Dave Smith has a well-deserved reputation in the realm of electronic music, with pioneering classics like the Prophet 5, and, you know, the instrument communication protocol known as MIDI. In recent years, he released Mopho, an affordable option for those who want to have a powerful monophonic analog synthesizer module. Now he has decided to multiply Mopho by four and put it into a small 7.9" x 5" box. Behold,the Dave Smith Instruments Tetra.

The Tetra is a small polyphonic analog synthesizer module that features four voices. It is fully programmable with a 100% analog signal path, and features the Curtis analog low-pass filter. It has four-part multitimbral capability, which can be routed into either mono or stereo, or even four separate outputs.

If you need more than that, you can actually chain the Tetra to other synths -- especially Dave Smith synths like the Mopho, Prophet '08, or other Tetras -- to further expand its polyphonic power up to 16 voices via the special MIDI port called Poly Chain Out. To allow for more comprehensive modification, Aa editor for Mac OS and Windows can be downloaded for free via the Dave Smith website.

Other features include a Combo Mode, used to combine four programs into a unison or poly "super patch". The Multi Mode allows each of Tetra's voices to respond to a different MIDI channel, allowing for more complex arrangements. The Tetra is also the first Dave Smith product to feature USB connectivity.

The Dave Smith Instruments Tetra bears a price of 879.00 USD (MSRP).