AIR Music Technology’s Hybrid 3 is a hugely powerful virtual synth, with a vast array of features under the hood. As with any instrument, the key to unlocking its potential is an understanding of how to access and make good use of everything it has to offer. This course by Producertech senior tutor Rob Jones teaches exactly that, taking you on a sound design journey through every nook and cranny of the software, to have you editing and creating patches with ease in no time!

To keep things interesting and prevent tedious walkthroughs, every lesson on Rob’s course is an example of patch design, kicking off right from the offset with a demonstration of how to make a detuned saw preset, with oscillators in their default states and a minimal amount of envelope adjustment. Increasing gradually in complexity, Rob works through many of the main categories of patch, showing the techniques involved with making basses, leads, pads, FX, arps and more.

Despite the plugin interface’s relatively simple appearance, every area of the instrument has a lot of flexibility, with oscillators providing sync, pulse width modulation and wavetable synthesis with just a few clicks. Dual filtering and saturation also offer a massive amount of sound manipulation right from the main window, with other unique features including a pump LFO and filter FM facility, all of which is explored thoroughly on the course.

After all of the main areas of the plugin have been sufficiently explained, Rob wraps things up with a series of quick tips, giving some additional 1-2 minute sound design tricks, to help Hybrid users achieve instant results.

Signing up to the course provides students with well over 2 hours of streamed tutorials, along with 20 presets for the synth, offering both a useful collection of inspiring patches as well as clear and precise instructions on how to make them. Before signing up, check out the sample modules, for examples of the lesson style and content, which will soon make Hybrid your go-to instrument for producing high quality sounds.

Sample Module

Course Breakdown

Module 1 - Sound Design Basics

An introduction to Hybrid 3, showing how to make a simple patch from the default state, by mixing all oscillators and shaping with the amp and filter envelopes.

Lesson 1 - Adding and Tuning Oscillators - 04.43

Lesson 2 - Amplifier and Filter Envelope - 06.22

Module 2 - Pad Design 1

A second simple design example, making a chord pad preset with global unison voicing.

Lesson 1 - Creating a Unison Pad - 06.05

Lesson 2 - Adding Extra Voices - 04.05

Module 3 - Pad Design 2

The pad preset from the previous module is modified by high-pass filtering with inverted envelope modulation.

Lesson 1 - Customised Filter Enveloping - 06.27

Module 4 - Classic Lead Design

A quick and easy way to make a highly usable lead sound by modulating an oscillator in Saw Sync mode.

Lesson 1 - Intro to the Oscillator Modes and Modulation - 05.30

Module 5 - Wavetable Synthesis     

Using oscillators in Wavetable mode to create an evolving bass preset, which is filtered to create an even bassier and more distorted alternative.

Lesson 1 - Setting up Oscillator 1 - 03.52

Lesson 2 - Adding Extra Oscillators - 08.23

Lesson 3 - Filtering Options - 02.33

Module 6 - Parallel Filter Design

How to use parallel filters to create separate layers of frequencies, with stacked filter modulation adding extra movement and interest.

Lesson 1 - Setting up the Oscillators - 03.07

Lesson 2 - Modulated Band-Pass Filter 1 - 03.12

Lesson 3 - Parallel Filter Application  - 06.01

Module 7 - Creating Percussion

Another example of oscillator modulation, this time to create a classic 808 tom patch.

Lesson 1 - Oscillator 1 Transient Strike - 03.42

Lesson 2 - Oscillator 2 Tuned Pitch - 05.10

Lesson 3 - Osc 2 Pitch Mod and Effects - 03.49

Module 8 - Velocity Modulation

How to use the velocity of MIDI notes to change the sound of a patch, as well as showing how the filters can be used to independently process oscillators 1 and 2.

Lesson 1 - Osc 2 Setup and Velocity Intro - 04.34

Lesson 2 - Att Vel, Dec Vel and Keytrack - 02.52

Lesson 3 - Adding Osc 1 and Fine Tuning Velocity Mod - 05.57

Lesson 4 - Osc (Split) Filtering - 05.15

Module 9 - Step Sequencer

A guide to Hybrid’s Step Sequencer, used to create an arpeggiated patch.

Lesson 1 - Sequencing a Pattern - 05.07

Lesson 2 - Adding Velocity Variation and Adjusting Length - 03.34

Module 10 - Pump LFO and Filter FM

Some tips for using the pump LFO and filter FM features, to create more dynamic and exciting presets.

Lesson 1 - Filter FM- 06.46

Lesson 2 - Pump LFO - 03.05

Module 11 - Insert Effects

A quick lesson to show how insert effects are applied within Hybrid.

Lesson 1 - Using Insert Effects - 02.31

Module 12 - Multiple Part Preset Design

How to create presets using both parts A and B in Hybrid. Rob demonstrates how to edit factory presets in both parts to create an epic riser FX patch.

Lesson 1 - Intro to Part Presets & Part A Setup - 06.07

Lesson 2 - Part B Rhythmic Perc - 03.13

Lesson 3 - Morph Controls - 03.15

Module 13 - Bonus Quick Tips

A series of quick tips for extra sound design inspiration, including additional modulation options, filter sequencing and assigning of parameters to MIDI controllers.

Lesson 1 - LFO Drift Tip - 01.30

Lesson 2 - Assigning the Mod Wheel - 0.44

Lesson 3 - Creating Filter Sequences - 01.52

Lesson 4 - Adding Glide - 01.14

Lesson 5 - Assiging Morph Control to Aftertouch - 02.31