Dave Smith TETRA 4 voice - analog poly synth !!

- ask away
User avatar
Android
mnml mmbr
mnml mmbr
Posts: 415
Joined: Mon Jan 08, 2007 7:05 am

Dave Smith TETRA 4 voice - analog poly synth !!

Post by Android »

Just saw this, looks like the rumors were true!

priced @ $799 usd awesome!

sound bytes here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyZooVg6miU


http://www.davesmithinstruments.com/products/tetra/

Image

* Affordable, fully programmable poly synth with a 100% analog signal path.
* Classic, real analog sound—including legendary Curtis analog low-pass filter.
* Four-part multitimbral capability with four separate outputs.
* Combo Mode for huge unison patches, stacked sequences, and "modular-style" poly sounds.
* Expandable: poly chain with other Tetras, Prophet '08, and Mopho for expanded polyphony
* Just 7.9" x 5" (20.07 cm x 12.7 cm).
* Free editor for Mac OS and Windows.

Overview

Tetra is our next-generation analog poly synth. Tetra takes the award-winning sound and features of Mopho, multiplies them by four, and packs them in a box less than half an inch larger!

Tetra has multiple personalities. It is a four-voice, analog poly synth, a sort of “mini Prophet.” It's a four-part, multitimbral synth with separate outputs, essentially four Mophos in one very compact box. And it’s a voice expander for other Tetras or the Prophet ’08.

Outside the Box
Physically, Tetra is similar to Mopho, with four assignable parameter controls per program and a row of controls dedicated to the most commonly used performance parameters. All of the parameters can be accessed from the front panel and Tetra is fully programmable. A free, downloadable editor is available for Mac OS and Windows to facilitate more comprehensive tweaking.

Most of the rotary controls are detented encoders, but Cutoff and Resonance are potentiometers, allowing full sweeps with a single turn. The Push It button is a manual trigger to play notes and latch sequences on without the need for a MIDI controller.

Audio is output in mono, stereo, or per voice, via the four audio output jacks. There is also a headphone out. MIDI communication is by standard MIDI in and out jacks or USB. Poly Chain Out is a special, dedicated MIDI output to chain multiple instruments for increased polyphony.

Under the Hood
The voice architecture is based on the Prophet '08, but with the addition of a sub-octave generator for each oscillator and a fully programmable feedback loop for each voice. That breaks down to two DCOs, a resonant low-pass filter, three DADSR envelope generators, four LFOS, deep modulation routing, an arpeggiator, and a 16 x 4 analog-style step sequencer per voice. Feedback is capable of producing effects ranging from mild distortion to fairly extreme harmonic instability. (That's a good thing.) The possibilities are nearly endless. And the audio signal path is 100% analog.

Tetra a la Mode
In Program Mode, Tetra is a four-voice, polyphonic synthesizer with four banks of 128 programs. As with the Prophet '08, each program contains two layers—each layer is essentially a separate patch—that can be used to create keyboard splits or stacked sounds. Banks 1 and 2 are the Prophet '08 factory programs; banks 3 and 4 are a combination of Mopho and new programs.

In Combo Mode, a different program can be assigned to each of the four voices. Combos can be used for mammoth unison patches or for triggering up to four different 16 x 4 sequences—each with its own program—simultaneously. Combos can also be used to create "modular-style" polyphonic patches, where each voice plays a different program, with a slight variation on the same sound or even a drastically different sound.

In Multi Mode, Tetra becomes a multitimbral sound module capable of playing four monophonic parts on four MIDI channels, with separate outputs for each voice. Coupled with a MIDI sequencer and DAW, Tetra can play complex arrangements or analog drum parts with each part individually processed and recorded to its own track.

This One Goes to 12...and 16
Up to four Tetras can be poly chained for eight, twelve, or sixteen voices total. When used with a Prophet '08, up to two Tetras can be poly chained for a maximum of sixteen voices. In addition, the Prophet's front panel controls map directly to almost all of Tetra's parameters, so the Prophet acts as a programmer and control surface. And a Mopho can be connected to Tetra's Poly Chain Out for five-voice operation.
zarbeat
mnml mmbr
mnml mmbr
Posts: 142
Joined: Tue Oct 31, 2006 11:15 pm

Post by zarbeat »

Affordable, fully programmable poly synth with a 100% analog signal path.
I kind of disagree in that affordable part but I agree with the rest DS makes the best crap out there :D Ill be hunting for one on ebay soon :D
eMtEx
mnml mmbr
mnml mmbr
Posts: 112
Joined: Wed Apr 30, 2008 4:01 am
Location: Luzern/Switzerland
Contact:

Post by eMtEx »

cool but too expensive.
for that price i want more knobs!
i own a mopho and whitout software editor theres no chance to edit a patch properly. :-(
User avatar
tone-def
mnml maxi
mnml maxi
Posts: 3822
Joined: Sun May 27, 2007 12:05 am
Location: Hertfordshire

Post by tone-def »

i think the price is ok. how many other new analog poly synths do you see for under £500?
User avatar
Stomper
mnml maxi
mnml maxi
Posts: 636
Joined: Wed Nov 08, 2006 12:41 am

Post by Stomper »

Yeah, ppl forget that its a poly synth and i cant think of cheaper one less than 1000$. and its 2 osc per voice, so its 8 analog osc and 4 filters.
so it is a good price imo.
but i wont be looking for one. never liked how DSI stuff sounded.


Stomper.
User avatar
dubgil
mnml mmbr
mnml mmbr
Posts: 234
Joined: Wed Mar 26, 2008 12:57 am

Post by dubgil »

I was thinking of getting the Evolver - a nice desktop synth for about 5/600bux

is this better?
User avatar
tone-def
mnml maxi
mnml maxi
Posts: 3822
Joined: Sun May 27, 2007 12:05 am
Location: Hertfordshire

Post by tone-def »

double post
Last edited by tone-def on Tue Aug 25, 2009 10:49 am, edited 1 time in total.
User avatar
tone-def
mnml maxi
mnml maxi
Posts: 3822
Joined: Sun May 27, 2007 12:05 am
Location: Hertfordshire

Post by tone-def »

dubgil wrote:I was thinking of getting the Evolver - a nice desktop synth for about 5/600bux

is this better?
it depends what you want. this is better for me as it's polyphonic and i'm not to keen on the Mono Evolver.
Post Reply