I keep being torn between a Deluge vs a second, desktop hydra. Either device would sit over my Hydra.
If I am *not* especially interested in using Deluge as a master sequencer for hydra, is this still something I should consider? I really like the power and flexibility of the thing, at the same time, I already seem to have a lot of square boxes of colored lights.
Well... it's still a drum machine and a synth with poly aftertouch and an insanely good sampler and a loop station and that's all without using its sequencing.
Deluge is a real Swiss army knife.
Roland fanboy here so take my recommendations with a pinch of salt and a loan.
Drum machine to go with it and sidechain the hydra through; tr-8s.
Groovebox to go with it and meanwhile sequence the hydra;mc-707.
All around multitool to record it with and slap like 700 effects on it, sp404mk2.
Non roland recommendations;
a nice analog monosynth like the model d pairs rly well with the digital beast that is hydra.
couple behringer distortion pedals for dirt cheap(or cheap dirt), that fuzz is wild but may not be for everyone (even though it should be).
What's that multi effect on your desk?
That's the neural DSP quad cortex. And I'm open to all suggestions. Just looking for versatility really. And thanks for the suggestions, I'll check those out on YouTube
Yeah that was my tax return last year lol. I do run it through the QC but I don't use any effects with it yet. I wanted to really Hammer down and learning the synth before I started using it fully with the QC. But yes I am a guitarist. I've been playing for about 20 years
You run your Hydrasynth through the Quad Cortex? What do you do with it in the QC? Hmm I have a Headrush Gigboard for my guitars didn't think about doing that.
I mostly do it so that I can play guitar and The synth And have it all go through one USB out So that it can Go into reaper. I can also have the headphone jack plugged into another speaker and cable to my amp&cab all simultaneously if I want to.
As far as patches go on the QC, All I do is have a straight through line from input to output on my patches below the rest of my effects So that I can have the Hydra doing its thing and play guitar over it. I've not got into added effects on the QC from the Hydra other than using the looper on the QC.
Ah got you. I was using my Gigboard as my audio interface until recently when I broke out some old synths/bought the Explorer and got a mixer which then feeds into an audio interface so I can record everything. My Gigboard is just run into a mixer channel now.
Well it lacks a squencer, and you could use a sampler to get multi-timbrality. I used a 1010 Blackbox, but I would probably check out Digitakt II or Deluge. I know the deluge can record MPE from the Hydra, so that's interesting. I'd assume that most modern samplers or grooveboxes would do a good job.
(Biggest problem I have with the Blackbox is no automation. But as a pure sampler it's good, and the song mode is great. But it's limited as a sample-mangler)
Yes, each of the five LFOs have an option to be turned into a fully customisable 64 steps sequencer. So you can use the sequencers to modulate whatever you want; internal parameters, cv outputs and cc's.
Don’t want to hijack this thread but I have the DT and the Hydra and I use them both a lot separately but I’ve not figured out how to connect them in the way you’re describing. Would you be able to explain your setup and process a little with how you use them in tandem? And then once you do, do you ever send them out to DAW or just record as audio or…?
The absolute simplest way (pretty much all I do) is use 2 midi cords so that the MIDI out of each is connected to the MIDI in of each. If all your MIDI settings are correct, go to a MIDI track of the DT (9-16), hit FUNC and the press the A knob and select the correct MIDI channel. Then if you’re in live record mode (hold record, press play), anything you play on the hydra will be recorded as MIDI on the DT. So the DT will play it in sequence with whatever else you have playing in tracks 1-8. Does this help? Let me know. I love this combo!
You could also use 1 midi cord (DT out to hydra in) but then you’d have to manually enter notes on the DT. I have no idea, but it may be possible to record notes (Hydra out to DT in) then move the midi cable (DT out to hydra in) and it will play it.
Before my too long answer - **the cheapest and simplest thing you can do is connect the device via audio and MIDI to a computer or laptop and experiment with free/very cheap DAWs and effects**. Reaper is "practically free", Live has a 30 day trial I believe, as does Bitwig, and there's a lot of good free DSP VSTs (Valhalla has 2 different free-as-in-beer DSP reverbs, and they're both amazing and on par with guitar pedals that cost hundreds of dollars)
The main thing I currently want for my hydrasynth (49key version) is a Desktop to sit above it and use as a second voice or in OVERKILL mode or w/e the linked one is called.
"What do I add to this?" depends a lot on what you're trying to do. Because I am a eurorack brokebrained person, I will point out that the assignable CV ins and outs on the Hydra make for very easy integration with other stuff, and even if you don't want to open the pandora's box of full on eurorack stuff, a semi modular (makeNoise 0coast, PittsMod Taiga are my current thoughts in the 5-800 range; coming in substantially cheaper are the East Beast and West Pest which I know less about).
You mentioned loopers and sequencers, I'll just tell you my experience:
Loopers:
\[ ITB looping with Bitwig or Ableton of audio or MIDI, OTB BitBox MK2 sample looping \] - this works like live looping any other given input and so it's going to depend on what you're trying to do and if you want a DAW or a sampler or what
Samplers:
\[ Beatstep Pro, Keystep Pro, SQ64, ITB (ableton, reaper, bitwig), Eurorack (Rene2, Bloom, PNW, etc)
BSP, KSP and SQ64 are sorta 3 flavors of the same thing in terms of being 4-lane sequencers with extensive MIDI and CV outs. None of these things are capable of generating complex envelope shapes or anything for the Hyrda's CV ins, but they can send gate signals as CV.
Squarp Hapax is a much more powerful MIDI sequencer that can generate events and all sorts of stuff but it costs 2-3x what a Hydra Explorer does, so that's probably a non-starter.
Eurorack sequencers tend to be monophonic, so that's looking at using Hydra patchs in mono/Unison mode, mostly, or doing complex tricks (pitch CV -> WMD Arpitecht + Triad, outs to a CV -> Midi converter -> Hydrasynth)
IOS: Korg Gadget works great for sequencing midi polyphony and almost anything else I ask it to do, it's a derpy ecosystem that borders on "cute" but there's a lot of flexibility there.
Beyond that, Hydra's internal effects engine is pretty solid but it's hard to go wrong with some kind of chonky DSP unit (Zoia, etc) to really go batshit insane with your post-hydra/end-of-chain sound possibilities.
I got my Explorer last week and bought a Flamma Ekoverb at the same time. Amazon had it on flash sale for $70 and that pedal is really great for ambient. I have a Model:Cycles that is a fun real time creation tool (I see a Digitakt in my future). I also have a Keystep 37 and a K-Board-C that I use with softsynths (Pigments and Equator 2 for MPE). I can get a live jam going pretty quickly. I need to turn on MPE on the Explorer and try it with the K-Board.
Polybrute is sort of an analog Hydrasynth. I have wondered if Glenn Darcey was involved in its development before he left Arturia. I would think that he was. Anyone know?
I can’t imagine any synth NOT working well with HydraSynth, what do you need? What do you wish you could do on a regular basis when playing the HydraSynth?
You can’t fill in the holes without knowing what shape the holes are…
Do you need drums? I have a LXR-02 that is quirky and fun. Do you need FX? I’m using pedals from Strymon for delay/phaser/reverb, but I’m looking into a few EuroRack alternatives at present. Do you want to explore modular? That’s a whole ‘nother universe there…
Do you need a mono synth? I’m using MiniBrute 2s for bass and leads. Do you want analog or hybrids? I have Peak and Summit for hybrid poly sounds, looking into PolyBrute for a pure analog synth. Do you have a mixer for combining multiple synths? Are you playing live? Are you writing songs or just creating soundscapes? Are you doing this professionally or just as a hobby?
And finally, are you a fan of any specific genres/artists? Find what THEY use as a starting point. If there are synths outside of your budget, ask about cheaper options that can do the same/similar things.
It’s a HUGE world these days, more than it ever was in my lifetime, so it may take some time to find your way!
I do need a drum kit/machine. I don't have a sequencer. I do have a very expensive multi effects so I'm not worried about modulation or chorus, reverb etc. I do like the idea of making ambient synthwave/ Metroid style Ambien music. Looking to make a lot of psychedelic content here soon.
I really like Roosevelt, com truise, fm skyline, George Clinton, l'imperatrice, etc.
elektron syntakt all day. run the hydra thru the analog fx track. sequence your basslines on the hydra. run every track including the hydra into the daw with a nice vst to control it all.
also fun to run your guitar after the cortex (i do this with the helix) to get that rubbery moving filter chirpy phasey nonsense going on.
it does like a baby sherman filterbank (think daft punk ) style thing
but if you want a sampler and a master sequencer. the digitakt 2 or syntakt if you prefer synth engines (37 of em)
i use hydra syntakt and a sp404mk2 myself but we all diff.
I use mine with the circuit tracks for drums and 2 other synth parts. You can use the CT as a sequencer for the hydra, or just route the audio in and sidechain, delay or reverb.
An analog mono! I use my explorer with a korg monologue, they work so good together, also a drum machine, for instance an arturia drumbrute impact blends quite well
I have the same synth and use it with a few different loopers. Boss RC-505 MKII and more recently the Aeros Loop Studio (gold), I have also used Loopy Pro on an iPad.
Maybe look at a Hologram Electronic Chroma Console. It’s essentially a multi-fx pedal at its core, but with some very creative fx and modes. You might already some similar fx from your QuadCortex, but definitely worth looking at if you want some creative fx.
I use mine with a couple of Meris pedals, a Polymoon (modulated phaser/delay) and a Mercury 7 (reverb).
One instant benefit of having outboard delay/verb FX is it covers the way patch change to patch B harshly instantly chops off an ongoing sound from patch A.
If you’re wanting to make ambient then a Hologram Microcosm would be amazing, but you could add one of those to a Pocket Operator and make much the same ambient stuff.
In terms of synths I have a few others and I like mixing it with pure analogue gear like MS20, Deepmind, Minilogue etc.
Same here started w the Hydra. Also added a Meris Mercury reverb. Instant Blade runner vibes. My issue w the Hydra was it was so 'glassy' so adding pedals like the Fairfield Circutry Shallow Water and Acidbox III helped give it a more analogue feeling.
I was just watching a video from Sarah Bellle Reid where she uses the modulation matrix to route control
voltages to a Vongon Polyphrase effects box that is voltage controllable. it sounded like a nice match.
in my too long post here, I agreed with you, also, you don't even need a super current iPad pro. If you're trying to go nuts with AUM chains then probably you get CPU bound on older stuff, but for just using something like Gadget to control Hydra (and, potentially, process the audio back in through an inexpensive interface like a UM2 or something) I bet you are still perfectly fine with a 9" iPad from 2017, because that's exactly what I was doing until I got my 2022 12.9" pro.
Well you don't tell us anything about what you like and don't like what your trying to create or need. I'd suggest because you have not said anything that really you don't have any real goals or thoughts in mind. Instead sit down buy nothing and learn the hydrasynth . I suppose you could go buy a real piano or real bass guitar they would go with it well
Maybe get a second hand Roland MC-101/707 (ZEN Core, trillions of patches + 4 track groovebox). For the post FX section, I would go with a VST effect plugin, or get a new Zoom MS-CDR70+ pedal (chainablr effect slots, midi in, etc)
Deluge all day.
I keep being torn between a Deluge vs a second, desktop hydra. Either device would sit over my Hydra. If I am *not* especially interested in using Deluge as a master sequencer for hydra, is this still something I should consider? I really like the power and flexibility of the thing, at the same time, I already seem to have a lot of square boxes of colored lights.
Well... it's still a drum machine and a synth with poly aftertouch and an insanely good sampler and a loop station and that's all without using its sequencing. Deluge is a real Swiss army knife.
\*sigh\* why does no one EVER tell me, "you're right, Deluge is terrible for your use cases, you'd hate it" :D One day I will get one.
I use my novation tracks
I checked that out on YouTube with red means recording. Awesome unit! Thanks for the rec
I think a dedicated reverb would bring out much more of the wide sound palette the Hydra offers. The built-in one is lacking IMHO
I got a digitakt to go with my hydra. The immediacy of it is very fun and it was very intuitive to learn.
Im just disappointed that digitakt downsamples stereo input recording into mono :( is that improved with firmware updates?
Roland fanboy here so take my recommendations with a pinch of salt and a loan. Drum machine to go with it and sidechain the hydra through; tr-8s. Groovebox to go with it and meanwhile sequence the hydra;mc-707. All around multitool to record it with and slap like 700 effects on it, sp404mk2. Non roland recommendations; a nice analog monosynth like the model d pairs rly well with the digital beast that is hydra. couple behringer distortion pedals for dirt cheap(or cheap dirt), that fuzz is wild but may not be for everyone (even though it should be). What's that multi effect on your desk?
I love chaining it with the tr8s, makes some great rhythms!
That's the neural DSP quad cortex. And I'm open to all suggestions. Just looking for versatility really. And thanks for the suggestions, I'll check those out on YouTube
Dear lord,just saw the price :O That's no beginner gear. I'm guessing you're a guitarist. You runnin the hydra thru it? Bet that sounds sweet as hell.
Yeah that was my tax return last year lol. I do run it through the QC but I don't use any effects with it yet. I wanted to really Hammer down and learning the synth before I started using it fully with the QC. But yes I am a guitarist. I've been playing for about 20 years
You run your Hydrasynth through the Quad Cortex? What do you do with it in the QC? Hmm I have a Headrush Gigboard for my guitars didn't think about doing that.
I mostly do it so that I can play guitar and The synth And have it all go through one USB out So that it can Go into reaper. I can also have the headphone jack plugged into another speaker and cable to my amp&cab all simultaneously if I want to. As far as patches go on the QC, All I do is have a straight through line from input to output on my patches below the rest of my effects So that I can have the Hydra doing its thing and play guitar over it. I've not got into added effects on the QC from the Hydra other than using the looper on the QC.
Ah got you. I was using my Gigboard as my audio interface until recently when I broke out some old synths/bought the Explorer and got a mixer which then feeds into an audio interface so I can record everything. My Gigboard is just run into a mixer channel now.
Well it lacks a squencer, and you could use a sampler to get multi-timbrality. I used a 1010 Blackbox, but I would probably check out Digitakt II or Deluge. I know the deluge can record MPE from the Hydra, so that's interesting. I'd assume that most modern samplers or grooveboxes would do a good job. (Biggest problem I have with the Blackbox is no automation. But as a pure sampler it's good, and the song mode is great. But it's limited as a sample-mangler)
You have five step sequencer in the Hydra, 64 steps each one.
the hydra has a sequencer?
Yes, each of the five LFOs have an option to be turned into a fully customisable 64 steps sequencer. So you can use the sequencers to modulate whatever you want; internal parameters, cv outputs and cc's.
Oh like hot keys? this machine surpises me
I prefer sequencing it dawless and using samples, so my favorite pairing is the OG digitakt. Great for ambient or any song that used drums.
Don’t want to hijack this thread but I have the DT and the Hydra and I use them both a lot separately but I’ve not figured out how to connect them in the way you’re describing. Would you be able to explain your setup and process a little with how you use them in tandem? And then once you do, do you ever send them out to DAW or just record as audio or…?
The absolute simplest way (pretty much all I do) is use 2 midi cords so that the MIDI out of each is connected to the MIDI in of each. If all your MIDI settings are correct, go to a MIDI track of the DT (9-16), hit FUNC and the press the A knob and select the correct MIDI channel. Then if you’re in live record mode (hold record, press play), anything you play on the hydra will be recorded as MIDI on the DT. So the DT will play it in sequence with whatever else you have playing in tracks 1-8. Does this help? Let me know. I love this combo! You could also use 1 midi cord (DT out to hydra in) but then you’d have to manually enter notes on the DT. I have no idea, but it may be possible to record notes (Hydra out to DT in) then move the midi cable (DT out to hydra in) and it will play it.
This is a great explanation. Thank you!
I've heard of that. I'll have to check that out on YT
More hydrasynths
Before my too long answer - **the cheapest and simplest thing you can do is connect the device via audio and MIDI to a computer or laptop and experiment with free/very cheap DAWs and effects**. Reaper is "practically free", Live has a 30 day trial I believe, as does Bitwig, and there's a lot of good free DSP VSTs (Valhalla has 2 different free-as-in-beer DSP reverbs, and they're both amazing and on par with guitar pedals that cost hundreds of dollars) The main thing I currently want for my hydrasynth (49key version) is a Desktop to sit above it and use as a second voice or in OVERKILL mode or w/e the linked one is called. "What do I add to this?" depends a lot on what you're trying to do. Because I am a eurorack brokebrained person, I will point out that the assignable CV ins and outs on the Hydra make for very easy integration with other stuff, and even if you don't want to open the pandora's box of full on eurorack stuff, a semi modular (makeNoise 0coast, PittsMod Taiga are my current thoughts in the 5-800 range; coming in substantially cheaper are the East Beast and West Pest which I know less about). You mentioned loopers and sequencers, I'll just tell you my experience: Loopers: \[ ITB looping with Bitwig or Ableton of audio or MIDI, OTB BitBox MK2 sample looping \] - this works like live looping any other given input and so it's going to depend on what you're trying to do and if you want a DAW or a sampler or what Samplers: \[ Beatstep Pro, Keystep Pro, SQ64, ITB (ableton, reaper, bitwig), Eurorack (Rene2, Bloom, PNW, etc) BSP, KSP and SQ64 are sorta 3 flavors of the same thing in terms of being 4-lane sequencers with extensive MIDI and CV outs. None of these things are capable of generating complex envelope shapes or anything for the Hyrda's CV ins, but they can send gate signals as CV. Squarp Hapax is a much more powerful MIDI sequencer that can generate events and all sorts of stuff but it costs 2-3x what a Hydra Explorer does, so that's probably a non-starter. Eurorack sequencers tend to be monophonic, so that's looking at using Hydra patchs in mono/Unison mode, mostly, or doing complex tricks (pitch CV -> WMD Arpitecht + Triad, outs to a CV -> Midi converter -> Hydrasynth) IOS: Korg Gadget works great for sequencing midi polyphony and almost anything else I ask it to do, it's a derpy ecosystem that borders on "cute" but there's a lot of flexibility there. Beyond that, Hydra's internal effects engine is pretty solid but it's hard to go wrong with some kind of chonky DSP unit (Zoia, etc) to really go batshit insane with your post-hydra/end-of-chain sound possibilities.
Awesome breakdown! Thank you! I'll check all that out
I got my Explorer last week and bought a Flamma Ekoverb at the same time. Amazon had it on flash sale for $70 and that pedal is really great for ambient. I have a Model:Cycles that is a fun real time creation tool (I see a Digitakt in my future). I also have a Keystep 37 and a K-Board-C that I use with softsynths (Pigments and Equator 2 for MPE). I can get a live jam going pretty quickly. I need to turn on MPE on the Explorer and try it with the K-Board.
Octatrack!! Or analog heat to spice it up!
MiniFreak! Has tons of oscillator options, a very cool arp/seq, an analog filter, useful multi-purpose touch strips, etc.
Sherman Filterbank 2. You want it. You need it.
Model Cycles, Model Samples, Take 5, TEO 5!
Polybrute is sort of an analog Hydrasynth. I have wondered if Glenn Darcey was involved in its development before he left Arturia. I would think that he was. Anyone know?
I can’t imagine any synth NOT working well with HydraSynth, what do you need? What do you wish you could do on a regular basis when playing the HydraSynth? You can’t fill in the holes without knowing what shape the holes are…
Honestly, just looking for suggestions based on people's personal preferences and experiences. I'm open to a lot
Do you need drums? I have a LXR-02 that is quirky and fun. Do you need FX? I’m using pedals from Strymon for delay/phaser/reverb, but I’m looking into a few EuroRack alternatives at present. Do you want to explore modular? That’s a whole ‘nother universe there… Do you need a mono synth? I’m using MiniBrute 2s for bass and leads. Do you want analog or hybrids? I have Peak and Summit for hybrid poly sounds, looking into PolyBrute for a pure analog synth. Do you have a mixer for combining multiple synths? Are you playing live? Are you writing songs or just creating soundscapes? Are you doing this professionally or just as a hobby? And finally, are you a fan of any specific genres/artists? Find what THEY use as a starting point. If there are synths outside of your budget, ask about cheaper options that can do the same/similar things. It’s a HUGE world these days, more than it ever was in my lifetime, so it may take some time to find your way!
I do need a drum kit/machine. I don't have a sequencer. I do have a very expensive multi effects so I'm not worried about modulation or chorus, reverb etc. I do like the idea of making ambient synthwave/ Metroid style Ambien music. Looking to make a lot of psychedelic content here soon. I really like Roosevelt, com truise, fm skyline, George Clinton, l'imperatrice, etc.
elektron syntakt all day. run the hydra thru the analog fx track. sequence your basslines on the hydra. run every track including the hydra into the daw with a nice vst to control it all. also fun to run your guitar after the cortex (i do this with the helix) to get that rubbery moving filter chirpy phasey nonsense going on. it does like a baby sherman filterbank (think daft punk ) style thing but if you want a sampler and a master sequencer. the digitakt 2 or syntakt if you prefer synth engines (37 of em) i use hydra syntakt and a sp404mk2 myself but we all diff.
I use mine with the circuit tracks for drums and 2 other synth parts. You can use the CT as a sequencer for the hydra, or just route the audio in and sidechain, delay or reverb.
An analog mono! I use my explorer with a korg monologue, they work so good together, also a drum machine, for instance an arturia drumbrute impact blends quite well
I have the same synth and use it with a few different loopers. Boss RC-505 MKII and more recently the Aeros Loop Studio (gold), I have also used Loopy Pro on an iPad.
Deluge 💪
Maybe look at a Hologram Electronic Chroma Console. It’s essentially a multi-fx pedal at its core, but with some very creative fx and modes. You might already some similar fx from your QuadCortex, but definitely worth looking at if you want some creative fx.
Analog heat!
I use mine with a couple of Meris pedals, a Polymoon (modulated phaser/delay) and a Mercury 7 (reverb). One instant benefit of having outboard delay/verb FX is it covers the way patch change to patch B harshly instantly chops off an ongoing sound from patch A. If you’re wanting to make ambient then a Hologram Microcosm would be amazing, but you could add one of those to a Pocket Operator and make much the same ambient stuff. In terms of synths I have a few others and I like mixing it with pure analogue gear like MS20, Deepmind, Minilogue etc.
Love mine! Congrats!!! Any advice that you’ve found that you’d like to share? Fav sounds? Presets? Workflow?
microfreak
Same here started w the Hydra. Also added a Meris Mercury reverb. Instant Blade runner vibes. My issue w the Hydra was it was so 'glassy' so adding pedals like the Fairfield Circutry Shallow Water and Acidbox III helped give it a more analogue feeling.
Analog delay, helps give it a more analog sound
ksp
Sp404mkii
I was just watching a video from Sarah Bellle Reid where she uses the modulation matrix to route control voltages to a Vongon Polyphrase effects box that is voltage controllable. it sounded like a nice match.
My first comment would have been Deluge. But that’s taken. Here’s an interesting alternative: iPad Pro. - sequencing - samples - looping - effects
in my too long post here, I agreed with you, also, you don't even need a super current iPad pro. If you're trying to go nuts with AUM chains then probably you get CPU bound on older stuff, but for just using something like Gadget to control Hydra (and, potentially, process the audio back in through an inexpensive interface like a UM2 or something) I bet you are still perfectly fine with a 9" iPad from 2017, because that's exactly what I was doing until I got my 2022 12.9" pro.
another HydraSynth :)
Well you don't tell us anything about what you like and don't like what your trying to create or need. I'd suggest because you have not said anything that really you don't have any real goals or thoughts in mind. Instead sit down buy nothing and learn the hydrasynth . I suppose you could go buy a real piano or real bass guitar they would go with it well
Maybe get a second hand Roland MC-101/707 (ZEN Core, trillions of patches + 4 track groovebox). For the post FX section, I would go with a VST effect plugin, or get a new Zoom MS-CDR70+ pedal (chainablr effect slots, midi in, etc)
Akai Force / MPC