Get ready to have your musical world turned upside down! Ashun Sound Machines (ASM) just dropped the Diosynth, and it’s not your typical follow-up to the beloved Hydrasynth. While the Hydrasynth has been a darling of the synth community since its 2019 debut—thanks to its innovative take on wavetable synthesis and its ability to win over even the most skeptical of fans (yes, including us)—the Diosynth is a bold departure from what we’ve come to expect from ASM. But here’s where it gets intriguing: instead of another polysynth, ASM has ventured into uncharted territory with a wind synthesizer that blends sample-based sounds with cutting-edge synthesis engines.
The Diosynth isn’t just a novelty; it’s a powerhouse designed to bridge the gap between acoustic and electronic music. With 384 onboard patches, it covers everything from classic wind instruments like saxophones, flutes, and trumpets to rare gems like the contrabass flute, Eb Tubax, and even a Peruvian llama whistle. And this is the part most people miss: its sound engine borrows some of the magic from the Hydrasynth, allowing you to combine four wavescan oscillators with two sample playback oscillators, all routed through a 16-mode filter. This opens up a world of layered and split sounds that’ll make sound designers drool.
But here’s the controversial bit: wind synthesizers have been around since the late ‘80s, so what makes the Diosynth stand out? ASM argues it’s the seamless integration of Hydrasynth’s DNA into a wind-friendly format. Plus, it comes with a companion app for desktop, Android, and iOS, making advanced sound design accessible even for beginners. The hardware itself is a marvel, too—designed specifically for wind players, it features mechanical keys that mimic the feel of real instruments, breath and bite sensors for expressive control, an internal gyro, an X/Y joystick, pressure pads, and programmable switches.
Connectivity-wise, the Diosynth is a dream: it’s got DIN MIDI, USB MIDI, Bluetooth MIDI, Bluetooth audio input, and even a built-in speaker. It’s due to ship in December with a price tag of $1,349/€1,449/£1,249, and every unit includes a hard-shell case, cables, and a storage stand.
Now, here’s the question for you: Is the Diosynth a game-changer for wind players, or is it a niche product that’ll struggle to find its audience? Let us know in the comments—we’re all ears! And if you’re hungry for more music tech news, reviews, and deals, don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter.
Oh, and one last thing: as someone who’s been tinkering with music tech for over two decades (and forgetting how to play guitar for the last ten), I can tell you this—the Diosynth is worth keeping an eye on. Find me in the chillout room at the next rave, complaining it’s past my bedtime, and we can debate whether this is the future of wind synthesis or just a fascinating detour. For now, head over to ASM’s site for all the details: https://www.ashunsoundmachines.com/.
