A Tweaker’s Delight

Hybrid 1.5 comes equipped with a wide range of over 586 analog and digital sounds — more than 330 all-new patches, plus 256 updated patches from the previous version — providing you with even more sonic opportunities to get started creating quickly. You’ll find everything from synth pads, poly synths, and synth leads to keyboards, percussion, basses, and effects. Simply browse patches by category to find what you need and go from there.

If you’re prone to tweaking your synth sounds, Hybrid is loaded with a deep set of user-adjustable parameters that let you create unique sounds easily from the intuitive interface. With support for two simultaneous parts, you can layer, split, or spread sounds to produce deep, wide, and complex-sounding patches.

High-Definition Oscillators
Each Hybrid part features two multifunctional oscillators with algorithms ranging from classic analog waveforms to digital wavetables. Choose from seven different modes, including Saw Sync, Saw Cross Modulation (which modulates the pitch of a saw wave with the output of a triangle wave for complex tones), Saw Multi (a stack of seven saws in unison), Square Sync, Square Cross Modulation, Square Pulse Width Modulation (PWM), and Wavetable. Hybrid offers 100 wavetables with up to 64 single-cycle waveforms each. A third oscillator section includes saw, square, or triangle waves, plus a noise generator and a sub oscillator for deep bass effects.

Sound Filters and Saturation Modes
Hybrid 1.5 features an all-new vintage Voltage Controlled Filter (VCF), which makes it easier than ever to achieve those fat, retro synth sounds of the ’70s and ’80s. This sound filter brings the legendary soft and fat warmth of classic analog synth hardware filters to Hybrid.

Use the revolutionary multimode filter to control the tone color of a part by removing or accenting certain frequencies. Choose from an extensive collection of 23 modes. Then dial in the filter cut-off, velocity, and key tracking. Use the resonance dial to change the tone from a nasal sound to a ringing tone by emphasizing frequencies around the cut-off and generating self-oscillation. A blend of the third oscillator and noise generator can serve as an audio modulation source for filter cut-off, producing distinctive electronic audio effects.

To add some serious edge, adjust the filter saturation. Hybrid 1.5 offers the original Overdrive filter, which creates a soft tube-like clipping, plus five new filter saturation modes: Distort, which creates a harder, brighter clipping; Hard Clip, which creates a very hard and bright transistor-like clipping; Rectify, which creates a gentle distortion that retains the character of the input signal; Bit Crush, which creates deliberate aliasing by reducing the bit depth; and Resample, which creates deliberate aliasing by reducing the sample rate.

LFOs
Hybrid includes three LFOs per part: two monophonic and one polyphonic. Use the LFOs to modulate pitch, loudness, or cut-off to produce vibrato, tremolo, or electronic sweeps. Choose from eight modulation types, ranging from sine and triangle waves to random, “drift,” and sample-and-hold modulation. Change the depth, rate, phase, and sync mode to quickly and dramatically alter the sound.

Envelope Editors
Use the four envelope editors to easily sculpt the filter, amplitude, and any two other modulation envelopes. Adjust velocity, attack, decay, and key tracking, and then type in the envelope rate.

Performance-Oriented Features

Whether you use it in the studio or in a live situation, Hybrid is built to be played. Use the step sequencers for arpeggiation or phrase generation. Set the modulation matrix to easily map modulations from sources to destinations. And set up “morph” groups to modify sounds on the fly, from the interface or a MIDI controller.

Step Sequencers
Two onboard 16-step sequencers (one for each part) enable you to create modern-sounding patches that move. Set note values, velocity, and modulation. Then pick from nine playback options to use the sequencer as a step sequence, arpeggiator, or MIDI phrase generator.

Modulation Matrix
Hybrid also offers a flexible and easy-to-use modulation matrix with 16 assignable modulation sources and more than 20 destinations. Assign modulations to an oscillator or filter. Hybrid allows multiple assignments of sources and destinations, all with adjustable intensities.

Morph Groups
With Hybrid, you can assign any rotary control or fader on the plug-in’s interface to one of the four “morph” groups. Assign pan, filter, or amplifier envelopes to a morph group to alter sounds from your controller while recording or playing live. Each morph group can control several parameters simultaneously. You, in turn, can control morph groups from the dials on the interface or from a MIDI controller.

Effects

Hybrid provides two insert effect sends per part, each with more than 40 effect types, so you can quickly change the sound of a part. A separate master effects section lets you select reverb, delay, and chorus effects to enhance — or warp — any of the sounds at the patch level. Easily adjust effect parameters and sync effects to a chosen tempo.