TRAX RetroWave Owner’s Manual
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The Analogue Revolution
What do you think of when you hear the word “synthesizer”? If you are under a certain age, you probably
associate the word with techno, drum and bass, or dubstep. If a little more mature, you may think of
Tangerine Dream, Rick Wakeman, Kraftwerk or The Human League.
Synthesizers are heard everywhere these days – in pop and rock music, on film
soundtracks, on TV ads etc; but there was once a time when they were rare and
intimidating beasts, with large and cumbersome control panels, and relying on
analogue techniques for tone generation and sound modification. These giants
were perfect for creating complex multi-track recordings (such as Walter Carlos’
“Switched On Bach” album and subsequent works), but they were generally too
large and expensive for use on the road, unless you happened to be a member of a
supergroup such as Emerson, Lake and Palmer!
Robert Moog’s compact Minimoog TM did much to popularise the analogue synthesizer sound, as more
and more artists and performers made use of the relatively affordable instrument for their gigs and
recordings. Other manufacturers began to see the marketing potential of analogue synthesizers, and
instruments such as the Korg MS-20 TM, ARP Odyssey TM, EMS VCS-3 TM etc. very soon became
household names in the recording industry, with many top artists eager to experiment with the new and
exciting instruments. Mainstream electronic music soon became a reality, as the public grew
accustomed to the strange, powerful, exotic, comical, and beautiful noises these fantastic new machines
were capable of.
Analogue Versus Digital
Digital synths and computer music programs have many advantages: modern keyboards can produce
unique sounds that are impossible to obtain using analogue technology, and software emulations can
recreate the majority of classic analogue synth sounds. However, many musicians are dissatisfied with
these digital facsimiles, preferring the warmer, more immediate “live” sound of genuine analogue
instruments.
Many musicians also prefer to turn control knobs rather than delve into endless menus for setting the
characteristics of sounds. The R-1 scores highly in this respect, as each parameter is continuously
variable, and the large number of patching level potentiometers give “hands-on” control in real time.
Classic Techniques
The RetroWave was primarily developed to allow the user to recreate classic synth sounds, using
genuine analogue voltage-controlled oscillator, filter, sample & hold, noise generator, amplifier, etc.
That is not to say that the RetroWave can only be used in a nostalgic sense – it can of course be used to
create your own banging bass lines, searing lead lines, synth drum sounds, drones, etc. for your
recordings and gigs. Those involved in stage production will appreciate its ability to produce sound
effects, such as sci-fi ray guns and alarms, birdsong, explosions, or surf on the beach, and if you want a
truly wicked dub siren, the R-1 can oblige!
The only concession to digital technology lies within the MIDI to CV converter of the instrument, this part
of the machine being necessary to interface the analogue circuits to today’s digital world.
