Dave Smith Instruments "TETRA" Synthesizer Review Pt. 2

Video Disclaimer: Correct pronunciations of various words in this video should include:

po•lyph•o•ny

pol•y•phon•ic

po•ten•ti•om•e•ter

Thanks to the "Too Much Time On Your Hands" crew for correcting this (repeatedly). You are right... I am wrong. So what? HA HA. Funny... I guess you neg-posters must use your blinker every time you make a lane change, never interrupt someone when speaking, and have never sent an email with ALL CAPS that wasn't meant to be yelling your point. Clearly no commenter here talks on their mobile phone in restaurants, eats with their mouth open, chews gum on the phone, or puts elbows on the table at dinner. Crossing the street without a crosswalk, using bathroom without washing hands, or dropping trash on the ground also never happens with this fine group of analytical gurus. C'mon gang. After all, it is "Synth DIY" not "Synth I Was Taught How to Say Everything Right."


Here is my two part review of the new Tetra Synthesizer by Dave Smith Instruments. This is intended as an overview of the sounds and features of the synthesizer, with a small narrative about the over complex expectations of today's synthesizer enthusiasts that sometimes push the fringe of synthesizer elitists. Treat it like an editorial, take it or leave it. I love this powerful little synthesizer and have had more time to play with it since making this video footage last week. I hope you enjoy the sounds, and at $800 for a 4 voice true analog synth, you can't go wrong. Want more knobs? Use the editor and one of your multiple MIDI controllers.

Thanks for stopping by! Check out www.davesmithinstruments.com for more information on the Tetra and the other Dave Smith instruments.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Dave
• Smith
• Instruments
• Tetra
• Prophet
• Analog
• Synth
• Synthesizer
• Sequential
• Circuits
• Pro-1
• Review

[dancetech]

good review, we linked it on our site Tetra product page

[djthomaswhite]

@dancetech - Thanks Dancetech, I love all of your Logic tutorials. They have helped me discover many new ways to do things. I hope to see more soon.

[djthomaswhite]

@corganb - while the Tetra can do some mean bass, I think the Taurus 3 would be the ultimate bass synth from modern analogs. I don't have one, but demos online are pretty clear. However, the Taurus can't do Tetra stuff like slick chords and pads.

[TheRealCritique]

sounds kind of sterile to me, but it all depends on the one controlling it.

[regularmagnolia]

@pulseforce Hehe that was a quick reply.

Do you use Poly-ana? If not, download the demo. It's *s i c k*. Also listen to this YouTube video which is all made with Poly-Ana:

Search for: "Stunning Software Synthesizer Poly-Ana!"

Then when the video opens, add "&fmt=18" (without quotes) to the end of the URL and press enter to reload the page and get stereo, 44.1khz sound.

That last tip works on most videos and is vital when checking out synth demos.

[M3sslah]

I just love all the fools sticking to their Softshit, more awesome gear for the rest of us and softsynth still sound shit in comparison. A sound in an analog or virtual analog make you inspired to do something with most of the sounds. With softsynths I just sit and go through 200 sounds without ever feeling that magic moment. And yes I listened to Poly-ana now, same crap they try to make it so analog but compared to this it just sound boring.

[psynapsurfa]

i have a few dollars saved up. i can afford a virus ti 61kb, or i could get a tetra, and a mopho, and a maschine for the dollars, and a motu ultra. or maybe ozone. or i need some monitors too.

i have an evolver d/t.

i use live8 suite. i use ni massive, absynth, fm8, reaktor. dcam s/s.

i really want a virus ti.

but would i be better off getting the other things i need first like monitors, and ozone. and then a few dsi synths. or is virus so good i should get it. so confused right now. help

[psynapsurfa]

i agree people are always wanting the next thing. and then they complain that it doesnt sound like the classic vintage old things. weird eh.

i say lets forget whether it is old new ana or digi, and just enjoy what it sounds like..

it is a bit like having friends. we dont all want clones..in fact we lik people for their different qualities. and in fact we love people for their differences..

so let us be the same about synths. be they virtual, hardware, ana, or digi. lets just dig it all!.

[redwraith122]

Bladerunner soundtrack. Lol.

[drum4life42]

Can you create a sequence per voice and play it as a combo?

[harrymerchant456]

@TheRealCritique I agree DSI are not as warm sounding as Roland analogs. Daves stuff does have a digital(ish), sterile quality about - some - of the sounds - which can be good for cutting through the mix. I do find DSI synths more versatile than many analogs though. I have a Moog Little Phatty and whilst its warmer and perhaps fatter sounding I do find its range limited at times. I tend to use it only for bass, which of course is great.

But regardless this is better than any VSTs

[djjessebase10]

hmm.. pretty much every synth can sound like this.. :P

[cazmo222]

Guys, the mic recording and youtube's compression really doesn't do this synth much justice - listen to some actualy recordings, it's got a great analog sound.