The 3rd Wave: Wavetable Shenanigans!

A look at the 3rd Wave from Groove Synthesis.
www.groovesynthesis.com/
0:00 Intro Jam
1:20 The 3rd Wave
1:47 Demo 1: Flight Risk
2:51 Wavetable Principle
4:17 Demo 2: Atlas
5:20 Oscillators
6:15 Demo 3: Horizon
7:23 The Rest of the Synth
8:41 Demo 4: Funk Sandwich
9:27 Multi-Part
10:12 Demo: Multi-Part
11:15 Make your own Wavetable
13:23 Summary
14:45 Outro Jam

[@SirNotAppearing]

The synth's panel looks really inviting: a hybrid of classic PPG & the hands-on appeal of a Prophet-5. And it sounds lovely.

[@needfortweed8734]

I really dug the tracks with vocals (Funk Sandwich and Outro Jam). Have to say that I admire the creativity and skills of mr. Ball himself...

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers!

[@MFitz12]

So many KZbin reviewers just spend 45 minutes making horrible noises. Alex (and Matt Johnson) actually demonstrate how to make music with the things.

[@roryjineffect]

He is always... On the ball. 😎

[@BartolomeoPestalozzi444]

Your seemingly endless creativity and ability to play so well all those instruments never ceases to amaze me... Cheers from Italy! 😀

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers!

[@TheJbollen]

groovy synthesis and the little dance. Those are the gems I keep coming back for. 😂 Keep 'm coming!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Can't say it without doing the little groove.

[@arenotdiy7280]

I just wanna say, the silence and black screen you leave after the end of the videos is so nice. It lets the departing musical piece echo out in our minds, and doesn't blast other videos you've produced or adds imedeatly. 👍

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thank you!

[@iamgeorgesears]

Just want to mention, that the chorus voice parts in the demos are awesome, you're killing it. Last song gave me M83 vibes.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thank you!

[@xa1a]

@@AlexBallMusic Its full on M83 sounding for sure. As usual, you nailed it!

[@LFOVCF]

I always struggled to love the PPG Wave sound, it always sounded kinda clangy to me, and for some reason, I couldn't warm to it. However, I'd never heard it played in the way you did ie pad textures etc. Quite the...hold on a minute! moment. The 3rd wave is certainly the next gen, with stacks of potential. I'm now going to make myself cry as I look up the price. Great demo there AB👍

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, like digital FM, it's super bright and can take the enamel off your teeth, but it's then got the warm analogue filters and it's about dialling in the sound as a whole. Needs taming for sure, but it's totally doable.

[@althejazzman]

Man, you're already so capable of bringing any synth to life, but often with a big 80's feel. By the time you're 60, you'll be a living legend.

[@horizontalblanking]

Woof! The bit you played right after you made you made your own wavetable had a definite Depeche Mode vibe about it… and I’m so here for it!

[@kentune38]

Funk Sandwich totally rocked. Could easily have been on 'Heroes'. Such a cool channel. Alex nails it every time. & others are right - that Outro Jam is one of the most sumptuous demos so far. Lovely!

[@brentgreeff1115]

Classy instrument - love the buttons. -Perfect with low-bit-depth drums. - awesome performance.

[@Death_By_Media]

Absolute Bangers and Ethereal soundscapes . Sound Programming Skills and musicality unmatched in the " gear demo " space . Cheers !

[@oscillationcommunications709]

Yet another great video,thanks! This board sounds so good,and I love that they incorporated the external in,I love adding wavs to the Blofeld I have via the SL functions,and 3rd wave really brings that to a whole other level with that input. Magical stuff✨ Sweet production and songs as always,keep em pumpin.⚡️

[@adamoliver82]

Excellent stuff! Last tack was great, made me feel all warm.

[@CBG]

Great demo of a deep and inventive keyboard. That last track is sooo catchy and bight, as other have said M83 at it best, your work is inspiring!

[@DaveG207]

What an absolute beast! I have a place in my heart for this type of sound, being a big fan of Depeche mode, Ultravox (seriously, listen to Quartet, it’s laden) and Gary Numan (Beserker and Fury eras he worked with “The Wave Team” to program the PPG). This just sounds amazing…no idea where I’d put one though!! Time to buy a bigger place….

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yes! I was listening through that stuff and getting into the vibe. Really cool period. Definitely clear out unnecessary things like the kitchen or the bath and get more synths in there.

[@DaveG207]

@@AlexBallMusic I don’t believe I really need two kidney’s either…

[@Behnan]

Alternativ: keep the kitchen and wait for the expander

[@mraduanemc]

Maybe it's the cognac talking, but the stereo richness coming out my phone speakers on this video is remarkable. Well done, Alex, as always.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Oh, it's SUPER stereo, yeah!

[@animaser5582]

Impressive synth, and thank you for another outstanding demonstration.

[@adam872]

What an awesome machine and great sounds. Love wavetable synthesis and a bunch of artists I enjoy over the years have used it.

[@rowanjones3476]

Loved the harmony parts in the outro jam. Always got to watch your videos to the end Alex :D

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks Rowan. :)

[@user-fm5uo2yx2y]

WOW! I REALLY ENJOY YOUR MUSIC !!!WELL DONE !

[@shane864]

Happy to see every tru synth dork on the internet shouting out how rad this one is. The One, the OBX8, the new P5/10, the Model D, this.. getting back to realistic high end electonic gear again is so good. We aren't in a second golden era, we're in THE golden era. Love.

[@deeorlando6536]

Good tune! Love the vocals on here!

[@neilldehaan2522]

Marvelous video as always. Thanks again.

[@ElectronicazMusic]

Great vid. Amazing tracks you've created. I am in awe. 😁 ♥ 🎶 🎹

[@EarmonkeyMusic]

More good work as usual Alex. Your videos are musical gems in addition to the history and technical aspects you cover so well. I spent a couple of hours with these guys last NAMM (heading down to Anaheim this morning for the 2023 installment as a matter of fact) and got about 30-40 minutes with the instrument. I really loved it.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Hey Jim! Yeah, really cool synth. Have an AWESOME time at NAMM. Wish I could get there.

[@markenevoldsen6908]

Man I love your clever demos,Thank you.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thank you Mark.

[@lorien6678]

13:20 - perfection in it's simple and purge way that I really Loved !

[@billysunshine9100]

You have the best taste in synthesisizng. I'll always be your number one fan, look forward to every sound you make, killer shit dawg.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thank you!

[@Supercell725]

Very cool Alex

[@MilesAwayOfficial]

Outro Jam is amazing dude! Absolutely beautiful song, you should release that one :)

[@Toolsquatch]

Wavetable synthesis is such a bananas form of synthesis, I'm always shocked how faithfully analog it can behave when you want it to or become a gnarly digital monstrosity with a few knob tweaks and parameter assignments!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Absolutely this! It's a brilliant idea and very effective.

[@adam872]

Yeah that was one of the awesome things about the PPG - it could cover analogue and digital sounding stuff just as easily. Add the Waveterm in for some sampling and it was a full rig right there. A bloody expensive one mind you.

[@ivanglushko4232]

Wow such a professional music you make here!

[@bobcoover6215]

Thanks Alex! You really show off the 3rd Wave's ability to act as a production tool. Funk Sandwich - just love it and love that 3rd Wave sync bass line along with all the other sounds you made! Everyone gets something different out of the 3rd Wave and I had the feeling you would hit it out of the park with what you chose to do with it, which you did! 🏆

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers Bob! The please was all mine. Have a great NAMM.

[@bepec1431]

guten tag ! danke für die ausführliche produktpräsentation. Alex Ball - grossartiger kanal - weter so! 🤩

[@dankeplace]

This is an amazing synth, Bob and co did a fantastic job of expanding on a great, you did justice to the team and their work. Being able to run this as 4 synth engines with 6 voices and be able to have separate outs is like having 4 individual synths. It makes this a really affordable option when you break it down and compare $ to other alternatives, it also sounds wicked in the hands of someone like yourself. Kudos to you sir!!!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yes, it's a good point. It's four 6-voice synths! They did a great job with this one.

[@sudbenzer6603]

you're my definition of 'composer'. keep pushing!

[@cubdukat]

The PPG has been reborn!

[@jonnycavell]

Great stuff Alex

[@UndercoverWanderer]

I LOVE you jams!!!

[@MattJohnsonJamiroquai]

Great video Alex, you got some fantastic sounds out of it!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Ditto sir. Totally stole your idea of using the upper wavetables for lofi analogue style waves btw. 😉

[@leonpage2777]

That thing is so powerful it could probably open portal in time and space!!!

[@brutsalvadi]

It does! 😂

[@karlmikko]

When I see another @Alex Ball video my headphones go on instantly! Keep up the great work!

[@AlexBallMusic]

🤜🤛

[@henri-fillipbauer6579]

man you're super talented

[@SynthAddict]

great sounds and tunes as usual - and you made it look quite easy to use 🙂 long live the PPG Wave and similar sounds, love it

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers. It genuinely is very easy to use. Nicely designed.

[@mossgraber]

First good sound demo I heard from this machine!

[@SisterRose]

Even though this has like a million knobs, I actually find it less intimidating that a lot of other modern digital synths, everything's all "Oh yeah that makes sense", plus it builds off a familiar platform.

[@gh0stransist0r]

digging the final track at the end. 💖

[@ChrisP3000x]

Sounds awesome!

[@TLGElectro]

I use a Waldorf NW1 wavetable module in my eurorack set up. I mess with the knobs and buttons, plug in the cables, and let the fun/madness begin! Never the same thing twice, i love it! Great video, looks like a mega synth too. 👍❤️😁

[@HOLLASOUNDS]

I use Reasons Europa for wavetable sythersizor.

[@HalonOfficial]

What a great synth! 😃

[@connor_flanigan]

Dave Smith - prophet 12 with digital waves, analog type waves, gorgeous filter and effects - $3,000. synth buyers - "nope, don't like it - too expensive." they couldn't give them away, new or used. reimagining of a PPG wave - $5,000 synth buyers - "coolest synth ever. can't wait to buy one!"

[@untml]

Just because people are exciting about something doesn't mean they will buy it. and you know, it was 10 year ago, I think there was two youtube channel for synths at 2013? :) I will not be surprised if in 5-7 years it will be hard to sell this one second hand too. BTW, the prophet 12 did sold well, they made a desktop version and even made a special numbered, limited edition, not something you do usually with an unsuccessful product, still a great synth till this day.

[@jason3898]

Just in time for lunch!

[@AlexBallMusic]

What did you have? Classic sarnie?

[@Luap-ls3ix]

Really hope they make a desktop version of this because I do not have room for the keyboard version 😂

[@michaelmos7497]

And you need endless cpu-power, if you use more than two instances, I think😅

[@loudspider316]

Thanks Alan, great as ever. Some of those sounds are underscore catnip (as ever they were even with the original), the Horizon demo would slot straight into an Alex Garland production. Nice.

[@jaylloyd7246]

Good stuff mr ball !

[@mastercylinder1939]

It may be expensive, but it could replace three or four other synths.

[@gattobus]

The outro Jam is amazing I had to listen one more time!

[@AlexBallMusic]

😀

[@SynthAddict]

hey @gattobus always enjoyed your demos

[@dankeplace]

@@SynthAddict he is the reason I bought a JD XA (sold it later no regrets), his demos are sublime.

[@SynthAddict]

@@dankeplace for sure 🙂

[@RedMeansRecording]

On the last track at the beginning I expected we would just continue to zoom out and your arms would get longer and longer forever

[@stevedenny3547]

Bloody marvelous.

[@digitalduch1111]

Great one! And I spotted the Ise-Nin in the background at the end 😉

[@AlexBallMusic]

You did. Video to follow.

[@digitalduch1111]

@@AlexBallMusic Can't wait 🙂

[@bright1180]

Man you are so freaking talented!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thank you

[@bnjmnwst]

That outro jam was legit.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers Ben

[@Sicolirics]

12:46 😮😮😮 Depeche Mode ❤

[@DestroyER82]

Fantastic!

[@Fractal8359]

I love this!

[@i_never_asked_for_an_alias]

Lovely.

[@unyu-cyberstorm64]

Wavetables are awesome! Some casio sound sources are Wavetables (A2, ZPI) (With some small samples) Now you might be thinking "Casio, isn't that just simple samples?" Well some are... But A2 and ZPI are Wavetable, with some envlopes filters LFOs and effects (Please just look in the synth parameters of a WK-1800 to see what it's doing with the waveforms) This allows you to do some cool things with them if you know how. (It also sounds cool) ZPI has wave morphing, A2 I am not sure if it does.

[@unyu-cyberstorm64]

Btw they do have voice combining. (You can combine 2 voices at a time for A2, and 4 at a time for ZPI)

[@alderpublishingllc4702]

Makes me think about the Spherical Wavetable Navigator modular & Arturia Pigments Wavetable software. Good show!

[@final_mile_music9713]

No matter the instruments, the inimitable style of Alex Ball Sehr gut! Fantastich!

[@akibe7608]

I appreciate that this guy played some music. Most of the people demonstrating synthesizers play tempoless, 70s, space movie sounds. This thing is called 'Groove Synthesis'. The keyword being 'groove'.

[@carlosserrano3985]

The PPG was my favorite digital synth in the 80's, I saw one once in a studio but never got the chance to put the hands on it back then, the possibilities in this new version are endless, and like you said, it has hight price but is worthy. Another users of PPG Wave synths was Kajagoogoo and Missing Persons.

[@SPAZZOID100]

It was a hybrid.

[@carlosserrano3985]

@@SPAZZOID100 Only have a analog filter, PPG added that in later Wave synths.

[@BenODen]

Wow. Just wow. In the hands of a master, this synth makes amazing music, I want the full album please. Lol Edit: you can't fool us Alex. You also have to have skills to make it sound ready too.

[@christopherjbutler]

I completely did not have a sense of what wavetable synthesis really was until this video.. Thought a Roland D50 was sort of a wavetable synth with a DCO / DCF tacked onto it.. not so much :) And I used to sell synths in the early 90's for Sam Ash.. Love your videos, you often make me actualy LOL (the super over extended "THX" portamento patch thing from whatever video that was, jesus I spit out my drink when you made that cheese smile face when it resolved.. ahhahaaaa) and damn you write great music prolifically incorporating whatever synth you are exploring.. Cheers mate!

[@jlpower]

Love it! I've got an SCI Prophet VS (heavily inspired by the PPG Wave) which sounds very similar.

[@AlexBallMusic]

I'd love to revisit the VS for a proper feature at some point, I just did a track with one a few years ago, but not a feature. Really cool synth.

[@jlpower]

@@AlexBallMusic And I'd love to send you mine for review, but the thought of putting it in a cardboard box and sending it over the ocean gives me palpitations just thinking about it.

[@compucorder64]

​@@AlexBallMusic Even a Dawn of Wavetable run, with VS, PPG Wave, Ensoniq SQ-80 might be cool? Shame the SQ-80 doesn't appear in the wild much in UK / Europe. I really like the Arturia V-Collection version. And it's one of the few rare old crusty analogue filter polysynths that hasn't got crazy expensive. They still seem to be underappreciated and sell for 500-600. Seems a matter of time before they start following the Roland JX-3P, Oberheim Matrix 1000 on the march toward £1000 and beyond. If I had to rebuild a hardware studio again on a 2k budget, I think I'd get something like Waldorf Pulse, JX-3P or Alpha Juno, SQ-80 and Casio CZ.

[@jlpower]

@@compucorder64 Aside from the VS, my experience with wavetable synths is pretty limited. Does the Arturia V have a random patch generator? Pro tip for the VS; using the random patch generator will set the values to some of the modulation sources well beyond what you could set them to manually. It will often set the value of the LFO for example to some crazy amount, but if you change it, it's gone forever. Honestly, most of my sounds come from creating a random patch, then dialing it in to suit my needs. Super useful. Sadly, my entire hardware setup from 20 years ago was under $2k and consisted of the Prophet VS, a Kurzweil K2000, a Roland Juno 106, and a Roland R-8. That ship has sailed. I remember paying $150 for the Juno 106 and feeling like I over paid. Oh the good old days...

[@thornbrain]

1:22 You're a treat, Alex 😁

[@MarquisDeSang]

The music you make, resonates with me. I sometimes feel like I am slightly shifting dimensions while listening.

[@dankeplace]

Probably just GAS.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Cheers!

[@rlbf1967]

I love the way it analysed the sample and added it to the wave table. Says ‘detecting pitch’ (fundamental harmonic?) and then ‘searching for waveforms’ - is it trying to match combinations of the existing wave table examples to reconstruct the sampled waveform? Guessing whatever it’s doing it’s complicated!

[@foot2]

Nice watch

[@johnnybegood2693]

came for the synth - enjoyed your (outro) music! In the end all gear should just help developing a great song... 🕺🎶

[@AlexBallMusic]

Thanks!

[@user-fm5uo2yx2y]

I LOVE THE LAST SONG !!!

[@foremanspike7315]

Mmm, that bass. So satisfying.

[@IrnBruNYC]

The PPG Wave is used a lot on Steve Winwood's "Back In The High Life" album. That's where I first heard of it.

[@budgetkeyboardist]

The 3rd Wave sounds really, really good.

[@HJPhilippi]

3rd law of synth marketing: if wavetable, then blue. Always works.

[@MFitz12]

It only seems expensive until you compare it to the inflation adjusted price of a new Wave 2.3, Waveterm B and two EVU 8-voice expander modules back in the day. Then you realize you get all of that and more for 1/10 the price of the original. Ain't technology grand.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Indeed!

[@untml]

5000$ for 24 voice is just 1666$ for 8 voice, or 1250$ for 6 voice.. :)

[@bobjoe7508]

Always something super cinematic about how the ppg and wavetable synths sound. I think a lot of that is likely due to Miami Vice. They just seem to warrant the compositions that you find in 80s film and tv.

[@larrbaII]

Alex, as a synth guy myself i lost it at the party glasses.. good show.

[@graemedavidson499]

It really held its own to become a new wobble-free bench mark in wave table synths!

[@brucebennett5338]

My friend (and former co-workers) Mark worked on this synth. I sooo want one.

[@chriswareham]

The second demo "Atlas" reminded me of the wonderful Severed Heads. Similar use of slightly off the wall synth sounds and arpeggios.

[@NathanEllery]

Alex always on the Ball.

[@VEsound]

Nice instrument for sure... I already have too much synths for a single life on Earth but if there was no space or money constraint, the 3rd Wave would be alongside my The River, 2600 FS, OB-X8, Minimoog Voyager XL, Osmose, Quantum, Juno-6, MS-20 Kit and Minitaur. ❤

[@AlexBallMusic]

"I already have too much synths for a single life" Sounds like a quitters attitude. 😜 But yeah, jokes aside, you can easily have too much and then not use anything properly.

[@VEsound]

@@AlexBallMusic Yes, just sadely realistic! 😛

[@lesynthlofi]

Now you’ve done it!: the greatest videobomb in the history of synth demo videos! The System 100 making a cameo like Hitchcock! I mean, talk about royalty!

[@XavierRadix]

One of the very few modern synths I've genuinely been really excited about... Such a beast. The price is a bit of a turn-off, but if you really look at the specs and hear what it's capable of, it's not as bad as you might think... Still far out of reach for me personally. Oh well, maybe one day! At least I can listen to guys like you play amazing stuff on it.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yeah, it's a lot of synth and so it comes with a price tag. A professional instrument for sure. It's very cool, I'm really glad to get to try one out properly.

[@h2o1969]

I really dig wave synthesis. I have the Korg Wavestate. Really interesting piece of kit. I got the Wavestate for only $400, and I have a lot of fun with it. This thing seems to be on another level.

[@AlexBallMusic]

Yet to play a wavestate. That's digital wave rather than wavetable, right?

[@h2o1969]

@@AlexBallMusic I am not really sure. They call it wave sequencing. I did not think I would like it, then my local shop got a used one. I played on it a bit, and had to have it. It rounds out my mostly mono eurorack synths and Yamaha toy fm (460, 480 & 680).

[@OswaldoVonSchnoobenstein]

This is on my list of "Would be nice to have" to add for my albums. This and a Novation Summit. I have a Montage, Hydrasynth and Deepmind 12 at the moment and they compliment each other very well. Although the Hydra fills the void well enough and then some. I use all three on my albums.

[@80ssynthfan48]

The Radiphonic Workshop had a PPG Wave in. Used by Elizabeth Parker as the main synth on The Living Planet score.

[@futuremontreal]

oh man, that last song

[@ianwynne764]

Hello Alex: Demo 3, Horizon reminded me of Blade Runner. Keep up the good work.