The ASM Hydrasynth Explorer :

• Digital Keyboard Synthesizer
• Wave Morphing Synthesis
• 8 voices
• 37 mini keys
• Velocity sensitive
• Aftertouch
• 3 oscillators
• 219 waveforms
• Wave scanning for oscillator 1 & 2
• 4 mutators for oscillator modulation
• 4 effects processors
• 2 different filters, serial/parallel usable
• 5 loopable DAHDSR envelopes
• 5 tempo-synchronized LFOs
• Vibrato LFO
• Modulation matrix with 32 slots
• Slider for Pitchbend and modulation wheel
• Programmable arpeggiator
• 640 sounds
• CV, gate, clock and controller outputs
  

Sound creation

Three full-fledged oscillators draw their base material from 219 waveforms. Oscillator 1 and 2 are furthermore capable of wave scanning, where up to eight waveforms can be crossfaded respectively morphed. By means of four "mutants" the oscillators can be further shaped; besides FM, three different types of pulse width modulation (PWM), Hard-Sync and Harmonic-Sweep there is Wavestack. With the latter you can create assertive unison/supersaw sounds with only one oscillator. The repertoire is rounded off with a noise generator and the ring modulator.

Filter

With two different filters that can be operated in parallel or in series, nothing stands in the way of detailed sound shaping on the Hydrasynth. The first filter covers eleven different filter models (including 12/24 dB lowpass, highpass, vocal). The second filter is a state-variable filter with a slope of 12 dB and is continuously variable from Lowpass via Bandpass to Highpass (similar to the SEM filter).

Effects

The last link in the signal chain are four effect blocks to give the sound the final touch. The first and last effect blocks each contain the same selection from Chorus, Flanger, Rotary, Phaser, Lo-Fi, Tremolo, EQ, and compressor (with sidechain). In between, Delay and Reverb (five respectively six variations) can be activated.

Modulation & Controller

What would such an oscillator and filter setup be without modulation! Five loopable DAHDSR envelopes and five synchronizable LFOs with several waveforms and trigger modes including a sixth vibrato LFO provide plenty of movement in the sound. Besides some fixed modulation connections, almost every parameter in Hydrasynth Explorer can be modulated via the modulation matrix, which comprises 32 slots.