I agree this would be so useful. I suggested adding some kind of Tracking Generator to allow any controller, including keytracking, to be dramatically remapped and reshaped. This worked brilliantly on the Oberheim Xpander, a synth loved by at least one mind behind the Hydra. Sadly it wasn’t found to be a good fit for the existing concept/UI/whatever.
1 Like
Does anybody knows if the Poly-AT is working on a Hydrasynth desktop with a CME Xkey LE 37?
I use this very combination and I’m happy with it. The main difference is in the physical response of the shallow CME keyboard and the Hydra pads - patches programmed to feel natural on one don’t feel the same on the other.
2 Likes
Good information here smokyfrog ! Thank you. I have an Osmose coming in the Fall, which will have both Poly-AT and MPE, so i expect the same sorts of differences to a greater or lesser extent.
Obviously there are all the parameters that adjust the Poly-AT on System Setup page 3 of the HS. So maybe we could adjust the feel of the HS to be like some other keyboard. I don’t know what sorts of adjusts are part of the CME ? I expect there will be plenty of stuff like that with the Osmose.
What about setting up some Macros on the HS that will allow you to change characteristics of your patches to perhaps adjust for this too ?
I have an Osmose coming too, very excited!
2 Likes
Keytrack is a source in the Mod-Matrix. What sorts of tricks are possible on the HS with this ?
I am thinking of things like what Loopop did with the Peak controlled with the Novation SLM3, in this video. He took a mono-timbral Peak, and made it behave as if it was bi-timbral !
Now i have a SLM3 that i could use as a controller, like Loopop, but i’d prefer to use the HSK by itself. I do have a Blokas Midihub schedule to arrive any century now, so maybe i can use that somehow with this too. I could also turn MIDI Local OFF as a part of this. (Remember: MIDI Local OFF always resets to ON with a power cycle on the HS.)
I’m pretty sure with all of this, there are some ways to make this work, even without external MIDI processing. There’s an advantage on the HS, given the mixer being so capable, sitting in front of the filters, being able to split the oscillators between the filters.
Thoughts ?
Of course there’s always the option to put an HSD together with the HSK. Then they’re completely separate. ASM has a chain mode, but some other tools might be useful with this as well to be able to split the keyboard and have a bi-timbrality that way.
I ended up returning the hsd and went for the keys. I like having it self-contained and I also like having the extra controls for the arp- I use that a lot.
5 Likes
Is the moderator of the FB user group on here? My week-old request is still pending … or maybe they just don’t like the cut of my jib 
1 Like
That’s weird, I thought I saw the topic come up and a solution fly past. Must have been someone else.
Nice! Yesterday a HS Desktop showed up on the Dutch version of eBay. I picked it up for € 650,- a steal in my opinion! Alllready love the sound! I am in for a journey!
4 Likes
This is nice – a little sample for an upcoming preset pack coming from TJontheRoad. He’s calling the pack AmbiEssence. Even if you only roll your own, it’s nice to hear what others are doing, and to pick up some ideas. Like for instance you can hear the noise going into a vowel filter, with that being modulated somewhat unpredictably. That’s just the start, there’s a lot more. I like the way this patch flows from one part to another.
You may recognize this creator – he did a video that GovernorSilver included over on the HS Tips and Tricks thread, where he showed using a guitar with controller to send MPE to a HS.
Dani538 and Peter118 – You are both the lucky sort. There’s the expression – “The Luck of the Irish.” Is there also – “The Luck of the Dutch” ? Enjoy your Hydrasynths !
4 Likes
that sounds great, keep it coming !
The Hydrasynth is such a grower…
Love that baby!
Nice words, @Jukka
I know the expression ‘Going Dutch’ but I think that’s not what you meant… 
But you’re right, we were(are) very lucky. I love my 2 Hydrasynths, controllling them with my NDLR is so overwhelming. It’s a real sound orgasm.
Two – really ? That’s great. Two desktops ?
Have you chained them ? Did that work ? You’re the first person that i’ve seen who has two.
I own a keyboard and a desktop version.
They are MIDI-connected in a bi-timbral 8+8 cfg (as opposed to poly-chained 16 voices, where you mostly never even trigger and hear any notes past 8 or so, so the Module would sit there doing nothing most of the time). A bi-timbral synth cfg setup well is simply spectacular. With this configuration the NDLR can send two seperate channels to the Hydrasynths, each having its own sequence or arpeggiator. Also you can choose two different patches playing at the same time. It’s really wonderful such a combination.
2 Likes
No that is not a thing. Haha. We are cheap bastards LoL. Perhaps that’s why we scout for bargains. But already love the device. The build quality is overwhelming! The pads also play very nice with the poly afterthouch. Just scratching the surface.
1 Like
Dude! Nice. I can imagine two of them
Would be awesome. I am going for the summit next to get the keyboard, bi timbral and awesome sound. Those would play together nicely.
1 Like
2?! dang! I just wanna afford 1 of em…
2 Likes
That would be a hard decision, choosing between either the Peak with the HSK or the Summit with the HSD. If you wanted a nicer keyboard it’s probably the poly-aftertouch HSK. But on the other side there’s such a difference between the Peak and Summit. Too bad there’s not a Summit desktop.
If someone was to want to pair the HS with the Waldorf Quantum/Iridium the decision would be a lot easier – given the Iridium is half the price, double the voices and bi-timbral (Quantum is mono-timbral for the moment). But both Waldorfs do accept poly-aftertouch.
Actually this is a fun game – mix and match Hydrasynth with a XXX.
Problem is you only plan with the synths that exists today. When you get around to the actual purchases, the world has changed.
1 Like
The Summit is 2 Peaks in a box. The Summit allows you to run external gear through the effects, and has a few added filter modes depending on the voice mode, but it’s just two Peaks. 100% patch compatibility.
Of course, since the Summit has more real estate on the panel, a few of the menu options are broken out to the panel as physical controls. They are all still on the Peak though, one menu layer deep.
2 Likes