ASM Hydrasynth Desktop Synthesizer

Wonderful, intuitive synth with deep options and customizability. Desktop pad control sensitive and great aftertouch. Works well with many other devices.

I know a karen complained about the lack of a sequencer, but there is an LFO step mode which gives you like 5 step sequencers with 64 steps. Also the complaint about lack of DAW integration is strange to me. It is not an audio interface device. It exchanges midi over usb. It is not designed to control ableton or logic or something. What did you expect here? The mutant mods are what makes this synth really stand out. You can do things here no VST emulates. It's built well. Feels heavy and the knobs are all smooth. Someone also complained about the pads feeling jelly like and inconsistent... I use the pads as an accent occasionally but I have an 88 key midi controller attached for 99% of my usage so I don't really have much insight into them. They feel fine to me. You can assign scales to them. I don't believe they were ever meant as your main interface. I believe they work fine for their intended purpose. The effects sound great. Reverb is what I usually benchmark for a units effects and this unit has excellent versatile reverbs. The patches it comes with are okay. Not really taking advantage of all this synth has to offer though. You need to be ready to get in there and get your hands dirty to find this synths true capabilities. Some folks have said it sounds digital... it is digital... it can also sound very smooth. I like having the versatility. Everything we hear these days is digital in the end. As you save your patches you overwrite the default ones. Basically, they filled up as much memory as possible with presets, and you choose which ones to remove. It feels unorthodox but you can restore the original patches so I guess it's better than having...less presets... I don't have much to complain about here. It's a great synth. If you want a hardware synth, this is a great option. Some folks caution new people against getting one of these but I think its good to use it to become more educated about synths. If youre looking to just get some good sounds out of something, with minimal effort or learning, consider the COBALT for a little cheaper. If you want depth, options, something to grow into, this is better.

Unbelievably deep concept of a synthesizer. It instantly became my favorite synth, and has enjoyed that position for years. I love sound design on this machine, as much as playing it. I debated between the Hydrasynth and the Waldorf Iridium for the longest time, but am glad with going Hydrasynth.

this is my first synthesizer and using it, while daunting at first, is an excellent machine with a highly intuitive build. I'm still learning it, so I don't have much to say. it definitely feels and sounds like money. weird power button placement

This thing is so good it will sing your children to sleep. It is easy to use and everything is tweakable. Buy it. If you do buy one pair it with a good quality MIDI controller like the Arturia Keylab V2 or similar if you have one. Otherwise I'd say buy one of the bigger hydrasynths with a keyboard built in.

Great presets! It always has something to add to your electronic music productions. Sounds great and is flexible.

Every time I sit down with intention of listening to the presets, I end up starting a track. This is exactly what I was looking for. It's a digital synth that can tackle analog, fm and with an extreme mod matrix. It can also has MPE capability. Multiple filter types. LFOs galore. It feels like nothing is out of reach. It is a sound design machine for sure. I didn't even mention the sound. Deep basses, rich pads. The gauntlet has been thrown down. I am impressed obviously.

Returned because I've used an Elektron device and the lack of a sequencer is a deal breaker. The macro controls are not precise, again Elektron shows up ASM - both synths are digital but the controls on Elektron devices are much more precise for fine adjustments. The power switch is in a really bad location. Changing presets cuts off the currently playing sound. The matrix buttons are squishy and roll around when pressed. The "poly aftertouch/touch sensitive" pads are not sensitive enough - the pads are equal to the quality of the original launchpad pro. I have a Push 2 and it blows the ASM pads away. The depth of the poly-aftertouch is hard to control by ear or by pressure. There are some great sounds but in general this device adds no character to the sound that I cant already get from a plugin/software synth. If you plan on connecting the Hydra with a DAW like Ableton or Logic the automation parameter names are confusing, out of order, and many unnamed. I was hoping to connect this desktop synth to my computer and have full control over the modulation and automation. While you can automate some parameters the labelling and organization make it difficult. I ended up buying the Digitone because it has 4 tracks that can be played simultaneously, it adds character to the sound, and the automation labelling is clear and organized - very DAW friendly. One last hit on the desktop Hydrasynth, they removed some buttons and the touch slide on this model yet made a large cavity on the underside so the cables wont protrude out the back. Therefore they removed functions to make room for cable management, a bad power switch placement and their logo. Seems like the desktop was an afterthought. compared to the key models. It's possible the DAW integration, pad sensitivity, macro precision could be improved with a software update. However for the footprint this device does much less than many other options.