A bit of a pain to program? How’s the UI?
It’s not that difficult as long as you learn the synth structure by heart. There are lots of modulation routings and 4 gated sequencers you can affect to almost anything, plus layers, combo and multimodes… it’s not a synth for beginners although the factory presets and the banks you can find on the web are mostly excellent. With the five fixed and 4 assignable knobs you can go a long way.
The free soundtower editor is useful for understanding what is where during the leaning process, and almost indispensable for programming the sequencers would you need them (very spectacular, you WILL need them!) But I find I always end up using my synths’ own UI for sound editing and resort to PC editors mostly only for the librarian part, and that’s true for my Elektron boxes as well: I tested overbridge, saw that it works but never grabbed a mouse to design a sound.
So OK, the Tetra has only a two-line LCD and is a complete DSI synth with all the bells and whistles (more actually than the Prophet8 which it improves upon adding sub-oscillators just to name a major change), but then again, it’s not more difficult to program than a Micromonsta, for example. The key to succes is: learn your synth (especially the mod matrix) and use your ears. Satisfaction guaranteed! (To reply to my own question from two month ago: it sounds very different from the Analog4 and Keys: it’s a Prophet and really has that Dave Smith signature sound, and both are complementary. Glad I now have both)
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You’ve mentioned the MicroMonsta. How does the Tetra compare to the MicroMonsta?
Tetra is a highly overlooked synth. Powerful yet space conscious. The UI doesn’t look painful once you know the shortcuts as well.
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I actually never had the chance to really compare them, a friend of mine has a Micromonsta so all I did was messing around a short while. Very different soundwise though. I mentioned the MM because of some similarity in form factor and minimal UI.
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I read that Tetra was more complicated to program than A4 / AK. I found Micromonsta really simple, clever, minimum parameters allowing efficient modulations. Sold my Blofeld (multitimbral) without regrets for MM (monotimbral).
I have to check Tetra’s manual if it’s that simple.
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I read the manual yesterday (I was curious, because I kinda forgot about the Tetra^^) and when I got it right it doesn’t work like on the Micromonsta which has an approach similar to Elektron’s (you press a button to choose a category, i.e. oscillator 1, oscillator 2, filter, envelopes etc. and then the encoders edit that category).
On the Tetra, you press the ‘Assign Parameters’ button (Led on) and then you can scroll through a list of parameters with each of the four assignable encoders. Press the button again (Led off) and the encoders control the selected parameters.
You can also set the assignable encoders to different parameters and save those for each preset. Is this just the last selected parameters or is there a different menu entry somewhere to assign the four encoders?
Well, an analog synth remains an analog synth so that’s why I find it quite simple to find what I’m looking for once I have learnt the synth’s inner structure (in other words: RTFM) When people say it’s more complicated, that’s mainly because of the minimal amount of visual feedback.
It’s the last selected parameter for that encoder that is saved with the preset but that’s not a problem. DSI really optimized the real estate here. That gives you direct access to 9 parameters when performing, which is plenty at least for me that is.
The Tetra is now legacy product, otherwise I would have suggested a direct jump to parameter sections (Osc1, Osc2, mixer, modulation) like DSI did on the AS-1 (and probably on their other more recent products) but seriously it doesn’t bother me. As long as I know where the preset volume is hidden, that is 
(yeah I know, in the VCA section, that’s technically correct but not practical!
I should really spend some more time with the MM… I’m hanging on to my Blofeld though, I made some pretty cool sounds that play nice with the Touché controller (the Blo’s mod matrix is very clever!). But new investments are postponed right now, I will probably get a Pyramid and that will be it. I also need to invest in some security. All the homes around my place have been burglared recently… and it’s freaking me out (quite) a bit…
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Note on Tetra program select - Tetra responds to one less than the number sent from OT MIDI note setup. Was bugging me until I looked up received controller messages in the Tetra manual:
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Both are commonly used (0-127 or 1-128).
I was all set to blame the Octatrack too 
You can blame Elektron because OT first note is C-1*, A4 and newer use C0! 
*MD and MnM too logically.
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0-127 covers the whole range. Patch 1 on a synth that has patches from 1-128 needs program change 0, patch 116 needs program change 115 etc.
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Like sneakily detuning a guitar to screw with your band mates 
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Btw I bought an 8 strings guitar, 1 lower octave more! 
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Happy to see that thread alive again. I will receive my Tetra before the next week-end. So happy to put my hands on. I wanted it from begening but price stopped me. I had to play with Evolver since (real pleasure and good school for DSI sound). Last week, I was playing Evolver, having fun with the 4 sequencers, dronning sounds. Suddenly, Tetra get back in my memory… looked at the prices on AFanzine, and understand that the prices were mine. Today, I sold my Neutron, that boosted my walet capability. Now waiting for Tetra 
Very happy to know that i will be playing with this 4 voices little beast.
Moreover, all the part about price comparison between Tetr4 and A4 (at the begening of this thread) is now over (but be sure that when 2nd hand A4 will be near to 350 euro, I will buy one of them
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Please tell me, when you will get it.
I want to get Tetra4 as a secondary synth to my AK (just have more voice, layering)
For 350EUR this is steal)
I have it since near two months. Nice sound. Not realy simple to access all parameters from little screen and non friendly UI. But with training it’s ok.
Second deception : use it like a 4 mono synth is not as easy than I thought.
But no problem, I was looking for a good sounding polyphonic synth (4 voices), so i’m very happy with its sound. That’s the main point with it.
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Tetra is awesome. Here’s a tip: you can change programs via CC messages so you can plock them if you want to. To clarify: you don’t have to use program change messages because you can do it via these CC messages.
To further clarify, it’s CC#00 and you need a somewhat recent firmware but you should update it for other reasons too in case you’re on an old one.
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Hi there, yes I recommend updating the Tetra to the latest beta firmware, because there were glitches in the midi implementation in the last official firmware especially in the nrpn management. That was recommended by DSI support (very helpful and friendly, they really stand behind their products)
Congrats with your “new” Tetra’s, it’s such a great synth!
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