Machine 3’s main area of specialty is to modify the timbre or tonal quality of incoming audio signals. This is achieved by suppressing selected frequencies of incoming audio signals using a resonant low-pass filter. This type of filter also has the ability to emphasize selected frequencies resulting in changes that can reshape the harmonic structure of the processed sounds.

Machine 3 is also standalone musical instrument and sound effects generator. It has an on-board oscillator that is used to modulate the filter and for producing independent tone generation on its own. Both filter and oscillator frequencies can be controlled directly from the Machine 3’s touch screen manual control surface.

Machine 3 is designed to interface with Martian Music Machines 1, 2 and 4 to form a complete complex analog synthesizer system and compatible with standard terrestrial analog modular synthesizer voltages through the use of quarter inch guitar cables.