2022 NAMM: 3rd WAVE Advanced Wavetable Synth takes Classic PPG Wave Design To A New Level
Groove Synthesis only has eyes for blue
Ahead of the 2022 NAMM Show, new synth maker Groove Synthesis has introduced the 3rd WAVE, an advanced wavetable synth keyboard that takes the classic PPG Wave design to a new level.
Like the PPG Wave, 3rd Wave pairs wavetable oscillators with analog filters. It features 24-voice polyphony and 4-part multi-timbral performance capability, meaning it is like having four independent 6-voice synthesizers in one keyboard.
Each of its 3 oscillators per voice can be a classic PPG-era wavetable, a modern high-resolution wavetable or an analog wave shape. You can create up to 64 custom wavetables of your own with 3rd Wave’s Wave Maker tool, which features sample-to-wavetable capability. In addition, you can connect an audio source to the built-in audio input and generate a wavetable at the touch of a button.
Other features include Linear FM, a 6-stage wave envelope per oscillator, 4 envelopes and 4 LFOs with delay, dual effects per part, a pattern/song based sequencer per part, and a 16-slot mod matrix.
Full specifications have yet to be released. The Groove Synthesis website says that the 3rd Wave will be released in 2022.
Watch J3PO take this wavetable/analogue hybrid for a spin
The demo video features J3PO running through a range of 3rd Wave sounds, and first impressions are very positive. We are hoping to find out more at this week’s NAMM Show.