Being an enthusiastic owner and user of a Hydrasynth desktop, I didn't hesitate to purchase the Hydrasynth Explorer.
I love my Hydrasynth, but playing with pads isn't my cup of tea.
The Explorer offers polyphonic aftertouch and note off velocity in a handy format.
Although the case is plastic it feels and looks very solid.
The knobs are the same quality as on the other versions.
The keys are very nice slim keys. You can adjust the sensitivity of the polytouch to your wishes.
This is not only an amazing synth, but also a very versatile controller.
Almost every knob sends MIDI CC. When you select a module the CC's of the four macro knobs will change to their specific CC's.
The macro's can send any CC or NRPN you want, which makes it a very versatile MIDI controller. I use it mostly to control iPad apps and that works fine.
With the Explorer I got the perfect MIDI controller for me with a fantastic synthesizer on board in a very handy and portable format.
I hope Thomann will offer a case for it soon.