The Story Behind the 3rd Wave Synth - Interview with Bob Coover

video upload by Music Journey with Paul

"The Story Behind the 3rd Wave Synth - Interview with Bob Coover

Robert Coover, founder of Groove Synthesis and the mind behind the 3rd Wave synthesizer, shares the story of how this instrument came to life at Superbooth 2025 event in Berlin.

In this 9-minute interview he talks about:
working with Dave Smith at Sequential,
why he wanted to revive the iconic PPG Wave sound,
how four synthesis methods (wavetable, analog, FM, sampling) came together in the 3rd Wave,
the challenges of creating a high-end synth as a small team,
the evolution from the keyboard version to the desktop module,
what’s next for Groove Synthesis – a new product so unique it may even get a patent.

💡 If you’re into synth history, sound design, or want to know what drives independent makers to create instruments at this level – this is for you.

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
00:23 Working with Dave Smith at Sequential
02:07 The ambition behind the 3rd Wave
03:57 The start of Bob's career
04:38 The launch of the 3rd Wave and Groove Synethesis
05:28 3rd Wave Keyboard and Desktop
06:28 Expanding the 3rd Wave with sampling
07:19 About the built-in sequencer
08:15 The new mystery product coming in 2026!"