The latest loopop video offers a hands-on demo of Skot Wiedman’s Hyve Touch Synthesizer.

Originally produced via a Kickstarter project, the Hyve is controlled by pressure, and horizontal, and vertical movements of each finger on the surface. The instrument can sense tiny movements, allowing you to bring expression to your performance.

Video Summary:

It has an extremely unique synth engine design – simple and yet ingenious. 60 oscillators (12 core tunable oscillators and 4 sub-oscillators for each), organized in two layouts of close to 5 octaves each (piano style and isomorphic hexagonal), all the size of two decks of cards.

Hyve Synth also has stereo touch. In the video I show how each of the right and left channels can be passed through different effect chains for increased expressive control. There’s no magic though – the small size does mean some compromises, which I discuss in the video.

Topics:

0:00 Intro

1:00 Hyve versions

1:30 Architecture

2:30 Touch control

4:00 Note layout

4:35 Hyve layout

6:15 One-finger chords

7:00 Isomorphic layout

7:35 Stereo control

8:15 Stereo effects

10:15 Pros and cons

11:30 Outro jam

For more info, see the Hyve page on Facebook.