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.
