ASM Ashun Sound Machines Hydrasynth Keyboard
Product information "ASM Ashun Sound Machines Hydrasynth Keyboard"
HYDRASYNTH is THE dream synth for both sound designers and musicians. Its sound engine is designed for maximum flexibility, while the user interface is optimised to minimise paging and provide an intuitive workflow. The exceptionally robustly built synthesizer features 3 oscillators driven by the advanced "Wave Morphing Synthesis" engine, which can access a pool of 219 waveforms. Unusually, oscillators 1 and 2 support WaveScanning, allowing blends or "morphs" between up to 8 waveforms. The oscillator signals can be further shaped by a total of four Mutators, including FM, three different types of pulse‑width modulation (PWM), hard sync, harmonic sweep and Wavestack, which creates five detunable copies of the oscillator for ultra‑fat, wide sounds – the sonic possibilities are virtually endless.
If oscillators are the heart of a synthesizer, then the filters are its soul: the 8‑voice, monotimbral HYDRASYNTH has two independent filters that can be run in series or parallel. Filter 1 offers 11 different filter models (12/24 dB, HP, LP, Vocal, etc.). The second multimode filter operates at 12 dB per octave with a continuous sweep from low‑pass through band‑pass to high‑pass, comparable to classic SEM filters. Four effects polish the extensive sound engine: Delay and Reverb (including Cloud) are fixed, while the remaining pre‑ and post‑effects can be selected from various algorithms such as Chorus, Flanger, Rotary, Lo‑Fi, Tremolo, Compressor and more.
Ashun Sound Machines (ASM) sets new standards with the keyboard as well: the velocity‑sensitive 49‑key keyboard features the company’s completely newly developed Polytouch™ keybed, which provides polyphonic aftertouch for each of the 8 voices. This gives you expressive control found on only a few vintage synths (e.g. Ensoniq VFX). A 4‑octave ribbon controller plus ergonomically designed, illuminated pitch and mod wheels provide expression and control like no other hardware synthesizer on the market. Of course, a sophisticated, programmable arpeggiator is included.
There’s no shortage of modulation sources either. No fewer than 5 loopable DAHDSR envelopes and 5 tempo‑sync LFOs with numerous waveforms and various trigger modes (plus a sixth vibrato LFO via the mod wheel) provide plenty of movement. A massive modulation matrix with 32 slots links internal sources and MIDI‑CCs to their destinations.
ASM also thought of live use: 8 high‑resolution encoders with LED rings can be freely routed to parameters and tweaked live. OLED displays ensure perfect readability. In addition to 2 banks with a total of 256 presets, there are 3 further banks of 128 patches each for storing your own sounds.
On the connectivity side, not only the usual suspects MIDI and USB are present, but also analogue clock and CV/Gate inputs and outputs, allowing analogue control voltages and clock signals to be integrated into the modulation matrix. The HYDRASYNTH works not only with 1 volt per octave but also with the Hz/Volt standard used by early Korg synthesizers. MIDI is available as the classic trio (In/Out/Thru) and via USB.
- Aftertouch: yes
- Dimensions (WxHxD): 800 x 350 x 103 mm
- Display: OLED Display
- Effects: Reverb, Delay
- Keyboard: Full size
- Keys: 49
- Playing Aids: Arpeggiator
- Polyphony: 8
- Subcategory: Synthesizer
- Synthesis: Digital Wavemorphing Synthesizer
- USB / MIDI: USB (USB MIDI In/Out), MIDI IN/OUT/THRU
- Weight: 10,0 kg
- 2 filters (serial or parallel)
- 4 octave ribbon controller (67 cm) including Theremin Mode
- 5 DAHDSR envelopes
- 5 LFOs (inkl. Sine, Triangle, Square, Saw up, Saw down, S&H, Low random, Noise, Pulse width u.a.)
- 5 banks with a total of 128 patches, 256 factory patches
- sound generation: digital