ASM Hydrasynth Explorer Synthesizer

Hope someone got a chuckle out of my headline. I couldn’t resist. 😊 This synth has been on my radar since its release a few years back, and I finally decided to go for it. I was debating between the Hydrasynth Desktop vs. Explorer, and the “Polytouch” keys on the Explorer won out. Really glad I got a keyboarded model. For the price, this is one awesome, versatile synthesizer. Compared to most other “mini” keyboarded synths in this price range, the Hydrasynth Explorer has an excellent build quality. Solid knobs, nice rubber buttons, good backside connectors, responsive pitch and mod touch strips, and a very decent “mini” keybed. This is a nice compromise compared to a full sized keyboard - doesn't feel like a toy! Of course, what’s most important here is the sound. First off, it’s worth noting that the sound engine on the Explorer is the same as its bigger siblings. With the exception of the Deluxe model (which is capable of layering voices), they all share the same factory patch banks. It was a really good sign that after setting this up I spent about a half hour just playing around with the first 15 or so presets in bank A. No speed through presets here, they were all that good (at least to my ears). And this synth has 8 banks of 128 patches. Punchy basses, beautiful evolving ambient pads, shredding leads – absolutely tons of sonic potential here. Cool randomizer feature – You can randomize an entire patch, or focus on a specific area to roll the dice on. Lots of performance options here as well: Back to the keyboard - This is my first polyphonic aftertouch enabled keyboard, and I was very pleasantly surprised at the expressiveness I could coax out of many of those first few patches. Again, so glad I went with the Explorer! Three nice sized dedicated knobs in the filter section that you can sweep while playing. Pitch and Mod touch strip controls (Instead of levers. They work fine). And one killer arpeggiator, with its own set of dedicated controls. Perks Additionally, there’s a couple things about what's included with the Hydrasynth Explorer from Ashun Sound Machines that are worth noting. First, the included power adapter that came with this synth has a long power cord. Seriously, the cord is probably about twice the length of what you usually get. Handy. Second, the accompanying manual is 98 pages of CLEAR, readable English. :)

I just opened the box & have only read the instruction manual & I am BLOWN AWAY! I have NEVER experienced any instruction manual like this in my life & I am in my 60's. The manual is huge & contains everything you could possibly want to know in an orderly & fantastically organized concise language. I am not joking folks - This manual all by itself is a work of art! Included is the POWER SUPPLY UNIT (fricking unheard of ya'all!) The deck of the unit is so logical & ergonomic it mystified me. I will return after I have explored it but right now I can say without any hesitation that BANG FOR THE BUCK there is no comparison . . . Wait until you see this instruction manual, you won't believe that it's real . . . It is AWESOME! UPDATE - I have been completely lost in a spectacular sound realm, wandering around sonically in a beautiful hypnosis. I keep hearing Isao Tomita's ghost & I am consumed with gratitude. This HYDRA is just astounding! There are a thousand ways to gamble your investment on a lot of specialized proprietary sound machines & once you take the bait your begrudgingly locked into an array of peripherals that you never bargained for slowly chewing away at your wallet . . . Not here! This is a SOLID investment, far & away the best money I have ever laid down. Astounding, Amazing, Incredible!

Great on board sounds or build your own from scratch. Awesome synth for the price.

I ordered the synthesizer for my son. It was sent to my house as requested. I wanted to find out what he was getting into. This keyboard is playable just out of the box! Simply plug and play (I plugged it into my guitar amp) using the factory presets. Great sounds. I love it! I packed it up soon after. I didn't get to explore much further, but I would definitely would love to have my own.

This has got to be the best sounding digital synth out there. Lots of modulation options and a very unique and intuitive layout. The effects are very good too! There's a reason why the Hydrasynth family are highly regarded...they are fantastic synths! Even Teddy digs it! Five stars!

I'm a guitar player that toys around with Synthesizers and other cool electronic devices. This Synth is really quite impressive, with its well thought-out features and its amazing sound capabilitirs. I'm really looking forward to doing a lot more sound-exploration with my Hydrasynth Explorer!

It sounded like a lot of the same outdated synth patches, I was not expecting to be disappointed with all the praise about it. I had no use for any patches on this, and found a few similar size boards that are way better, in my opinion, and electronic experience.

I don’t know what I’m doing with this machine and it’s still amazing. It integrated into my modest home studio easily and it didn’t take long to get my Fishman tripleplay to control the sounds. It is glorious. I’ve used it to intro Dj sets and, with song key always showed by Serato, I’m able to drop in live playing, add some meat to songs.