the waldorf blofeld is 16 voice multi-timbral analog-modeling wavetable synth! love it. Nearly bought the tetra for the analog polyphony, but found that the blofeld crushed it for my purposes at roughly the same price. the menu diving for the blofeld is more justifiable for how visually helpful the screen is. if you get a blofeld new now, it’ll include the option to put samples on it. waldorf has been pretty good at curating patch libraries from skilled sound designers which are available on their website, too. There’s a bit of a learning curve with it, but once you start to ‘get it,’ it’s so capable and you can get anything you could ever want out of this synth. The only qualms i have are that it isn’t always ‘fun’ to program. but I really can’t talk it up enough. it’s almost like a poor person’s virus. gah! i’m commenting this as i’m watching and it’s so fun hearing it referenced literally as i’m typing. the ‘sharp’ sounds are very real, but it is part of the synth’s character. there are ways to edit harshness out, but yes, blofeld is just a very different tonal color from the tetra
the same price? how much did the tetra cost? you can buy blofelds used for about 300 To be honest the programming is super easy for me because for every patch you dont have to reset your knobs and sliders with endless encoders and the most used functions are within a click - the rest is just a hell of extras for more complex and better sound design
@@femto859 believe it or not, when this video came out, tetras were also ~$350 used. trends are very real. also sold the blofeld. turns out multitimbral isn't all that great when you're only working in stereo. rip dave smith
@@kkell27 Wow incredible price for Polyphonic DSI Synth - Yeah the Multitimbrality purpose is more interesting to layer sounds instead of creating totally different ones and mix them - so what is your take right now? Guess still the Virus if you want several outputs
Missing something like the Tetra on the current synth market rn, not as bold and pricey like a full blown poly, but also not as limited like one of the many monos. Prices are going up for a reason.
you can get a used elektron analog 4 mk i for about same price and it can do way more. Tetra is a pain in the ass to program in the box. the mk ii sounds only a little better than mk i, better lcd, but goes for way more, so the mk i is a steal, and it's like half the size of mk ii, not that much bigger than tetra.
I have two of these that I have still never used, brand new, I bought 2 cause of the 8 poly chain mode then was very ill for 5 entire years, and only setting up my composition studio again for the first time since 2019! Maybe I should sell them, but first I will hear some sounds and see if it's worth keeping (nice vid by the way, thank you)!, as it would actually be my only polyphonic true analog synth. I can get a new DeepMind 12 for probably half what I can sell the Tetras for and I think it would be overall more useful due to more poly. Hmm.. Opinions? I'd like to have at least ONE real analog synth in my rack. I do have the Roland red keyboard mono analog thingy (jdxi i believe) and the Waldorf pulse 2, I'll definitely sell those for sure, or maybe I should keep the Roland for bass as it sounds good and the tetra or deep mind for poly analog.
I love my Tetra but I was getting bored of programming it via the software - earlier this year I bought a Mopho x4 keyboard which lets me program via controls and gives me 8 voices now.
😮 I’ve just started eye balling the morpho x4 and the tetr4 my self recently. Dang with Dave passing I may have no hope of ever getting a poly evolver or something. 😢 amazing video
Love my Tetra, I bought it when it was still available at retailers. I think I paid around 800 dollars at that time? Its truly a four voice prophet in a tiny box, it sounds amazing. The editor from soundtower truly unlocks every parametar in the DAW, its a no brainer.
Hi Jade! I'm thinking about one of these as a Portable performance option in case shows happen sometime. Do you know if it's possible to find the editor? I clicked a link but it was dead.
@j s Almost a year later. I'm still not terribly happy with the sounds, BUT there are some very special features that keep me coming back. The 4 sequencers per voice can do some amazing things! Love the sh101 mode. Just a pain to program them but a joy to jam with.
@j sWow, that is a very detailed and complex patch that truly uses almost all of the Tetra's power! Thank you, I will give it a try next time using the Tetra.
I bought it when it has been released (2009?!) and never thought of selling it! Now the prives got higher than ever, i guess because they stop producing it ages ago. there is a soft to program it, and i found it always sounding similar in all the patches, but i know it has a big power, shame there r few patches on the web, and is a bit tricky to program! but i love it and thanks for the video that give a bit of inspiration!
MIDI OUT into the MIDI of the mother, but you have to set up the mother channel to the same channel as the keystep, you can find that info in the manual!
They do, four voice polyphony on something that’s not analog just grinds my gears. The boutiques would have been more dope with at least 8 voices. That’s why the only one I really love is the d-05. They need to make them all again with more poly!
Nah not at all. Such different sound. The DSI has chips based on CEM with a huge noise floor so they sound nothing like boutiques. The Jupiter and juno boutiques can defo create similar aesthetics but on a circuit and overall sound, they are miles apart.
PRICEY, think I’d buy 3 more Modal Skulpt’s and Polychain them with the 1 I already have and keep the change from that $900 for an SSD or something. :) 4 Skulpt’s Polychained for 16 lovely voice Polyphony and a WHOPPING 128 Oscillators!
Yeah but on long term the skulpts will lose their value or break - besides that i have a craft 2.0 and they can sound pretty impressive - much going on - do the skulps knobs also wobble like hell?
Check out the Perfourmer Vermona mkii, it's basically a bigger version of this and you can FM between the voices plus has inserts for all four channels plus CV
I bought mine used from a professional music producer some years ago for $750AUD at the time in mint condition. On the used market here I see them for up to $1000AUD now which is pretty close to RRP on release. These things do not lose their value, or any other DSI/Sequential instrument. RIP Dave Smith.
I wish to see someone some day come up with midi keyboard which has all tweaking and modulating possibilities to control the Tetra in real time, even do some circuit bending options and mods like to mess with filter, cause this thing is mega analog 🤪 (i circuit bended few old casios and yamahas but i wouldnt dare to tweak on my Tetra ♡)
Minitaur, Tetra, Blofeld, Keystep Pro. The dream team compact combo...
the waldorf blofeld is 16 voice multi-timbral analog-modeling wavetable synth! love it. Nearly bought the tetra for the analog polyphony, but found that the blofeld crushed it for my purposes at roughly the same price. the menu diving for the blofeld is more justifiable for how visually helpful the screen is. if you get a blofeld new now, it’ll include the option to put samples on it. waldorf has been pretty good at curating patch libraries from skilled sound designers which are available on their website, too. There’s a bit of a learning curve with it, but once you start to ‘get it,’ it’s so capable and you can get anything you could ever want out of this synth. The only qualms i have are that it isn’t always ‘fun’ to program. but I really can’t talk it up enough. it’s almost like a poor person’s virus. gah! i’m commenting this as i’m watching and it’s so fun hearing it referenced literally as i’m typing. the ‘sharp’ sounds are very real, but it is part of the synth’s character. there are ways to edit harshness out, but yes, blofeld is just a very different tonal color from the tetra
the same price? how much did the tetra cost? you can buy blofelds used for about 300
To be honest the programming is super easy for me because for every patch you dont have to reset your knobs and sliders with endless encoders and the most used functions are within a click - the rest is just a hell of extras for more complex and better sound design
@@femto859 believe it or not, when this video came out, tetras were also ~$350 used. trends are very real. also sold the blofeld. turns out multitimbral isn't all that great when you're only working in stereo. rip dave smith
@@kkell27 Wow incredible price for Polyphonic DSI Synth - Yeah the Multitimbrality purpose is more interesting to layer sounds instead of creating totally different ones and mix them - so what is your take right now? Guess still the Virus if you want several outputs
Missing something like the Tetra on the current synth market rn, not as bold and pricey like a full blown poly, but also not as limited like one of the many monos. Prices are going up for a reason.
you can get a used elektron analog 4 mk i for about same price and it can do way more. Tetra is a pain in the ass to program in the box. the mk ii sounds only a little better than mk i, better lcd, but goes for way more, so the mk i is a steal, and it's like half the size of mk ii, not that much bigger than tetra.
@@alexwestconsulting True
@@alexwestconsulting where do you find a elektron analog 4 for 500?
Now you should buy a second one and polychain them to get 8 voices. And then another. And then another. :D
This is SO COOL thank you for making a video on this. Now I have to resist buying one hahaha.
I’m so glad I bought mine earlier this year. I got it really cheap and I will never sell it.
They are slowly going down
How much?
@@okidot I've seen a used one for like $530 plus shipping on reverb.
I have two of these that I have still never used, brand new, I bought 2 cause of the 8 poly chain mode then was very ill for 5 entire years, and only setting up my composition studio again for the first time since 2019! Maybe I should sell them, but first I will hear some sounds and see if it's worth keeping (nice vid by the way, thank you)!, as it would actually be my only polyphonic true analog synth. I can get a new DeepMind 12 for probably half what I can sell the Tetras for and I think it would be overall more useful due to more poly. Hmm.. Opinions? I'd like to have at least ONE real analog synth in my rack.
I do have the Roland red keyboard mono analog thingy (jdxi i believe) and the Waldorf pulse 2, I'll definitely sell those for sure, or maybe I should keep the Roland for bass as it sounds good and the tetra or deep mind for poly analog.
I love tiny analog synths with presets, like the Tetra... (and also the Mopho X4)
Did you have any problems with the Keystep sequencer & the Tetra? I had a lot of sync issues with the Keystep 37 but I’ve just ordered a KS pro.
I love my Tetra but I was getting bored of programming it via the software - earlier this year I bought a Mopho x4 keyboard which lets me program via controls and gives me 8 voices now.
Do you still get access to multimberailty this way?
Micromonsta isn’t 4 part multi timbral. But at least it’s bitimbral. And with the keyboard split you can come pretty close to 4 parts
NO, the mc 101 has 128 voices!! 4-part multitimbral.
The most consistent synth
😮 I’ve just started eye balling the morpho x4 and the tetr4 my self recently. Dang with Dave passing I may have no hope of ever getting a poly evolver or something. 😢 amazing video
I just came up on a mop x4 in mint condition for $450 on reverb, currently looking for. a tetra to add on to it
Love my Tetra, I bought it when it was still available at retailers. I think I paid around 800 dollars at that time? Its truly a four voice prophet in a tiny box, it sounds amazing. The editor from soundtower truly unlocks every parametar in the DAW, its a no brainer.
11:45 - I *LOVE* that preset and what you played with it! 🔥👏
Hi Jade! I'm thinking about one of these as a Portable performance option in case shows happen sometime. Do you know if it's possible to find the editor? I clicked a link but it was dead.
never used the editor so can't comment
Jade Wii is: Blade Runner 4000!
I'm about 4 days in on my Tetra.... Ummmm yeah, interface feels like building a ship in a bottle. 🤦🏽♂️
@j s Almost a year later. I'm still not terribly happy with the sounds, BUT there are some very special features that keep me coming back. The 4 sequencers per voice can do some amazing things! Love the sh101 mode. Just a pain to program them but a joy to jam with.
@j sWow, that is a very detailed and complex patch that truly uses almost all of the Tetra's power! Thank you, I will give it a try next time using the Tetra.
I bought it when it has been released (2009?!) and never thought of selling it! Now the prives got higher than ever, i guess because they stop producing it ages ago. there is a soft to program it, and i found it always sounding similar in all the patches, but i know it has a big power, shame there r few patches on the web, and is a bit tricky to program! but i love it and thanks for the video that give a bit of inspiration!
i think tetra works well for string/brass sounds. but is really good for bass sounds! bass with filter can go really acid!
Where did you get the pikachu sticker? It look so good on the keystep pro.
Ebay
Is it possible to connecta a mono evolver to a tetra and thus, end up with a 5 voice polysynth?
No, just Mopho, Tetra, Mopho X4 and Prophet 8 i think are polychaining.
Your colorful midi cable is cool.would u tell me where to buy?
I think I got those at guitar center a few years ago!
Jade- how do I hook up keystep to mother 32? What do I connect to what? Thanks
MIDI OUT into the MIDI of the mother, but you have to set up the mother channel to the same channel as the keystep, you can find that info in the manual!
@@JAdeWii_ OMG! I HAVE BEEN FUSSING WITH GATE AND PITCH WIRES! LOL
HEY DID YOU MENTION TO PICK UP AN OLD CASSSSIYOOO??
I find it odd Tetra's often sell for more than Mopho x4's, maybe people really want the compact size?
Someone has this for sale in my city and if it weren’t for already being subscribed I wouldn’t know anything about this synth ❤
sounds like a roland boutique
BLASPHEMY!
D A W L E S S J A M M I N ' hahaaaaaa
Really?, so Roland Boutique must
sound good too.
They do, four voice polyphony on something that’s not analog just grinds my gears. The boutiques would have been more dope with at least 8 voices. That’s why the only one I really love is the d-05. They need to make them all again with more poly!
Nah not at all. Such different sound. The DSI has chips based on CEM with a huge noise floor so they sound nothing like boutiques. The Jupiter and juno boutiques can defo create similar aesthetics but on a circuit and overall sound, they are miles apart.
how can i play in multitrimbal mode? I can only play with 1 voice :-/
Will make a video on it soon :)
Global perameter there is a multi mode. Turn it on and then use 4 midi channels for the 4 voices!
@@petert7807 Thanks you so much, you made my day! :-)
Nord has Multi Timbral Synths.
Hand per Fuc%tion 😂
PRICEY, think I’d buy 3 more Modal Skulpt’s and Polychain them with the 1 I already have and keep the change from that $900 for an SSD or something. :) 4 Skulpt’s Polychained for 16 lovely voice Polyphony and a WHOPPING 128 Oscillators!
Yeah but on long term the skulpts will lose their value or break - besides that i have a craft 2.0 and they can sound pretty impressive - much going on - do the skulps knobs also wobble like hell?
Check out the Perfourmer Vermona mkii, it's basically a bigger version of this and you can FM between the voices plus has inserts for all four channels plus CV
1:05:25 Um... Prophet Rev 2? lol. I know what you mean, though... Nice demo of the Tetra.
Less talk more rock
Practise for a few more years .see what happens😊
33:10 Cool.
you talk and talk...but didn't you know - these things get more expensive by the minute...hahaha
Why? What happened? They are good but not amazing
Audiothingies micro monsta. Never played one but i think its similar
Yes on the similar size, but it’s not multitimbral sadly
@@JAdeWii_ The Micromonsta2 is multitimbral. 6 voices, 2 channels
RIP
It's nice, but with the present competition definitely not worth $900.
V interesting. I wonder why? I'm considering selling mine if its really hitting 900! I got mine for 400
@@okidot 900$ was the price for a new one.
Still going for arounf £450 as far as I've seen....
I bought mine used from a professional music producer some years ago for $750AUD at the time in mint condition. On the used market here I see them for up to $1000AUD now which is pretty close to RRP on release. These things do not lose their value, or any other DSI/Sequential instrument. RIP Dave Smith.
@@lancepage1914 There are some daft prices for them now on ebay since Dave Smith died.
Pretty expensive!
I wish to see someone some day come up with midi keyboard which has all tweaking and modulating possibilities to control the Tetra in real time, even do some circuit bending options and mods like to mess with filter, cause this thing is mega analog 🤪 (i circuit bended few old casios and yamahas but i wouldnt dare to tweak on my Tetra ♡)
Very similar to the JDXA's analog section