ASM Polytouch HYDRASYNTH EXPLORER Owner'S Manual Download Page 3

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DESIGN & DIRECTION

• Glen Darcey

PRODUCT MANAGER

• Dominic Au

ENGINEERING

• Chen Jiejun (engine)

• Banner Xu (software) • Yang Zhihang (software)

• Ye Haipeng (electronic) • Chen Si (electronic) • Luo Liangsheng (electronic)

• Fu Jieming (Mechanics) • Liang Weiming (Mechanics)

• Zhou Peng (Mechanics) • Fan Xiaoxian (Mechanics)

INDUSTRIAL DESIGN

• Gao Chao • Long Ping

TESTING

• Zheng Wei Cheng • Ken “Flux” Pierce • Maria Zhang • Randy Lee • Leng An

SOUND DESIGN

• Drew Anderson

• Dominic Au

• Roger Austli

• Jim Cowgill

• Glen Darcey

• Daniel Fisher

• Mord Fustang

• Boele Gerkes

• Rob Jervons

• Ken “Flux” Pierce

• Matt Pike

• Aquila Rift

• Ben Scheffler

• Paul Schilling

• Matia Simovich

MANUAL

• Randy Lee (author) • Nancy Lee (design & layout)

www.AshunSoundMachines.com

Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not

represent a commitment on the part of Ashun Sound Machines. The software described in this

manual is provided under the terms of a license agreement or non-disclosure agreement. The

software license agreement specifies the terms and conditions for its lawful use. No part of

this manual may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any purpose other than the

purchaser’s personal use, without the express written permission of Ashun Sound Machines.
All other products, logos or company names quoted in this manual are trademarks or

registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Special ThankS

Summary of Contents for Polytouch HYDRASYNTH EXPLORER

Page 1: ...MASTER VOLUME PHONES OCTAVE TRIPLET TAP TEMPO LATCH ON GLIDE RIBBON DOWN UP CHORD MIDI IN DC USB SUSTAIN EXPRESSION MIDI THRU MIDI OUT L MONO OUTPUT POWER UP UP DN ORDER RANDOM CHORD PHRASE DOWN UP DN OFF 58 62 66 70 75 52 54 1 2 3 4 1 32 1 16 1 8 1 4 MAX MIN FAVORITE RANDOM BROWSE SYSTEM SETUP SAVE MAIN SY CV GATE ARPEGGIATOR SHIFT INIT ...

Page 2: ...OCTAVE MAX MIN ...

Page 3: ...ANUAL Randy Lee author Nancy Lee design layout Ashun Sound Machines 2021 All rights reserved www AshunSoundMachines com Information contained in this manual is subject to change without notice and does not represent a commitment on the part of Ashun Sound Machines The software described in this manual is provided under the terms of a license agreement or non disclosure agreement The software licen...

Page 4: ...with poor air circulation 7 Do not open or insert anything into the device that may cause a fire or electrical shock 8 Do not spill any kind of liquid onto the device 9 Always take the device to a qualified service center You will invalidate your warranty if you open and remove the cover and improper assembly may cause electrical shock or other malfunctions 10 Do not use the device with thunder an...

Page 5: ... The SAVE button 16 System Setup 16 The INIT button 16 The RANDOM button 17 The SHIFT button 17 Master Control Section 17 EXIT button 18 PAGE Up Down buttons 18 VOICE button 18 MACRO ASSIGN button 18 MOD MATRIX button 18 Arpeggiator Section 18 Filter Controls 19 Module Select 19 Performance Controls 19 Chord mode 19 Rear Panel 20 CV Gate connectors 20 Outputs 20 Sustain pedal input 20 MIDI 20 USB ...

Page 6: ...velope parameters page 1 38 Envelope parameters page 2 39 Envelope parameters page 3 39 Envelope parameters page 4 39 Envelope parameters pages 5 6 40 Envelope Shortcuts 41 Copy Env A to Env B 41 Create a direct Mod route 41 The LFOs 42 What s an LFO 42 LFO features 42 LFOs 1 and 2 42 LFO parameters page 1 42 LFO parameters page 2 43 LFO parameters page 3 43 LFO parameters page 4 44 LFO Shortcuts ...

Page 7: ...y 64 Clocks and Sync 64 Compatibility 64 Output Connectors 65 Pitch 65 Gate 65 Mod 1 and 2 65 Clock 65 CVs and Arpeggios 65 Patch Management 66 Using the Browser 66 Browse parameters page 1 66 Sort Methods 66 Browse parameters page 2 66 Compare 67 Favorite Assign 67 Browse Favorites 67 Save the Patch 67 Patch Protection 67 Save parameters page 1 68 Name the Patch 68 Select a Category 68 Save param...

Page 8: ...7 System Page 17 77 OS Page 18 77 Control Combinations 78 INIT Button X 78 INIT Control Button X 78 RANDOM Button X 78 SHIFT Button X 79 SHIFT Control Knob X 79 SHIFT Control Button X 79 Scales 80 Preset Standard Scales 80 Preset Microtuning Scales 81 MIDI CC Charts 82 Sorted by Module 82 Sorted by CC Number 83 Specifications 85 Physical 85 Connections Rear Panel 85 CV Gate Clock outputs 85 Contro...

Page 9: ...ggiator 8 modes with direction octave chord and phrase options Patch browser Organize by Name Category or Patch number Memorize instantly recall up to 32 Favorites Overflow mode can link two units for expanded polyphony Patch features 5 banks of 128 patches each Mono and Unison voice modes with unison detune Glide with programmable time curve trigger mode Mod Matrix with 32 routes per patch Progra...

Page 10: ...ED Dim feature for darkened rooms Kensington lock port 37 mini key semi weighted Polytouch keyboard with polyphonic aftertouch and velocity sensitivity note on off Dedicated controls for Filter and Arpeggiator sections Pitch bend strip and Modulation strip with LED depth indicator Octave Down Up buttons Chord mode with dedicated button Can be powered by 8 AA batteries for hours of portable creativ...

Page 11: ...rate indication of battery level be sure to specify the type of battery being used on Master Page 4 p 71 Important notes about using battery power DO NOT MIX BATTERY TYPES all 8 batteries must be the same type A separate device must be used to recharge the Ni MH batteries Do not attempt to recharge alkaline batteries Replace all batteries at the same time with new or freshly recharged batteries of...

Page 12: ...location of the patch you re looking for The Browse button opens the patch browser in the Right display You ll want to read the section Using the Browser p 66 to learn about things like Categories Favorites and other search techniques Octave shift If you want to hear a sound in a higher or lower range than the keys currently reach you can shift the range quickly by one or more octaves The Hydrasyn...

Page 13: ...ection This section has two buttons and three knobs The buttons select which of the two filters the knobs will control after which the knobs can do their thing Knobs 1 and 2 are the same for either filter they control Cutoff and Resonance respectively If Filter 1 is selected the third knob controls the Drive amount for that filter if Filter 2 is selected the third knob allows you to morph the char...

Page 14: ...anel Many of the buttons in the Main Systems and Master Control sections and all of the buttons in the Module Select section are Access buttons Their purpose Press an Access button and the main parameter page for that feature appears in the Right display for editing If more pages exist one or both Page buttons will point to the other pages Pressing an Access button repeatedly will also scroll thro...

Page 15: ...pre wired connection Env 1 LFO 1 to Filters Env 2 LFO 2 to Amp or the ability to be routed in Series or Parallel as with the Filters or order of operations such as the output of the Delay is fed to the input of the Reverb The Module Select buttons can be used as a quick way to set up a Mod Matrix route too hold one press another For information about that see The Mod Matrix p 61 Knob types Selecti...

Page 16: ... Macros All Notes Off Sometimes MIDI signals are disrupted and a note becomes stuck If that happens hold SHIFT and press HOME to transmit an All Notes Off command This will silence any stuck notes The SAVE button Whenever you ve made an edit that you d hate to lose press SAVE to access the Save page You ll be able to select a new location for the edited patch rename it and choose a category for th...

Page 17: ...an save it like that or tweak it as needed Percent of Randomization The Random feature lets you specify how much randomization takes place in each module Press RANDOM to gain access to three pages on which you are able to set the randomization limit for the modules listed below Page Modules Range 1 OSC 1 3 Mutant 1 4 Mixer Filters 0 100 2 Macro ModMtrx ENV LFO 0 100 3 Voice Amp FX Arp 0 100 The SH...

Page 18: ...he Voice module is also home to the Analog Feel and Random Phase settings These can really bring a patch to life See the Modules chapter for specifics about the Voice module p 22 MACRO ASSIGN button This Access button opens a page that is like a hallway with eight doors and behind each one is a lab that makes a powerful performance control called a Macro You can define up to eight modulation route...

Page 19: ...rmances is enhanced by the Macro controls on the Home page as well as dedicated Filter and Arpeggiator controls Along with those are a host of other interactive features such as 37 PolyTouch keys pitch mod strips Octave buttons Chord mode and a headphone jack And thanks to its portability and a healthy number of CV outputs the outside world can join in on the fun We offer several models with ident...

Page 20: ...ormation about how to use them is in The CV Gate Section p 64 Outputs Headphones The headphone volume is controlled with the Master Volume knob Stereo Outputs Connect the Left output if monaural signal is desired connect both outputs if stereo signal is preferred Sustain pedal input Connect a momentary footswitch here Its polarity is detected on power up so any brand of pedal can be used MIDI The ...

Page 21: ...odels including Low High Band Pass and vocal formant options Filter 2 is a multi mode filter with two types Low Pass Band Pass High Pass and Low Pass Notch High Pass Each type can morph between the three states The filters can be placed in parallel or series Full details are in The Filters and their Controls p 33 Envelope group All five Envelopes have identical parameters and each can be triggered...

Page 22: ... can also be used inside the Mod Matrix pages The advantage to doing it there is that when you hold a source button all of the potential mod route destinations will light up They don t do that from the Home page The Mod Matrix will be covered more fully in The Mod Matrix p 61 Select Macro Destinations When Hydrasynth Explorer is on the Home page the Control knobs and Control buttons are capable of...

Page 23: ... the possible combinations Modules Copy Paste is possible between Oscillators Oscillators 1 and 2 Mutants Mutants 1 2 3 or 4 Envelopes Envelopes 1 2 3 4 or 5 LFOs LFOs 1 2 3 4 or 5 Modules that won t When the Save button is held some of the Module buttons are not lit These have unique parameters and can not be copied and pasted Modules Copy Paste NOT possible Oscillators Oscillator 3 Ring Noise Fi...

Page 24: ...d release the source and then press and release the destination Then release SAVE Oscillators 1 and 2 The features of these oscillators are identical so the following descriptions apply to both For a list of the available waveforms see the Waveform List p 30 at the end of this chapter Switching modes To change an oscillator from Single mode to WaveScan mode or vice versa access OSC 1 or OSC 2 and ...

Page 25: ...h of the 8 WAV locations Options include OFF Silence and any one of the 219 waveforms The eight WAV slots correspond to the x 0 positions of the WaveScan parameter on page 1 of the upper level WAV 1 position 1 0 WAV 2 position 2 0 etc A WaveScan value of 1 5 for example is derived by morphing halfway between WAV 1 and WAV 2 Two additional features make waveform selection and auditioning very easy ...

Page 26: ...ynth Explorer can use any of its 219 waveforms as both the carrier and the modulator The FM Source can also be generated by the Mutant itself Sine or Triangle another Mutant module or the Ring Noise module Page Control Parameter Range Description 1 1 Mode 8 species focus FM Lin See list of Mutants in previous section 1 2 Ratio 0 250 64 000 increments vary Relative tuning of Source oscillator 1 1 3...

Page 27: ...mal PWM does the Oscillator Sync is happening twice in the cycle The ratio can be as high as 64 1 or as low as 0 250 1 This means that the mutation process can occur as many as 64 times in the space of one waveform cycle or as few as one time in the space of four waveform cycles Window A Hann window applies a sort of bell curve filter to the Osc Sync source It rolls off the high and low input freq...

Page 28: ... Warp points 5 8 6 Repeat steps 7 and 8 with one or more Warp points at various values 7 Also try different settings for Ratio Feedback and Dry Wet The sonic potential is nearly limitless PW ASM mode is actually a form of Frequency Modulation FM It allows you to draw your own modulator waveform by selecting different values for each of the 8 Warp points Construct a slope a valley a mound jagged pe...

Page 29: ...ous waveforms sound different each contains a different set of harmonics in varying strengths PhazDiff PhazDiff generates the difference of the incoming wave and a version that is inverted and phase shifted Parameter Range Description Depth 0 128 in increments of 0 1 Controls the phase of the output waveform Feedback 0 150 Feeds the phase shifted output back into itself Dry Wet 0 100 Mix raw and p...

Page 30: ...nts of 0 1 RM volume 1 2 1 Noise Type White Pink Brown Red Blue Violet Grey Selects noise type 2 2 Noise Vol 0 128 in increments of 0 1 Noise volume 2 1 Parameter is shared with Mixer page 2 edit field 1 changing one also changes the other 2 Parameter is shared with Mixer page 2 edit field 2 changing one also changes the other Waveform List Waveform group Waveforms Waveform group Waveforms Classic...

Page 31: ...ch you may want to hear one of the sources on its own while making adjustments to that source Rather than setting the other levels to zero temporarily and restoring them later Hydrasynth Explorer includes a Solo function It s easy to use On pages 1 and 2 use Control button 4 to toggle Solo from Off to On Those pages share this parameter so changing it on one page changes it on the other When Solo ...

Page 32: ...g of Sources Osc 1 3 Filter routing To adjust the routing of each oscillator between Filter 1 and Filter 2 access MIXER and use the Page Down arrow to select page 5 Control knobs 1 3 contain the filter routing values for Oscillators 1 3 Use the appropriate Control knob to adjust the filter routing of each item 100 0 sends the source only to Filter 1 0 100 sends the source only to Filter 2 Intermed...

Page 33: ...r synth LP Ldr24 24dB Uncompensated Ladder filter LP Fat12 12dB Compensated Ladder filter LP Stn12 Our version of a popular 12dB Low Pass filter LP Fat24 24dB Compensated Ladder filter LP Gate Low Pass Gate filter BP Stn12 Our version of a popular 12dB Band Pass filter with dual 6dB slopes LP MS20 Low Pass filter with an MS 20 flair HP MS20 High Pass filter with an MS 20 flair HP Stn12 Our version...

Page 34: ... selected on the top panel the ENV 1 knob in the Filter Controls section also controls this parameter LFO 1 amount This parameter defines the amount and polar ity of the effect LFO 1 will have on Filter 1 There s a similar separate parameter for Filter 2 LFO 1 has a pre wired connection to the Filter section which saves a mod route But a different LFO can be used to control the filter if you want ...

Page 35: ...rameter is shared with the Drive Morph knob in the Filter Controls section Drive Route There are two configurations for routing the Drive effect Pre or Post The difference is whether the waveform is boosted before it hits the filter or whether the filter output is boosted before it reaches the Amp stage Pre places the Drive effect between the waveform and the filter Post places the Drive effect af...

Page 36: ...a Band Pass or Notch filter at the middle setting Along the way there are hundreds of intermediate settings As the value changes a graphic indicates the filter character When Filter 2 is selected on the top panel the Morph parameter is shared with the Drive Morph knob in the Filter Controls section The rest of the Page 1 parameters are identical in function to the same parameters in Filter 1 Cutof...

Page 37: ...ffects section Velocity Envelope Vel Env The Vel Env parameter determines how much the amplitude envelope will respond to note velocity Negative values invert the response so that an increase in velocity reduces the amplitude envelope response When Vel Env is set to 0 the amplitude envelope will not respond to changes in velocity However other parameters might still respond to velocity depending o...

Page 38: ...et with each new note Reset On or reset only if all other notes have been released Legato On It s easier to hear an envelope reset with a mono phonic patch than with a polyphonic patch For an example see the description of Reset p 40 Looping envelopes Hydrasynth envelopes can loop a specific number of times or indefinitely Modulation and interaction An envelope can be used as a modulation source f...

Page 39: ...or sixteen measures Envelope parameters page 3 Control Parameter Range Description 1 AtkCurve 1 Sets attack segment curve 2 DecCurve 2 Sets decay segment curve 4 RelCurve 2 Sets release segment curve 1 Exp 64 Lin 0 Log 64 2 Log 64 Lin 0 Exp 64 Envelope curves Adjacent logarithmic curves look like a mound The attack segment rises quickly and its rate of change slows as it nears the peak the decay a...

Page 40: ...he sustain level not the lowest frequencies 12 Release the pedal 13 Press the Page Down arrow and set Reset to On 14 Repeat steps 6 12 15 The difference The filter sweeps through all frequencies for all notes not just the first 8 In summary here s what to expect with a polyphonic patch Reset On The 9th voice starts the envelope from its beginning Reset Off The 9th voice starts the envelope from th...

Page 41: ...d release the destination Envelope B 4 Release SAVE Create a direct Mod route To set up a mod route to a specific parameter from inside a module 1 Hold ENV X to select the source 2 Press the Control button for the desired destination parameter then release both buttons 3 Those items appear in the first open Mod Matrix slot as the source and destination respectively 4 Set the modulation amount with...

Page 42: ... is not available as a source or destination in the Mod Matrix For details see the Vibrato settings p 52 of the Voice module chapter LFOs 1 and 2 Hydrasynth Explorer has pre wired connections linking LFO 1 to the Filters and LFO 2 to the Amp module More LFOs can be routed to these destinations as needed through The Mod Matrix p 61 LFO parameters page 1 Control Parameter Range Description 1 Wave Si...

Page 43: ...n Value Duration 64 Sixty four quarter notes or 16 bars 8 Eight quarter notes or two bars 1 1 Whole note or one bar 1 16Dot Dotted sixteenth note 1 16 Sixteenth note 1 16T Sixteenth note triplet TrigSync This parameter governs whether an LFO resets with each new note or operates independently per voice Poly Each new note triggers its LFO indepen dently Use this for lush pads etc Single Each new no...

Page 44: ... the 8 step sequence repeats 12 Enter values on the other steps to see how that affects the Step LFO output Now that you know your way around the Step LFO let s dive deeper SemiLock SemiLock displays the steps inside the Step Edit page in semitone values This makes it easy for an LFO to play standard 12 tone pitches Let s try an example with SemiLock On this time 1 Press INIT twice to initialize t...

Page 45: ... ways to use the Step LFO The maximum Step values are 64 0 so the total range is a little wider than an octave above and below the root pitch Try using one or more oscillators with a Step LFO and BPM set to ON Different Rate values provide interesting rhythms Osc 1 and 2 could play step sequences while Osc 3 drones on the root pitch for example Use different values of the Steps parameter to create...

Page 46: ...will be covered in this section These are the FX types available for the Pre FX and Post FX modules Chorus Flanger Rotary Phaser Lo Fi Tremolo EQ Compressor Distort Each FX type has preset templates that can be used as starting points for your own creations When the patch is saved the FX settings are preserved Bypass This is the default option To disable the effect module set it to Bypass Chorus P...

Page 47: ...6 Selects effect 1 2 Rate 0 02 10 0 Hz Controls phaser rate 1 3 Feedback 63 0 Feeds phaser into itself positive negative polarity 1 4 Dry Wet 0 100 0 Sets dry signal effect blend 2 1 Preset 1 3 Selects template 2 2 Depth 0 127 Controls phase modulation depth 2 3 Phase 0 127 Adjusts lowest frequency point of phase modulation 2 4 Offset 180 Sets initial effect phase relative to input Lo Fi Page Cont...

Page 48: ...ency cut boost 1 4 Dry Wet 0 100 0 Sets dry signal effect blend 2 1 Preset Flat LowBoost Bass Cut High Cut Smile Lo Fi Warm Selects template 2 2 MidGain 36 0 24 0 dB Mid frequency cut boost 2 3 Xover Lo 32 2 000 Hz Sets low mid crossover point 2 4 Xover Hi 512 16 000 Hz Sets mid high crossover point Compressor Page Control Parameter Range Description 1 1 FX Type 9 types see Pre and Post FX p 46 Se...

Page 49: ...he stereo input signal and produces a mono delay Basic Stereo preserves the stereo positioning of the input signal Pan Delay alternates between the right and left input signals LRC Delay outputs the left input then the right input then both and repeats that pattern Reverse takes whatever comes in during the delay period and plays it backward Delay Parameters All of the delays have identical parame...

Page 50: ...b While on Reverb module page 1 hold SHIFT and press Control button 3 and the reverb time will jump to Freeze If the Hi Lo Damp parameters are set to zero the Freeze setting will hold the reverb indefi nitely Any notes that are played will be added to the effect A Macro button can toggle the Freeze value on and off just set the BTN VALUE to 128 0 To learn more about setting up a Macro see Masterin...

Page 51: ...te If an option doesn t say Lo or Hi it s both A new note can be triggered by any note above or below the held note How does Analog Feel Another thing that makes an analog synthesizer seem so alive is its inherent instability This unpredictability is an issue not only in the tuning of the oscillators but throughout the signal path The Analog Feel parameter allows you to dial in as much of this beh...

Page 52: ...tal oscillators not to reset their phase to 0 when they are triggered Warm mode Warm Mode simulates the frequency curve of a popular warm synthesizer As you can see in the image below it reduces the high end a bit and boosts the low end White noise from Hydrasynth with Warm Mode ON left and OFF right Voice Parameters page 3 Control Parameter Range Description 1 Pitch Bend 0 24 Positive negative pi...

Page 53: ...lyphony mode Poly The reason Each individual voice has its own legato and legato playing only happens when the same voice is retriggered For example if voice 1 is the next one that will be triggered playing a legato note will glide voice 1 from its current note to the new note Voice Parameters page 5 Control Parameter Range Description 1 Key Lock Chromatic octave Lock keyboard to specific key No e...

Page 54: ...play the first note Note that if the root note is entered it will be ignored it s the Key It s okay to enter the notes out of order they ll be placed in chromatic order when Control button 1 is released Clear a note To clear one or more notes hold INIT and press the corresponding Control button s You can t clear the Key selection on Control button 1 that s the root key of the scale To change it ex...

Page 55: ...riplet options are there too and the Triplet LED will light as they are selected You can also press TRIPLET to select that setting immediately Swing The top panel Swing knob offers eight settings including Off But there are actually 26 settings between 50 and 75 Use Control knob 3 to select a value or use the Swing knob first and then Control knob 3 to select a nearby value Gate Turn Control knob ...

Page 56: ...use Mode Up Oct Mode Up and Range 2 With Length 3 hold a 4 note chord The arpeggiator will only play the first 3 notes in the chord To hear all four set Length to 4 They will only play in the first octave Increase Length to 5 The lowest note of the chord will appear in the second octave Increase Length to 6 then 7 then 8 Gradually each note of the chord will appear in the second octave Increase Le...

Page 57: ...own in the chart The status of the LATCH button LED provides a visual clue as to which settings are active Latch Sustain LATCH LED status On Off Button lit constantly On On Flashing cycle 0 8s lit 0 2s unlit Off On Flashing cycle 0 5s lit 0 5s unlit Off Off Button dimly lit Initialize the Arp Hold INIT and press the ON button to initialize the Arpeggiator module All parameters will return to their...

Page 58: ...upper left Use the Page arrows to select Des 2 8 The top 2 lines on the right show the destination module and the specific parameter The bottom 2 lines show the Button Value and the modulation Depth for the knob Use Control buttons 2 and 4 to move up and down the right side of the display Assign a Destination For the purposes of this exercise let s start with an empty Macro We ll be working with M...

Page 59: ... whether the current positions of the Macro knobs will be returned to zero Return stored in their current positions Save or converted into new values for the parameters they control Convert For more information see Patch Management p 66 Macro Button Response There s a separate chapter for The System Setup Pages p 70 but this information affects how the Macro buttons behave on the Home page and whi...

Page 60: ...mt PWM Thin Air Delay Mai Tai Range Time Amp Depth Major Ratchet TimeDiv ArpMode Distort MakeHuge Rate Twist Attack Dry Wet Mangle Ratio Velocity Bacon Env Amt Massage Release Vowel Bark EQ Hi MIDI CC Reso Warp BassDrop EQ Low Minor Reverb Wavescan Beef EQ Mid Mod 1 RingMod WavStack Bend Fast Mod 2 Rotary Width Bite Feedback Mod Amt Rumble Wobble Bleed Filter Morph Scratch Woof Breath Flanger Nois...

Page 61: ...ob to jump through modules by category Shortcut 2 Press the desired module button to select it Shortcut 3 Turn one of the top panel knobs to select that parameter 7 Press the bottom Control button to access the next row 8 Scroll the top Control knob to change the destination parameter unless you used Shortcut 3 in step 6 already 9 Press the bottom Control button to exit assign mode 10 The bottom C...

Page 62: ...e in this case there is nothing else for the upper Control knob to select when that field is highlighted If all 32 modulation routes are occupied and you try to add another the Hydrasynth Explorer will show a message for two seconds that says Mod Matrix Slots Full More Shortcuts Clear a Mod Slot To clear a single Mod matrix slot hold INIT and press its top Control button Clear the Entire Mod Matri...

Page 63: ...sc 1 2 Osc 3 All Osc 1 Pitch 12 12 semitones Wave WaveScan Pitch 12 12 semitones Wave Pitch 12 12 semitones Mutator 1 4 Ratio Depth Window Feedback Dry Wet Warp 1 8 Ring Mod Depth Mixer Osc1Vol Osc2Vol Osc3Vol RingVol NoiseVol Osc1Pan Osc2Pan Osc3Pan RingPan NoisePan Osc1F1 2 Osc2F1 2 Osc3F1 2 RingF1 2 NoisF1 2 Filter 1 Filter 2 Cutoff Resonance Drive Control ENV1amt LFO1amt Keytrack Morph Cutoff ...

Page 64: ...converting digital data into analog voltages which are then regulated by the System Setup preferences and supplied to the CV Gate Clock connectors The Mod Matrix is able to route almost any signal the Hydrasynth Explorer can produce to the Mod 1 and Mod 2 outputs In other words the keys the pitch bend and mod strips the LFOs and envelopes even incoming MIDI data can be routed to the inputs of a mo...

Page 65: ...ntrol voltages generated by the Pitch output and will conform to the note priority settings Two types of gate signals are available V trig or S trig please refer to the documentation for the external device so you ll know which type to use The settings for this output are defined on CV Pitch Gate Page 13 p 76 Mod 1 and 2 These are also control voltage outputs They can be used to modulate almost an...

Page 66: ...sed on the selected sort method The patches stay where they are they re just displayed in a different order Find by Patch This puts the patches in order first by the Bank they occupy A E and then in numerical order within the Banks Find by Name This option puts all of the patches in alphabeti cal order As Control knob 1 is turned the patch Bank and number might jump around a lot this is because th...

Page 67: ...e first Favorites slot press Control button 1 The button will flash quickly to confirm the assignment 5 Use the Down Up arrows to select the next group of 4 patches if the current patch belongs there too The Left display indicates which of the 8 groups is selected 6 Return to the Home page to select another patch then repeat steps 1 4 to place it in a Favorites group 7 Repeat steps 1 5 until the F...

Page 68: ...a z and other characters etc Press Control button 2 to advance to the next character field Use SHIFT Control button 2 to select the previous character field Select a Category Turn Control knob 3 to select one of the preset patch categories Save parameters page 2 Control Parameter Range Description 1 Macro options Return Save Convert Process current Macro values see below 2 Color 32 colors Select L...

Page 69: ...ere you d hate to lose something you ve created on the Hydrasynth Explorer be it a patch or a list of Favorites that s the time to back them up to your computer Our free Hydrasynth Manager application is the best way to do this It will send or receive a single patch several patches a full bank or the entire memory quickly and easily You ll find Hydrasynth Manager at https www ashunsoundmachines co...

Page 70: ...about 1 second Note that sound output is silenced while the settings are being saved Save System State You can specify which patch you see first when the Hydrasynth Explorer is powered up It s a simple process Select your favorite patch that s the hard part Hold SAVE and press SYSTEM SETUP The display shows STATE SAVED to confirm the action Notes About Notes Some parameters are self explanatory bu...

Page 71: ...g Setting Tempo Lock to On enables the tempo to remain the same while selecting patches Macro Button These settings are described in the Macro Button Response p 59 section of the Mastering the Macros chapter Master Page 4 Control Parameter Range Description 1 Safe Edit On Off Prevents accidental loss of edited patch 2 Battery type Alkaline Ni MH Specify the type of batteries being used 4 Microtun ...

Page 72: ...e Note that Hydrasynth Explorer only uses the first 16 characters in the name Receive Scale Press Control button 3 to put the Hydrasynth Explorer into sys ex waiting mode At this point you can send the sys ex scale file from your computer Send Scale Press Control button 4 to send your scale via sys ex Keys Page 5 Control Parameter Range Description 1 Velocity On Fix 60 80 100 110 127 Select veloci...

Page 73: ...lation wobble while pressure is applied and can sustain even after note off MIDI Page 7 Control Parameter Range Description 1 Clock Sync Internal USB MIDI In Auto Clock source for Arp LFOs Envelopes Delay FX see below 2 Local On Off Disconnect keyboard from internal engine 3 MIDI TX 1 16 Set MIDI transmission channel 4 MIDI RX Omni 1 16 Set MIDI receive channel Clock Sync INT RUN selects Hydrasynt...

Page 74: ...ters see note What is MPE MPE stands for MIDI Polyphonic Expression It s a newer MIDI protocol used mainly by alternate controllers like Roli instruments Haken Continuum and LinnStrument When active the voices of your Hydrasynth Explorer break into individual channels so each note can have its own pitch bend timbre and pressure control Hydrasynth Explorer already supports polyphonic aftertouch so ...

Page 75: ...ages via MIDI USB 3 Pgm Chg TX Off On Send MIDI Program Change upon patch selection 4 Pgm Chg RX Off On Receive MIDI Program Change commands 1 The Arp TX setting has no effect when Overflow is set to On Overflow must be set to Off to transmit the arpeggiator notes 2 This also toggles the arpeggiator response to incoming MIDI USB notes Overflow Two Hydrasynth models can act like a single unit using...

Page 76: ...ch those settings on the Hydrasynth Explorer Control Parameter Range 1 Clock Control Voltage 3V 5V 2 Clock Rate 1 PPS 2 PPQ 24 PPQ 48 PPQ 3 Clock Division Off 1 2 2 4 4 Clock Offset 100ms to 100ms PPS Pulse Per Step sends a single cycle of the clock output with every Arpeggiator step or every time TAP TEMPO is pressed when the Tap Trig parameter is active on Arp Edit page 2 PPS works well with mod...

Page 77: ...ation Page 16 Control Parameter Range Description 1 Calibrate Wheels access Full range motion of the pitch and mod strips Calibrate Wheels Press Control button 1 to access the calibration page and follow the instructions on Left display Move each strip slowly through its entire range then press EXIT System Page 17 Control Parameter Range Description 1 Self Test action Hold the button and all LEDs ...

Page 78: ... Density Detune Keytrack Mutant Smooth Ratio Depth Window Feedback Dry Wet Mutator Custom Edit Warp 1 8 Ring Noise RMDepth RingVol NoiseType NoiseVol Mixer Osc1Pan Osc2Pan RingPan NoisePan Osc1Filt Osc2Filt RingFilt NoisFilt Filter Type Morph Cutoff Resonance Drive Control Env1Amt LFO1Amt Keytrack Amp LFO2Amt AmpLevel Pre FX Param1 5 Dry Wet Delay Time Feedback HiDamp LoDamp PreDelay Dry Wet Rever...

Page 79: ...group Browse Patch Jump by 10 Browse Compare Jump by 10 Patch Save Patch Jump by 10 Voice Pitchbend Jump to the closest special value 0 2 4 5 7 12 24 Macro Assign Edit Destination Module Jump to the closest first group of each type Mod Matrix Source Jump to the closest first modulator of each group Mod Matrix Destination Module Jump to the closest first group of each type Osc X Wave Jump to the cl...

Page 80: ...ydian x x x x x x x Lydian Aug x x x x x x x Acoustic x x x x x x x Pentatonic Maj x x x x x Locrian Maj x x x x x x x Prometheus x x x x x x Whole Tone x x x x x x Melodic Minor 1 x x x x x x x x x Half Diminished x x x x x x x Aeolian x x x x x x x Dorian x x x x x x x Harmonic Minor x x x x x x x Algerian x x x x x x x x Gypsy x x x x x x x Hungarian x x x x x x x Ukranian x x x x x x x Dim Who...

Page 81: ...1 1 4 Tone 17 Diaphonic 12 tone 2 19 Tone 18 Eikosany 1 3 11 3 31 Tone 19 Greek Aeolic 4 Al Farabi SynChrom 20 H Partch 43 note 5 Arabic 12 tone 21 Harmonic A 1 60 6 Archytas Chromatic 22 Hexany 1 3 5 9 7 Archytas Enharmonic 23 Hexany 1 3 7 11 8 Belafon Singapore 24 Hexany 13 11 13 9 Belafon W Africa 25 Indian Raga 10 Bendeler Well Tempered 26 Japanese Koto 11 Bohlen 11 tone 27 Just Major C 12 Chi...

Page 82: ...track 51 Filter 1 Filter 1 LFO1amt 52 Filter 1 Filter 1 Vel Env 53 Filter 1 Filter 1 ENV1amt 54 Filter 1 Filter 1 Res 71 Filter 1 Filter 1 Cutoff 74 Filter 2 Filter 2 Cutoff 55 Filter 2 Filter 2 Res 56 Filter 2 Filter 2 Type 57 Filter 2 Filter 2 Keytrack 58 Filter 2 Filter 2 LFO1amt 59 Filter 2 Filter 2 Vel Env 60 Filter 2 Filter 2 ENV1amt 61 LFO 1 LFO1 Gain 70 LFO 1 LFO1 Rate 72 LFO 2 LFO2 Gain 2...

Page 83: ...ystem All notes off 123 Voice GlidTime 05 Voice Glide 66 Voice Detune 95 Voice StWidth 117 Sorted by CC Number Module Parameter CC System Bank select MSB 00 System Modulation wheel 01 Mixer Noise Vol 03 Voice GlidTime 05 System Master Volume 07 Mixer Noise Pan 08 Mixer Ring Mod Vol 09 Mixer Ring Mod Pan 10 System Expression pedal 11 Pre fx PRE FX Param1 12 Pre fx PRE FX Param2 13 Delay Delay Feedb...

Page 84: ...FO3 Gain 75 LFO 3 LFO3 Rate 76 LFO 4 LFO4 Gain 77 LFO 4 LFO4 Rate 78 LFO 5 LFO5 Gain 79 LFO 5 LFO5 Rate 80 ENV 1 ENV1 Attack 81 ENV 1 ENV1 Decay 82 ENV 1 ENV1 Sustain 83 ENV 1 ENV1 Release 84 ENV 2 ENV2 Attack 85 ENV 2 ENV2 Decay 86 ENV 2 ENV2 Sustain 87 ENV 2 ENV2 Release 88 ENV 3 ENV3 Attack 89 ENV 3 ENV3 Decay 90 Reverb Reverb Dry Wet 91 Delay Delay Dry Wet 92 Pre fx PRE FX Mix 93 Post fx POST ...

Page 85: ... outputs balanced Sustain pedal input polarity sensing CV Gate Clock outputs Five 1 8 TS Pitch Gate Mod 1 Mod 2 Clock Power 12 V DC 1A Center positive 8 x AA batteries optional Alkaline or Ni MH CV Gate Clock outputs Control Voltages Range 5V to 5V Pitch 99 cents Mod 3 0V Standards 1V octave 1 2V octave Hz Volt Gate Output Range 3V 5V Type V trig S trig Clock Output Range 3V 5V Rates 1 PPS 2PPQ 24...

Page 86: ...gulations does not guarantee that interference will not occur in a particular instal lation If this equipment does cause harmful interference which can be determined by turning the equipment off and on please try to correct the interference by one or more of the following measures Relocate either this product or the device that is affected by the interference Use power outlets that are on differen...

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