PHONES POWER DC USB MIDI IN MIDI OUT MIDI THRU EXPRESSION SUSTAIN L/MONO R OUTPUT CV / GATE MAIN SYSTEMS MASTER CONTROL FILTER CONTROLS INPUTS OUTPUTS 0 0 FILTER BROWSE 1 EXIT FAVORITE MOD 1 MOD 2 PITCH GATE MOD 1 MOD 2 CLOCK FILTER 2 SAVE CUTOFF RESONANCE DRIVE / MORPH ENV 1 LFO 1 ARPEGGIATOR VOICE SYSTEM 1 2 3 4 SETUP MODULE SELECT TEMPO RATCHET CHANCE GATE ENV ENV ENV ENV ENV 1 2 3 4 5 UP & DN ORDER 1 1 32 58 62 PAGE UP / DN RANDOM 2 1 16 54 66 INIT OSC MUTANT MUTANT 1 1 2 DOWN CHORD 3 1 8 52 70 FILTER 5 6 7 8 DELAY UP PHRASE 4 1 4 OFF 75 1 MACRO OSC MUTANT MUTANT MIXER ASSIGN 2 3 4 AMP PRE-FX POST-FX RANDOM FILTER 2 REVERB MASTER MODE OCTAVE DIVISION SWING -10 +10 OSC RING- VOLUME 3 NOISE TAP MOD ON LATCH TRIPLET SHIFT LFO LFO LFO LFO LFO TEMPO HOME MATRIX 1 2 3 4 5 EDIT SUSTAIN PANIC GLIDE RIBBON DOWN UP CHORD OCTAVE MAX MIN Owner’s Manual OUTPUT PEDAL MIDI 12V 1000mA R L/MONO SUSTAIN EXPRESSION THRU OUT IN Special Thanks DESIGN & DIRECTION • Glen Darcey PRODUCT MANAGER • Dominic Au ENGINEERING • Chen Jiejun (engine) • Bob Liao (engine) • Xie Yingchen (software) • Banner Xu (software) • Zhang Huaihe (electronic) • Chen Si (electronic) • Luo Liangsheng (electronic) • Li Qiang (VST) INDUSTRIAL DESIGN • Gao Chao • Long Ping TESTING • Zheng Wei Cheng • Boele Gerkes • Randy Lee • Maria Zhang • Ken “Flux” Pierce • Ed Ten Eyck • Ben Scheffler SOUND DESIGN • Drew Anderson • Glen Darcey • Boele Gerkes • Matt Pike • Dominic Au • Daniel Fisher • Rob Jervons • Ben Scheffler • Jim Cowgill • Mord Fustang • Ken “Flux” Pierce • Paul Schilling MANUAL • 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 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. 2 Important Safety Instructions Save Your Ears! The product and its software, when used in combination with an amplifier, headphones or speakers, may be able to produce sound levels that could cause permanent hearing loss. DO NOT operate for long periods of time at a high level or at a level that is uncomfortable. If you encounter any hearing loss or ringing in the ears, please consult an audiologist. Precautions Include, but Are Not Limited to, the Following: 1. Read and understand all the instructions. 7. Do not open or insert anything into the 2. Always follow the instructions on the device that may cause a fire or electrical instrument. shock. 3. Before cleaning the device, always 8. Do not spill any kind of liquid onto the remove the USB and DC cable. When device. cleaning, use a soft and dry cloth. Do 9. Always take the device to a qualified not use gasoline, alcohol, acetone, service center. You will invalidate your turpentine or any other organic warranty if you open and remove the solutions; do not use a liquid cleaner, cover, and improper assembly may cause spray or cloth that’s too wet. electrical shock or other malfunctions. 4. Do not use the device near water or 10. Do not use the device with thunder and moisture, such as a bathtub, sink, lightning present; it may cause electrical swimming pool or similar place. shock. 5. Do not place the device in an unstable 11. Do not expose the device to hot position where it might accidentally fall sunlight. over. 12. Do not use the device when there is a 6. Do not place heavy objects on the gas leak nearby. device. Do not block openings or vents 13. Ashun Sound Machines is not of the device; these locations are used responsible for any damage or data loss for air circulation to prevent the device caused by improper operation of the from overheating. Do not place the device. device near a heat vent at any location with poor air circulation. Specifications Subject to Change The information contained in this manual is believed to be correct at the time of printing. However, Ashun Sound Machines reserves the right to change or modify any of the specifica- tions without notice or obligation to update the hardware that has been purchased. Before Requesting Service... Please study this manual carefully and consult your dealer before requesting service. Service charges incurred due to a lack of knowledge relating to how a function or feature works (when the product is operating as designed) are not covered by the manufacturer’s warranty, and are therefore the owner’s responsibility. 3 Contents Important Safety Instructions . 3 The RANDOM button.....................17 The SHIFT button .........................18 Welcome to Hydrasynth! . .8 Master Control Section . 18 Main Features . .8 EXIT button ...............................18 User interface..............................8 VOICE button .............................19 Patch features . .8 PAGE Up / Down buttons.................19 Sound engine..............................8 MACRO ASSIGN button...................19 Effects . .9 MOD MATRIX button . .19 Hardware . 9 CV/Gate Section . 19 Keyboard-specific Features . 9 Arpeggiator Section . .20 Desktop-specific Features . .9 Filter Controls.............................20 Quick Start Guide . .10 Module Select . 20 Inside the Box . 10 Performance Controls . .20 Save Your Receipt! . 10 Chord mode (keyboard only) .............21 Plug It In...................................10 Ribbon controller (keyboard only)........21 Power .....................................10 Front Panel (keyboard only) . 21 Audio . .10 Headphone jacks . .21 USB . .10 Phones volume control ...................21 MIDI . 10 Rear Panel.................................22 CV/Gate ...................................11 Outputs...................................22 Make Some Noise! . .11 Control Inputs . 22 Select Patches . 11 MIDI . 23 Octave shift...............................11 USB . .23 Arpeggiator basics........................11 Power .....................................23 Tweaking the sounds . 12 Kensington lock . 23 Saving . 12 Hydrasynth Desktop . 24 Check for Updates . .13 Attaching the Rack Ears . .24 That’s Enough Reading for Now. .13 SHIFT + Pad Functions...................24 Overview ................................14 Pad Scale selection . .24 Top Panel: Hydrasynth Keyboard . 14 Octave Transpose.........................24 Top Panel: Hydrasynth Desktop ........14 Changing the Pad Key . 25 General Concepts . 15 Pad response options.....................25 Access buttons . .15 Pad Modes................................26 Function buttons . .15 Pad Mode examples ......................27 Control knobs . 15 Pad Scale vs. Voice Scale..................29 Control buttons...........................15 Pad Notes and MIDI Notes................29 Module Select buttons . .15 Pad Notes vs. Key Lock....................29 Knob types . .16 Understanding the Modules...30 The displays . 16 Module Groups...........................30 Main Systems .............................16 Oscillator group . 30 The HOME button . 17 Mixer module.............................30 The SAVE button..........................17 Filter group . .30 System Setup . 17 Envelope group...........................30 The INIT button...........................17 LFO group . 30 4 Amp module . .31 Filter 2 . .46 FX group..................................31 Filter 2 parameters........................46 Other Modules . .31 The Amp Module . 47 Voice module .............................31 How the Parameters Interact . .47 Ribbon (keyboard only) . 31 LFO 2 Amount . 47 Module Shortcuts . 31 Velocity ...................................47 Create Mod routes........................31 Amp Level . 47 Select Macro Destinations ................32 Copy / Paste settings . .32 The Envelopes . 48 What’s an Envelope? .....................48 . 33 The Oscillator Group Envelope features.........................48 Oscillators 1 and 2........................33 Envelopes 1 and 2 . 48 Switching modes . .33 Envelope parameters: page 1.............49 Single mode . 33 Envelope parameters: page 2.............50 WaveScan mode..........................34 Envelope parameters: page 3.............51 Oscillator 3 ................................34 Envelope Shortcuts . 52 Mutants 1–4 . 35 Copy Env A to Env B . 52 FM-Lin . 35 Create a direct Mod route . 52 WavStack . .36 OSC Sync . .36 The LFOs.................................53 About Ratio...............................36 What’s an LFO? . .53 Window...................................36 LFO features . 53 Pulse Width modulation ..................37 LFOs 1 and 2 ..............................53 PW-Orig . 37 LFO parameters: page 1 . 53 PW-Sqeez .................................37 LFO parameters: page 2 . 55 PW-ASM [Warp]...........................37 LFO Shortcuts.............................57 Harmonic . .38 Copy LFO A to LFO B......................57 PhazDiff...................................39 Create a direct Mod route . 57 Ring-Noise Module . 39 The Effects..............................58 Waveform List . 40 Pre- and Post-FX..........................58 The Mixer Module . 41 Bypass . 58 Setting Levels.............................41