Dave Smith TETRA - Worth buying in 2020?

[@GirlfightClub]

6:20 sound! And great singing!

[@PeregrineTrousers]

DSI Mopho keyboard is the best route to open up the Tetra. The Tower CV editor just doesn't cut it. Nice review.

[@RundFyrkant]

Use the tetr4 in every musicpiece i make. Very cool, versatile and good sounding synth. Perfect too bring into live setup 😊

[@digitaldividemusic]

Still have my Tetra. Also an OB-6 for about a year now. Although the Tetra is a little buggy. (Even with the paid for version of the Soundtower editor) Sonically its very powerful. A keeper for my rig.

[@neofelisherod2947]

I can not get the editors to work for Mopho X4 or Tetra, like I have a decent to extensive midi routing understanding and just feel the plugins from soundtower are a let down. but I dont look back, not gonna say thats the turning point to get rid of them

[@digitaldividemusic]

@@neofelisherod2947 That's a bummer. I had both the freebie and rhe paid for versions of the editor working on tbe Tetra. I remember that I had to install a beta firmware version of the Tetra OS to make the editior work. That was a long time ago thougb. .Ver 1.6 if I remember correctly. The OS was on the DSI website. Have you checked user groups for info?

[@NateHorn]

Great demo, some lovely sounds from that little box

[@jammystraub488]

We need more Depeche Mode covers during gear overviews! Nice 🙂

[@JotaSotodiaz]

hahaha thanks I will try !

[@Geepstar]

@@JotaSotodiaz NO! MAKES ME WANNA BUY STUF!!!! LOL ;-)

[@jerm_noise]

I love that you just sang a depeche mode song.

[@johnwilmer2551]

great little tune you made up there ! vocals

[@alexwestconsulting]

I've got 3 of these. I used them mostly as drum machines due to their multitimbrality, but they make for great polys too, especially when chained. Only downsides are limited physical editing, a lackluster paid editor, and dco rather than vco.

[@KiR_3d]

Hi! How to program the sequences in this gear? Is it possible only via PC/Mac and this Lackluster editor? I've got Elektron A4 MK2 recently and I'm 99% happy with it's sequencer part... But the sound is modest if compare to Tetr4. The thing that "scared" me the most and refused to buy a (good priced) used DSI Tetra was this two-line LCD screen and a really small amount of knobs per functions. It looks like a toy but sounds like a big synth.

[@alexwestconsulting]

@@KiR_3d I have 3 tetras and 3 A4 mk2. I’m serious. The A4 is much better value and so much easier to use. But remember, tetras prices have gone up and I expect them to continue to do so. Not sure what the A4 prices will do, especially if they make a mk3. Would they? Most people doubt it. They’ll never make another tetra though now that Dave Smith is dead and DSI isn’t a company anymore. I personally really like the A4 sound, but it’s not a “classic” sound like the old sequentials, more “modern”. The comparison between the 2 is tetra (like other DSI) are more in your face, like if you made a song with only tetra it would have a certain presence, but that also means they don’t fit in a mix with other gear as well as the A4 does. But again, I’m talking marginal differences here that most people by far wouldn’t pick up on. They are really only slightly different in the end and so close to same sound anyway so does it really matter? I think they both cover very similar sonic territory. Both are dco vs vco which is debatable as to not as good or not. But I just got a toraiz as-1 which is vco and I THINK it sounds better. But so marginally if at all. Yea unfortunately software is the only viable method of entering sequences which is a bummer because the tetras phrase sequencer is really good, just needs the software. Again, I love the tetras and having a 4 note multi or poly that size is amazing. But, frankly, the A4 to me is the single most useful multi/poly there is. Ever. Stop with the gas and recognize that you have an awesome instrument in the A4. But if you did get a tetra, at least it won’t go down in value on you. If someone has a good price on one, don’t hesitate else someone else will grab it, I guarantee. Know that I have a keyboard mopho as well. THAT is what I use to program tetra sounds, rarely the software. Without that it would be more cumbersome, but there are many other options as well, like programming a controller from novation or Arturia or midi fighter to send the CC’s you want, program that once and then editing is easy. My point in part is that I do love the tetras so much that I committed to that ecosystem and will never sell them. Like, you have to be committed to make a workflow with them and then there’s huge payoff, else they are a black box. In the end, I’d keep them over the A4 even though the A4 has so much more going for it objectively, if that makes sense. Finally, the toraiz as-1 is really cool and sounds great but I’d take a tetra over one without question.

[@KiR_3d]

@@alexwestconsulting Thanks a lot! Great explanation!

[@SteveGreene]

Cool video! I definitely still dig the Tetra. I did an experimental, remote recorded album with only that and a MicroBrute.

[@kaiwetronic]

YESSSS...!!! Encontré uno en Ebay por 200 € y fué como si me tocara la lotería...!! Ahora mismo pensando en comprar otro, ya que no quiero renunciar a programar sonidos con dos capas... Importante usar un editor para agilizar la programación... en tu caso, puedes usar el Mopho...! Solo comentarte la importancia de controlar los volúmenes... dependiendo de la programación de cada sonido, el volumen puede pasar de ser apenas perceptible. a saturar la entrada de tu mesa (de mezclas, claro)... Antes de guardar un sonido, compruebo que no saturará al tocar acordes enérgicamente, en todo su rango útil de teclado, utilizando la función 'PFL solo' del mezclador... Como veo que tienes pedales de efectos, igual no te hace falta, pero te recomiendo el potente y económico Zoom MS70-cdr... Pasar la señal cruda del Tetr4 por el MS70 es como entrar en otro nivel... te aseguro que no echarás en falta ni Junos ni Oberheims...!! Saludos desde Alicante...!!

[@JotaSotodiaz]

gracias por las recomendaciones saludos!

[@bluemonster65]

Great demo of a very capable little box. Enjoy it!

[@JotaSotodiaz]

Thanks!

[@SisterRose]

lmao loved the Dave Gahan impersonation! such a vibe!

[@JotaSotodiaz]

thanks very much I swear it wasn't intentional lol

[@rorschach1]

I love the tetra. I only sold mine to buy a Mopho x4

[@Jim_KYB]

Great video, love the vocals! I just bought an X4 but like the multitimbral aspect of the Tetra.

[@JotaSotodiaz]

Thanks Jim

[@skrapadelix]

Came for the Tetra - stayed for the singing

[@wilsonjaksetic6009]

Great video! Subbed!!

[@JotaSotodiaz]

Thanks Wilson!

[@cubis]

Didn't expect you to start singing, that was pretty good! I had been considering the tetra. I also prefer having more knobs, was thinking maybe a small knobby controller like the midi fighter twister, novation zero sl mkii, etc.

[@JotaSotodiaz]

thanks a lot! yeah midi controller will be a good solution for controlling it

[@neofelisherod2947]

I use an external sequencer to arrange the synths I play. Elektron Octatrack dishes out midi, my Mopho X4 sends midi POLYCHAIN OUT to Tetra MIDI IN, with Mopho X4 having Local Control Off, then when I utilize the auto channel of the Mopho X4 from my Octatrack I can use the Mopho X4 front panel to entirely program and shape the sound of the Tetra, as I have disabled local control on the Mopho X4

[@galifettetv1238]

Will behringer's prophet 800 do more?

[@jeredalmeida1880]

I want one so bad. Still amazing

[@JotaSotodiaz]

I have to say I was lucky to find one around for cheap.

[@lozziemouthmoray4001]

I use a Faderfox Ec4 midi controller to access all parameters.

[@alexwest909]

I have 2 of them. They take a lot of effort to get in to, but their sound/versatility to cost ratio is very high. And they are small!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I used to poly chain them with mopho too, but switched to mopho x4.

[@JotaSotodiaz]

I agreed. mine with the Mopho inspired me to make more music (it doesn't happened very often)

[@maccagee693]

Same here and with a Toraiz As1 wow!

[@ushnicyuvnikof2748]

Is this the Slim Phatty killer?

[@JotaSotodiaz]

it's a different beast for sure!

[@matadiosesimpressum2991]

Me estoy volviendo loco y a punto de venderlo por el "edit B" / stacked voices. La verdad lo compré solamente por el filtro pero me pudrí de su interfaz tan poco amigable.

[@matadiosesimpressum2991]

1:50 - tan cierto, brother

[@JotaSotodiaz]

Concuerdo contigo no es amigable para editar. una pena.

[@KiR_3d]

Hi, Jota! Did you've made some tracks using this synth for the last two years? Was the workflow inspiring or it can be described by some other words? Do you have some project(s) on Bandcamp? Or examples here on YT...

[@JotaSotodiaz]

To be honest I didn't keep it for too long, even tho is a great machine on its own, I end up finding a DSI Mopho the yellow one on my profile picture. It has the same sound engine a key-bed and some other hands on controls the tetra really lacks on controls and its hard to program even with the editor. also when you poly chain them you need to consider that you are going to need 2 stereo or 4 mono inputs in your mixer? interface per unit. I used it a couple songs but just some basic bass sounds for example the base line of this song in the link was made with the terra. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gWbYaH-sZtOGqbs

[@TooSlowTube]

Is it possible to get the Tetra to stack four different patches, and play them all in unison, monophonically, all on the same MIDI channel?

[@CDinkle]

Probably not on the same MIDI channel, but the rest of that yes.

[@TooSlowTube]

@@CDinkle I see. Thanks. I was hoping it could be set up to trade polyphony for layered sounds, just played from a keyboard, like my TX802 can. I guess I could buy three more Mophos instead, and use a Thru box to do that, but it would be a bit unwieldy

[@Thompsongs]

Aw man, I wanted to hear the Tom Sawyer sound!

[@JotaSotodiaz]

I skipped that one for some reason lol

[@Rinse303]

Yes, I'ts a great synth for it's size. but just flipping some presets doesn't justify this synth, or your channel. Dive in..!

[@JotaSotodiaz]

Fair enough!