DSI Tetra Review
By Paul Dakeyne
| Posted in Music Technology
The Dave Smith Instruments Tetra synth has been drawing admiring glances for a few weeks now. I recently managed to drag one from the clutches of DV and glean a bit of an insight into this analogue (2 oscillator per voice, 4 note) polyphonic beauty.
Overview and Connectivity
Wrapped in a sturdy metal chassis, Tetra has a solid, feel-good build quality that makes it safe as houses both in the studio and when combating the rigours of stage use. Eight of the 11 front panel knobs are of the stepped infinity type, while the rest utilise normal smooth start/end travel positions.
With no on or off switch, power is engaged by simply connecting the wall wart cable. The only other physical connection is a USB lead which gives dual directional communication between the unit and the (basic form) free software editor running on a PC/Mac. While it might be easier to use the editor for tweaking parameters, the free version of the editor offers no additional access to the Tetra’s parameters than what can be accessed via the front panel.
At the rear of the unit, there are four individual 1/4″ jack outputs (each of which is assignable to one of the four voices), a MIDI in and out, plus a connector for Poly Chaining up perhaps another Tetra, a Mopho or even a Prophet 08 if your bank manager (or wife) isn’t looking. Unlike the Mopho however, there is no audio input for external signal processing – a shame, but we mustn’t grumble.
Sound Shaping
Using the same internal architecture as its big brother the Prophet 08, sound shaping, especially with the included software editor is easy and fun. However, for less in-depth but nonetheless powerful on-stage tweaking of the ‘usual suspects’, the five lower panel pots instantly adjust pitch, cutoff, resonance, attack and decay/release. There is a slight catch though in that three of these pots actually control several parameters simultaneously (Pitch – Osc 1 and 2, Attack – Low Pass, Amp and Envelope 3, and Decay/Release, the latter three again). The workaround in this instance is to hit the ‘assign params’ button, select your ‘weapon of choice’, hit the ‘assign params’ again to store and hey presto: your fave parameter is now assigned to one of the four centrally placed pots.
Audio Delights
As you would expect from Mr Smith, Tetra boasts four banks of 128 absolutely spot on, incredibly usable individual sound patches, with each bank made accessible by pressing and holding the ‘Bank +or -’ button. Added to this is a great array of drum and melody loops/sequence combo’s which are themselves an inspiration to composition. These textures posses the most amazing flexibility when using controller key after-touch and your modulation wheel. This really is an impressive sound library, which is drenched in rocket fuel when you consider that Tetra inherited its sub-oscillators from the Mopho – great for contemporary Dance/Electro/R&B/D&B basslines.
Modulation/Sequencing and that Feedback function..
Utilising the software editor, Tetra has enough firepower under the bonnet to keep advanced programmers merrily routing sources to destinations all day and night. Add to this the simply awesome 4 X 16 step gated sequencer, which can be triggered with your keyboard or via the ‘Push it’ button, and you can get all Giorgio Moroder on yo’bad self.
For me, routing different sources to nearly 50 destinations over four separate windows took me into analogue sequencer heaven, where the king of Aci-e-e-e-d House had dinner with Tangerine Dream round at Jagz Kooner’s place.
The aforementioned Feedback function is a hoot also. Maybe to make amends for there being no audio input facility, Tetra’s left audio output travels through a series of internal pre-amp, VCA and filter inputs, to allow some serious feedback sounds. Small amounts of this give subtle ‘overdrive’ type distortion, but ‘cranking it up’ can make this baby scream blue murder!!
Conclusion
Simply, for the price point, Tetra is nearly all the synth you could ever need. The lush sounds, a freakin’ amazing sequencer, probably the best software editor I’ve ever seen, plus its portability and ease of use make it a tremendously desirable product. I won’t even niggle about the lack of a power switch… oops, I already have! But hey, the Tetra polyphonic synthesiser rocks, and hopefully DV will ‘forget’ to ask to have this particular one back…
Tags: Dave Smith Instruments, DSI, polyphony, Prophet 08, synthesizer, Tetra