A note on battery life: you should get 4-5 hours out of a set of fresh rechargeable batteries on continuous operation. ASM has run it at 4:45 min pretty exactly on several occasions. I think for me, I wasn't using rechargeables, so I don't know what the charge level was, and I may have had the battery type selected wrong in the setup menu. Don't forget to check that!
Would be nice if they had opted for a couple 18650 cells instead of 8xAA. It'd be smaller and last longer, and easier to recharge. Each 18650 has as much energy as roughly 5xAA NiMH Eneloops or 10xAA Alkalines, so even just two or three would be plenty. Seems like an odd choice to use so many little cells instead of a couple slightly bigger ones. (AA = 14mm x 50mm, 18650 = 18mm x 65mm)
Oh, er, on a side note... One 18650 cell has almost exactly the same amount of energy as a single potato chip. They're both around 12 Wh, after converting calories to Watt-hours. So the Hydra's 8xAA power source has about the same energy as two potato chips. Side note #2: Don't eat batteries. :P
Cost? Might be your answer… assumably rechargeable cells ASM would have to supply. Now your cost per unit goes up, or your profit goes down. I mean they have good quality components going into their knobs, screen keys that stuff ain’t free. Maybe…
im coming back to this video and i have to say all the patches sound amazing and they are well picked to demonstrate the breadth of sounds on the lil baby hydra
Hadn't twigged how small it was until you held it up in front of you. Amazing how much they pack into these whilst keeping them very usable. Very nice demo sir. 👍
I've watched several videos on the ASM Hydrasynth Explorer, and this one is the WOW video. You picked a lot of the sounds that I would find myself playing and modulating. Thank you so much - your video has cemented my decision to get the Hydrasynth!
Thanks for doing such a well-balanced review of both explaining all the functionalities, yet giving proper space to actually hear what the sounds are! Appreciate how you did it :)
Thanks. This is the first youtube video i've seen since I pulled the trigger on a used Explorer (arrives in a few days) that's made me not regret my impulsive decision. You truly do know it well and offer very useful information.
Hydrasynth mixes the best of synthesis and effects. Frankly one of the best on board effects engines out there. If you own a Hydra, you will never find the bottom, it’s a creative masterpiece with a reasonable investment Moog and Sequential can’t even touch. - Hydra owner
Unless you get a subsequent 37 and/or the sequential pro 3 for $1300 each (used). I say this because I own these 2 boards, and a hydrasynth, and they all cost me $1300 each. They are all equally cool imo.
@@judethree4405 Good point, I like the 37 (Moog in general, have 4) but not so much a fan of sequential. I’ll admit it’s a decent board at $1300. My point is the hydra is a deeper dive for those who don’t use presets and want to explore its range and far more bang for the buck than either.
@@heedrightaff8907 Good question, I haven’t looked at that. The Reverbs, Echo’s, chorus, flange etc are dam good. The reverbs has a nice long tail on it. I’ll look at the distortion later tonite.
I'm fully committed to getting one of these later this week to use with my band, currently using ableton and well, let's be honest here. Alot of serum lol, just wondering how the distortion compares? Incase I ever have to stick the laptop in for repairs do you think this would hold up? (I only really use ableton in a live sense for synth no samples or other daw features)
I waited a week now, watching a lot of vids and not really sure if i should own it. came to your channel now and I will get it today. you‘re just the best. and you crack me up early morning on the way to work, love your humour! thanks!
Thanks so much for this review. I think it’s been the most helpful so far as it shows the breadth of the Explorer’s playability. It’s hard to tell with the other videos. Some show limited playing and others are simply comparing this to the Deluxe or keyboard, which isn’t a great comparison; honestly, I think some people have a hangup about mini-keys. Anyway, I really appreciate the time you put in. It looks (and sounds) like a capable and smart board.
I agree, I think Elektron's Sequencer/Individual Step-Parameters should be an industry standard. No other instrument has ever allowed me to create so many dynamic happy accidents like Elektron has.
Hey Red! glad I found your channel! I just received mine yesterday. I play guitar but thought I'd try the Explorer. Arthritis is kicking in so I've been playing guitar less these days. I'm looking forward to learning the Explorer. love your enthusiasm!
LOLOLOL at ur awkward kissing the unit at the end. i deep huff ANY new module upon opening and sniff all the knobs and solder work on back. glad to see others LUV their gear in awkward ways :)
I just "discovered" this thing a couple days ago. Played with it in the store & loved it...right away. I thought I would research it a bit more before purchasing... and now...I am sold. Gonna grab it tomorrow or the next day... along with the Roland 404 mk2 sequencer/sampler...fun little toys to add to my growing collection... that keep me out of trouble....Anyway thanks dude, for the dope demo...
@@maccagee693 ~Is what worthwhile? I presume nothing. I assume FULL responsibility for being here AND all my choices. We all make choices in our lives, but in the end our choices make Us. Worthwhile? I make it so. I'm No.1 The world into which we are born, we cannot help...but the world we leave when we exit...Is one we Made.
Great demo. I just played with it at Perfect Circuit and was immediately hooked. So fun to tweak presets and very quickly get some wild sounds. I'm buying for sure
I was literally at KnobCon a couple months ago when they announced this and had a chance to play with it the same day since they were at KnobCon too. It’s a very capable cute little synth. Tons of modulation options with the only thing missing being a sequencer, from all the models, if memory serves…
Excellent video. If someone was wanting a Hydrasynth and not much of a keyboard player, would it be better to get the Desktop version, or save a couple hundred bucks and get this?
Great video, as always! What's that little spectrum analyzer thing you have on the table? I use the Waldorf Blofeld for some of my videos and songs, and the Hydrasynth sounds similar, but looks a lot easier to adjust and interact with, while having a lot more depth, too. I guess I need a second wavetable synth now! :)
I really like the cinematic sound from 19:10 to 19:40 in the video. It's not the kind of sound which I use but it's definitely top of the class. I don't think the Blofeld can do this but the Blofeld does have the sounds that I use in production so that's why I have the Blofeld. I don't need the sounds of the Hydrasynth because that's not the kind of music which I produce, not because the sounds are inferior.
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Hi! I would like to ask if I can find the "moontender" patch on my hydrasynth, in any of the fab banks from ASM? Because in my case under No. A22 there is a completely different patch. :(
@@RedMeansRecording the model started from my eurorack , the synthcube/ Ian fritz threeler we then used AI to create a model, and further refined it from there taming it in some places so as not to quite so unruly in a poly. :)
I just wanna say I love ASM even more that they gave you one to review... I remember you've had some gear in the past that you had to return after review... that's so sucky. And you did the gift justice. So happy to see an Explorer review really dive into some presets and how to play with them... as I patiently wait for mine to arrive, hopefully in Jan!
Great overview. Beyond just the mastery of the synth, I’m always impressed by your skill with the keys. I’m balls deep in GAS, but I think I really just need to build technique/theory. What tools did you use to learn/anything you’d recommend for self teaching?
@@tomski2671 That was my intention. I got the 49 to replace my aging Impulse 49, as keys started failing and aftertouch was long gone. Now I'm hooked to the synth engine as well.. it's a pretty fantastic synth! btw NI's new Kontrol 3 boards feature Poly AT too now. It's really catching on and hopefully becoming a new standard, and I think we have the Hydrasynth to thank for that!
@@RedMeansRecording very well done video btw . Got to it a bit late but was notified by other testers about the battery thing so had to comment on that quick 😂. Love the Rhodes style playing in there.
Some people said it takes a little time to get sounds you like, is it true? Is it something you spent half day for dialing in sounds you like? And can you save the patches you do? Is it easy? Cheers! Watching the video now.
I have a Wavestate and been thinking about to get the Modwave as well, or this one. I'm still not sure but a huge step closer to a decision. Thank you!
I know the Wavestate and Modwave are slightly different(wave sequencing vs wavetable synthesis), but I think there is some overlap. I had the Opsix first, but just acquired the Modwave. I was eyeing this HS Explorer very hard, but went a totally different direction... very tempting piece of gear, though.
@@GrayGhostDog1 I'm debating about the new Hysdrasynth Deluxe VS the Arturia Polybrute, the Korg Wavestate or Mod. I was thinking the Hydrasynth would have the most features overall since it has the bigger keyboard too, but what do you think?
@@Lainer1 … that’s a tough one. It’s a hard one to pass over the Arturia Polybrute. Analog with digital FX… sequencer… it’s a beauty! My requirements were specific. Space is limited, so the thing that has the most keys is my Novation 49 SL Mk3 midi controller. My synths all have less and/or mini keys or in desktop module form. I’m also going for some specific sounds, so that’s why I went for the Modwave(wave table) and Opsix(FM). I technically don’t need the HS Explorer, but it’s hard to pass up at that price point.
Hi, I like the video very much because you explain everything very clearly and comprehensibly. It helps me in my decision to choose this version or the keyboard version. I've been thinking about buying an ASM HS for a long time. I would describe myself as a beginner in the field of electronic music production with hardware, so a simple question. Is the keyboard connected directly to the monitors or is it better to switch a mixer in between. Especially if you want to connect additional hardware. Can you recommend a good entry-level mixer? Thanks very much! P.S .: I love your videos about OP-1. Fantastic and very inspiring!
Awesome. Selling my Hydrasynth big guy to buy this more portable explorer. I can move from room to room then. Gives me a grand back in the bank for bills too. I will combine it with the Deluge and Roland JX03 and a JBL portable speaker. Maybe a Microfreak too... There are so many synths in the studio I am just overwhelmed atm. Summit, Peak, Pro3, monologue, minilogue, minilogue XD, Drumbrute, 101, tr8s, Waldy Kyra, microfreeaks....not to.mention the hundred plus plugins on the PC its just not what I signed up for when I got back into it all after a decade hiatus. Too much choice and figuring out what is what has driven me to a state of total non-productivity. I promised myself a few years ago it would be one synth...learn it. Then another...learn it. Then a brain for the synths...learn it. Like a supermarket, too much choice. In my case, too many dollars and not enough sense. I'm hoping a simpler setup is going to help focus on creativity again. Now thinking of a portable compact usb powered multitrack recorder...preferably mixer style rather than field recorder style... Much more compact that say my Tascy Model 12. And not mains...
Hey Jer, I want to get a good hardware synth that’s not too much menu diving, been looking at this and the MiniFreak, but this one I always hear “nice” sound (and it does sound lovely) whereas the minifreak makes me do the stank-face (like with every Noise Engineering video you have), what do you think is it easier to get good to go straight into DAW with this or the MF?
AHHHH, just coming here to say I'm broke, so I cannot watch your video, but I'll happily give it an upvote and watch it some day soon when I haz money.
Jeremy an off topic question is that a zoom livetrak l-12 you got next to your hydrasynth desktop? Have you any vids on it? I'm debating it vs other such solutions
Amazing video! Crazy that this device can have so many different types of sounds. I’m really curious to hear - how would you say this compares to the Peak/Summit? Do you have one that you end up using more? Edit: also, that patch at 23:07 was really incredible. So cool!
@@RedMeansRecording thanks for the reply! I saw after I asked that you've got a "battle for warmth" video on both of them that I'm gonna check out. I think I'll probably go with the Peak/Summit first, since it would be nice to have some analog gear, but I really like how much control the Hydrasynth offers
Yeah, I was looking at the same three! Just pulled the trigger on the Explorer today. Looks like it'll make for a solid desktop MIDI controller and Bitwig remote in addition to a damn cool portable(ish) synth.
Battery powered is a big plus, would love to sit back on couch or lay in bed and work on patches, i have one on back order. Btw the minilogue xd is really sweet my ears do appreciate the immediacy pf proper vcos
Whoooah! This synth sounds amazing. I almost bought an op-1. Bit now thinking this and digitakt could be perfect. But at a sacrifice of portability… Decisions!!
Very different solutions with very different workflows. Workflow is crucial, so it's important to find one which works for you... and then choose tools which fit that flow. Do you want a 4-track audio tape with a quirky assortment of synths, or do you want a 64-step pattern sequencer for samples and midi? Me, I've tried both of those solutions... and didn't really fit well with either one. With OP-1, everything was quick but really sloppy, and limited to just 4 mono tracks for up to a few minutes. I usually ended up filling the tape with half a dozen short ideas, then dumping the tape to a computer and never touching those ideas again. It's meant to be dumped into a DAW to finish the song, but then you have to spend a lot of time on a computer. RMR is arguably the king of the OP-1, and IIRC the way he produced was a couple hours with the OP-1 and then a full day in Ableton. With a Digitakt and some other synths, I had more tracks and more precision, but would usually get stuck in a short loop since that's what it's built for. I generally want to lay out a couple minutes worth of a single instrument, then go back to add another instrument, then another, then adjust the voicing and levels and effects and stuff... but that's the opposite of how Elektron's workflow goes. It's designed for the user to finish a single pattern, including all voices and polishing, then copy/paste that pattern to create variations. So I was constantly going against the flow, and it caused a lot of friction. To see an example of someone who really gets along with a Digitakt though (plus synths), Ehsan Gelsi has done some great stuff. What I really wanted was a way to record midi+audio clips then arrange them on a timeline to make songs -- basically the Ableton workflow... but without a computer. So I eventually settled on an Akai Force, and have been happy with it. It's like Ableton Lite minus the computer. Anyway, once you have a workflow you like, synths are a great addition... and it's hard to go wrong with a Hydrasynth. It's fantastic. But a good synth is typically less important than a good workflow.
@@valley_robot The current MPC product line is great. It has everything you need to produce full songs, in one convenient box with a good interface. The main difference between Akai's MPC and Force products is the workflow. MPC uses a pattern-chaining workflow similar to a Digitakt. There are hard partitions between patterns, with each one basically its own separate mini-song which can be chained together to make something longer. The Force has a more Ableton-like workflow, with a clip launcher, scenes, and an arranger. Each track is a fixed type for the entire song, but copying data between scenes is easier and less necessary than copying between MPC patterns. It's easy to mix clips from different scenes, and the clip grid can easily function like a big looper with a bunch of independent tracks and an unlimited number of scenes. Kind of like a Boss RC-505 on steroids. The choice between the two mostly comes down to how the individual user likes to structure their songs, and the workflow they prefer. Either one is far more capable than a Digitakt or OP-1 though.
Great walkthrough. Hmm, wondering whether this would be a good upgrade/alternative to my Arturia Microfreak, with this one's versatility and stereo output
I was first looking into Minifreak as i loved microfreak and microbrute, and the fact Minifreak have a vst gives a big plus to it to me. But this synth seems like a Bible of sound design, and the very few parameters of Minifreak makes it pretty much more limited (even if said way more straight forward and playful, and very capable). How is the hydrasynth for DAW integration ? Can i modulate parameters of the hydra from Ableton in automation easily ? Is it easy to tweak a preset i made and going back to it's original saved form ? Thanks !
Brilliant! Curious if that wavescan at 21:00 is loopable... and how? That is some nasty goodness. I was not on love with the pads of the desktop so am going with the explorer. Thanks Jeremy. Excellent.
Hello. Could help me please. How many prepared factory presets on Hydrasynth Explorer and Hydrasynth Original version. Are they the same? Thank you for helping me.
This is on sale locally so even a better bargain, trying so hard to resist. The battery option makes it all the more desirable, would be awesome paired with my mpc live 2 for mobile jamming ... just need a big sack of AA rechargables!
@@spaceman103 It´s still high up in my list. I´m definetely selling the Microfreak soon. Its way to redundant allthough I like to slide around on the keyboard a lot for solos :P Are you happy with the Hydra?
@@raise-project Great little (form factor) synth. Price wise the Explorer seems unbeatable. A great synth for sound design. Until now I’m ok with the layout and mini keys. But if I‘m gonna use it more often I think the full-size version or even the Deluxe (16 voice bi-timbral) will be considered…..
Great review! I am torn between getting the desktop or the explorer because I like the ability to process audio. Is it possible to do something like send drums to the desktops effects while playing a lead line with the desktop's synth engine? Not sure if the audio input can bypass the envelopes.
Sounds great. Hydrasynth (I think I am more interested in the 49 key version) or the Blofeld keys hmmmm... Can the Hydrasynth do that 90s dance thing like the Waldorf or JP8000? Plucks supersaws, supersaw pads etc.
I love that people love the Hydrasynth but I will settle for Roland SH 4D because it has a drum synth and a sequencer , so all in one for my one desk , But agree the Hydra is amazing
"Uh, we're going to be moving over to the table as my videos usual do... but I just kinda wanted to talk about the build and SHOW YOU MY SICK NEW HAIRCUT."
Thanks a lot for the video! I really wait for this synth, cause I played original Hydrasynth before, and it’s possibilities for its price left all other digit synth far. Interesting, if I can take it on the plane in hand luggage and left modular at home, security always search me because of many patch cables in my travel bag.
If I understand correctly, he uses it with his modular gear because it can record a bunch of separate channels in standalone mode, and then he can copy those files to Ableton for editing. The appeal is that it doesn't need to be tied to a computer or ipad or anything.
Hey great demo/review . I have been looking between the deskop and this version. This version seems very compelling considering the packaging and what you get for the price. I am curious if you tried using this as a midi controller and if it had a function to turn local control off ?
@@aounms thanks mate ! That kind of made the decision Between the desktop and explorer version since 99% of the stuff on the desktop version is on the explorer I think it may make more sense for me somehow
You can turn local control off but if it's the same as on the keyboard, it'll reset back to on each time you turn it on. This was Glenn Darcey's decision, allegedly because one of the biggest reasons for synth support calls and returns is people forgetting they turned off local control and not being able to play any notes.
Sold!!!! hahaha. I've been obsessively watching vids about different synths, trying to find the right one to start with (I'm a drummer, guitarist, bassist, composer - aspiring sound engineer.... and I've been looking for SOMETHING in the synth world to add to my sonic capabilities - i cannot wait to get my hands on this, thank you so so much for such a great review/demo. I have one question if anyone has the time to answer - if i had a guitar with a midi pickup, could i use it to control this? I totally realize it's not necessary, just curious. Thank you so much!!!!
Thanks for doing the kissy kissy licky licky taste test so we don't have to. Guess I still have to do the ole blow in the midi in, suck on midi out test myself though. No biggie, and if I'm being honest (which I'm not) I actually find it quite enjoyable.
