Waldorf Music has introduced the Rocket Synthesizer – a new module they describe as ‘an ideal fun sound design machine’.
Here’s what they have to say about it:
It’s incredible sound is a powerful weapon of mass destruction, and never before has this been achieved with such an enormous fun factor. It features an analog multimode VCF with lowpass, bandpass, and highpass, resonance up to self oscillation and beyond, a powerful monophonic oscillator section with Ultra High Density Sawtooth and unison for chord play.
Furthermore equipped with a powerful Arpeggiator and a destructive Bosster circuit, this Rocket is technologically way ahead of all current defense systems.
Here are the details:
Features:
- Analog multimode-filter (VCF) with Low Pass / Band Pass / High Pass
- VCF-input
- Highly flexible oscillator-section with pulse width modulation and hard sync
- Up to 8 oscillators in unison for chords or Ultra High Density Sawtooth
- Low Frequency Oscillator (LFO) for modulation
- Envelopes for VCA, VCF and Sync
- Booster circuit to generate aggressive sounds
- Arpeggiator with different rhythmic patterns
- Glide
- USB powered
- MIDI in and out
- Extensive control panel with high-end pots and switches
- Control via MIDI and USB
- MIDI clock sync
- Line output
- Loud headphone output
- Launch key for easy pre listening
The Waldorf Rocket synthesizer is expected to be available in March for 244 Euro. See the Waldorf site for more info.
via gearjunkies
After a brief sweep through the manual I’m left scratching my head why Waldorf would produce such a synth. It’s almost TOO basic.
At first I thought it might be something akin to the DSI Evolver but now I realize it’s much much less.
The Envelope section is a joke, for example. No control of the envelope Attack? Wow. Decay/Release levels are locked together. ONE Envelope for filter and amplifier.
The manual also seems to give the impression that the synth is marketed towards people who have never owned a synth before. This may be the case. I’m not interested either way.
Here are some funny quotes from the manual after first glance:
“Turning a dial clockwise increases the corresponding value; turning it counterclockwise decreases it. Unbelievable! Switching a switch does exactly switch this switch.”
“Dear friend of electronic club music: Use Glide to produce a typical pitch bass and pitch lead sound.”
Has Waldorf gone off the deep end? Where are the days of the Q and the Waldorf Attack? Thumbs down.
Just my three cents.
I’m still curious about this one. It seems like Waldorf’s version of the monotron gear but with polyphony. Am I missing something?
The documentation doesn’t talk about polyphony from what I saw. And of course the promo song is probably multi-tracked. it does have multi-saw wave forms with detune, I believe.
Oops, I misread that about the unison . . . hybrid with an analog filter, still sounds kind of interesting, if a little steep.
I like the design plain and simple. Looks like its designed for bass lines and compete with the dark energy, mono lancet monotribes etc. If a good price .. Ie under 150 then it could be worth a look. Bit late on the bandwagon though. Waldorfs analogue filters are usually nice. Also looks like a mono synth but with 8 voice unison with detune/chord
Slated MSRP of 244 euros! or about $325 usd – Kinda steep isn’t it.
Seems quite reasonable to me. This is a performance instrument. Back in the day Waldorf put out the Pulse filter as a module and it was quite a lot more expensive than this. The street price will go to about $250-300 I reckon, which is a reasonable deal. I’m certainly tempted.
IDK, looks fun to me.
So what happened to the Pulse 2?
I think this is what that Pulse 2 mutated into… but I am only guessing. Perhaps the Pulse 2 wasn’t a good investment for them, since they were undercut by the minibrute. Just guessing.
My reasoning is that the Rocket has 8 voice unison, just like the Pulse 2 was supposed to.
I was excited when I heard that there was a new Waldorf out, but I think I will save my $300 for an ms20… or maybe put it towards a Kenny’s Death.
I had missed this one.
Kenny’s death indeed seems a lot of fun !
Thanks
Waldorf has been on a roll making 3D models of synthesizers that never seem to see the light of day as real objects.
It has digital oscillators… it sounds very Blofeld like to my ears, and the OS update is even done with the same program used for Blofeld “Spectre”… it’s a hybrid digital/analog synth with an analog saturation at the end as I read it.
I like the idear of hybrid synths though, and if they could vouple a future update with some Wavetable possibilities and editing in this it would be cool.
It’s probably nothing more than a Blofeld curcuit with a Pulse 2 analog part after it.
Digital oscillators are a huge plus for most users. Even die hard modular guys like to have a wavetable oscillator in their modulars, because they open up so many options.
USB power only? Seriously? I understand how neat it is to be able to send midi and power with one cable, but why even put 5-pin DIN MIDI on there? I wish I had more hands so I could give it 4 thumbs down.
It comes with a PSU with USB connection so that it can be used without a computer… someone asked Waldorf directly and got that as an answer.
Yawn.
MSRP $325!? I’m in!!!
Considering you can get a Mopho desktop for about the same price or a Blofeld for a tiny bit extra, this seems a little basic. I hope this doesn’t mean I have to give up hope for the Pulse 2.
quote :
“It’s incredible sound is a powerful weapon of mass destruction,…”
Sorry…but not for me….I’m a peaceful person….
We’re getting jaded when people start complaining about a 244 Euro synth module. This looks like a hell of a lot of synth for the price, and the hybrid synthesis combination is really smart, too.
Don’t think you can make interesting sounds with 8 oscillators and an analog multimode filter?
The big question for me is whether it will ship.
Bah! Who wants to make interesting sounds with a synthesizer? All I want is a trophy that looks intimidating with a long feature list so I can feel good about myself while I dick around with knobs to no particular end, especially not actual “music”.
/s
I’d rather have the pulse 2. but this seems more and more unlikely.
indeed, where is the P2 ? This 3D modelling looks like vapourware, or at best some catch 22 with the moog subphatty – MS20mini – minibrute new trend… Waldorf is loosing it….
Pulse 2 is still coming, so says someone on the beta team.
Maybe more info at Musicmesse?
To speak nothing of the sonic capabilities or sound, this seems to me like a giant step back. I would expect this from a nascent company or two guys in their garage, yet NOT from Waldorf. Rumours abound that they are in financial trouble once more, I think the Pulse 2 was a step in the right direction. The problem is with the person at the helm. I know him, and as talented as he is, there simply is not imagination.
This is more of toy than a tool. Not interested.
I know, right? What would the “sonic capabilities or sound” have to do with a synthesizer or any other musical instrument for that matter? Give me a feature list as long as my arm and I’ll be happy, I won’t be making any actual “music” with this thing anyway, so who gives a crap about sound quality?
/s
Still looks fun. Looks like enough room for more knobs on the front panel though.
so no update on the P2 but this crops up? isn´t this just hugely irresponsible?
glad i got the pulse 1 while back. not sure i am getting the new waldorfs.
all your monotribes are belong to Waldorf.
there, I said it.
I think they release the pulse 2 after musicmesse and this rocket isn’t build yet.The launch for the rocket will be next year or the year after or the year after that, maybe.
That env section sucks hard.
Not my piece of gear.
Is annone noticing this is a Waldorf…theyre pricey by nature and sound wonderful, be it analogue or digital. This is a polyphonic digital synth with an analogue filter. What else do you want for $300? A handjob? Yeah, the envelope section is weird, but when you actually play it Im sure it’ll put your money in their hands. When was the last time Waldorf made a synth that didnt sound beautiful? I just dont care what you all say….its got polyphony, an analogue filter, NO MENUS, and its $300. Take your complains to Roland, atleast Waldorf products sound good. I have a Micro Q and I’ll never buy any other digital synth again…why would I want a King Edwards after Ive had a Cuban?
Am I the only one who thinks that even 300 dollars is overpriced for this?
I lol’d at the owner’s manual
I am quite intrigued
Digital oscillators and analogue filters, there’s actually only one small factor desktop synth that does this right now and it’s the Shruthi-1, so the comparison is quite obvious. I really regret having sold my Blofeld, because I really like the Waldorf sound, but this one does not convince me at all. If I compare it with the Shruthi-1 this looks really like a boring synth. Both cost about the same price, the only downside of the Shruthi-1 would be that you have to either build it yourself (but in that case it would cost half the price of the Rocket) or get someone to make it for you. Apart from that the Shruthi-1 has a lot more sonic possibilities, and you can even choose between several different filter types (many of them are multimode filters).
So this time it’s a big yawn from my side…
I would be interested in this, plus: modulation matrix, 3 LFOs, 3 envelopes completely modulate-able, wavetables and your own samples import and using them as OSCs, 2 of these filters configurable as serial/parallel. hmmm I think I almost described MicroWave XT? 🙂
I like the design of this synth a lot. I could easily imagine the bigger one, same design, with a nice LCD, and 3x the price, of course. That would sell like hotcakes… I know I would “bite” one. 🙂
This one though is just a toy for me. It undoubtedly sounds cool, but it is possibly just a one trick pony with these kind of features. A bit of shame if you ask me. However I think Waldorf has something better in store for us soon.
I’d be down just to have the filter if it sounds good.
The synth sounds wonderfull for what it and the price you pay. Build in quality is good (on the top side) but the rest of the plastic casing and the lightness of the whole thing make it feel somewhat cheap. (compare it with the monotribe for example – the monotribe feels more solid especially concerning the switches)
But sound is what matters here and the rocket delivers pretty well. Yes there are limitation especially a non synched LFO and a minimal envelope section – however this little thing has a really aggressive sound and a huge sonic spectrum. It can receive and send midi from all parameters. There a 2nd hidden vibrato lfo with speed/depth parameters. For 170£ i m personally pretty happy to add this to my pallet as instrument! but they need to bring a proper pc editor for it or vst….at least!