The highly flexible ASM Hydrasynth Desktop 8-Voice Wave Morphing Synthesizer features an interface with minimal paging and workflow shortcuts, well suited for any sound designer and performing musician. There are 24 polyphonic pressure-sensitive pads that allow you to play the synth. With multiple pad layouts to choose from as well as multiple scales, playing the Hydrasynth Desktop is its own musical experience.





With its advanced wavetable synthesis engine, the Hydrasynth features three oscillators per voice with dual Wave Mutators, and two series or parallel multimode filters, five LFOs, five looping envelope generators (DAHDSR), a 32-slot modulation matrix, advanced arpeggiator, comprehensive CV/Gate, MIDI and USB MIDI I/O, and dedicated pre- and post-FX including reverb and delay.





Each of the three oscillators allows you to choose from a selection of 219 single cycle waveforms with wavemorphing capabilities on Oscillators 1 and 2. The Wavelist mode allows you to choose eight waves from a bank of 219, arrange them in the order of your pleasing, and morph from one to another. Oscillators 1 and 2 also feature two mutators each, allowing you to modulate, bend, and sculpt the sound in new (and old) ways.





The first filter has 11 different filter models, giving you multiple options for tailoring your sound. The second 12 dB/octave filter has a continuous sweep from lowpass to bandpass to highpass, similar to the way the classic Oberheim SEM filter worked.





The five LFOs feature 10 standard waveforms, plus a Step mode that allows you to create patterns with up to 8 steps. Having 5 mini step sequencers gives you an amazing amount of possibilities for further shaping your sound. The LFOs all have delay, fade in, 3 triggering modes, smoothing, start phase, and one-shot mode, so they can act as envelopes and BPM sync.





Speaking of envelopes, the Hydrasynth features five six-stage (DAHDSR) envelopes with time settings for each stage that can be set in seconds or in time divisions, giving you envelopes that play in sync to your song. Envelopes can also loop to create LFOs whose shape can be voltage controlled in the modulation matrix.





With 32 user definable modulation routings, the Hydrasynth has plenty of ways to use the 29 modulation sources and 155 modulation destinations. Almost everything in the synth engine can be a modulation destination including the effects and arpeggiator. The Modulation matrix points themselves can also become modulation destinations. Modulation sources and destinations include the CV Mod In and Out jacks as well as MIDI CCs.





The onboard arpeggiator provides standard note arpeggiations, but can also have a phrase arpeggio built-in. Parameters like Ratchet and Chance ensure rhythmic patterns with some randomness to add life and spontaneity to your performance.





Patch Macros are designed to allow the user deep control over the engine in live performance. Eight assignable encoders and buttons can each be routed to eight destinations. Complete sound transformations can take place with the press of a button or turn of a knob.





The Hydrasynth comes with 5 banks of 128 patches in total, created by professional patch designers to create the 256 factory patches. Searching the library is made easy with the built-in browser, plus a PC/MAC-based Patch Manager plug-in allows you to easily move patches to create your favorite order and load in new patch libraries in the future.





No synthesizer would be complete without effects. The effects chain goes beyond the typical ones found in other synths. Pre- and post-effects give you some unique ways to process your sound, while the delays and reverbs were modeled on some of the most popular effects on the market. The Hydrasynth ships with a power cord and rack ears.