You probably know the 3rd Wave for its classic PPG sounds. But as Sam Gutman puts it, “it’s an evolution of the PPG, not just a replica.”
In this clip from his NAMM 2026 session, Sam explores the modern wavetable side of the 3rd Wave: high-resolution wavetables that go well beyond vintage territory, with the ability to import, create, and morph your own.
🎬 Full session linked in bio. ❓What wavetables do you prefer? Vintage PPG or modern?
#WavetableSynth #SamGutman #NAMM2026 #SoundDesign #Synthesizer
How do you design a filter chip that ends up in some of the most iconic synths ever made? Apparently, you sketch it on a napkin at lunch. 🥡
At NAMM 2026, legendary chip designer Dave Rossum told us the origin story of the SSM 2040 filter. He was having lunch with Tom Oberheim, who was frustrated trying to get an OTA to work as a phase shifter. Dave grabbed a napkin from the table and drew a circuit on the spot.
Tom looked at it and asked: “Did you just invent that?”
Turns out, yes. And it was patentable. That napkin sketch became the foundation for one of the most beloved filter topologies in synthesis history, and a direct ancestor of the 2140 chip inside the 3rd Wave.
Some of the best ideas really do start on the back of a napkin.
👉🏻 Click the link in our bio to read the story and watch the full video!
While the 3rd Wave is capable of so much more than PPG-style wavetable synthesis, it does it extremely well. Here’s Amazona’s Christian Uhlig sharing his thoughts about the differences compared to a Wave 2.2 at Superbooth 2026.
#sb26 #superbooth
@groovesynthesis are showing off the 3rd Wave’s spatial audio capabilities, as well as previewing and upcoming user-created librarian, patch and wavetable editor application.
#Patch #audio #musicproduction #synth
#Superbooth26 is here! Come by our booth O246 (upstairs in the main building), meet the team, grab some brand new stickers & magnets, and explore the 3rd Wave synths. 🎹
As a special treat, we’re showcasing immersive multichannel patches created by @peff in a quad loudspeaker setup. It’s an experience like no other when the glorious 3rd Wave sound wraps all around you in a big sonic hug.
Unboxing the @groovesynthesis 3rd Wave 8M, how to get authentic early Depeche Mode sounds.
A modern take on the PPG Wave that shaped early digital synth pop.
#depechemode #groovesynthesis #ppgwave #doubletriangle #sounddesign
We’re heading to Superbooth 2026. Booth O246, May 7-9.
Stop by for hands-on quality time with the full 3rd Wave family: the 24K keyboard, the 24M desktop, and the 8M, which turns one this month. Co-founder Bob Coover and Director of Operations Erik Papp will be there all three days.
Come try the synths, ask whatever you want about how they work, and explore which one best fits your setup. We’ll walk you through our favorite features and sounds. If you’ve never had the chance to experience Bob’s rippin’ action 3rd Wave demo, now is the time. 🤙🏻
We’re also bringing brand new 3rd Wave swag. Stop by to grab stickers and magnets while supplies last. 🛍️
See you in Berlin?
#Superbooth2026 #GrooveSynthesis #3rdWave #3rdWave8M #WavetableSynthesis Synthesizers
What happens when two self-funded companies with a shared love for crazy ideas find each other?
Dan Parks of Sound Semiconductor makes the analog filter chips inside the 3rd Wave. His company got the old team back together to design custom silicon for the kind of products you see at NAMM, in a market that any VC would call too small. Sound familiar? 😏
Bob spent over three years during the 3rd Wave’s development calling Dan, starting with the 2144, then discovering that the 2140 had everything he was looking for: the right sound, a built-in tempco resistor, and the ability to do resonance compensation. No-brainer.
Dan’s words to Bob at NAMM: “We love working with you guys. What you’ve done here is phenomenal.“ The feeling is mutual. Two independent companies, one shared philosophy: make what you believe in.
🔗 Watch the whole video with Dave via the link in our bio.
What’s the actual sonic difference between the 2140 and 2144 filter chips? We got the man who designed both of them to explain.
At NAMM 2026, Dave Rossum met up with our Bob Coover to break down what you’re really hearing when you compare these two filters. At low levels, Dave says he can’t even distinguish between them. But when you start driving the 2140 hard or cranking the resonance, something special happens: its combination of symmetric and asymmetric distortion produces a cascade of even harmonics that gives it a warm, thick, greasy character. That’s the sound that made the Rev 1 and Rev 2 Prophet-5s so revered.
The 2144, by contrast, stays cleaner and more symmetrical as you push it. Beautiful in its own right, but a different flavor.
As Dave put it, the 2140 in the 3rd Wave is “kind of the best of all worlds, and the greasiest groove that you can get.” We couldn’t agree more. 🤙
🔗 Watch the whole video with Dave via the link in our bio.
At NAMM 2026, Groove Synthesis co-founder Bob Coover met up with Greg Geerling, Engineering Fellow at @analogdevices , to talk about the technology inside the 3rd Wave.
The partnership goes back years, to a NAMM show where Greg introduced Bob to a new eval board for the oscillator section. True to form, Bob wasn’t content with just one. The 24-voice 3rd Wave models pack 4x Analog Devices SHARC + ARM SoC processors, putting 8 DSP cores to work generating all 24 voices across four parts in real time.
The compact 8M takes a different approach, running its 8 voices and two parts on the newer, more powerful SC598 single-chip solution.
Great sound starts with great engineering, and great engineering starts with people who genuinely love what they do. Dig the 3rd Wave with ADI! 🏄
#GrooveSynthesis #AnalogDevices #SHARC #3rdWave #NAMMShow
Have you ever wondered what exactly the difference is between aliasing and imaging in wavetable synths or samplers? That’s exactly the question Anthony Marinelli asked Groove’s Bob Coover at NAMM 2026.
The 3rd Wave synth generates what Bob calls “beautiful garbage”: harmonics caused by running the waveforms at a high sample rate without an anti-imaging filter, which is a true implementation of the original PPG sound. By contrast, our modern wavetables run at a different rate and use an anti-imaging filter, giving you a cleaner sound.
#3rdWave #GrooveSynthesis #AnthonyMarineli #WavetableSynth #PPGWave NAMM2026
