A comparison thread is overdue! Just kidding - didn’t want to clutter up the existing threads by crossposting to two at once, but I’m fine if mods want to move it.
I got offered a good deal on a Hydrasynth desktop and am quite tempted as I have long admired the sound, But I’ve also decided to purchase a Multi/Poly in Japan next year, and I’m wondering if there’s such a big overlap in the sonic capability that it would be a waste of time/money to have/learn both. I know the specs of both machines well, and how they both feature an unusually high number of LFOs, deep modulation matrix etc. I’m also aware of the big differences in polyphony, timbrality, sequencing capability, user interface and so on.
But I do have a few questions that I can’t really resolve by reading the manuals, and would love input from people who own both, or even just one but have strong opinions on it, positive or negative. If I could only pick one it would be the Multi/Poly due to multi-timbrality, motion sequencing etc, but I’m fortunate to have options and I’m struck by how many amazing Hydrasynth demos are out there with some really unusual sound-shaping. Unfortunately the M/P demos are pretty lacking, and mostly just playthroughs of patch collections rather than really deep sound design. So I’m hoping you can help me decide and also drop some knowledge about these synths that might be useful to anyone who has one and is intrigued by the other.
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Oscillator Mod/Mutants
The Hydrasynth seems to have some advanced processing for the oscillators, such as FM , variable sync, PW squeeze, Phase difference and so on. The Multi-Poly has bunch of different modulators built into the oscillators, ranging from very basic to quite complex looking on the wavetable oscs. Figuring out how these shape the sound at a fundamental level has been difficult, since almost all demos you hear involve filters and FX as well, plus oscillators and oscillator mixing are something that take time to properly appreciate. How do owners feel about this stage of these synths? They both seem rather complex and elaborate compared to most other synths. By all means make comparisons to other gear if it helps. -
Filters
The fact that both these synths have 2 filters is a big plus to me. But again it’s a bit hard to draw comparisons. The Hydrasynth has a big selection of models for filter one and a simpler but good SV filter two. The M/P has a lot of ‘classic’ options plus the intriguing-looking multi-filters. Both seem to have abundant routing and modulation options. So basically, what are your subjective impressions - big sweets spots or tempermental to adjust, do they drive nicely, is the resonance polite or wild, does the bass die if the resonance is high, all that sort of stuff. -
Effects
Again they both seem to have a lot going on here, and the FX sections actually seem quite similar to each other architecturally. Anything you want to rave or moan about, I’m interested. Do you feel the effects are an essential part of each synth’s sound, or that they’d sound good and interesting even if you had to rely on external effects? -
Modulation, arpeggiator etc
Both synths seem to offer tons of it, with a great selection of sources and destinations. the M/P seems to offer a bit more in this department but it’s hard to tell. Likewise both synths seem to have very flexible envelopes with looping etc, but I am not sure if either allows envelope retriggering. Modulation is a big deal for me because I really like doing generative patching and it appears both machines allow you get a bit crazy in this department. Interested to hear about both ecstatic and nightmarish experiences! -
weirdly specific chord question
Though I’m blessed with gear I find I usually only use 1 or 2 devices on any given track, because I strongly prefer recording a live performance to editing and mixing multitrack recordings in a DAW. The Analog Rytm is my favorite song starter, and you can send MIDI out from any channel, though only one note at a time. I wonder how you think the HS and M/P perform when it comes to using single notes to trigger chords, with or without the arpeggiator. -
Anything else
Every synth has a lot of parameters that are not so exciting for reviewers to talk about but matter a lot - gain staging, build quality ups or downs, stereo field wins or Ls, too much or too little screen brightness etc.
Thanks for reading and I’m looking forward to hear about people’s experiences with these cool synths!
