4ms Pedals Triwave Picogenerator

4ms Pedals Triwave Picogenerator

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The Triwave makes pulsing hums, squealing whirring pics of droning swirling psycho modulating waves of piercing beating ambientsonics. It produces triangluar and squarish sonic waves pulsating and oscillating the frequencies. The triwave picogenerator contains two tone generators and three variable speed points at 8 to 200 cycles per second. It has low frequency oscillators that independently vary the pitch of each tone generator. You can control the speed of each of the three low frequency oscillators, the depth of effect of each tone generator with each oscillator, the center frequency of each tone generator, the mix between volumes of each tone generator, and the master volume. You can switch between square and triangle wave outputs. The LFO range extends into audio frequencies for faux ring and beat modulation. It operates using a power supply, included. The stock model outputs to a one quarter inch mono jack...


Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price: $185.00

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User Reviews of the 4ms Pedals Triwave Picogenerator

  • Submitted by ikeaboy from Emeryville, CA (8 points) on Aug 5, 2009
  • When I ordered my triwave picogenerator, I ordered "THE WORKS. for a list of options check with 4ms for making noise, it's and instrument it's a pedal it's both at once pluging in a KCP utopia Synth , a drum machine into one of the trigger inputs adjusting the ring modulation. tuning one of the oscillators to E and the other being modulated by a square wave at very high speed and detuned to taste. WOW! The drum machine and the guitar didn't sound like guitar or drum machine they became controllers capable of triggering very interesting and controllable noise. this is definitely a very versatilely designed instrument. As I said it is 1,2,3, boxes with many thounds of variable control points I once read that the problem with synth design was so many of them could not make ugly sounds,everything was so nicey-nice make no mistake plug any thing you want into it and you will get some interesting noise. I haven't used voice with it yet. triwave picogenerator with the options is one of the most captivating pieces of gear that I have ever plugged in. didI mention it has 2 inputs for expression pedals? it does. I comes as a square metal box with a nice weight to it. every thing is solidly assembled. no loss knobs .the craftsmanship is high. the sound? this box/instrument does not have rare exotic tubes in it ....but it sound like it does. you know the Mcintosh amp all tube creme caramel richness, even when it's howling, screaming and moaning it sounds great. do not confuse sounding great with pretty or nice.The triwave picogenerator can grind and whine like nothing I've ever used. Dann at 4ms.provides a great opportunity for those noise seekers with a yen for something other than vanilla. great customer service I would replace it it it disappear. This is a special piece of gear because I can find the sounds that I really want to use
  • Good Points: Great Sounding lots of variants Great Sounding many forms of control possible Great Sounding cool processor of external sounds plenty of options possibly indestructible Great Sounding Experimenters gold mine If you are patient to find what it is you're looking for you'll probably find it here Rice Boyd would enjoy the triwave picogenerator
  • Bad Points: not for the impatient people that don't want to create noise. not for the timid. beware! to many options resulting in options anxiety. Lawrence Welk would hate this thing.
  • Price Paid: US$560.00
  • Purchased At: 4ms
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  • Submitted by Loyd from Roanoke, VA (4 points) on Sep 7, 2006
  • I have been using a tri-wave for 3 years now, I am impressed with it's sound quality though it is an instrument that can benefit from a gain pedal. The variety of sounds ranges from quiet and sparse to static and bass heavy. The 4ms collective is great w/ mods too, I have had a light sensitive mod for the speed control, The one I own now has 4 power jacks that provide power to other pedals, just depends on how creative you get!
  • Good Points: there are a lot of sounds you can get from this machine, I was able to get a tri- wave and a phaser in the same box!
  • Bad Points: The signal is very quiet so it benefits to have a gain pedal or pre/power-amp hooked up to adjust levels.
  • Price Paid: US$200.00
  • Purchased At: doug
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  • Submitted by Doug from Austin, TX (40 points) on Oct 31, 2003
  • This thing rocks! I can sit an play it for hours!
  • Good Points: Tons of different sounds. Would be great for almost any kind of composition
  • Bad Points: NONE!
  • Price Paid: US$180.00
  • Purchased At: commonsound.org
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  • Submitted by K. from Sealy, TX (528 points) on Jun 15, 2002
  • It can be quite infuriating at times getting useable sounds out of the triwave, but it can be accomplished. Thirteen pots and two switches on the base model don't make things any easier, and you can go over twenty one controls w/ all the available mods. As stated in the previous review there are two oscillators modulated by three LFOs, and a variety of analog synth type sounds are possible. The pitch controls for the 2 osc. produce the most dramatic change in sound, but weird and unexpected things can happen when adjusting the 6 depth controls which feed the LFOs. Great for the touring noisician, especially if you have no desire to lug your heavey/fragile/collectible Moog, or whatever rare, valuable synth you happen to own, across the country.
  • Good Points: Plenty of sound shaping potential w/ over a dozen controls begging to be tweaked
  • Bad Points: Can be difficult getting useable sounds, though that's part of the fun
  • Price Paid: US$60.00
  • Purchased At: built from scratch
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  • Submitted by Gus from San Francisco, CA (282 points) on Feb 24, 2002
  • Imagine two theremins doing battle through a set of three LFO's and you kind of get the idea of what this box sounds like. But it's so much more than that. I've got the standard, unmodified model (the one with 13 knobs, and a switch), and I could listen to this thing bubble away by itself for hours. It can produce some very high frequency sounds (think Whitehouse territory here). It's basically two analog oscillators whose pitch can be contolled with their own knobs. These oscillators are then routed through a set of shared LFOs. On the stock model, the oscillators have to share the same LFO speed (which can go from painfully slow to extremely fast), but they have individual sets of controls for the depth of each LFO. The only real drawback I could find with this box is that it isn't as loud as I'd like. I'm sure that if I sent it back to Dan at 3ms he'd be happy to modify it to suit me, as he was a pleasure to do business with. I just can't bear the idea of being separated from this box for the ammount of time it would take to modify. I'll get the next one I buy customized (that's right, I like it so much I'm going to get two).
  • Good Points: It's pure boxed mayhem. Not at all musical, just a beautiful, random, chaotic mess. Real mad scientist stuff here.
  • Bad Points: The one I got is a little quiet. Also, the learning curve on this box is a little steep. Until you've messed with it for a while, it can sound a bit thin. A little practice with it will cure this.
  • Price Paid: US$205.00
  • Purchased At: From 3ms/ Soundshimmer
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