This is a cover of Jean Michel Jarre’s Chronologie 6, via syntesen:

I decided to do a quick cover version of Jarre’s Chronologie pt. 6 to test out my new studio routing, deciding to make everything with my hardware synthesizers (the used ones are the Nord Lead 2X, Blofeld, D-50 and MoPho)

.It’s quite close to the original, but has a slightly more modern sound, which i think fits it nicely.

This India-inspired electronica jam features electronic tabla driving a DIY sequencer.

Details on the patching and performance controls below.

via behanger:

My electronic tabla (it says “proffessional”) controls my home built 32 step sequencer, of which 20 positions are used for this rhythm. The Sool rhythm has 10 beats per cycle.

The sequencer not only plays these voltages up or down, but it can also derive other patterns. I worked these out and implemented these in hardware. I would have to look up how I did this. I do not think of it anymore, as each of the patters is useful. So in a live situation, I just choose a different one at random.

The output of the sequencer is analog, and sends out 0-10 volt. This is then converted to midi by my new miduino, a circuit by Tom Scarff. The software was partley rewritten by me. to make it play in the key of my choice. Using a very secrative math trick called rounding, I made the sequencer play in a minor key, rather than in the 12 tone system. This allows for live tweaking of the knobs without ever being out of key. Freedom!

Then there’s my Arcade joystick, which has an home baked circuit that converts the 4 switches and the fire button to 15 different notes, and connects right onto the keyboard matrix of an old casio childrens keyboard which cooks midi note messages. I would do this in the miduino too if I needed to do it again. A series of if/else statements is much easier and more flexible than soldering and debugging a circuit with 8 logic IC’s and a over a meter of wire.

Then there’s the large joystick. It has a doepfer midiconvertor on board. The miduino has enough pins to do it all together, but I like the fact that it is a funtional unit on it’s own. It controls all the effects of the Arcade channel.

The pitch of the tabla can be controlled by the sequencer as well as by the Atari paddle. I made this input on the tabla when I replaced the tuning pot with a precise ten-turn pot. It works with two vactrols.

Sound sources are: cymbals, a Raagini shruti box, the tabla box, a Waldorf Blofeld running 2 patches amplified by a 40 year old Italian tube amp.

I recorded it with my photocamera, which has a rediculously low audio sampling rate. They all have. It’s just not a number the camera’s are sold by. I should have checked weather I was in the image myself. Now I am a pair of hands on youtube too, looking like the Lorax of Dr. Seuss. A well. It’s just a test drive to check if my work is getting somewhere.

Waldorf Blofeld + Ableton Live Controller as a live PA setup:

Bill Holland hooks up the Waldorf Blofeld to Ableton Live to get his old school hardware control on. What he comes up with sounds something like a circus of dolphin song and twittering mantids, which is just what you want on a hot club night. I mean, I do, anyway.

via gearwire:

This is another cool demo from Gearwire’s Bill Holland, showcasing the Waldorf Blofeld synth with Ableton Live as a synth module.

“Its sleek German design puts all controls in their most logical locations, so you can reserve more brainpower for world domination,” notes Holland.

via gearwire:

The Waldorf Blofeld is a tiny synth module that delivers the same sounds known to many from the Waldorf Pulse, Q, Q+, Micro Q, Microwave, Microwave II/XT, or Wave.

The Blofeld is based on the PPG Wave synthesizers of the early 80s. When you listen to the Blofeld for the first time, you may recognize those timbres from the PPG era.

Detailed specs below.

If you’ve used the Waldorf Blofeld, leave a comment with your thoughts and ratings.

Highlights:

• 7 endless stainless steel Dials
• Graphic Display 128 x 64 pixels, b/w, white background LED
• more than 1000 Sounds
• 3 Oscillators per voice
• Frequency Modulation between the Oscillators
• All Q Oscillator Models
• All Microwave II/XT/XTk Wavetables
• 2 independent Multi Mode Filters per voice
• Filter FM
• 2 Drive stages per voice with selectable Drive Curves
• 3 fast LFOs per voice
• 4 fast Envelopes per voice
• powerful Arpeggiator
• freely programmable Arpeggiator Pattern with up to 16 Steps per Sound

General Features

• up to 25 Voices
• 16 part multi timbral
• more than 1000 Sounds
• sturdy Metal Enclosure
• 7 endless stainless steel Dials
• 5 Buttons
• Graphic Display 128 x 64 pixels, b/w, white background LED
• MIDI LED
• Volume Control
• Power Switch
• Stereo Output
• Headphone Output
• MIDI In
• USB Connector for MIDI In / Out
  • uses standard USB MIDI Driver provided by host computer OS
  • Windows ME minimum, Windows XP or newer recommended
  • Mac OS X 10.2 minimum, Mac OS X 10.3 or newer recommended
• External Power Supply

Per Voice

• 3 Oscillators
  Virtual Analog Models:
  • Pulse with Pulse Width Modulation and adjustable Brilliance
  • Sawtooth with adjustable Brilliance
  • Triangle
  • Sine
  • Q Alt 1 and Alt 2 Wavetable with adjustable Brilliance
  • All Wavetables from Microwave II/XT/XTk Series with adjustable Brilliance
  • Separate Wavetable selectable for Oscillator 1 and 2
• Wavetables:
• Frequency Modulation between the Oscillators
• Oscillator Synchronization
• Ring Modulator for Osc 1 / 2
• Noise Generator with Noise Colour
• 2 independent Multi Mode Filters
  • Filter FM
  • Resonance up to Self-Oscillation
  • Low Pass 24 dB / 12 dB
  • Band Pass 24 dB / 12 dB
  • High Pass 24 dB / 12 dB
  • Notch 24 dB / 12 dB
  • Comb Filter with positive / negative Feedback
  • PPG Low Pass Filter
• 2 Drive stages per voice with adjustable Drive Gain and selectable Curves
  • Clip
  • Hard
  • Medium
  • Soft
  • Sine Shaper
  • etc.
• Modulation Matrix with 16 Slots, freely programmable
  • Modulation Speed far into Audio Range
  • Modulation Sources include all internal Modulation Sources plus various MIDI messages
  • Modulation Destinations for almost all continuous sound parameters
• various pre-routed Modulation Destinations with selectable Sources
  • Pitch Modulation
  • Oscillator 1 / 2 / 3 Frequency Modulation
  • Oscillator 1 / 2 / 3 Pulse Width Modulation
  • Filter 1 / 2 Cutoff Modulation
  • Filter 1 / 2 Frequency Modulation
  • Pan 1 / 2 Modulation
  • Amp Modulation
• 4 Modifiers for transforming Modulation Sources with various Algorithms
• 3 fast LFOs
  • syncable to MIDI Clock
  • Note Retrigger with adjustable Start Phase
  • monophonic LFO
  • Keytrack
• 4 fast Envelopes with selectable types
  • Single Trigger / Retrigger per Envelope
  • ADSR
  • ADS1DS2R (2 Decay/Sustain stages plus adjustable Attack Level)
  • One Shot
  • Loop S1S2 (Loop between Sustain 1 and 2)
  • Loop All (Loop over all stages)
• Poly, Mono, Dual or Unisono Mode with selectable Voice Count

Per Part

• powerful Arpeggiator
  • Hold and One Shot modes
  • syncable to MIDI Clock
  • Direction Up, Down, Alternate
  • Range up to 10 Octaves
  • various methods to modify Note Sort Order
• freely programmable Arpeggiator Pattern with up to 16 Steps per Sound.
  programmable per Step:
  • Accent
  • Timing
  • Length
  • Glide on/off
  • Pause
  • Chord
  • Previous note
  • Random not from Note List
  • first and/or last note from Note List
• 1 Effect slot per part
• 1 Effect slot globally for all parts
  Effect types:
  • Chorus
  • Flanger
  • Phaser
  • Overdrive
  • Triple FX (S&H, Ring Modulation, Chorus)
  • Delay (only available on global Effect slot)
  • Clocked Delay (only available on global Effect slot)
  • Reverb (only available on global Effect slot)

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

This gorgeous audio demo, Speak To Me by Retrosound, features the Waldorf Microwave 2:

Waldorf Microwave 2 wavetable synthesizer and Roland JD-800 starting on 2.05. I scanned the wavetable oscillator with the modulation-wheel.

This is an overview and demo of the Waldorf Blofeld synthesizer module.

Waldorf Blofeld Bass

via Bruce73X:

This is a bassline test with the great little Synthesizer Waldorf Blofeld.

Neither a perfect track nor a perfect video, but it shows how the Blofeld can sound and how one can work with it. The sequence comes from the Blofelds internal arpeggiator.

Most of the crackling noises and bumping rhythms result from the bad recording situation – except the noises while I change effect parameters of the (sometimes) used internal “Triple FX” (bit reduction is desired , but the noise while I turn the knob is a bug).

Additional drums by Jomox M-Base 01 and D16 Nepheton. No additional effects or mixwork applied, only slightly limiting and eqing the master-track.

This is a preview of the prototype of the Waldorf Blofeld synthesizer.

The keyboard version adds 60MB of user sample memory (accessed via USB) and a solid semi-weighted keyboard. Coming this December!

audiomidicom’s preview of the prototype of the Waldorf Blofeld keyboard synthesizer.

The keyboard version adds 60MB of user sample memory (accessed via USB) and a solid semi-weighted keyboard.

The Waldorf Blofeld is scheduled for release this December.

Waldorf has officially announced the Waldorf Blofeld keyboard synthesizer:

Not only on the outside did he gain weight, also his inner qualities have seen a remarkable step-up: besides the virtual-analog synthesis and the classic wavetables it now sports a whopping 60 megabytes of sample memory.

Just imagine to add a vocal-like noise spectrum to a typical Wavetable pad, spice-up a virtual-analog solo sound with a strong attack sample or just process any other sample with the countless oscillator and filter modulations.

Play your sound creations on the high-quality keyboard with velocity and aftertouch. Pitchbend and modulation wheel are at your disposal and, as a matter of course, you can connect a sustain pedal.

All this is packaged in a sleek metal enclosure with a big graphic display, endless stainless steel rotaries and an internal power supply.

And although it comes for an unbeatable price tag, we add something very special. It comes:

From Waldorf with Love!

The Blofeld is available for £599.

Here are some samples of the Blofeld in action:

Details on this beast…..

Most important features

• 60 MB Sample memory
• Virtual analog, Wavetable and sample-based Oscillators
• high-quality semi-weighted keyboard with 49 keys, velocity and aftertouch
• internal power supply (100-240V, 50-60Hz)
• pitchbend wheel
• modulation wheel
• sustain pedal connector
• Octave Up / Down buttons
• freely programmable button
• sturdy metal enclosure
• 7 endless stainless steel dials
• graphic display 128 x 64 pixels, b/w, white background LED
• more than 1000 Sounds
• 3 Oscillators per voice
• Frequency Modulation between Oscillators
• All Q Oscillator models
• All Microwave II/XT/XTk Wavetables
• 2 independent multi mode Filters per voice
• Filter FM
• 2 Drive stages per voice with selectable Drive Curves
• 3 fast LFOs per voice
• 4 fast Envelopes per voice
• powerful Arpeggiator
• freely programmable Arpeggiator Pattern with up to 16 Steps per Sound

General Features

• high-quality weighted keyboard with 49 keys, velocity and aftertouch
• internal power supply (100-240V, 50-60Hz)
• pitchbend wheel
• modulation wheel
• sustain pedal connector
• Octave Up / Down buttons
• freely programmable button
• up to 25 voices
• 16 part multi timbral
• more than 1000 Sounds
• sturdy metal enclosure
• 7 endless stainless steel dials
• 8 buttons
• Graphic Display 128 x 64 pixels, b/w, white background LED
• MIDI LED
• volume control
• power switch
• stereo output
• headphone output
• MIDI Input / Output
• USB interface for MIDI In / Out
  • uses standard USB MIDI Driver provided by host computer OS
  • Windows ME minimum, Windows XP or newer recommended
  • Mac OS X 10.2 minimum, Mac OS X 10.3 or newer recommended
• weight approx. 8 kg (17.65 lb)

Waldorf has introduced the Blofeld keyboard. The Blofeld has been getting solid reviews, so a keyboard version should be killer.

It’s available via Dolphin Music for £599.0.

Features:

• 60 Megabyte sample memory
• Class compliant USB MIDI for PC,Mac and Linux
• 16 part multimode
• maximum 25 voices polyphony
• highest quality standard keybed with 49 weighted keys and aftertouch
• Internal power supply
• Pitchbend and modulation wheel
• Virtual analog, wavetable, and sample based oscillators
• MIDI in/out
• Sturdy metal case
• Stainless steel rotary encoders
• Backlit 128×64 pixel LCD
• Over 1000 sounds
• 3 oscillators, 2 filters per voice
• Selectable drive curves
• Frequency modulation for oscillators and filters
• Three LFO, four envelopes per voice
• Extensive modulation capabilities
• Complex arpeggiator
• Powerful effects section
• weight: apprx 8,– kgs
• weight in carton: apprx 9,5 kgs

via Matrix

At the 2008 NAMM Show, Waldorf was showing this diminutive synth in a tiny booth in an obscure area of the show basement.

Not an auspicious display, but at least the Blofeld synth has a good pedigree.

The Blofeld engine delivers the same sound that so many Waldorf users worldwide love when they play their Pulse, Q, Q+, Micro Q, Microwave, Microwave II/XT, or Wave.

The Blofeld is based on the PPG Wave synthesizers of the early 80s. When you listen to the Blofeld for the first time, you may recognize those timbres from the PPG era.

You can preview the Blofeld sound below.

Highlights:

• 7 endless stainless steel Dials
• Graphic Display 128 x 64 pixels, b/w, white background LED
• more than 1000 Sounds
• 3 Oscillators per voice
• Frequency Modulation between the Oscillators
• All Q Oscillator Models
• All Microwave II/XT/XTk Wavetables
• 2 independent Multi Mode Filters per voice
• Filter FM
• 2 Drive stages per voice with selectable Drive Curves
• 3 fast LFOs per voice
• 4 fast Envelopes per voice
• powerful Arpeggiator
• freely programmable Arpeggiator Pattern with up to 16 Steps per Sound

General Features

• up to 25 Voices
• 16 part multi timbral
• more than 1000 Sounds
• sturdy Metal Enclosure
• 7 endless stainless steel Dials
• 5 Buttons
• Graphic Display 128 x 64 pixels, b/w, white background LED
• MIDI LED
• Volume Control
• Power Switch
• Stereo Output
• Headphone Output
• MIDI In
• USB Connector for MIDI In / Out
  • uses standard USB MIDI Driver provided by host computer OS
  • Windows ME minimum, Windows XP or newer recommended
  • Mac OS X 10.2 minimum, Mac OS X 10.3 or newer recommended
• External Power Supply

Per Voice

• 3 Oscillators
  Virtual Analog Models:
  • Pulse with Pulse Width Modulation and adjustable Brilliance
  • Sawtooth with adjustable Brilliance
  • Triangle
  • Sine
  • Q Alt 1 and Alt 2 Wavetable with adjustable Brilliance
  • All Wavetables from Microwave II/XT/XTk Series with adjustable Brilliance
  • Separate Wavetable selectable for Oscillator 1 and 2

Wavetables:

• Frequency Modulation between the Oscillators
• Oscillator Synchronization
• Ring Modulator for Osc 1 / 2
• Noise Generator with Noise Colour
• 2 independent Multi Mode Filters
  • Filter FM
  • Resonance up to Self-Oscillation
  • Low Pass 24 dB / 12 dB
  • Band Pass 24 dB / 12 dB
  • High Pass 24 dB / 12 dB
  • Notch 24 dB / 12 dB
  • Comb Filter with positive / negative Feedback
  • PPG Low Pass Filter
• 2 Drive stages per voice with adjustable Drive Gain and selectable Curves
  • Clip
  • Hard
  • Medium
  • Soft
  • Sine Shaper
  • etc.
• Modulation Matrix with 16 Slots, freely programmable
  • Modulation Speed far into Audio Range
  • Modulation Sources include all internal Modulation Sources plus various MIDI messages
  • Modulation Destinations for almost all continuous sound parameters
• various pre-routed Modulation Destinations with selectable Sources
  • Pitch Modulation
  • Oscillator 1 / 2 / 3 Frequency Modulation
  • Oscillator 1 / 2 / 3 Pulse Width Modulation
  • Filter 1 / 2 Cutoff Modulation
  • Filter 1 / 2 Frequency Modulation
  • Pan 1 / 2 Modulation
  • Amp Modulation
• 4 Modifiers for transforming Modulation Sources with various Algorithms
• 3 fast LFOs
  • syncable to MIDI Clock
  • Note Retrigger with adjustable Start Phase
  • monophonic LFO
  • Keytrack
• 4 fast Envelopes with selectable types
  • Single Trigger / Retrigger per Envelope
  • ADSR
  • ADS1DS2R (2 Decay/Sustain stages plus adjustable Attack Level)
  • One Shot
  • Loop S1S2 (Loop between Sustain 1 and 2)
  • Loop All (Loop over all stages)
• Poly, Mono, Dual or Unisono Mode with selectable Voice Count

Per Part

• powerful Arpeggiator
  • Hold and One Shot modes
  • syncable to MIDI Clock
  • Direction Up, Down, Alternate
  • Range up to 10 Octaves
  • various methods to modify Note Sort Order
• freely programmable Arpeggiator Pattern with up to 16 Steps per Sound.
  programmable per Step:
  • Accent
  • Timing
  • Length
  • Glide on/off
  • Pause
  • Chord
  • Previous note
  • Random not from Note List
  • first and/or last note from Note List
• 1 Effect slot per part
• 1 Effect slot globally for all parts
  Effect types:
  • Chorus
  • Flanger
  • Phaser
  • Overdrive
  • Triple FX (S&H, Ring Modulation, Chorus)
  • Delay (only available on global Effect slot)
  • Clocked Delay (only available on global Effect slot)
  • Reverb (only available on global Effect slot)