ASM

A
few years back, a
synth arrived from
a new brand that
garnered
signifi cant
interest: the
Hydrasynth, from
Ashun Sound Machines, a Chinese
company with a multinational team
involved in the design and creation of
their instruments. What really
grabbed people when the original
Hydrasynth was fi rst announced was
the surprisingly fl exible sound
generation system combined with the
plentiful real-time control that
included polyphonic aftertouch (a
relative rarity amongst synths even
today). When people started to use
and hear the synth, this interest
turned to genuine excitement. This is
sure to continue as ASM recently
announced both portable and larger
dual-engine versions to go with the
original four-octave and desktop
versions of the original.
A quick recap of the Hydrasynth
sound engine’s offerings: each voice
(of the eight available) gets three
oscillators, all capable of selecting
from over 200 different wave forms.
However, the fi rst two oscillators each
have a couple of ‘Mutator’ modules
which mangle the initial waveform in
a range of ways. After mixing these
together, alongside ring modulator
and noise sources, two fi lters give
further shaping. Modulation and
control is addressed with a multitude
voltage-based modulation inputs have
been dropped along with the large
lateral ribbon of the original. This
does mean that users who want to
integrate their synth more fully with a
modular rig should opt for a full-size
version. However, all these can
perhaps be forgiven given the
Explorer’s compact and portable remit
– don’t forget that you can be truly
mobile with this synth as it claims up
to four hours’ battery life from decent
AAs. Another winner for ASM.
of envelopes and LFOs and the famed
Hydra ‘Polytouch’ (polyphonic
aftertouch) alongside pitch bend and
modulation ribbons. Mention must be
also made of the great effects – for
once not just a functional add-on.
It’s good to see ASM making
efforts to cater for a range of users.
They obviously had to make some
compromises in terms of direct
control with this version, and while
the larger screen and more hands-on
approach of the original is missed,
the sound engine and quality of the
synth’s output remains.
The keyboard clearly has its
limitations in terms of playability, but
given the diminished size, it does the
job adequately, and the polyphonic
aftertouch features remain the same
as the original – though a degree of
tweaking might be required to get the
best out of the smaller keys on this
front. I was less fond of the
ribbon-based pitch and mod wheels,
though the experience did improve
with familiarity. CV/Gate, modulation
and clock outputs are still available
via the back panel, though the
THE PROS & CONS
+
The same great
Hydrasynth sound
engine and effects
Even this smaller
version has
polyphonic
aftertouch
It’s portable and can
be run on batteries
-
The small keys make
subtle playing and
polyphonic
modulation harder
The reduced
interface is not quite
as clear or easy to
use as on the original
full-size synth
FM VERDICT
8.7
A compact, portable synth
which retains the allure of
the polyphonic aftertouch
selling point of the original,
albeit with tinier keys
It’s good to see ASM
making efforts to cater for
a range of synth users
ASM Hydrasynth Explorer | Reviews
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