on test synthesizer Metasonix S1000 Wretch Machine Semi-modular Vacuum Tube Synthesizer The Wretch Machine sounds absolutely terrible — but that’s exactly as its creators, Metasonix, intended. To see what valve-powered synthesis can do for you, read on... Paul Nagle bought my first synthesizer sometime in the late ’70s, or rather my parents I bought it for me. Since those halcyon teenage days I reckon I have owned more synths than Imelda Marcos has had shoes — including most of the classic analogues, several large modulars, workstations, digital stuff and enough modelling synths to fill a Paris catwalk. Hardly any of these tubes are have taken me completely by surprise, and a technology blatantly fewer still have inspired questions like unexplored for synthesis. Pondering ‘what is a synthesizer all about anyway?’ But the month in tellies and the reasons why is beyond the scope of this just a few short weeks ago, surprised and radios, tubes have long been review (you may spot clues as we proceed). inspired I was — in abundance. The reason? known to have desirable qualities for audio but for now the advancement of tubes in A new synthesizer unlike any other on the processing; it’s why so many tube synths appears to be the quest of one man market, a synthesizer built entirely around amplifiers, compressors and distortion units and one company. vacuum tubes. are beloved of guitarists (and smart The man is Eric Barbour, the company Now this isn’t entirely without keyboard players) everywhere. But, leaving Metasonix, and his synthesizer is the precedent. Although no longer flavour of aside historical quirks like the Clavioline, S1000, or ‘Wretch Machine’. I’ll refer to Eric, 30 www.soundonsound.com • july 2008 be aware that the transparent plastic cover protrudes about 5cm, too. This cover has been added to protect the valves both in transit and from studio accidents (for example, knocks, drink spills, most of my “The Wretch Machine is a synthesizer that sounds and behaves like nothing I've encountered in the last 30 years...” back catalogue); furthermore, some of the tubes run pretty hot, so you don’t want to touch them generally. However, the cover remains a bit of a nuisance because it restricts access to several vital controls, and even though you adapt to tweaking these with finger and thumb, it remains awkward — especially as one switch (the Filter Range switch) is quite stiff and not ideally operated at an angle. L Metasonix S1000 Photos: Mike Cameron Wretch Machine £1806 pros • Freakily unique, with attitude, personality and a wayward nature. • May carve out its own musical niche. • It's ALIVE! Raw, growling valve power sounds frequency — very pretty! The remaining like nothing else. I know I’ve said it before but this synth really is different! his vision, tubes are smaller and vary in shape • Superb as an external audio processor via its and his very special according to the particular tube used; they Waveshaper and filter. approach to product naming also glow a seductive orange, which is during the review — but let’s not mighty impressive in the dark — far more cons • External power supply whose connector dally any longer. This is a synth that sounds so than those in my Korg Electribes (which positioning wastes valuable rack space. and behaves like nothing I’ve encountered aren’t driven hard enough to really glow: • Protective cover for tubes obstructs a couple of in the last 30 years and I don’t want to they fake it using a nearby LED!). Metasonix the knobs. spend a minute more setting the scene. estimate that the tubes should have • Limited range over which it will play in tune. a lifespan of between 10 and 15 years of • Joystick response not great. Tube Station • Expensive and not for the unadventurous. regular use, and although the manual states • Requires additional Hz/Volt-capable MIDI/CV The Wretch Machine certainly looks striking that the synth’s warranty period is 180 adaptor (to incorporate into most systems). — no less than 11 glowing vacuum/gas days, I am assured by the UK distributor tubes embedded in the panel see to that! that a standard 12-month warranty applies. summary Somehow tube distortion sounds more alive than Of these, the most impressive is the large Occupying six rack units due to the any other kind. It takes time for your ears to adjust 6AL7 tube, its history dating back to 1940s generous ergonomic spacing of knobs and to its character, but once they do there’s a world of FM tuners. It possesses a two-part green jack sockets, this chunky metal module rich, spitting, often churning harmonics at your ‘magic-eye’ bar display that simultaneously makes as many demands on your free space fingertips. The semi-modular design means you can use the Wretch’s raw oscillators in your analogue represents the outputs of the LFOs and as it does your attention — especially as modular or you can plug in external sources to be envelopes. Using the lower part of the you need to allow extra room to connect horsewhipped by the Waveshaper before being display, envelope levels are shown whilst the external 12V AC power supply at the tortured by the filter. Wild! each upper half pulses in time to an LFO’s top. If you plan to flightcase your Wretch, july 2008 • www.soundonsound.com 31 on test synthesizer METASONIX S1000 WRETCH MACHINE First Steps to “make it stop”, while at other times she Joystick Division seemed to be muttering the full Metasonix The small joystick is handy when you want to Due to the unique nature of the Wretch, catalogue of expletives angrily under her make noises without recourse to external I read the manual before attempting to breath. She does have a point. Never have triggering. It is also, perhaps predictably, make any noises. Fortunately it’s a brief and I heard a synthesizer scream, wail, spit and a trifle unruly. The joystick is the same one entertaining read, full of kindly advice and roar with quite so much venom. Forget used on Playstation gaming controllers but sentiments. For example: “All the safety and waterboarding, Guantanamo Bay needs with a small brass ball on the end rather than the black mushroom knob typically seen. Pushing down on it generates a gate to drive the two envelopes; wiggling it affects “Throw away any preconceptions you have about how oscillator pitch in one plane and filter tuning in the other. Often it fails to return smoothly a synthesizer should sound or behave — they will be to its central position, leaving tuning in limbo. To counter this behaviour, the manual scant comfort here.” advises anyone using the Wretch via the CV/Gate inputs (I hazard to suggest this will include most users) should remove the operation instructions must be read before a shipment of Wretch Machines right now, joystick entirely. This is a drastic solution if the S1000 is operated. If you don’t read and after which I guarantee even the guards will you fancy alternating between using it and HEED them, you are a MORON and you confess to anything! not; however, given the absence of a button deserve to be CASTRATED.” Or my personal OK: now that I’ve set the scene a little to activate it when wanted, you either follow favourite: “DO NOT OPEN THE BOX unless bit, it’s time to calmly and rationally do the this advice or live with the additional unpredictability. There are no CV outputs you’re a service technician or a blithering review thing... suicidal idiot.” from the joystick, so it can only be routed to So, VCOs... the internal fixed destinations. Personally There’s one vital tip of my own I’d like to I don’t think the joystick offers too much of add to these: before attempting to power Having connected my Kenton Pro 2000 to value, so the removal option is probably the up the S1000, ensure the main level is at the Wretch’s CV and Gate inputs, I began one I’d advise. zero, your mixer channel is at zero, the firing notes from a hardware sequencer gain is at zero and and also, for good while I explored the panel. The two VCOs L The Wretch Machine features two VCOs, measure, that there are no thunderclouds each feature a main tuning control with a waveshaper, a multi-mode filter and VCA, gathering overhead. This is because the a range of about a third interval — there’s with dual LFOs and two simple envelopes as Wretch’s output can get hot — so hot no master tune. The manual says you modulation sources. Throw in a couple of I wager it has cloven hooves and asbestos should get approximately two octaves’ modulation buses and a joystick controller underpants! Even when you think you have worth of reliable tuning and describes how and you should have a fair impression of its measure, a sudden leap in gain can to adjust VCO tracking via the span and what’s on offer — all of it delivered by tube terrify, especially when you boost the offset trimmers accessible through holes in technology. resonance or switch in the Waveshaper. the front panel. This S1000 tracked The main output is balanced, but copes I learned this first-hand despite absorbing accurately for a fraction over one-and-a-half with unbalanced leads happily. To all of Eric’s proffered wisdom; my first few octaves out of the box so I decided not to maximise its versatility, the S1000 takes the days with the S1000 were, apparently, risk buggering it up entirely with my semi-modular approach, meaning that its torture.