Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave 8M Advanced Wavetable Synthesizer (Desktop)

What we say about the Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave 8M...

We’re huge fans of the PPG-inspired Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave here at Signal Sounds, and the 8M is great news for anyone whose wallet couldn’t quite stretch to the flagship model. This is a compact desktop (or rack-mountable) synth with an identical sound engine to its big brother, but with eight voices and a streamlined interface based around a large 7” screen.

Manufacturer's description

You’ve discovered the synth industry’s best-kept secret: the 3rd Wave 8M — bringing Groove Synthesis’ award-winning wavetable technology to more studios, stages, and creative spaces than ever before. This isn’t a watered-down version. This is 8 voices and 2 parts of pure, uncompromised 3rd Wave DNA in a more accessible, compact package. Same premium sound engine. Same analog filters. Same innovative synthesis. Just more accessible to more producers and musicians.

ACCESS ALL AREAS

The performance-oriented control set featuring a generous 7” display with six encoders gives you the confidence to create the sounds you’ve always envisioned.

COMPLETE SYNTHESIS TOOLKIT


Choose from wavetable synthesis, analog-style synthesis, FM, and sampling for each of the three oscillators to create rich and expansive soundscapes.

• 8 Voices of full 3rd Wave sound engine with complete patch compatibility
• Bi-timbral operation with two independent parts
• Premium analog filters and output stages—identical to our flagship models
• Multiple synthesis types: wavetable, analog-style, FM, and sampling
• Streamlined interface with larger, more intuitive display
• Compact desktop format that fits your creative space
• Rackmountable and ships with 19″ rack ears for mounting

CLASSIC LEGACY – MODERN SOUND

While the 3rd Wave has roots in the classic digital wavetable synths of the past, it takes that concept into the 21st century with a lush, expansive sound that’s a product of its expanded wavetables and warm, organic analog filters. It boasts not only a punchy, Dave Rossum-designed 2140 analog low-pass filter with variable saturation, but a second, SEM-style state-variable filter (low-pass, high-pass, notch, and band-pass) for additional tone-sculpting. Run both filters in series for harmonically complex textures.

Features

NUMBER OF VOICES (without part layering)

• 8 Voices

MULTITIMBRAL

• 2 Part Multitimbral

SOUND ENGINE

• 3 High-resolution Digital Oscillators Per Voice
  • 64 total user wavetable positions with 48 wavetables that contain 64 waveforms per table (32 legacy PPG waves with room for another 16 of this type)
  • 32 original 8 bit wavetables from the PPG 2 series instruments with room for 16 more user created 8 bit wavetables
  • 7 high-resolution modeled analog waveforms (sine, saw, triangle, supersaw, pulse, white noise, pink noise)
  • VCO sync
  • Linear FM
  • 6-stage wave envelope per oscillator with variable time and position that can be looped
  • Optional wave flow section that allows for no wavetable as well as no waveform interpolation
  • Upper wavetable mode as with the original PPG 2 series
  • Unison mode and chord mode with variable voice count
• 1 Analog Low-pass Filter
  • Dave Rossum designed, classic, 2140 low-pass resonant filter
  • 24 db per octave slope
  • variable saturation amount
  • optional resonance compensation
• 1 State-Variable Filter
  • 12 db per octave slope
  • Continuously variable between low-pass, notch, and high-pass, operation with optional band-pass mode
• 4 ADSR+ Delay Envelopes
  • Filter, Amplifier, plus 2 additional envelopes switchable between exponential and vintage PPG-style response
  • Freely assignable to multiple modulation destinations
• 4 Low-Frequency Oscillators
  • Triangle, sawtooth, reverse sawtooth, square, pulse 1, pulse 2, pulse 3, and random (S&H)
  • Variable delay
  • Note reset
  • Syncable to master clock BPM
• 2 digital effects (per part)
  • BBD, stereo delay, tape delay, chorus, phaser, flanger, distortion pedal, rotating speaker, ring mod, room reverb, hall reverb, super plate reverb – most modeled on famous hardware devices
  • Syncable to master clock BPM
  • Parameters modulatable via mod matrix

WAVEMAKER TOOL

• Built-In Custom Wavetable Maker
• “Sample-to-wave” functionality. Connect an audio source to the 3rd Wave’s Audio In port, press “Make Waves” and the synth samples the audio to create a custom wavetable
• Samples to convert can also be brought in as a 96 kHz wav file through USB
• Store up to 32 custom wavetables
• 64 waveforms per wavetable
• Accepts pitched or un-pitched material as input
• 96 kHz sampling rate
• 16-bit resolution
• 1024 cycles per waveform, converted automatically to cover entire keyboard range
• Flexible wave-sampling length
• Imports Serum™ wavetables

SEQUENCER

• Performs both Note and Parameter Sequencing
• 2 parts per sequence
• 24 sequences per preset
• Up to 32 measures per sequence
• Variable quantization resolution per sequence (32nd, 16th, 8th, quarter, half, whole note, or quantization off), that is settable in real time
• Variable swing

ARPEGGIATOR

• 1 Arp per Multi-part
• Up, down, up/down, and assign modes
• Variable range (1, 2, or 3 octaves)

MOD MATRIX

• 16-slot Modulation Matrix Per Multi-Part
• 16 slot modulation matrix with 27 mod sources and 114 mod destinations
• 12 additional fixed-source mod paths
• Modulation assignment buttons enable quick and easy modulation routing
• Mod Matrix runs at audio rates
• Sequencer can record and play mod parameter changes in real time

CONTROLS

• 24 knobs and 36 buttons enable deep, comprehensive editing with generous 7 inch/17.75 cm display.

PROGRAMS

• 451 factory programs. User rewritable

IN/OUT

• 2 Balanced/Unbalanced Stereo outputs (2x 1/4″ phone jack per part)
• Headphone out (stereo 1/4″ phone jack)
• MIDI In, MIDI Out, and MIDI Thru
• USB port for bidirectional MIDI communication
• Audio Input for creating user wavetables from external audio source (1/4″ phone jack)
• Audio Input can also route audio through the filters, output chain, and effects
• Sustain/footswitch input
• Volume pedal input
• Expression pedal input

POWER

• External universal input power supply (100-240V) 15 volt 45 watts

RACK MOUNTABLE

• Yes, Rack Ears Included