metasonix wretch machine tube synthesizer 1-3

YouTube via Moogulator. www.sequencer.de

Metasonix TM-3 modular synth oscillator

via this auction
"Up for sale is a TM-3, the dual oscillator module by Metasonix made from old, old vacuum tubes and Eric Barbors unrelenting rage... These are not made anymore, to get these oscillators now you have to get a whole Wretch Machine, which runs $2900. I'm going to miss this in a way though, because it has a MIDI INPUT. It has CV inputs to, but sometimes midi is seductively convenient (admit it analog fans!) The Wretch, alas, can't be controller via midi.... I also sent this to Eric Baurbor in January of this year to give it it's "physical", he checked it out, recalibrated it and stuck a sticker on the back that confirms this. The sticker also says "Your music still sucks." although he was sending it to me, so obviously that was directed at me and does not apply to you."

Sold For: US $535.00

via selectivepressure in the comments

Metasonix S-1000 Wretch Machine Tube Synthesizer

via this Big City Music listing

click the image for the full size shot

"Pitch sources:
* 2 independent VCOs
* Made entirely of vacuum and gas-filled tubes
* Range >2 octaves using CV, octave switching allows range from 33 Hz (low C) to more than 2 kHz.
* 3 waveforms: thyratron sawtooth, square, and square with suboctave
* VCO2 may free-run or be soft-synced to VCO 1
* Numerous patch points allow enormous flexibility

Waveshaper:
* Unique circuit with soft clipper and pulse adder (shapes waveforms from VCOs by adding small pulses to top of waveform at discontinuity)
* Made entirely of vacuum tubes
* Settings: disable, soft-clip only, and soft-clip with pulses added to signal. Latter circuit allows simulation of noise source.

Filter:
* Unique multimode circuit allows it to be used as a lowpass, treble/midrange bandpass or bass bandpass filter.
* Continuously variable control allows mixing of filter forms in any proportion.
* Made entirely of vacuum tubes.
* Range of treble resonance switchable, 400-1700 Hz. Bass resonance tunes from ~100-350 Hz

VCA:
* Unique circuit using a pentode tube
* Made entirely of a vacuum tube
* May be modulated with the AR generator only, or with the control voltage generated on modulation bus 2

Modulation:
* 2 envelope generators, A(S)R and AD, both triggered with input gate signal. Both may be combined on either modulation bus to create ADSR.
* 2 independent LFOs, triangle waveform, range <0.3 Hz to more than 5 Hz.
* 2 modulation buses allow combining the A(S)R, AD, and two LFOs as needed to affect any CV input in the audio circuit (VCO pitch, VCO squarer waveshape, waveshaper pulser, filter tuning).

Main CV input controls pitch of both VCOs (Hz/V response).
Gate input triggers envelope generators, accepts 0-5v or 0-10v gate voltage.
6AL7 "eye" tube displays status of LFOs and A(S)R control voltages on three separate glowing green bar graphs.

Miniature joystick performs multiple jobs: vertical motion affects pitch of both VCOs, horizontal motion affects tuning of filter.
Press joystick in to trigger envelopes.

Features
Size: 6U high standard EIA rack mount, 3" depth below rack panel. 11 vacuum/gas tubes. Weight about 20 pounds with AC adapter. Draws 12 volts (AC ONLY) at 3 amps."

Robotspeak Metasonix Wretch Machine Demo

flickr by BeerNotBombs.
"Eric Barbour of Metasonix demonstrates the Wretch Machine at Robotspeak in San Francisco."

Synthesizer-Magazin #14

via sequencer.de

"* Native Instruments Maschine - Sonderbericht - Grooveboxen Hybrid, eine ganz neue Produktkategorie?
* Metasonix Wretch Machine
* Korg Microkorg XL
* Steinberg Cubase 5
* Roland V-Synth GT Workshop / Praxis und V2.0 Update
* U-HE Zebra Workshop
* Modular Workshop - Über spezielle Themen Modularer Synthesizer
* Haus der Musik, Wien - Bericht
* Synthesizerstudio Hamburg
* Mutronics Mutator
* Yamaha CS80

Menschinen
* Drum and Bass Producer - Spezial

Menschen
* Jean-Michel Jarre
* Client"

Metasonix Wretch Machine All Tube Synthesizer

via this auction

click the image for the full size shot.

Metasonix Wretch Machine S-1000

flickr by donokono

just a nice shot of the S-1000

metasonix.com

Nightmare at the Roxbury

YouTube via bigcitymusic. bigcitymusic.com
"Nod your head to this, tool. Here's the Metasonix S-1000 all-tube Wretch Machine in action. There are different clips, some are using the Wretch as a drum processor, some as a synth. There's a short little bit with the pulser section too. It's not very nice sounding, but aren't most synths trying to sound nice? Different is good."

Persephone Controlling a Metasonix Wretch Machine

"It outputs CV from the ribbon, which I use the M#@g CP-251 attenuator to tweak a bit. It works really well. For trigger, I use the audio out of the Persephone which works perfectly as well."

Click here for the post with the sample on Deviant Synth.

Metasonix Wretch Machine Vids

Remember this Wretch up for auction? The following are some vids of it.

EM-bizarre-hard-6c.mov
EM-bizarre-hard-7c.mov
EM-bizarre-hard-8c.mov
EM-bizarre-hard-9c.mov

Metasonix Wretch Machine

Title link takes you to shots via this auction.

metasonix wretch machine processing jomox 999

"there is also a wiard noise ring plugged into the filter cv near the end....thanks grant!" Also note that "the last few seconds of the video is just the noise ring sending cv to the filter tuning."

Another via companyofquail.

metasonix wretch machine hifi

Update: I accidentally put up the video labeled hifi thinking it was the same video as the lofi. It's not. Here's the lofi vid. Title link takes you to the hifi. the hifi is considerably shorter, so watch this one.

YouTube via companyofquail.

"this is just a simple 16 step sequence from a mobius driving the metasonix wretch machine starring me turning knobs and the wretch machine making noises."

Note that companyofquail brought us these excellent Genoqs Octopus videos.

Metasonix S-1000 Wretch Machine Demos by ReWire

Two tracks featuring the Metasonix S-1000 by ReWire:

REwire_-_Step_Into_The_Wretch_Machine.mp3
REwire_-_Wretch_Demo_2.mp3

Metasonix S-1000 through a Roland RE-501

Title link takes you to a 4.71M mp3 of the Metasonix S-1000 Wretch Machine, fed through a Roland RE-501, and sequenced by a synthesizers.com Q119. Via Michael Weeks. Shot taken from his flickr set.

Metasonix S-1000 Wretch Machine on One Blue Monkey

Title link takes you there. Video under date, under title. Eric Barbour controls it with the Eowave Persephone picutred below. He also triggers it with the on board joystick. Thought that was pretty cool in that it actually does the triggering in addition to pitchbend so you can control the joystick with one hand and adjust knobs with the other sans midi controller.

Metasonix TM-6 Filter

Samples and thoughts via Michael Weeks. Thanks Michael!

"Overall impressions of the filter: I don't have any experience with the TM-2 Filter, so I can't make direct comparisons. This is the same filter basically as what is in the new S-1000 Wretch Machine synth, but in a standalone case and with an additional CV input for Resonance. The CV controls are ALOT of fun, and the filter responds very well to every source I've tried through it.

It's character is DEFINITELY different, there is a sort of "huh, never heard that before" quality to the sound and the resonance, and the filter types really do offer up a rediculously wide (and, dare I say, close to conventional?) amount of tone shaping.

Overall it's been a blast having it here to do audio demos with - I love me some filters, and have abused a sherman filterbank for a number of years now. Overall this thing is a fun fun fun box with a very unique sound, but not as alien as some other Metasonix boxes. Worth demoing for an hour or so :D

Here's some audio demos of the Metasonix TM-6 filter (also up on the product page http://metasonix.com/index.php?opti...id=31&Itemid=62

Run a Guitar through it
http://thewretch.com/tm6_demos/TM_6_GuitarDemo.mp3
Ibanez artcore, run through the TM-6 using the Moog CP251 to send an LFO to control the CV

Run Drumloops through it
http://thewretch.com/tm6_demos/TM_6_DrumDemo.mp3
Drumsamples overdriven and run through the TM-6, tweaking throughout

Run a Synth through it
http://thewretch.com/tm6_demos/TM_6_SequenceDemo.mp3
Mam MB33 sequenced by Future Retro Mobius, overdriven through the filter and tweaked throughout

Michael Weeks
www.endmusik.com"

Metasonix S1000 "Wretch Machine"

Metasonix S1000 "Wretch Machine" prototype. Damn, that is one sexy looking behemoth of a synth (never thought I'd ever say that). Look at that thing! It's got tubes poppin out of it. Be careful... Title link takes you to a bigger shot and a PDF with details (I copied and pasted the details below in case you don't have a reader). Via Michael Weeks of www.endmusik.com, via the floor of the VTV expo. Thanks Michael!



Specs via the PDF in case you don't have a reader:
"The Ultimate Tube Synthesizer.
Pitch sources: two independent VCOs.
Made entirely of vacuum and gas-filled tubes.
Range >2 octaves using CV, octave switching allows range from
33 Hz (low C) to more than 2 kHz.
Three waveforms: thyratron sawtooth, square, and square with
suboctave.
VCO 2 may free-run or be soft-synced to VCO 1.
Numerous patch points allow enormous flexibility.
Waveshaper: unique circuit, with soft clipper and pulse adder
(shapes waveforms from VCOs by adding small pulses to top of
waveform at discontinuity).
Made entirely of vacuum tubes.
Settings: disable, soft-clip only, and soft-clip with pulses added to
signal. Latter circuit allows simulation of noise source.
Filter: unique multimode circuit, allows its use as a lowpass,
treble/midrange bandpass or bass bandpass filter.
Continuously variable control allows mixing of filter forms in any
proportion.
Made entirely of vacuum tubes.
Range of treble resonance switchable, 400-1700 Hz.
Bass resonance tunes from ~100-350 Hz.
Filter sweep is performed with photoresistor element.
VCA: unique circuit using a pentode tube.
Made entirely of a vacuum tube.
May be modulated with the AR generator only, or with the control
voltage generated on modulation bus 2.
Modulation: two envelope generators, A(S)R and AD.
Both triggered with input gate signal. Both may be combined on
either modulation bus to create ADSR.
Two independent LFOs, triangle waveform, range <0.3 Hz to more
than 5 Hz.
Two modulation buses allow combining the A(S)R, AD, and two
LFOs as needed to effect any CV input in the audio circuit (VCO
pitch, VCO squarer waveshape, waveshaper pulser, filter tuning).
Main CV input controls pitch of both VCOs (Hz/V response).
Gate input triggers envelope generators, accepts 0-5v or 0-10v
gate voltage.
6AL7 "eye" tube displays status of LFOs and A(S)R control voltages
on three separate glowing green bar graphs.
Miniature joystick performs multiple jobs: vertical motion affects
pitch of both VCOs, horizontal motion affects tuning of filter.
Press joystick in to trigger envelopes.
Size: 6U high standard EIA rack mount, 3" depth below rack panel.
11 vacuum/gas tubes. Weight about 20 pounds with AC adapter.
Draws 12 volts AC ONLY at 3 amps.
Expected availability mid-2006, expected retail price $2500.
Optional internal MIDI-CV interface, add $300."