Offering 8-voice polyphony, "Mutator" waveshaping, and a 32-slot modulation matrix, the ASM Hydrasynth Desktop is truly a next-generation virtual analog synthesizer for modern music producers. Rivaling the sonic capabilities of many popular software synthesizer plug-ins, each voice features three WaveScan oscillators offering 219 different waveforms, with four Mutators total for extensive waveshaping. There's a ton of potential for creating nuanced, nonlinear sounds — the five ADSR envelope generators offer delay and hold and can have either linear or exponential curves between stages, and the five LFOs offer a total of 11 waveshapes plus delay, fade in, and smoothing. Factor in 24 performance pads with polyphonic aftertouch, plus CV/Gate connectivity, and the ASM Hydrasynth Desktop could be the versatile module your synthesizer rig is waiting for.
With its 32-slot modulation matrix, the Hydrasynth Desktop empowers you to create incredibly nuanced and expressive sounds. Synthesists at Sweetwater are particularly impressed with its envelope generators (five per voice), which offer delay and hold in addition to ADSR stages. Each stage of the envelope can sweep through exponential and logarithmic curves, which offers big creative potential for long, evolving modulations.

Like most of the functions on Hydrasynth Desktop, envelopes can be locked to BPM for tempo-synced modulations. Combined with the looping function, you can use the envelopes as LFOs with interesting waveshapes. And speaking of LFOs, Hydrasynth Desktop offers five LFOs per voice with 11 total waveshapes. That includes the 8-step LFO, which allows you to create your own custom waveshape.
24 RGB pads with polyphonic aftertouch, which also offer quick access to secondary functions via “SHIFT + Pad"
Combines multiple synthesis methods like wavetables, linear FM, WavePWM, subtractive, and more
8-voice polyphony, with 3 x oscillators per voice and 4 x Mutator waveshapers total
7 types of Mutator waveshapers — FM-Lin, WaveStack, PW-Orig, PW-Squeeze, PW-ASM, Harmonic Sweep, and Hard sync
WaveScan oscillators offer a total of 219 waveforms
Dual filters — 1 x multimode (11 types) and 1 x variable LPF-BPF-HPF, with series/parallel routing options
5 envelope generators (ADSR) per voice with delay, hold, and looping abilities
Envelopes can be locked to BPM (MIDI Clock) for tempo-synced modulation
5 LFOs per voice, with 11 waveforms — Sine, Triangle, Saw Up, Saw Down, Square, Pulse27%, Pulse13%, S&H, Noise, Random, and Step
Powerful arpeggiator with 8 modes, including chord and phrase modes
32-slot Mod Matrix provides ample options for manipulating your sounds
CV/Gate connectivity for integrating with modular/semi-modular synthesizers
8 insert effects, with Chorus, Flanger, Rotary, Phaser, Lo-Fi, Tremolo, EQ, Compressor, Delay (5 types), and Reverb (4 types)
8 Macro controls allow you to tweak multiple parameters simultaneously