The MicroWave II is a rackmount synthesizer that offers the tone generation of the original MicroWave, but enhanced through new interesting features.

The 10-voice tone generation features two oscillators per voice, two wave generators, a mixer, two serially-connected filters, a stereo amplifier, four envelopes, two LFOs, a modulation matrix with 16 slots and several “modifiers”.

Per sound, the MicroWave II offers a neat arpeggiator and powerful envelope and voice-trigger modes.SP.

Outside, its most conspicious feature is its simplicity through the use of just 5 dials and a 2 x 40 character LCD. On the back the MicroWave II sports two fully modulatable stereo outputs to ensure that its sound is properly sent to the real world.

The MicroWave II also has an integrated chorus effector that is even capable of producing the classic and beloved “Ensemble” effect.

The above audio demo of the Waldorf Microwave 2, by retrosound, features custom “retro” patches, including several patches inspired by Vangelis.

If you’ve used the Waldorf Microwave 2, leave a comment with your thoughts!

FEATURES :

• Multi Mode with 8 individual instruments
• 10 voices
• 128 multis
• 256 sounds
• 64 ROM wavetables
• 32 RAM wavetables
• 64 waves per wavetable
• 500 waves
• arpeggiator, syncable to MIDI Clock
• programmable arpeggiator rhythm pattern per sound
• 4 integrated effect units (1 Chorus available for any instrument in multi mode, 1 separate effect for each of the first 3 instruments in multi mode)
• all parameters real time controllable through MIDI continous controller
• 1 dial for page access
• 4 dials for parameter changes
• 1 Play / Shift button
• 5 buttons for mode selection (3 buttons for “Sound”, 1 button for “Multi”, 1 button for “Global”)
• 1 Standby button with alert function to assure that all edited sounds are stored
• MIDI In / Out / Thru
• 2 stereo outputs
• 19″/2U

Per voice:

• 2 oscillators
• oscillator synchronization
• oscillator FM, fully modulatable
• 2 wave generators
• noise generator
• ring modulator
• adjustable quality levels for aliasing, interpolation and clipping
• mixer, all levels (Wave 1, Wave 2, Noise, Ring Modulation, External In) modulatable with high resolution
• 2 multi mode filters, connected serially
• filter 1:
  • low pass 12dB
  • low pass 24dB
  • band pass 12dB
  • high pass 12dB
  • sinus shaper with low pass filter 12dB
  • wave shaper with low pass filter 12dB (selected wavetable determines the available shaper waves)
  • Sample & Hold with low pass filter 12dB (real time sample rate reduction down to 23Hz)
  • dual parallel filter with 12dB low pass and 12dB band pass, cutoff offset parameter for band pass
  • 12dB low pass filter with filter FM (cutoff modulation through oscillator 2)
• filter 2:
  • low pass 6dB
  • high pass 6dB
• stereo amplifier, fully modulatable
• 8-time/level wave envelope with loop function, “one shot” mode, times and levels modulatable
• ADSR filter envelope, each phase modulatable separately
• ADSR amplifier envelope, each phase modulatable separately
• 4-time/level free envelope, bipolar, one shot mode, times and levels modulatable
• all envelopes work with separate trigger- and voice-modes, either monophonic or polyphonic:
• single trigger with zero return
• single trigger with return to last level
• retrigger with zero return
• retrigger with return to last level
• dual mode (two voices per note)
• unisono (all free voices at once)
• two LFOs, each with different shapes, syncable to MIDI clock, LFO 2 can be synced to LFO 1
• modulation matrix with 16 slots, all sources and destinations of the MicroWave and the Pulse plus new connections
• 4 freely usable modifiers with several operators and algorithms

Resources:

• Waldorf Microwave 2 at Retrosound
• Waldorf resources at Carbon111
• Waldorf Microwave 2/EX Editor/Librarian