I've had this synth since it came out.

Any sense, that it is, like other synths... might be a large understatement. It is, emphatically; a modular rig, in keyboard format. The modular matrix (32 slots) and its route able sources, has an old fudge like me, writing a review on Sweetwater. Hopefully... heart for bare.

Other synths, attempt to modulate -and do so, without breaking the signal chain. This synth says, to hell with that, if you want to mimic birds outside... or make an old boat; meeting some waves. The intricacies of this instrument, will allow you to follow that path.

Hydrasynth breaks into boundaries of synthesis, yet to explored. If you want harsh tones, or the most beautiful pads conceivable, for the value... the Hydrasynth is a mind-bending instrument. I can't recommend it enough.

This synth is a beast! The Hydrasynth 49 feels amazing to play, with a responsive keybed and a sound that can work well in many situations. Patch creation is super intuitive thanks to the well-designed layout – not much menu diving!

The wave morphing capabilities are where this synth truly shines, allowing for incredibly dynamic and evolving sounds. I've lost myself in sound design for hours and still feel like I've barely scratched the surface.

While the factory patches aren't my favorite (a bit over-produced for my taste), there are tons of excellent user-created sounds available online.

If you're looking for a versatile and inspiring synth that will spark your creativity, the Hydrasynth 49 is a good choice for almost any studio.

Shout out to my Sweetwater rep, Alan Moon, for hooking me up with this incredible instrument!

I have been working with the 37 key hydrasynth for over a month now. First major kudos to ASM…the user interface is genius. Someone at ASM understands the importance of progressive disclosure. Progressive disclosure is a design technique that maintains the user's focus by reducing complexity and presenting only the necessary or requested information at any given time.

By applying progressive disclosure, designers can create a more fluid user experience that minimizes cognitive load and helps users feel more confident and efficient while interacting with the Hydrasynth. All of this makes a feature rich modeling synth very accessible to newcomers.

Sound quality: I have read mixed reviews stating that it sounds thin. Well…it sounds thin if you want it to sound thin…if you want to warm up or fatten up your tone…then you have this option…but you will need to modify the presets or start from scratch. I have performed a side by side comparison with my analog synths…and the Hydrasynths tone has not left me wanting.

Keys and Aftertouch: I will keep it short here. The keys feel stellar. Aftertouch is incredibly responsive and intuitive…it's not a gimmick…it takes the players experience to new depth that are really rewarding. It is worth the time deep diving and mastering how Aftertouch can be utilized with your patch.

Build quality: It feels overbuilt. It seems to me like the material designer at ASM was given complete, unrestricted , creative liberty when designing this synth. I feel like the big manufacturers like korg give you a flourish here and there "oooh I have you an aluminum panel ….on top of really cheap plastic with wobbly keys and knobs….but…it has aluminum." …no ASM does not play Jedi mind tricks with you… the designer built it the way they would want it and all of
That miraculously made it to production.

The knobs: Substantial and smooth. It is digital so you do feel very slight input lag but it is not disruptive to play. I'm sensitive to any delay in response or feedback with any digital experience…it is minimal here. The modulation wheel is substantial and very smooth…the modulation light changes as you advance the wheel.

Software support: ASM didn't release this product and abandon it. They are taking care of their baby. Their releases are substantial and improve the players experience. This is a developer that listens to the community. Patches …there are millions provided by the community. The ASM computer software does its job..it's not amazing and feature rich…and it doesn't really have to be.

The manual: I wouldn't review a manual normally but again kudos again to ASM for covering the bases for the user. The manual is extensive, well laid out, and useful…I use it extensively.

Aesthetics: It matters. Its gorgeous. The LEDs are programmable. You can assign led colors to your patch.

Final Impressions: I picked the 37 key for my studio because I wanted more controls at my finger tips. I really did not want an instrument where so was menu diving…mission accomplished. It's a gorgeous ..heavy thing…in every way. I am creating patches daily.. I am enjoying this process as much as I am enjoying playing instrument. I am picky..and prone to buyers regret if a company oversells and under delivers …ASM over delivered and I am completely sold ..every day I walk into my studio. I love it.

I dropped two pictures below showing the module select interface…this is one of my favorite things about this synth. Go read about it.

This synth was not at all what I expected.
It goes very deep!
It can sound warm and fat or crystal sizzling digital!
Recommend it highly.

Having a great time with this!!!!

I purchased this to be used with my Novation Peak for scoring Art house films, art installations, and other media. Although they complement each other really well, they sound quite different. I find that it is great for pristine cave like digital anime pianos and soft digital pads aka "space lion". Complex but not busy sounding. The synth engine is very unique, not hard to learn but very different than analog synthesis. My workflow usually involves just one or two hardware synths combined with some vst from Ableton live. Highly recommended, but know what you are getting. It is more Yoko Kanno than Yes. I have been looking for a sound like this for sometime.

I have the 49 key. As nearly everyone else has said, the thing is solid as a rock, and you could probably make it do anything you want.
But the joy of pulling up a preset and just playing really isn't there because so many of the presets are carp. Would it have killed them to include 20 or 30 presets that were created to imitate actual symphonic instruments?
Fairly pricey for only 49 keys too.
Be sure to have Arturia's V Collection and Pigments nearby to use as an antidote.

Ok-
Playing synths since '78, and I try to balance performance ease with programability and originality.

This synth seems capable of almost anything- but the learning curve has been long and steep. Some of it is a complexity that is exciting because there's endless possibilities. However, I run a company, has two side jobs and need to get quick access to sounds and playability for peace of mind... it took me awhile to learn quick access, but it's pretty easy once you learn it.

Sound shaping? Genius instrument, and it seems like an engineer/musician's wet dream... but if you're used to analog dials, filters and somewhat linear sound development, this takes you into multidimensional programming very quickly.

Dials, hardware? Solid, and quality.

Screens? Terrific.

Power chord? Seens like it could be a better more solid chord, but it works. For performance, it is short, requiring a close proximity power station/outlet.

Weight? Manageable, but on heavier side (but not too heavy).

I imagine that I'll use this for a lifetime learning experience, but will develop a few key sounds for live performance.

Sounds: sounds are a little harsh/cold as in digital, which has benefits but it's not warm as in analog or Yamaha.

I mix it with a Yamaha MX61 and feel totally satisfied with that combo.

The unique sounds offered on ASM Hydrasynth can't be replicated on any synth that I've played, but the practicality of using those sounds in bands is limited especially if in a copy or tribute band.

Summary
Hi quality, complex sound design capability, solid construction, fun and futuristic while practical also. The polyaftertouch is a total player's dream come true, and musical artists should have this. If you're looking for plug and play, then this isn't for you, but if complexity, originality, customization capability and being a differentiator are your thing, this is the best I've experienced in 50 years!

I've had the Hydrasynth for about 2 weeks. I was really skeptical, but I have to admit this is one of the most fun synthesizers I've played on in years! It's a beast! It's digital, but sounds amazingly close to analogue. The sound quality is awesome. The filters are smooth. It definitely cuts through the mix. It sounds much better in person than hearing it on a Youtube demo video.

It's pretty much all metal components. It's built like a tank, but not overly heavy. It's not at all toy like when you compare it to other mostly cheap plastic offerings in the same price range from competitors like Roland, Yamaha, and Korg. The key bed is comfortable, and the poly touch & ribbon controller will give you hours of fun! It fairly easy to navigate & user friendly. You can tell that the Hydrasyth was very well thought out! Thanks ASM for giving us something that's truly unique, and checks all the boxes of what most of us are looking for in a keyboard.

This is an awesome synth. If you know synths, it is relatively easy to get started. If not, watch a lot of YouTube videos to get things rolling. The only reason for the 4 stars is their documentation. It's okay, but lacks technical details. Other than that, I've had the Hydra for almost a month and have been having a blast learning and exploring. Creating your own patches, and saving them is also easy. Backups are also easy with the Hydra Manager. Definitely recommend it.

Really great synth, IMO.
PROS: The layout is easy to understand and, given the amount of functionality, it is pretty simple to program the mod matrix, envelopes, etc... I found the keyboard and other usual features to be smooth and fast, just the way you would want them.
This did not get 5 stars from me for a few reasons.
CONS: The sound - I just couldn't get any warmth or dynamics out of it - everything felt too dull or too sharp. Yea, I know it's digital, but still. The mutants left a bit to be desired in terms of mangle-ability of the oscillators. Good FM but the rest didn't do anything for me. My biggest gripe is that the wavescan function was not implemented in a way that seemed effective to me. You can use it to blend to osc shapes, but modulating that resulted in steppy changes as opposed to smooth wave transformation which is what one would expect from a top of the line synth in 2022.
TAKE AWAY: I'd keep one with the mini key around because it's a cool synth, but this is not yet the live performers synth dream I thought it was. Perhaps if ASM worked up a virtual analog synth that implements some of the cutting edge features on the hydra, then we'd be in business.

This synth can do what a cs80 can do and even more! It's an odd freakish, great sounding digital synth that is easy to program. In addition The touch ribbon and the key bed are great features and the case is metal and not plastic. It's a solid 30lb quality synth. If taken care of properly I'm sure it will last a long time. As for studio gear, It's the best vst synth controller I've ever used. It's awesome!

Not sure what I can add to the other positive reviews here, but my Hydrasynth really impresses me. I've had it for a short time, so still learning about its features and discovering its sonic capabilities. As an owner of a Prophet 6 and Moog Sub 37, my standards for warm sounds are pretty high. The Hydrasynth really delivers. And there are plenty of 3rd-party programmers cranking out some excellent patches.

If you're on the fence, I suggest going for it. The YouTube vids are nice, but hearing it live is so much nicer. The Hydrasynth will be at home in my studio and with my band.

And of course, props to the great folks at Sweetwater!

There aren't enough good things to say about this synth. The workflow is fun and intuitive, the device is beautiful and the sounds are amazing. I honestly believe this may be one of the best synths yet made. The only thing I'd like to highlight is that this is a heavy instrument at over 30lbs, so don't plan on putting this in a backpack!

I've had my Hydrasynth for a bit more than a month now, and play it for an hour or so a day, still working my way through the vast library of included presets. I love this synth, the way it sounds, the poly aftertouch, how it's programmed. Even the "light show" on panel LEDs that fires up if you haven't been playing it for some minutes is very well thought out. Fantastic synth for the money, you should buy one right now. :-)

No synth in my arsenal is as cool sounding, easy to program, fun to play, and inspiring as the hydrasynth. And it would start lol be a great deal even f it was 2k.
Just add it to your cart already.

I like it so much than I'm thinking of buying the 73 Key Version. It is absolutely the best synth I've ever owned! It's every thing you would want from great tones to old school sounds, arpeggios on steroids and everything in between. There's sounds from 80s, 90s and beyond. Even if you don't create any sounds, you would be fine with the sounds in it. I thought of buying other synths before it arrived and once I got it, never. It's really the only synth you'll ever need. It won't give you the piano sounds from Roland, Kurzweil or Korg but that's all that is missing. You'll have to get over that and you will very fast. Buy it now!

I've had Hydrasynth for a few weeks now, and I've become fairly well acquainted with it. Enough to say that I like the Hydrasynth alot. I got the Keyboard version because I liked having the extra benefits of the Pitch/Mod Controllers and the Ribbon Control, and the now legendary Polyphonic aftertouch key bed. The layout of the Hydra is very logical and very well thought out. It seems that the engineers scratched their collective heads, and asked, "What would I want, and what would most advanced users want this synth to do?" Then they came up with this amazing idea for it's functional layout, sound, and build. I believe they have succeeded.

I am generally programming challenged user. With the exception of a few of the great synths of the past, like the Roland JD 800, which was beautifully laid out also, and analog modulars and analog keyboards like the Voyager, which are very easy to Grok. On many challenging synths I've purchased in the past, I pretty much start by tweaking the pre-programmed patches that I like. Sometimes I explore a bit. I soon get tired of the menu diving and have sold most of those axxe's after a year or two. But...the layout the Hydra is very logical and extremely well thought out.

With that in mind, I think this ones a keeper. The ease of programming it, the sound quality, build quality, and price were very attractive to me. It's super easy to start with a Initialized patch, and come up with great sounds.

For the totally patch challenged person there's the Randomize function which allows new patterns to be created with the touch of a button. Some of these sounds can be pretty kooky, or can be very good starting points.

The Hydra is laid out much like an analog modular. I hacked into it, as I do on most new keyboards, and found the Hydra was super easy to understand if taken one module at a time. I'm most way into the synth by now, and have enough under my belt to be proficient with each section learned. I have yet to explore one last section, or module of the Hydra.

I find that the most daunting thing about learning any new synthesizer keyboard is the modulation section. I had the Andromeda and found it almost impossible to use. It did way too much to tweak effectively for me, and I found it very challenging to program. Many other synths I've had have been similarly challenging and difficult for me to program.

The Hydrasynth line has very easy to access modulation function in an imaginative module of the synth. Everything is on the surface, controlled by a knob and a couple of buttons in an 8 knob and button array in the center of the synth. It uses a concept called Macro's which are modulation routings you can set up, name, and save all of your carefully created modulation settings.. There are 8 of these per patch. I found this easy to understand to tweak and route.

Once I have mastered this section, it seems I will have the key to programming Nirvana and will have achieved oneness with this monster of a synth.

I mentioned the sound quality. These days, after building a modular synth which is my main creation device, I find that it is very difficult to program or use a digital synth sounds that will work with the warm, complex harmonics of the 5U modular I have. Most digital synths fall apart next to it. However that is not the case with the Hydrasynth.

I've found the Hydra have a very analog-ish sound. Even it's more digitally sourced patches are complimentary to the modular sound.

The price of this gives you alot of synth for the money. Because of the features, sound, and build quality, I am considering adding the Hydrasynth Desktop to compliment the Keyboard version. This would give me 16 voices, independent programming, and access to keys, ribbon, and pads. Can't wait.

I dare not go any deeper than this for fear of writing a novella here. Their manual is not in Asian syntax think. It, like the synth is easy to source and understand.

The HS is the furthest thing from instant gratification, but at the same time it's the most gratifying synth out of all the deep synths I've come across. It does not have any idiotic quirks that you have to "learn" from forum nerds with oscilloscopes in order to make the synth into something proper (like "turn this option off, don't use that feature, and use this output instead of that output" = see Alesis Andromeda). But you do need a different approach and some time to build the sound, because it's not right there on the panel. It's one inch underneath it, and several inches deep down in your brain. I think it's rational to say the synth is a no-go zone for total beginners; however, if you understand the path of building a sound from scratch and have some experience with tweaking synths, or you really want to start learning it, you'll probably agree that after the first three or four days spent with the HS and its UI, the tweaking sessions are a joy, not a chore. Finally an electronic instrument has arrived to this world that is incredibly deep, yet playable. I think a synth of this sort comes once in a decade, and if it hasn't set a new standard already, in the future its appeal will only grow.

I probably have too many Keyboards (Anthony my Sale Engineer can verify this easily and my wife would agree!), but after seeing this online and getting a chance to play around with one, this really is a keyboard in its own league.

Polyphonic AfterTouch is a huge game changer outside of MPE Keyboards like Roli Seaboard. Plus having the Ribbon control it gives so much more control. When it comes to the UI on the Keyboard it is simple and straight forward to use. This keyboard does have velocity sensitive keys even though the description does not state so, but it does and it can be adjust for how sensitive they are.

I think the biggest winner for me on this keyboard is how intuitive it is and the type of sounds it can create. Its like have a PolySynth, FM and Wave state (in an essence) all in one. Like a Prophet XL MiniMe edition, but with some other gotchas, BUT BEST OF ALL POLYPHONIC AFTERTOUCH!

THe 49 key is pretty good size and offers plenty of playability oddly enough. I think the 73Key version will just solidify more of the fame and capabilities of what a board like this can offer, but for the 49 8voice it is VERY NICE and a Great board for any collection/Rig.

The customizations and Mod Matrixes are Insane! I

The best synth I've ever played. Thanks ASM for creating what we hope is a long line of beautiful instruments. Thanks you Phil Potts for always answering my questions and being an all around good guy!

This keyboard was well thought out in terms of both sound design workflow and performance modulation control... for the average synthesist everything is relatively intuitive. If you are concerned about a DSP creating vintage warmth, don't worry, it's in here, right down to that detuned feel and plenty of filter types to satisfy. Transition from vintage to beyond ... Use the polytouch keybed for independent note expression and the ribbon to bend a single note into the root chord. And then, there is the mod matrix and performance macro controls. At this price, it won't disappoint!

Debated on whether or not to get one, but the delay in the arrival of the K2700 freed up some cash. Since I have no keyboards that transmit poly-aftertouch, and I'm a pushover for a great sounding drone maker, I decided to pull the trigger. The Hydrasynth totally blows away everything else in my studio that is marketed as a VA synth. Neither my Blofeld, Cobalt8M nor PC3K8 come close to what the Hydrasynth can do in terms of analog emulation, and that only scratches the surface of the Chinese synth's overall superiority. I still anxiously await the arrival of my K2700, but having the Hydrasynth is making the wait so much easier to deal with.

In the land flowing with the milk and honey of a thousand 80s synths, comes the machine that is no imitator, but takes inspiration from countless synths before it. This is an oasis of innovation in a desert of remakes and rehashes. Gone we thought were the days of epic preset-making ability and the access to the instant creativity that ensued in the 1990s. Rack synths and ROMplers like the Roland JV-1080, E-mu Proteus, Xtreme Lead, and Orbit V3 decimated our eardrums with sonic clarity and world-building life unparalleled. Now, those creative sounds can be generated from the ground up on ONE synthesizer instead of a studio full of classic Oberheims, Jupiters, Junos, Prophets, Moogs, and the rest. It has its own character that its trailblazing with, instead of holding the hands of its parents and grandparents born in the 70s, 80s, and 90s. You'll love creating iconic sounds that sound pulled from the Metroid, Unreal, or Half-Life soundtracks, or anything else ultra HI-FI out there.

I would recommend this synth to anyone. Absolutely amazing.

My Hydrasynth is everything I was hoping for and more. However, the best part of my purchase was the outstanding customer service I received during the purchase and afterwards. Tyler not only answered all of my questions, but handled an IT hiccup promptly and effectively. I cannot shop anywhere else, as Tyler and Sweetwater have proved far superior to any other place I have shopped in the past.

So I saw a review on the internet about this synth. It is AMAZING! It has some of the best pads I ever heard from the presets! Adding the after touch, just amazing. This board helps me compose electronic / orchestra music easy. All the knobs adds flexibility with ease! Amazing effects. Paired with my Korg Prologue and Novation Circuit Tracks....ultimate recording and live setup! Sweetwater is hands down the best in customer service!!! Thanks guys!

5 envelopes, 5 lfos, 32 slot mod matrix, etc etc. Amazing.

BUT, the Ultimate Patches upgrade takes it to another dimension entirely. Trust me.

Not many of you are old enough to remember the huge Hollywood controversy about whether the Warsaw Concerto was real music or not, but I've found a way to definitively resolve that problem. Put the new Chinese Hydrasynth behind any of the standard piano concertos, the Grieg, the Tchaikovsky, the Emperor, and my favorite, the piano reduction of the Beethoven D Major Violin Concerto, and now, backed by growls, howls, and bells; the burps, beeps, and animal sounds of the full keyboard wide finger strip; the deep, deep floor shaking, Boeing 747, woofer awakening lows, the magnificent cathedral quality reverb, and the dozen ethereal alien voiced choruses… and what you've done is turned EVERY piano concerto into the Warsaw Concerto. "Who among you is Spartacus?" "We are all, each and every one of us, the Warsaw Concerto."

In all my years of "new gear" days, I've never felt as impacted as I did when I played the Hydrasynth. I had spent over a year researching this synth and saving up for it. I read the manual front-to-back two times before I even called in my order. I hoped it would be the synth I had always wanted, and I'm happy to say it lived up to that and more.

"Symbiotic" is the best way to describe playing this synth. Any synth can drown a wave in effects and make it sound good, but the aftertouch and ribbon make it truly organic. After seeing how the aftertouch, ribbon, and macros were being integrated into every patch I had made, I realized just how expressive I am when I play. I never thought I'd be leaning into a keyboard like this while I play, and I never thought I'd felt so moved from one piece of off-the-shelf gear.

The layout is great for quick editing, but it's also super easy to "menu dive" when any adjustment need be made. I normally dread that part, but 8 on-screen parameters with dedicated controls and easy page jumping makes this feel like second nature. The mods and the macros really bring this synth to life and the fact they are so front-and-center makes building a quality patch easier than ever. I know I already talked about the the polyphonic aftertouch and ribbon controller, but that's what really sold me on this synth and made it so much better than the desktop unit. So many synths brag that they are "responsive to aftertouch," which is cool, but not nearly as cool as being responsive to it AND having it on board!

In closing, this synth is the closest thing to perfect I've ever owned. I'm inspired by it, I cherish every minute playing it, and I look forward to using it every chance I get.

I've had my Hydrasynth for less than a week. It took me almost a year to decide to buy it, and despite its relatively low price (for what it is), it's a pretty major purchase for me...and no doubt, a purchase I'm immensely pleased with. My favorite feature: well, there are several, but I love the massive mod matrix and the rotary encoders to avoid a jump when changing a parameter. ASM has made the Hydrasynth incredibly simple and intuitive, yet it's a piece of gear I will be exploring for a long time because it's very complex and deep. The poly aftertouch is a delight, the ribbon is fascinating, the effects are top notch, the sound is spectacular. The (complete) manual is so thorough and well written...in fact, it's one of those rare manuals I actually find myself wanting to read. What I also find interesting is that I have played around with synthesis for many years; in that time, there have been certain parameters I haven't completely understood. The Hydrasynth is actually fast becoming a tool for me...not only in my hobby of recording ambient music, but also a true learning tool. Menu diving is almost non-existent, results of turning a knob are experienced quickly, but not abruptly. I am so happy to have made the decision to FINALLY get a Hydrasynth. And, everyone I encounter at Sweetwater (I live in Fort Wayne, so they have to put up with frequent visits from me) is friendly, professional, helpful, and incredibly patient with someone who doesn't make decisions easily. Ultimately, the Hydrasynth should not have been as difficult of a decision as I made it.

Too many great things to list.

Just get it! Amazing.

I've owned both the module and keyboard version of this HydraSynth. Buy the keyboard version if you can as the polyphonic aftertouch is worth the upgrade as it brings out the capabilities of the best sounds in this HydraSynth. Sounds actually sound as they were programmed, in the case of the sounds that take advantage of the keyboard control. If you play the same patches on a non poly aftertouch keyboard the sounds will sound different and not as rich. They will sound incomplete in some cases. You will like the sound better played from a poly after touch keyboard.

This is a great synth. Even thought it's only 8 voices (8 note polyphony) there are 3 oscillators and a lot of mod routing and envelopes and effects so it sounds like more than 8 voices. 8 Voices are not a problem in most patches. I would love more voices but for the price and function this is still a value synth. Programmed carefully, I would call this a mini Moog One in effect but a lot cheaper. If you learn to program it and alter the factory patches I think you will love this synth. The Macro Knobs allow quickly changing most patches to customize them to you needs. It's intuitive and makes sense when you look at it. The interface works well.

What is not to like about this synth? The synth engine covers so much ground from basic subtractive patches to FM to wave scanning. The build quality is exceptional. The Hydrasynth is my first experience with poly aftertouch and the implementation is fantastic as well as the feel of the key bed. The ribbon control is also a nice touch. My only quibble is that the black keys are slightly more sensitive to aftertouch and velocity than the white keys. The interface while not knob per function is very usable especially if you have any experience with modular - simply select a module and the encoders give you complete control over the major functions and deeper control via pages. It would be convenient to have the LED markers which display the current setting for modules on the filter controls as well but this is an issue with most subtractive synths with patch memory. All in all it is a wonderful instrument that will take years to fully explore.

I been overlooking this synth for awhile, mostly because I thought, that it couldn't compete with my Mega Synths, like the Moog One or even the Prophet 10 but I was very wrong!

This can do things, that I haven't heard on any traditional Synth, incredible rich textures, and Unique sound designs possibilities, that will leave you in pure bliss!!

In my humble opinion, the Hydra, is on the Level, of the Moog One and Prophet 10 as far as overall sound, there's nothing like it on the market, it reminds me of a Roland V-Synth but on Steroids! but it's very much it's own sound!

The price is an amazing deal, this sounds like a 4k synth!!

Not well anyway. What is does do is activate various models of drums and synths and samples.. The synth is alright if you

have none to begin with or are making do with dodgy soft synths. It is actually kind of fun. As a matter of fact this box

would make one heck of an introduction into EDM style music or Urban. Comes with a set of examples to be used to learn

the ropes a bit, they help do that for sure. The suggested templates can be replaced by your own if you look on youtube.

Knobs are smooth, very solid. Pads also very sensitive and quite useful. Many commands have at least 2 ways to do them.

Added a SSD in like 5 minutes and I never really did much of that stuff. Format an external drive with win 10 if you need to.

The machine here is part of my larger studio environment and supplements Moogs, and a few select bits like wavestion and

State. It does great by its self but as part of a larger setup, also holds its own. I tossed my massive computer set up a

while back after realising it wqs not the best for my style of composition.

If someone expects this to act like another box, it might, might not. It is a bit intimidating at first but so is

anything complex above a Honda.

The sound is massive and well designed, the sampler section would give an 80s sampler a run for the money. I spent years

being annoyed that samples were a patchwork quilt of computer software, microphones, tools, and a source to sample that

dont get you in jail. This removes all but the most involved aspect of sampling, imagination and skill.

The effects are pretty decent as well and the control feature is lovely if I say so my sef.

In summary I would say that this Akai Force is probably going to be replaced by the Akai Forge and go up about 2k- Like it

was going to be before Industrial disease took over.

I have seen demos where some folk seem very good at the Force then we saw some where the finesse was somewhat lacking. It

dont play its self....

At... we here say GO for it!

I just finished my first track with this synth, and it has completely changed my sound in a great way. This is a permanent part of my set up along with a Deepmind 12 and Montage 6. I love it so much. I can't say enough great about it. If I had seen and played with it a little and didn't know the price, I would assumed this would have been in the $2,000 range. I just cannot say enough good about it. It's easy to use and blows me away every time I mess with it.

Can't go wrong here.

There are many ways to review a synth. Lots of people focus on "Value for the Money," while others may choose to evaluate a synth against All other synths, regardless of the price.

With the exception of a couple of sentences, I'm going to focus most of my review on comparing the Hydrasynth against the Best of the Best.

I could have easily given this synth a 4.5 Stars, so forgive me. Like my fellow musicians, I think the Hydrasynth is great. I just feel that there were a few shortcomings worth mentioning, as most of the reviews seem to focus on the Positive aspects of the Hydrasynth.


Value for the Money: Let's get this one out of the way quick. The Hydrasynth is fantastic value for the money. Maybe one of the best I've ever seen given it's vast feature set. In fairness, it should be cheaper. It's made in China, where labor is considerably cheaper than it is in places like Scandinavia, Germany and the US. I wouldn't normally mention this, but for some reason, several synths are Assembled outside of China. (I said, "assembled." I'm not suggesting every part is made outside of China). Moog, for example, assembles its synths in the US. Waldorf makes the Quantum in Germany, and Sequential assembles its synths in the US.


Build: Build Quality on the Hydrasynth is Excellent. I find that the Ribbon Controller Feels a bit cheap, but it works quite well.

Keyboard: I LOVE the Poly Afertouch. Awesome! But, as a player, I find that the quality and feel of the keyboard feels slightly less than that of say, the Sequential and Waldorf Quantum Keyboards, which I believe use FATAR. Again, for the $, the quality of the keyboard is very good. I just wouldn't give it top marks. I'd say, it's very good, and the poly aftertouch is fantastic.

*In future, I'm sure many of you would love to see a 61 Key version of the Hydrasynth, as it's a deep polyphonic synth, as opposed to a mono synth, which doesn't typically necessitate as many keys.

Feature Set: Fantastic. I won't repeat what many of you have already pointed out. A sound designer's dream synth.

Sound Quality: For an all digital synth, I think it sounds great. I'm very impressed with the filter, and particularly with the resonance. You can really drive it, and yet it feeds back quite nicely, which is unlike some other digital synths I've used.

I noticed someone below mention the Prophet VS, and no, I wouldn't say the Hydrasynth sounds better than a VS, which I consider to be one of the greatest sounding digital hybrid synths ever made (maybe even among the best sounding synths of any type ever), despite the fact that it's 35 years old. The Hydrasynth just doesn't sound as Organic or Magical as the VS, but as mentioned, it sounds **** good, and the sound design aspects of the Hydrasynth allow you to go into some pretty amazing sonic territory.

Something the Hydrasynth may consider in the future is a version that uses Analog Filter(s), Analog Filter Drive and Analog VCA's - a sort of a hybrid version. Again, for the $ it sounds great, and by any standard it sounds great, but there's always room for improvement, and I've yet to hear a Digital Synth (albeit a hybrid) that sounds as a good as the 35 Year Old Prophet VS.
(I'm not an "Analog Always Sounds Better Guy," but if I were them I'd certainly experiment with it, as it tends to round out some of the colder/harsher aspects of digital. Can you imagine the Hydrasynth with an SSM Filter?! It would be certainly be worth hearing).

Overall: One of the best implementations of a synthesizer to come along in a long time at any price. Highly recommended.

I kept debating and putting it off and then I finally pulled the trigger. Absolutely amazing instrument! The other reviews on this instrument are more detailed but accurate. I absolutely love it and there is a whole universe of sound to explore.

I love this no matter who made it, but that its a first synth for ASM makes it more special for them to have achieved such a high level of performance. My favorite feature is one that I enjoyed on my Prophet VS - the random patch generator. This allows me to reach a starting point from which some excellent sounding patches were created. For me, it was also a way to learn how to use all the other features of this beast to create some sounds that growl, howl & even sound out a vowel! These sounds are not for my 'songs' with chord changes. The secret weapon that made me decide I had to have this synth was a patch that didn't even make their cut, according to the ASM rep who sent it to me. It was a beautifully crafted garage music organ sound from Sweetwater's Daniel Fisher that I hear at around minute 18:00 of a 24:00 minute demo of its sounds. Great work Daniel! That's the organ sound on my Anthem for the Nation - The Ugly American by Kongress - My Kollagescopic Video is @ youtube... Closed Zcaptions (CC) Lytrics pop up & use headphones to experience the full impact of 'Manipulated Voices' in stereo! ...Of course I had to have the ribbon controller, so make sure you buy the more expensive keyboard version. Don't let anyone claim that it's a copout to use the random patch generator, which can even be assigned a certain region to create a wea lth of sound, randomly. I love it as my latest controller keyboard as it is velocity sensitive!

went through a lot of different synths before landing on this one. super expressive, endlessly programmable, and just sounds fantastic. ASM really nailed it.

ASM has continued to develop Hydrasynth with software updates and new free banks of sounds. The ribbon controller and the poly-aftertouch functions are flexible and fun.

I had really gotten away from synthesizer sounds and was spending 100% of my playing time on piano.

After owning this instrument for a couple of months, I still discover something new every time I turn it on.

I LOVE my Hydrasynth!!

I have a handful of synths (Moog one, Jupiter x, Virus Ti2, Prophet 12, OB6, Peak, Prophet x ) and now the Hydrasynth. This Hytdrasynth is AWESOME. The poly Aftertouch sets it apart for expressive playing. The sound design is simple and intuitive. The wave selection and morphing is smooth and also simple to set up. Overall, a very easy synth to understand. Sound is excellent.

I watched Daniel Fisher's Deep Dive several times before my Hydrasynth arrived from Sweetwater. The video was very thorough and helpful and made the learning time minimal. The Hydrasynth is a keeper .....a sound designer's dream come true. Yet easy and intuitive to use.

Thank you Robby and Sweetwater for all your prompt and courteous assistance.
AJP TN

The ASM Hydrasynth is totally in a league of its own. I bought the keyboard version. I unboxed it and powered up in the living room. I didn't want to turn it off to move to the studio after the initial operational check! I was having too much fun. It's a blast to play. Way cool! Poly after touch is sooo good! The after touch, ribbon and velocity curves were really right on out of the box (not always the case). The interface is very intuitive. After about 10 days I'm getting pretty good at knowing where things are in the various menu pages. The mod matrix is incredibly easy to use, especially with the shortcut to set up the source and destination routing. This synth makes cool sounds quickly, the interface does not get in the way of your inspiration. Having trouble coming up with sounds you like? Try the random patch generator. YES! The macros give you a lot of live control at your finger tips. Did I mention the ribbon controller? OMG! Theremin mode! YES! This is the most fun to play keyboard I have bought in YEARS. Its the most bang for the buck keyboard I have ever bought. The biggest issue I am having with it is that eating, work and sleep are interrupting my Hydrasynth time (my so has already asked me to 1) not say "Hydrasynth" more than three times in any single conversation with her and 2) go to sleep (OK, up until 5 am a couple days was a bit early)...). Don't take my word for it. Check it out and see for yourself! Take cash, you'll want one! YMMV :-)

Yah, as stated in the comments below this synth, is a beast. Hail Hydrasynth, I didn't think I'd would care for the polyphonic aftertouch... I now care about the polyphonic aftertouch. Its so much fun to just trip out on all the sounds this synth makes haha. 10/10.

the asm hydrasynth is a beautiful instrument from its back lit function buttons that are extremly high quality to its knobs and its dials the unit is very very well made and sounds amazing it is truly a unique synthesizer for those who enjoy creating electronic sounds the keybed is very responsive and has quite a good fell i am very happy with this instrument and you will enjoy it as much i do it is worth twice as much of what you pay for it you will not be sorry if you purchase this wonderful instrument i am sure you will be impressed hope you enjoy it

First I want to thank Will my sales engineer for all the help you are awesome!! And this synth is incredible, a dream to play and intuitive, Sounds great and easy to program Intuitive to set up and play very expressive I'm going to get the desktop too!! integrates well with other gear too!!! a must-have for any synth play/sound designer!!!

The Hydrasynth concept alone is a master stroke from ASM! I own several wonderful synths from Arturia, Moog and Novation already -and here comes an AFFORDABLE instrument that puts all my high priced analog and hybrids to shame!

I have nothing to add to previous reviewers, but just want to share that the Hydrasynth with its super expressive keybed, awesome factory sounds and fabulous filters is an absolute game changer! Never before have i had so much creative satifaction and ENDLESS FUN from a musical instrument. Thank you ASM for the masterful engineering and also to Sweetwater for keeping the best synth in the house affordable: this one is worth every penny. Oh yeah: the Hydrasynth even comes with its own mesmerizing lightshow -find out how when you get yours!

I recently acquired the keyboard version of the ASM Hydrasynth and I couldn't be happier with my purchase. I also have a Novation UltraNova, a couple of analog Behringer monosynths and a large collection of soft-synths. From the moment I turned it on, the overall sound of the Hydrasynth blew me away. On paper the Hydrasynth and the UltraNova are fairly similar, since both are fully digital with three oscillators per voice, two filters, wavetable support, on-board effects, an arpeggiator etc., but the difference in the sound quality is night and day. I guess a decade's worth of improvement in DSP technology makes a difference.

The other thing that is immediately apparent is the difference in the user interface. Although both units have "macro" knobs and buttons to access the various modules, the much higher quality displays and very logical layout make the Hydrasynth much more intuitive. It has more extensive front panel controls for the filter and arpeggiator whereas the UltraNova requires a certain amount of menu diving. I always struggled a bit with the UltraNova when editing a patch, but the Hydrasynth feels very natural. Not quite the one knob per function of the analog units but equally user friendly.

The final area that really stands out is the keybed. I had initially considered getting the desktop unit and using my existing keyboard but I'm glad I splurged for the keyboard version. In comparison to the UltraNova, the keys are much more responsive, both to the initial velocity and aftertouch. The aftertouch on the UltraNova is so stiff that it's almost unusable and of course it's also channel aftertouch rather than polyphonic. This is the most expressive keyboard I have ever used. The ribbon controller is also a nice touch.

In comparison to the fully analog units, the Hydrasynth holds it's own very well. I have yet to detect any hint of aliasing and with a small amount of "analog feel" added to a patch, the sound is just as rich. I considered a Novation Peak when I was making my decision and I don't regret choosing the Hydrasynth. Although the Peak is analog downstream from the oscillators, I think the sound quality of the Hydrasynth is every bit as good and at a very attractive price.

So far support seems excellent. I have not had any problems with the unit as yet and ASM has already released several firmware updates to add features such as MPE support as well as to fix minor bugs. In comparison Novation was very slow in correcting software issues with the UltraNova and no longer even supports the Automap software supplied with the unit even though I purchased the unit new in 2018, so it's only a bit more than 2 years old.

The biggest thing you could ever want from a musical instrument is inspiration. After having this synth plugged in for 45 minutes I was already recording new ideas. Kudos Ashun Sound Machines for an intuitive, innovative new synthesizer.

The variety of wave shapes and intuitive interface make this synth instantly playable and inspiring. The downside of menu digital synths is that adjustments are hidden behind menus. This takes you out of creative flow. Where the Hydrasynth excels is the center control section which provides quick access to all aspects of the single chain.

This is a digital synth. It sounds like one in it's brighter frequencies (more sizzle, than crunch). The more muted, deeper sounds are very warm and soothing, which is mainly what I was looking for.

It's still early days for me, with the Hydrasynth (2 weeks), but I'm very impressed, so far.

This synthesizer is an absolute dream for sound design, it honestly makes me want to sell all my other synths. It has features to make it sound very convincingly like an analog instrument, and the various filter types really allow for different character sculpting in your sounds. The layout for modulating is extremely useful and easy to use after a quick read of the manual and is really fun to play with! While I am not a serious keyboard player myself, the keyboard feels really great to me as well. It would be cool if it was multitimbral, but I am mostly using it for recording and can just lay down track after track anyway.

Also I completely endorse it as a bass synth for making massive modern bass leads - disagreeing with certain youtube reviewers. It has EQ as an effect, filter types that have no low-end reduction at high resonance, drive, and a "warm mode" in the voice section that to my ears gives it a really natural low end boost. employing all or some of these you can get a really healthy warm fat sound, and really any lacking in the bass sound design department I lay on the sound designer themselves when using this instrument.

I've barely scratched the surface of what this machine is capable of and I already feel a deeper connection to it's sound design than instruments three times it's price. The keybed is so musical and expressive it makes you wonder why poly pressure isn't standard on all keyboards. ASM really have set a new standard for what synthesizer should be. With the recent updates there are more and more useful features including MPE support meaning this is a very forward looking company with respect for customer input. Until The Expressive E Osmose is released, this is the best choice for polyphonic aftertouch on a keyboard.

Pros: Polyphonic Aftertouch/MPE, OLED Screen(s), Ribbon, Easy to program

Cons: Monotimbral, 4 octave keyboard, 640 patch maximum storage, does not transmit note-off velocity

5/5 Stars
*****

I do not like to do reviews. I am over 70 and have owned or at least worked with virtually every synth known in my last 50years. It is really rare that I get a new synth that impresses me enough to write something so I let everyone else do the talking.

This bad boy is different. This is the first digital emulation that is actually comparable to an analog, and it is very apparent that the designers actually played rather than just pushed the pencils.

This is a great synth for live playing, but it is a beast for design. It has many great features that only a user would have thought of, so it fits in well with my setup. And the keyboard, although too small, has an incredibly expressive poly after-touch which works better than any others I have had.

It even has a really good, readable manual. If you have ever purchased a synth from China or Japan in the last 40years, you know that the manual/translation into English is a joke. This one seems to be written from English first.

My only complaints, and they few, are with the short keyboard (should have been 61) and not releasing a patch list. I know I can print one out but…. I should not have to.

All in all, this synth gets a 10 out of 10 in my book!!!

Everyone else has said the superlatives, so let's make this short. I played a CS-80 in a synth museum once. When I put my hands and fingers and started articulating the fingers triggering poly-aftertouch then modulated on the ribbon, it made for an insanely expressive experience. The latest firmware brings MPE support. So this is the keyboard you want--until maybe Expressive-E--to supprot all your synths that respond to POly-AT (hello Novation Peak and Summit and more) but have mono-pressure aftertouch themselves. The FX algos are the best onboard slgos I've ever heard on a synth--so clean and vast--and the sound design, based in part on the venerable Oberheim Xpander, is just crazy fast to generate out of this universe textures. At its price, this is a must buy. Most VST's can't do some of what the Hydrasynth does.

I cannot stop playing this awesome sounding keyboard, sounds are lush and immersive. Very expressive polyphonic aftertouch keyboard and ribbon controller. Even though it is quite deep, its very accesible and user friendly thanks to its incredibly well thought out layout. Massive modulation possibilities and impressive sounding effects. Solid built quality. A sound designer's dream.

I have always wanted a monster polysynth like this, one which has ‘that sound.’ This synth has got it. It is incredibly flexible and versatile thanks to its extensive mod matrix and massive number of envelopes and lfos. The polyphonic aftertouch is a game changer and really has been implemented well ...this coming from a lifelong keyboard player.

The keybed is the best synth action keybed I have ever played, and I have played both modern ones and keybeds from the 80s.

This synth is also inspiring. It feels alive. The design is excellent. It invites you to play. I am ditching my workstation because I just do not get that same sense of inspiration from it.

The sound can massive, fat and beastly, or as delicate as you please. It is absolutely false to think, as some commentors on Youtube think, that the low end is thin. It is not thin. Here is what is going on. Look, this is a dual filter synth. Some of the presets run filter 2 in highpass mode after filter 1. Yeah that sound design choice definitely (and quite by design) would thin the bass ....

....so guess what? Set both filters into low pass mode. Open filter 2 all the way, crank the drive on filter 1, then mix in all 3 oscillators with one or more set an octave lower...and boom, you are into the thick beastly massive sonic territory that you would get from an Oberheim or a Moog. No trouble at all.

What I appreciate about this is that it covers both highly digital territory, and classic analog territory equally well. You can even continuously move between those regimes. Personally I like beefy old fat analog sounds. This gets me where I need to go with true brilliance.

I've had my Hydrasynth for two weeks now. Since I got it, I've spent time learning the architecture, and started to do some sound design with it (which it is INCREDIBLE for). Last night I downloaded and installed the new "Inhalt" preset bank from ASM's web site that was just released. I've only had time to go through the first 30 or so of the 127 patches, but what I heard absolutely blew me away. AMAZING.

This is an eminently playable synth. The keybed is of very high quality, and it feels it. The polyphonic aftertouch is perfect - the balance between initial velocity and pressure required for aftertouch makes it a true expressive instrument. You end up using the aftertouch instinctively without even realizing it - it just becomes an invisible part of the instrument.

The ribbon controller I initially thought would be little more than a playtoy gadget, but I find I actually use it constantly, because it's another way of once again expressing through sound what you're trying to convey.

I'm not sold on the lever-based mod wheel versus the "wheel with a divot in it" typical mod wheel, but that's personal preference.

The control layouts are very intuitive, and it makes it easy to design and tweak sounds, including while playing them. The controls are of VERY high quality - in fact, the whole thing is built like a tank, and feels solid and professional. The displays are very clear and easy to read. The mod matrix and modification of signal path steps makes it very easy to quickly and easily modify anything, rather than endless menu diving. Press an oscillator button, the eight control screens display what each control knob does for that oscillator. Press a filter button, the eight screens show what each control knob does for that filter. Super easy to work with, and fast.

I love the "random" function that gives you a completely random patch. Most of the time it gives you terrible noise (or dead silence), but occasionally it comes up with something brilliant, or at least a really good starting point.

Support from the factory is outstanding. ASM released a patch manager last week. At the same time, they released updated firmware, that introduced an issue with some users' existing patches. It was discussed in a Facebook Hydrasynth forum. Glen Darcy (the creator of the Hydrasynth) read the forum posting, replied to it, and two days (!) later, we had updates that fixed both problems. In the middle of NAMM, no less! Wow, instant updates, fantastic customer service...Roland, take note....

It's going to take time to REALLY learn this thing, but getting my head around the architecture didn't take long, and the controls are intuitive enough that you can get pretty far without even looking at the manual.

What I love:

- The SOUND. It's powerful, gritty, loud, thumping, growling, delicate, lush, enveloping - basically pretty much anything you want, it can do it. Lush analog pads? Check. Harsh electronic digital sounds? In spades.

- Wavescanning. Sequencing individual oscillators through sets of waveforms based on...well, almost anything really. You can make some otherworldly sounds, and if you control this from aftertouch, it makes it really intuitive and expressive.

- The mod matrix. Basically you can control just about anything from just about anything else, and setting it up is dead simple to understand and easy to do.

- The presets. Factory presets are great, the new Inhalt library that was just released is KILLER.

- The keybed. It's like butter, the aftertouch is calibrated perfectly, it's a delight to play on.

- The ribbon controller. Control anything from it (filters is my favorite), or play it theremin-style, quantize it if you want, it's like an extra instrument built in.

- The filters. Fat, lush, analog-sounding filters are yet another expressive tool.

- Effects. There aren't a ton of effects, so you're not paralyzed by choice like on some synths, but they've spent a lot of time working on what's there, so that they sound fantastic. You usually don't have to tweak the effects much from their defaults in order to get a fantastic sound.

Things I would change:

- Mod wheel, as a mentioned. Again, just a personal preference.

- The detents on the switchable knobs (i.e. arp timing, etc) are quite stiff.

- The macro rotary encoders all have LED rings on them that show the current setting. I wish the filter knobs had the same thing, so that when you select a patch, you knew from where you were starting

- I wish it had more patch memory spots. I know, that's a universal complaint for pretty much every keyboard, but 640 slots for both presets and user patches (with 384 filled from the factory), on a machine that just begs to be used for sound design....and flash memory is pretty cheap.

But overall, I love this thing! Such a powerful, capable instrument! I know a ton of people are waiting patiently for this synth, keep the faith - it's worth the wait!

Thanks as always to Chris, my sales engineer who (as always) made this purchase so easy, and helped in so many ways.

I call this thing my Digital Alien. It's a sci-fi OST machine.
There are so many routes you can take for crafting a complex sound, whether it's using the mutants, wavescan, poly aftertouch, completely filling the mod matrix, or all of the above, this thing can do just about anything if you spend enough time programming-- which is really easy!
My favorite thing to do so far is to take a relatively simple sound like an FM bell or something and use almost the entire mod matrix to add subtle nuances and expressive control to create something that sounds really incredible.

Build - solid
Oscillators - full
Filters - juicy
Effects - dreamy

I could go on and on, but the words that really sum up this synth are Versatility and Intuition. You can do so much with it, and everything you need is usually 1 button away. Sometimes 2. That's why i love programming this thing so much. While some synths like the Deepmind or Peak/Summit could be described as very "Deep," I would say the Hydrasynth is very "Wide." That is, it has incredible sound-design potential and all the tools you need are either ON or 1 button away from the front panel.

I learned synthesis from VST plugins, so my favorite part of patching is meticulously tweaking parameters to get something that sounds *just right.* The Hydrasynth feels very familiar and satisfying to me in that regard. I would recommend this synth to anyone who wants a versatile workhorse and likes to use digital tools to really polish and perfect a sound.

Professional sound
Ribbon for Theremin, Pitch or assigned to anything...super fun and very expressive
Poly aftertouch meaning one key could be aftertouch and it won’t effect the other keys played where channel aftertouch ( every other synth)
all keys played are effected at once. This allows you to accent one note while the baseline is not affected.
32 mod slots which is a boat load
Solid build
Several Oled screens so I don’t go blind
Probably the most versatile and programmable synth I’ve ever owned.....and I have a lot of synths
Fits into the studio great because the sound is its own and it’s fantastic....
Building sounds is so easy and the amount of available tweaks is huge with some elements I’ve never seen before on a hardware synth
Panning the oscillators, morphing 8 waves in a single patch...just a ton of fun stuff....
It even has CV out and in slots.....
Really Greg and the design team thought of just about everything that they could imagine and put it into this magic synthesizer
Some synths we bought for our studio get used at first during the honeymoon period and then kinda get forgotten
This synth has so many ways to create cool, unique and beautiful music it will be a tool we will use often.
It is way more fun and rewarding to dream up new sounds than paging through thousands of sample libraries.
The macro function allows you to assign the key elements that you want to adjust during a performance and they
each have their own screen and knob. So for live performance you can set up your preferred real time tweaks with a turn of a knob.
The main knobs are led indexed and you can see where they are set even in a completely dark stage.
So in summation,, awesome serious pro sound and effects, easy but deep programmability, fun ribbon strip, poly after touch,
CV connect ability in a affordable package.....it’s a must have for all of us sound designers and creative musicians
And it’s FUN!

I waited and waited and it arrived. The first 30 minutesof scrolling through the presets left me a bit underwhelmed. I was thinking I’d send it back.
So the next day I had more time to dive in.
I was So Very Wrong.
This is by far one of the most expressive synths I’ve ever touched. The after touch is not just another cool feature tacked on, its integrated so perfectly and this synth can pull of some really emotive stuff. The sensitivity of the aftertouch is the best I have ever used.
ASM have just set some new standards and the big synth companies better be a bit afraid.
It’s a groundbreaking interface in my opinion.
Absolutely without any doubt whatsoever ITS WORTH EVERY PENNY!

This thing is a real beast. It covers so much sonic territory. It is so well laid out and so well built. Poly aftertouch and the ribbon are really wonderful adds. I think this is so much better than the other digital synths coming out right now. It sits atop a Moog One in my rig and they complement each other so well. Absolutely brilliant software driving this thing as well. Couldn't be happier with it. A steal for the price in my opinion. Just get one.

So at first glance I was like..... it’s just a Waldorf blofeld.
But it’s not. It’s it’s own creature. Textured, angry, Yet silly and fun. Creative for sure. I’ve had it less than an hour and I can tell I will come back to it day after day. Easy to use and be careful the random button can blow speakers. It sounds a lot like my friends eurorack systems but with out the cables.

Oh yea comes with stickers and a printed manual. That’s bonus points.

The Hydrasynth is just a beast of a synthesizer. I don’t know how a review could possibly cover even the basic features available here so I’m just going to hit a few of the high points.
Absolutely solid as a rock construction. The case is all metal and all the controls are firm with great tactile response. The keybed feels great to me as well. I wasn’t sure about the paddles on the pitch and mod wheels at first but that’s been very easy for me to get used to. My only concern is that they could be snapped off fairly easily, leaving that wheel useless. I wish the paddles could be removed temporarily.
The ribbon is a real highlight for me. Its three modes (pitch bend, theremin and mod only) all work well. I do have to calibrate the ribbon fairly regularly but it’s simple and quick. Theremin mode is of particular interest to me and ASM has really thought this out. Being able to quantize across a give scale/key is a great feature. The ribbon can be set as the CV Source in System Setup and works great with external gear – more on that later.
The oscillators are plenty of fun. Analog modeled waves are at the beginning of the list and sound terrific. This is an all digital synth but I’d be shocked if anyone could determine that in a blind test. Oscillators one and two are full feature, wave scanning oscillators. You can assign up to 8 waves and it will interpolate between them for tons of harmonic content. It’s really fun and addictive to play with these. The third oscillator can’t contain a table of waves but can still contain any of the 219 waves available. Perfect for a sub or a modulation source.
Speaking of modulation, with 32 slots available and almost anything imaginable being available as either a source or destination, the possibilities are mind boggling.
The idea of the mutators is great and they’re even better in use than I expected. Here you’ll find standard stuff like pulse width mod (three variations and all available on any wave form!) hard synch, linear FM etc. FM is more interesting than you might think. I expected it to be a single operator type of thing with one wave modulating one carrier but you can go deeper. You can easily go from osc 1 to mut 1 to mut 2 to mut 3 to mut 4 for more flexible options than you might expect. There’s no sense of changing algorithms (more complex routing of the modulator and carrier waves) but you can still do a lot. Those DX7 like bells are at your fingertips!
The Envelopes are another standout for me. They are, or can be, full DADHSR envelopes that loop. You can also sweep all the curves from exponential to linear to logarithmic – a feature too often ignored on synths.
The filters are very flexible and sound terrific to me. I’m sure some analog snobs will complain but I think they’re great. Most filter types you’re likely to want are here and sound fine to me.
The arpeggiator is fun. All the modes you’re likely to want are here. The ratchets/chance controls can add some really interesting rhythmic stuff. I wish there was a way to lock a pattern you like rather than relying on chance but it’s still fun.
I know that one of the biggest selling points is the polyphonic after touch capability. It is very cool and works exactly as it should as far as I can tell. My meager playing skill can’t really showcase it but I’m glad it’s there.
CV options are surprisingly robust for a digital synth. The two mod ins can take CV or audio (perfect for feeding external gear into the excellent filters and effects – just make the ring mod source those inputs and set mod amount to zero). The CV outs offer exactly what you’d think. Pitch, gate, 2 assignable outs (mod wheel? After touch?) and clock.
This leads to my favorite feature and, in my opinion the biggest flaw with the Hydrasynth. In System Setup, you can choose to set the CV Mod Source to Keyboard or Ribbon. This lets you determine the source for the CV outs. When set to Keyboard it does exactly what you expect. When set to Ribbon (with the Ribbon in Theremin Mode) you have a fantastic new kind of controller for other CV capable gear. Well, not really new. Ribbon controllers have existed for at least 60 years but they’ve rarely been available on consumer grade synths.
The problem is that when the CV Source is set to Ribbon, the ribbon still triggers the internal sound engine. I’m REALLY hoping that with a firmware upgrade, ASM can add an option to ONLY send the ribbon pitch and gate to CV. That would allow you to play the keyboard and the ribbon in a 100% multimbral way.
I was also hoping that the ribbon controller would be able to send midi in a different way than it does. It can send midi. In fact, it can be a source in the mod matrix and can therefore send pretty much anything you want, including CC. I believe though it can only send 0 – 127 so it will, in effect, quantize itself when using it this way. No smooth sweeps like you can get with CV. For all I know, this may not even be possible but I’d like it. I’d also VERY MUCH like to see an option to send midi from the ribbon to its own midi channel. Again, this would offer another cool approach to multitimbrality.
I think the last and perhaps most important feature I’d like to point out is layout. This synth is very well designed. Given the number of features available, this could easily deteriorate into endless menu diving but it doesn’t. After just a couple of days, I feel like I know where to find everything and whatever I’m looking for seems quick and easy to get to. I expect the design of this synth will be something of a benchmark for future synths from other companies and my hat is really off to ASM.
In fact, my hat is off to ASM in almost every regard. For me, this is a nearly perfect synth and the few complaints I have are probably addressable via a firmware update. The Hydrasynth is a sound designers dream. It sounds great, the features seem endless and it’s very straightforward to use. Given the price, I’m not convinced anything else really competes with it right now. I suppose you could argue that there are plugins with these features but they don’t come with this brilliant interface, poly at keyboard and a ribbon controller. I honestly can’t recommend this thing enough.

This synth is truly astounding in every way. I'm completely blown away by both the "Analog" and digital sides alike. It is easy to program but extremely vast at the same time. The thought and attention to EVERY detail is amazing to say the least. The poly after touch is to die for, although keybed is a little stiff. Especially on the black keys. But I attest this to the custom "poly touch" technology and it is by far the best, and most expressive keybed I've ever played. It's definitely not a fast keyboard by any means, although I'm starting to adapt to it. The ribbon feels amazing and is so very precise. I'm not crazy about the wheel/paddle idea but I'm dealing with it. The knobs are super tight at first and give you the ability to make precise adjustments. Unfortunately the buttons do seem a little flimsy at first, but I don't even notice it anymore. The OLED displays are beautiful. You can easily get lost on one sound for a long while. I still haven't gotten past patch 31. It's just a complete joy to play and program and will leave you smiling without a doubt. Sounds that you've never heard. Ever. Super solid build and like I said, a ton of little things that just didn't have to be implemented but thankfully were. A true labor of love. I LOVE this synth to death, and I've just scratched the surface. It's just unreal.!