Sync sweep lead

The tearing, vocal sync lead: OSC Sync in a Mutant, with an envelope sweeping its Depth on every note.

Why it works

Oscillator sync forces one wave to restart every time another completes a cycle. The perceived pitch stays locked to the reset, but as the synced wave is pushed faster its shape gets chopped, adding bright, shifting harmonics.

Sweeping the sync amount with an envelope gives each note a ‘yow’ that is impossible to get from a filter alone.

On the Hydrasynth Deluxe

1.
Press [INIT] twice. OSC 1 starts as a saw.
Manual p. 20, 48
2.
Press [MUTANT 1], choose OSC Sync. Set Source to Osc 1, Ratio 1.000, Depth about 20, Dry/Wet 100%.
Manual p. 46
3.
Hold [ENV 1] and press [MUTANT 1]; choose Depth as the destination and set a positive amount.
Manual p. 41, 92
4.
Press [ENV 1]: Attack 0, Decay about 0.9 s, Sustain about 30.
Manual p. 59
5.
Add a ModWhl → Mutant 1 Depth route in the Mod Matrix for live control. The wheel already brings in the Voice module’s vibrato (Vibrato Amount, Voice page 2).
Manual p. 77, 92

You should hear…

A bright, almost speaking attack that settles into a buzzy sustain; the mod wheel makes it scream.

Variations

Ratio 2.000 makes the sync happen twice per cycle (p. 47): a more nasal, octave-up character.
On the hardware, raise Window to soften the harshest harmonics (p. 47).
Set the Voice module to Mono with Glide for legato lead lines (p. 75–77).

Questions

Does the sync source waveform matter on the Hydrasynth?: No. The manual notes that the target wave syncs to the source’s cycle, not its shape (p. 46).
What does Ratio do in OSC Sync mode?: It sets how many times the wave resyncs within a single cycle, from 0.250 to 64.000. Standard sync is 1:1 (p. 46–47).

Why it works

Sweeping the sync amount with an envelope gives each note a ‘yow’ that is impossible to get from a filter alone.

On the Hydrasynth Deluxe

Press [INIT] twice. OSC 1 starts as a saw.

Manual p. 20, 48

Press [MUTANT 1], choose OSC Sync. Set Source to Osc 1, Ratio 1.000, Depth about 20, Dry/Wet 100%.

Manual p. 46

Hold [ENV 1] and press [MUTANT 1]; choose Depth as the destination and set a positive amount.

Manual p. 41, 92

Press [ENV 1]: Attack 0, Decay about 0.9 s, Sustain about 30.

Manual p. 59

Add a ModWhl → Mutant 1 Depth route in the Mod Matrix for live control. The wheel already brings in the Voice module’s vibrato (Vibrato Amount, Voice page 2).

Manual p. 77, 92

Questions

Does the sync source waveform matter on the Hydrasynth?

No. The manual notes that the target wave syncs to the source’s cycle, not its shape (p. 46).

What does Ratio do in OSC Sync mode?

It sets how many times the wave resyncs within a single cycle, from 0.250 to 64.000. Standard sync is 1:1 (p. 46–47).