating” needs to be on a t-shirt … 😊

[@GeorgeLara]

I had no idea you were a State Alchemist as well awesome gear head.

[@thesesmallboxes]

I’m finding, esp. in the early comparisons, that I prefer the Peak’s sound, but I’m not sure I’d have ever noticed what I “don’t like” about the Hydrasynth. It’s only in the light of one that I feel anything “bad” about the other. Which is to say, I’d LOVE to own either one!!

[@savnac]

Did you experience any hiss on the floor noise of the peak? I’m having that on mine and it’s a buzzkilling the love I’ve been having for the peak.. making me want the Rev2 instead.

[@Geepstar]

Can you make a more detailed vid series about the Novation? I got the Deluxe and Peak. Your Hydrasyth vids are sooo helpful in depth detailed. Could use it for the peak too. 😎👍💪👊

[@tombarnes2218]

I thought this was a really interesting walkthrough - thanks for putting this together. Respectfully, I dont think "warmth" is a stupid question. I think every oscillator and filter implementathc has its own "character", whether implemented in hardware or as algorithms. I know in my eurorack system that each of my five go-to"filters sounds different, and I choose which one to use based on what kind of soudn i'm looking for - sometimes i'm looking for a sound i think of as edgy, hollow, open or electronic, and sometimes i'm look for a soudn I think of as warm, compressed, or saturated. I think software- based synths face the same challenge, which has to be played out in a) the choice of algorithsm, b) the implementation, and c) the choice of hardware 9where appicable. So I really appreciate your approch - to try to dial in the same "patch" on each device and compare it "character" - I think it simportant to understand what range of voicing a synth is cabable of delivering, and your walkthrough provides some very interesting ideas on hwo to make that assessemrnt.

[@afterthewar54]

That is some seriously specific and in depth synth nerdery and I love it. It's surprising how much you can actually hear that slight exponential to the Peak envelope, and how it almost has a tail too. If you didn't have them side by side and so specifically dialed in like this I don't know that I'd ever catch things like that, but that just makes all the work on this close comparison even more useful. Unfortunately what I take from it is I want to own both. But...

[@Tinnntin]

I was also in doubt which one to buy. I had my mind set on the Novation peak, but if I look closely and listen, the hydrasynth can do a lot more than the peak can. Well the reverb and chorus sound good on the peak, but for in the studio that is not so important as there are very good vst's reverbs..... on the other hand, the hydrasynth has very good filters, many choices in envelope shapes, good low end and is considerably cheaper.

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

The Hydra has drum pads? But what is the alot more you speak of?

[@Space_pulse]

@@HOLLASOUNDS way more types of synthesis algorithms and filters. Also more envelopes for complex modulation. You can go a lot deeper with sound design. Whether or not you really need to make such complex patches to make good music is a whole other discussion, but it’s nice when creating a really big lead patch that is going to carry a track without much else going on.

[@BendApparatus]

@@HOLLASOUNDS drum pads...😏