An example of the long-awaited Hydrasynth Explorer, son of the 4 octave model and distant relative of the Deluxe model, has finally arrived from the Ageofaudio editorial team .
I'm starting to tell you that here, even if the size doesn't seem like it, there is a lot of stuff, just a lot. Here: multiply by two!
What are we talking about
The test model is the compact version, with mini keys, of the standard 4 octave starter model. With his dad he shares theidentical synthesis engine , 8-note polyphony and, very rarely seen on a mini keyboard, polyphonic aftertouch. The Explorer is missing in the model I tested - to reduce the size and the price - the ribbon controller, the right display is half as long, some controls on the panel are not there and therefore it will be necessary to scroll more pages in the right display to modify some parameters, finally the 4 encoders present in the Explorer (8 in the 4 octave model) do not have the LED ring to show approximately the parameter being edited.
Back panel
On the rear panel we lose the THRU midi connection for an expression pedal and the mod 1 and mod 2 inputs for the CV / Gate. There are a few things to give up to bring home the Hydrasynt synthesis by paying it about less than half compared to the 4 octave version with standard keys.
Polyphonic aftertouch: this (un) known!
I will open a parenthesis to explain to those who do not know what it is when it comes to polyphonic aftertouch. It is a function that adds a lot of expressiveness to the sound and to the way of playing, think of a normal aftertouch, if the sound used is monophonic obviously nothing will change, by pressing the key played you will modulate something that is preset in the sound, of usually a nice pitch modulation of the note (or whatever else is allowed based on the synth used), things start to get interesting playing a polyphonic patch and using the poly AT. Now imagine playing a chord on the left side of the keyboard and a high note on the right side. If you start pressing further, the high note will start poly aftertouch ONLY on the note that is pressed further, which will therefore not affect all the sound and notes you play, as would happen with a standard aftertouch.
At this point a world of its own will open up where everything is possible, it will only depend on our imagination, especially with our Hydrasynth where the modulation matrix is particularly powerful.
Healthy and robust constitution
The construction of the Synth is really great. Even if the upper case is made of plastic material, all the controls are of excellent workmanship, granite, the rotary switches that control the arpeggiator have clicks that even recall the 70's radios for their robustness. The keyboard, although mini, is one of the best I've tested so far. The lower panel instead is made of metal giving a very unusual texture for a synth of this size! Mod wheel and pitch bend are replaced by 2 touch panels which, for heaven's sake, do their job, but I would have preferred the classic wheels (or levers) even if smaller. Two oled display they complete the panel helping editing and giving information on what is happening while editing parameters. Even the central display acts as a small oscilloscope that shows the waveform that our little guy is generating, including the effects applied to our patch.
Parameters section
The parameters to edit are many and it would have been impossible and expensive to sprinkle the panel with dozens and dozens of dedicated controls, hence the intelligent choice of putting the most used ones in the live performance phase available: the controls of the 2 filters and those of the arpeggiator all the rest of the parameters are “hidden” in the panel that shows the signal path and the modules available to modify the sound, which, being equipped with buttons for each of the names, also has the editing function. By pressing a button corresponding to the module to be edited, its parameters will be shown in the right display and can be modified using the 4 encoders that surround it. Here I can highlight the main difference with the 4 octave big brother who, having the double size display, can display and host 8 encoders, which translates into less scrolling of pages to edit the chosen parameter.
Generic handling ...
Where to start? Will it be complex to manage and describe the content of this parallelepiped with the appearance of a synth? In reality, the answer - even if it doesn't seem like it - is easy and is visible to everyone on the panel. Wavetables, often confused or mistaken for wave sequences, actually have something in common with each other. To remain understandable I will not go into technical details and esoteric details, but I will say what for me is the main difference between the two synthesis techniques. Both allow you to chain / sequence a series of waveforms and play them as an uninterrupted stream of sounds. Think of a piano sound that gradually fades into a section of strings and then ends with a chorus, these are the wave sequences, sequences of more or less long samples of both acoustic and synthetic sounds. Born in 1990 with the Korg Wavestation and currently resurrected in the Korg Wavestate and Wavestate Native Plugin, the wave sequences have the peculiar and main characteristic of being able to have a different pitch for each step where they are inserted. In this way it is also possible to obtain melodies, but also rhythms using drum sounds, by pressing a single key. What about wavetables? They are waveforms, little, little, poor, single-cycle, so let's say mainly oriented to the creation of new sounds. To make a comparison it is a bit like the difference between making a collage and sculpting. Here, with the wavetables it is possible to literally sculpt the harmonic content of the sound over time, the passage from one waveform to the next will take place through interpolation / morphing of the points that describe the waveforms and therefore not by mixing the wave sequences, each of different lengths. Among other things, with wavetables it is possible to modulate the reading point of wavetables in both directions, which is less feasible with waves sequences. Another comparison that comes to mind: wave sequences imagined as video clips and wavetables as stills. We can do as many edits as we want, but the video clips will remain recognizable. On the other hand, if we edit single frames we could have a completely different result every time.
Synthesis structure
Although Hydrasynth can be used like a normal VA synth, in subtractive synthesis, and I must also admit with surprising results, its main feature is wavetables and what are called MUTANTs, i.e. modules that alter waveforms in entrance. If we look at the editing panel, starting from the left, we will see all the modules that build the signal path of the synth. There are:
Three oscillators, two of which are identical, while the third has a simpler signal path (it does not have the two MUTANTS capable of modifying the waveforms and can use the wavetables only in single mode). Oscillators 1 and 2 can use the classic analog waveforms (sine, triangle, saw, square), or wavetables both in single mode (static, one of your choice) and in Wavescan mode. The wavescan mode allows you to "compose" your own wavetables starting from the 219 made available to the synth, which can be sequenced up to 8 waveforms, which can then be moved / morphate by various modulation sources.
Noise generator (white, pink, brown, red, blue, violet, gray).
Ring modulator, where it is possible to choose as 2 modulation sources one of the three oscillators, the output of one of the four MUTANT modules, and the noise generator).
Two MUTANT modules per oscillator, except for the third. As with wavetables, here we should open a separate chapter, but I won't. Looking at the photo, the output of oscillator 1 enters the first MUTANT 1 and then in MUTANT 2. But what happens to the waveform once it goes through these 2 beauty treatments. It must be said that each MUTANT module can take advantage of various treatments that modify the treated waveform more or less drastically. The 4 modules are identical and can exploit the same set of modifiers, or be excluded at will if you want to use only one MUTANT.
- FM-Lin: this is linear FM synthesis of DXIn memory, as a modulation source we can choose between: a self-generated waveform of SINE and TRIANGLE or one of the 3 oscillators or even take the output of one of the 4 MUTANTS, the ring modulator and finally the noise generator.
- WavStack, as the name suggests it is a waveform multiplier on various pitches, I didn't want to say it but it is practically something that can generate a Supersaw (or a SuperSomething where for something we can choose one of the 219 waveforms or our newly created wavetables) . For the uninitiated (I can only imagine the doorman of my building ...) the supersaw was introduced by mom Roland back in 1996 with her beautiful JP-8000, it is in fact a simulation of several oscillators (7 in the JP-8000) slightly forgotten and editable from zero to very atonal. The result is a very full and full-bodied sound, suitable for both Lead parts (I would add dancers) and huge pads and carpets. Also in the HydraSynth version it is possible to adjust the detuning level. ?
- OSC Sync, allows you to create the classic sync sound between 2 oscillators of the type used by the Prodigy in the song Smack My Bitch Up (at 1 minute and 47 seconds).
- PW-Orig, PW-Squeez, PW-ASM, allows to obtain the -PWM- pulse modulation on any waveform (beyond the classic use with the Square waveform with modulation through an LFO)
- Harmonic e PhazDiff are the perfect examples of modifiers that cannot be easily explained without hearing them ...
Ok! The worst is over (or perhaps the best?) Everything that is generated by the oscillators, noise and ring modulator flows into the MIXER module where it is possible to manage the volumes of the single generator and also the position in the stereo panorama. Furthermore, each source can be addressed to filter 1 or filter 2 or to all the intermediate combinations and, icing on the cake, it is also possible to choose whether the two filters are configured in parallel or in series (in this case the output of filter 1 will go in the filter input 2).
THE FILTERS: in my opinion, they are one of the strengths of the synth, I will talk about it during the final conclusions. Needless to say, they are really very complete. the FILTER UNO has 15 different types of filters, some modeled on analog synthesizers that made history. In addition, it also has a vocal formant filter where, by varying the cutoff and resonance, it can generate sounds similar to the vowels of the alphabet. FILTER TWO it has less choice but can be continuously varied from low pass - band pass or band reject - hi pass. As pre-packaged cutoff modulation sources we have LFO 1 and Envelope 1.
AMP it is the module that controls the amplification of the signal which will then go directly to the effects section.
ENV 1-2-3-4-5 is the envelope section: very complete, very perfect and very fast, I tried to generate snap from attack sustain and almost zero decay with truly remarkable results, I simulated jack-like "squeak" that comes off without lowering the volume, very realistic which is not always possible with all digital synths. For example, with the Roland Fantom it is not possible to obtain similar results. Also, it should be noted that finding 5 envelopes in a hardware synth is not an everyday thing.
LFO 1-2-3-4-5 Fortunately, the five ultra-complete LFOs that work in step mode also suffer the same fate. A different value can be assigned to each step (maximum 64), so by modulating the pitch of the oscillators we can obtain a melody.
PRE-FX / DELAY / REVERB / POST-FX : the effects section is quite complete, but strangely normal compared to what we have been used to in the other modules described above. It would have been interesting to be able to reverse the order of delay and reverb, but that's okay. On the other hand, as we have surely understood, the possibilities of synthesis are not lacking and, in any case, also the effects section offers a nice final surprise: most of the parameters can be modulated through the various modulation sources including envelopes and LFOs. At first I thought: it's a pity you miss a nice Mod Delay, then I assigned an LFO to the delay time and that's it.
AGAINST THE MATRIX : All the power that I have described so far can take advantage of a modulation matrix that connects, as in a modular synthesis, the various modulation sources with the destinations. There are 32 possible slots, where to assign the modulations, also easy to use: just press the button of the source module and simultaneously the destination, the parameters will automatically be assigned to the first free slot and then be further adjusted.
VOICE MODE : Global and patch management. In this section there are all the parameters common to the patch including the management of polyphony / monophony and unison mode, notable the AnalogFl parameter to simulate the precarious intonation of an analog synth, the pitch bend range, the glide mode plus other subtleties that complete an already exciting picture of functions.
PATCH BROWSE MODE : The memory locations for storing patches, both ours and the factory ones, are 640 divided into 5 banks of 128. There is no division between factory sounds and those we will create ourselves. The patches can be sorted by number, alphabetically or selected by type and 32 patches can be quickly recalled using the function Favorites.
ARPEGGIATOR : The arpeggiator has 4 controls directly on the panel, against the 8 of the older brother, in order to facilitate the live performance, it has some quite exclusive and esoteric controls that maybe I would have done without, but ok I'm there, better to have some more than less possibilities.
Final conclusions
It is rare to find so much power in a synth of this size. This is reminiscent in some ways of some very noble plugins. Unlike the nature of its main synthesis (wavetables), it has a very warm sound. In the past I have used synths with wavetables like the Waldorf Q, Blofeld and TI virus and the sounds that came out of it were interesting, but with Hydrasynth the story is different. Even pushing some features to the extreme, the sounds are still very usable. Could it be thanks to the filters that simulate very good analog filters? Will it be for the choice of the type of implementation of the wavetables, the MUTANT modifiers that perform their work in an optimal way? The reality is that this machine pushes and tempts you to experiment every time you turn it on, only that the results of the experiments are almost always exceptional and leave you speechless! Oops, with your ears open!
PROS
It is very difficult to "synthesize" the points in favor of this synth because there are so many, starting from the concreteness / organicity of the sounds that can be brought out thanks to an obsessive care of the synthesis path. You pass with extreme ease from little bells, ethereal carpets to acid basses, classic and ultra modern leads, evolving soundscapes. The filters are creamy and credible enough to make you forget from time to time that you are in the presence of a digital synth.
CONS: with all sincerity, I can not find fault! Let's say it's not synth for everyone. This could be the real crux of the matter. Those looking for ready and exploitable sounds in various fields, will almost certainly not find what he is looking for. Incidentally, it would be quite wasted if used as a "normal" synth. Here it is a question of reading the manual at least once to make the most of the vast potential of the synth, and then fly to infinity and beyond. If we really want to nitpick, I would have put a couple of standard controls in place of the touch strips for pitch bend and mod wheels. Well, nevertheless not bad for a synth that… lacks wheels!
Useful Information
Product: Hydrasynth Explorer
Suggested retail price: Euro 599 including VAT
Italian distributor: soundwave
Learn more about the product: www.soundwave.it/hydrasynth-explorer
