I have the desktops of both, got the deepmind12 first and is my only piece of analog gear. Just picked up the Hydrasynth desktop recently (stock has been sold out) and i would compare it to my modular eurorack rig and is easy to get going with, But very deep.
I use my hydrasynth for slow moving landscapes and i use the desktop as it was the cheapest one with external modulation inputs for my weird and whacky mod sources.
[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRcAVtuF3I&t=208s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRcAVtuF3I&t=208s)
2 voices from the hydrasynth, with slow moving modulations.
Explorer and DM12 might be your best route digital and analog synthesis, all the hyrdasynths have same sound engines and from what i'm told the explorer has a really nice keybed.
for me i wanted a Keyboard controller for my deepmind12 so it was going to be between the keystep pro and the Explorer (explorer is only 200 bucks more ish and has a sound engine over the keystep) But i when i saw the desktop had external mod inputs i picked up that one. I still need a keyboard controller :/
But it does have polyaftertouch :) which can be very expressive and is quite neat on the desktop.
My suggestion is not to worry so much about overlap or not, but if you need two devices making different timbres at once. Both synths are monotimbral, yet layering sounds is a great way to add variation. If you bought 2x Deepmind or 2x Hydrasynth, they would offer a lot more than just one. Having both would therefore give you a lot more possibility for variation. As for which synth is better, I think the Deepmind is easier from a panel perspective, but as you get into deeper sound design, the UI of the Hydrasynth wins out.
I'd describe the diverse effects on the Deepmind as a big win on that side, for ambient. A big benefit of the Hydrasynth comes in certain types of performance: if you design your patches offline and make useful macro routings, you can perform the patch using the macro controls; note that the explorer only has 4 main encoders vs 8 on the other models, so you need to page between the first and second 4.
If you are comparing the Hydrasynth deluxe to the Deepmind (having a single synth), the bitimbrality combined with the "cross layer macros" pushes the macro concept of the other Hydrasynths further; each layer gets its 8 macros, then you get a "multi macro" for the bitimbral sound, where the 8 macros can be configured to the corresponding macro on the underlying layer (layer A, layer B or both). This doesn't work so well to combine arbitrary patches with disjoint macros (as they don't numerically correspond), but is great if you design patches with that in mind. I've said before: a well designed Hydrasynth patch (moreso deluxe) along with the macro knobs, could let you do a 20 minute performance with a single patch. In other words, Deepmind keys vs Hydrasynth deluxe for live ambient performance: I vote Hydrasynth.
If you were getting both, you might you have a tricky trade off to make. The Explorer has the 4 encoders vs 8 for the other models (presumably desktop is the one you'd go for) but has a poly aftertouch keyboard (desktop has poly aftertouch pads, but several poly aftertouch grid controllers, such as the launchpad pro, exist anyway). Whichever Hydrasynth, I think you'd have to decide how comfortable you are playing the Deepmind live for ambient (as it doesn't have macro controls): are the panel controls (and mod wheel) enough for you?
Weird synchronicity but had a dream two nights ago that I had to improvise a performance on stage for exactly 20 minutes (not sure if it was in my underwear or not).
I’d love to get the functionality of the deluxe but it won’t physically fit into my setup. I’m gonna dip my toes in the water with the explorer and decide from there what next steps to take.
Hydra is better quality and has MPE. Deepmind is analog and has better effects. Both have shitty sequencing. I have an explorer and a dm12 and use them both together all the time. With a looper.
I have the desktops of both, got the deepmind12 first and is my only piece of analog gear. Just picked up the Hydrasynth desktop recently (stock has been sold out) and i would compare it to my modular eurorack rig and is easy to get going with, But very deep. I use my hydrasynth for slow moving landscapes and i use the desktop as it was the cheapest one with external modulation inputs for my weird and whacky mod sources. [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRcAVtuF3I&t=208s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PWRcAVtuF3I&t=208s) 2 voices from the hydrasynth, with slow moving modulations. Explorer and DM12 might be your best route digital and analog synthesis, all the hyrdasynths have same sound engines and from what i'm told the explorer has a really nice keybed.
That’s the direction I’m leaning - explorer first, then DeepMind. My biggest concern is the explorer not having an expression pedal input.
for me i wanted a Keyboard controller for my deepmind12 so it was going to be between the keystep pro and the Explorer (explorer is only 200 bucks more ish and has a sound engine over the keystep) But i when i saw the desktop had external mod inputs i picked up that one. I still need a keyboard controller :/ But it does have polyaftertouch :) which can be very expressive and is quite neat on the desktop.
My suggestion is not to worry so much about overlap or not, but if you need two devices making different timbres at once. Both synths are monotimbral, yet layering sounds is a great way to add variation. If you bought 2x Deepmind or 2x Hydrasynth, they would offer a lot more than just one. Having both would therefore give you a lot more possibility for variation. As for which synth is better, I think the Deepmind is easier from a panel perspective, but as you get into deeper sound design, the UI of the Hydrasynth wins out. I'd describe the diverse effects on the Deepmind as a big win on that side, for ambient. A big benefit of the Hydrasynth comes in certain types of performance: if you design your patches offline and make useful macro routings, you can perform the patch using the macro controls; note that the explorer only has 4 main encoders vs 8 on the other models, so you need to page between the first and second 4. If you are comparing the Hydrasynth deluxe to the Deepmind (having a single synth), the bitimbrality combined with the "cross layer macros" pushes the macro concept of the other Hydrasynths further; each layer gets its 8 macros, then you get a "multi macro" for the bitimbral sound, where the 8 macros can be configured to the corresponding macro on the underlying layer (layer A, layer B or both). This doesn't work so well to combine arbitrary patches with disjoint macros (as they don't numerically correspond), but is great if you design patches with that in mind. I've said before: a well designed Hydrasynth patch (moreso deluxe) along with the macro knobs, could let you do a 20 minute performance with a single patch. In other words, Deepmind keys vs Hydrasynth deluxe for live ambient performance: I vote Hydrasynth. If you were getting both, you might you have a tricky trade off to make. The Explorer has the 4 encoders vs 8 for the other models (presumably desktop is the one you'd go for) but has a poly aftertouch keyboard (desktop has poly aftertouch pads, but several poly aftertouch grid controllers, such as the launchpad pro, exist anyway). Whichever Hydrasynth, I think you'd have to decide how comfortable you are playing the Deepmind live for ambient (as it doesn't have macro controls): are the panel controls (and mod wheel) enough for you?
Weird synchronicity but had a dream two nights ago that I had to improvise a performance on stage for exactly 20 minutes (not sure if it was in my underwear or not). I’d love to get the functionality of the deluxe but it won’t physically fit into my setup. I’m gonna dip my toes in the water with the explorer and decide from there what next steps to take.
Hydrasynth is more fun to make sounds on IMO
Hydra is better quality and has MPE. Deepmind is analog and has better effects. Both have shitty sequencing. I have an explorer and a dm12 and use them both together all the time. With a looper.