Hydrasynth from ASM

I have the desktop and I could not recreate this issue either. As soon as I turn up the cutoff modulation on the first LFO I assign it starts modulating. Tried changing the clock modes just in case but nothing changed.

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So, i tried the last week an i always had this problem, also updated, factory resetted etc. No luck, like in the video the whole time…

Today after work, i switched on my machines and … voila, no modulation failure as described…:slight_smile: I rebooted several times and the modulation functioning as intended. I´m quite baffled and Happy! The failure was checked with ASM, maybe they get this weird behaviour fixed for next releases. I`ll see if it comes back (hope not).

For some of you who want to try this:

-switch on
-initialize
-press and hold a note
-press LFO or ENV 1-5 AND Filter 1 or 2
-dial in the mod intensity of the connected Filter mod
in my case (until today) no modulation is heard. In the Mod Page skip the source one up and back down again and the modulation works.

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Hey folks. I remember something being mentioned about being able to fine tune the keyboard tracking on the Hydrasynth keyboard version, allowing you to turn this into a microtonal instrument (i.e. able access pitches in between between the standard western pitch system). Is this also true for the desktop version, and if so can these custom pitch intervals be expressed by both the desktop’s pads and a midi keyboard connected to it?

If you could you find that source that would be helpful.

To a very large extent the HSK and the HSD are the same – differences have been discussed up thread, and there are a few mostly set by the differences in the physical interface. I don’t think there is any difference between the two regarding microtonal scales, because as far as i know neither has anything built-in there is only equal temperament.

Here’s a response on Gearslutz by Glen Darcey on that question.

Please someone surprise me if there is !

The only relevant fine tuning I know of is for the voltage output for the pitch CV output, so it works with different standards.

About NRPN…

Iv’e just been reading this here in a post on Elektronauts

NRPN

Now I’m thinking to assign my most important controls on Hydra to the mod wheel as I can only see 5 possible midi cc’s in this chart otherwise it’s a PITA working with NRPN

Love this synth and it’s sound but why oh why not all midi cc is beyond me lol.

Anyways I’ll find work arounds for my needs here just thought that link was an interesting read.

So what are you trying to control with MIDI CC ?

You can control anything that is a destination in the mod-matrix – just set up whatever MIDI CC you want as the source. Yes this is set up per patch, and it burns a mod-matrix slot but you have 32 of them. Set up some boilerplate, and put that in all your patches.

May i point out:

  • MIDI-CC – 7 bit – 0 to 128
  • NRPN – 14 bit – 0 to 16,384

128 often sounds stair-steppy.

And note there is an almost complete interface provided in NRPN, you’d run out of CC numbers pretty quickly.

The pain of dealing with NRPN is with the control devices lacking that control. You are planning on putting two Hydrasynths together (on Christmas) you will sure appreciate the NRPN then. It’s not like NRPN is the bridge too far.

I’ve wondered about MIDI 2.0 with its larger range of control. If there’s a change with the HS, i vote MIDI 2.0, not MIDI CC – outside of what’s already there with MIDI-CC in the Mod-Matrix.

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Previously on Elektronauts:

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Thanks for your reply. It was mentioned in a KMR review here: https://www.kmraudio.com/news/asm-hydrasynth-review/

“VCO 3 features the same selection of waves as VCO 1 and 2, but forgoes the wavescan capabilities, which makes it perfect for use as a sub oscillator, a modulation source or a as a droning oscillator since you have variable key tracking for all of the oscillators, letting you crudely obtain some microtonal action if equal temperament just isn’t your jam.”

But it’s only mentioned in passing. I wasn’t sure if it applied to the desktop version as well. Would be a really cool feature

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Thanks for that pmbmcguire !

I want to email Tom Lewis, the article author, and ask what he means exactly.

As far as it goes what he describes would be precisely the same with both the HSK and the HSD.

Here’s one trick that will let you use other equal temperament scales. This is the Hydrasynth so it has all sorts of tricks. In the oscillator controls parameter #8 (oscillators 1, 2 and 3, and also both filters) you can select a Keytrack percentage 0% – 200%. This changes the notes the oscillators create. 50% gives you a perfect quarter tone scale – two octaves to play one octave. Or you could pick a percentage greater that 100% which could give you a sort of an equal temperament gamelan scale (except gamelan scales aren’t perfectly equal temperament). And you are limited to whole number percentages, so the octaves sometimes beat. A nine note scale would be 133.333%, a seven note scale would be 1.71.429%. So with those it’s close-ish.

A eighth tone scale is 25%. That means the whole HSK keyboard only goes one octave !

BTW: Guess what a keytrack of 0% does.

I have not tried it yet but i expect that the standard method of using the MIDI note combined with a pitch bend could be used, with all those limitations. I have a Blokas Midihub arriving in a few days, and it has an incredible selection of microtonal scales.

Question i need to research: Can i use more than one midi channel for this on the HS, as the Midihub has various methods to do microtonal polyphony ? I don’t know yet. I should know soon.

I wonder if the Midihub can output polyphonic-aftertouch ? I could use that if there is.

There definitely are MPE ways to do this, set the HS to use MPE and map the MPE controls appropriately through the mod-matrix.

Another option, again limited but interesting, is to use the step sequences (up to eight) with step mode of the LFO and then send that to the pitch via the mod-matrix. Those pitches are tunable to non-equal temperament tones. Then you can do polyrhythms and polymeters and microtonal all together at the same time.

Or you could uses either MIDI CC input, or the two CV inputs and affect pitch that way through the mod-matrix. I think there are several ways to do that.

Sorry this post got long. It’s the Hydrasynth.

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Man, this thing is a dream, 5 LFO’s? Love it!

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Plus you can use the 5 Envelopes like LFOs by turning envelope looping ON. Or if you want you can use the LFOs like an envelope with a one shot.

Plus look at all the optional ways you can set the LFO up.

Also nice are timing on LFOs and Envelopes (and some effects) can be set to run off tempo or time, your choice.

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Thanks for the info Jukka! That sounds great! I haven’t had a chance to try one of these yet, but it looks like the desktop version Would be perfect for my needs :slight_smile:

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Tonight Iv’e been watching these two YouTube videos regarding NRPN.
The guy explains quite a lot here. He uses a Circuit in his second video. I’m thinking this could work with Hydra.

NRPN Video 1

NRPN Video 2

I’m just hoping I can use my Akai MPC X and it’s Q-Links to do this. In the second video the guy uses a Roland midi controller.
Just found these videos interesting, maybe you guys find it useful.

If I can get Hydra going with the Akai MPC X I’ll be very happy indeed.

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delete

You are overcomplicating things. What are you actually trying to do?

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Never mind I’ll delete the post then and figure stuff out myself :+1:

:face_with_thermometer: what the? Ok, this is crazy!

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Hi, do you know MajorOSC personally?

I purchased Ignition for Hydrasynth but never received a download link. I’ve emailed him 4 times and have not received a response (it’s been 2 weeks).

I don’t – Maybe someone else here can help.

If you’ve got facebook, i see you can contact him through that.

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