Waldorf Music has released the popular and powerful software synthesizer Largo in a new look and with scalable user interface as Largo 2. A fully-fledged Waldorf synthesizer for the virtual rack. ‍

The UI has been redesigned and now enables continuous scalability. Whether using a 5K monitor or a laptop FHD screen, whether viewing in full size or as a small status display – the plug-in always remains in focus.

Three fat oscillators per voice(two of them with sub oscillators) with classic waveforms and 68 Wavetables taken from the legendary Microwave and Wave synthesizer and also the Q and Blofeld – 2 independent multimode filters – up to 4 layers per sound and 4 stereo outputs. Waldorf Music added a variety of three formant filter types which mimic the frequency response of the human vocal tract. By using the cutoff parameter the user can morph between the vowels a-e-i-o-u for all favourite choir and voice-like modulations.

Largo 2 offers native 64-bit support for macOS (Apple silicon & Intel) and Windows.

Largo 2 is fully compatible with all existing soundsets and and users can import all the sounds they have created so far.

Largo 2 is available as full version or upgrade directly from Waldorf Music’s online Shop here:https://waldorfmusic.com/produkt/largo-2 or through Waldorf Music’s growing global network of distributors at an introductory promo price of €99.00 EUR for the full version / €29.99 for the upgrade (including German tax) until end of November

For more in-depth info, visit the dedicated Largo 2 webpage here:https://waldorfmusic.com/largo-2/ 

Waldorf Music has responded to many requests from the community and made it a reality. The Waldorf M is now available in a special edition variant with 16 voices. M’s musical heart is now a 16-voice polyphonic, four-part multitimbral wavetable synthesizer, as can be found boldly emblazoned in red across its full-metal blue-coloured casing.

This nods to its illustrious Microwave heritage where two wavetable oscillators with independent wavetable-generating modes, Classic Microwave 1 and Modern Microwave II/XT, are present. With this setup, the wavetable oscillators behave differently in both modes and are accessible via the Mode button beside the high-resolution graphic display, with four endless encoders offering further hands-on control.

For customers who already own the eight voice M, Waldorf Music is offering the possibility of buying and additional eight voices, with its M Voice Expansion V0.6 costing EU699, including German VAT.

Waldorf Music’s M 16Voice has a list price of EU2308, including German VAT.

When Waldorf Music introduced the Quantum in 2018 it immediately found its way into the studios and hearts of the most acclaimed film composers, producers, musicians, and sound designers. Now five years later Waldorf Music releases an upgrade of its flagship Quantum synthesizer: the Quantum MK2.

‍Quantum MK2 was upgraded with a 61-key polyphonic aftertouch keybed from Fatar, increased sampling storage to 59GB, and an improved display and mechanical design. The new 3.0 firmware allows for up to sixteen digital or any combination using the eight analog filter with additional eight digital. So, what’s new under the hood?

‍61 Keys Fatar TP8/SK With Aftertouch

The Quantum MK2 is the first instrument to present a 61-key Fatar TP8/SK polyphonic aftertouch keybed to the world. With its increased possibilities for musical and gestural expression, the keybed allows users to utilise the enormous modulation capabilities of the Quantum synthesis engine. It is the next level of expression based on a traditional keybed, which maintains all the playing capabilities of musicians, and then extends this with an additional dimension of control and creativity.

The polyphonic aftertouch is highly customisable in multiple dimensions globally, as well as for individual keys. The high-resolution graphical display supports visual feedback and control for the customisation process. In addition to its internal poly aftertouch keybed, the Quantum MK2 can be controlled by any MPE capable controller by directly connecting to Quantum’s USB host port.

1‍6 Voices Of Polyphony, Digital & Analog Filters 

Based on an eight voice analogue dual-filter architecture, the Quantum MK2 has been opened up with up to sixteen voices of polyphony in any combination, using digital dual multi-mode filters with the eight analogue ones. Moreover, the combination of analogue and digital filters open up new sonic possibilities. Since the beginning Waldorf Music has stood for hybrid digital and analogue synthesis, and a new set of allocation modes gives the musician an easy control.

59GB Sampling Storage

Another cornerstone of The Quantum MK2 is its increased internal sampling storage from a few GB to 59GB. As such, the Quantum with its modern advanced sampling capabilities has quickly become the instrument of choice for sound enthusiasts and cinematic composers from Berlin to Los Angeles. Waldorf Music has listened to the needs of musicians, and with the upgrade from firmware 1.0 to 3.0, has extended the polyphonic granular sampling engine as well its traditional multi-sample engine. 

Design & Display

The updated mechanical design and a classy navy blue presents the musician with an instrument of beauty and inspiration. The improved mounting of the high-resolution touch display provides wider viewing angles and an intuitive way of controlling the more advanced features of the Quantum’s synthesis engine.

Sounds & Samples

Highly acclaimed sound designers from all of over the world have contributed to the huge library of factory presets and its initial sample content of 2GB. Waldorf Music is proud to have sounds from designers such as Richard Devine, Howard Scarr, Reinhold Heil, BT, Matt Johnson, Joerg Huettner, Kevin Schroeder, Sascha Dikiciyan, Kurt Ader, Mike Huckaby, and Thorsten Quaeschning. All of these sounds are forwards and backwards compatible with Waldorf’s Iridium instruments.

Synthesis Platform

Waldorf Music has updated and improved its Quantum firmware, which adds new synthesis capabilities and many features requested by musicians. The Quantum firmware — together with the Iridium firmware — builds a Waldorf Synthesis Platform.

Product Details

RRP: EU4819
Availability: Late January 2023

You might lust after the latest Tesla motor car. The Model S, for example, represents the bleeding edge in what a EV could and should be. It can drive itself and, if you option-up enough, it’ll probably give you a back massage and a third-wave latte on the morning commute.

I might, on the other hand, lust after a BMW M3. The visceral connection between the power plant and the road; the roar of the engine… It’s the culmination of a 100 years of motor car design, representing thousands of moving parts, spinning and meshing with miniscule tolerances — more complex than a Swiss watch and loads more fun.

Both are priced around the same. Both are astonishingly good cars. But they are very different.

Waldorf’s Iridium is not unlike a brand new Tesla. It’s an astonishingly good polysynth and entirely digital. It can produce growling synth basses easily capable of scaring small children, beautifully ethereal pads that can make a grown man cry, and everything in between.

If the Iridium is like a Model S, then the M3 equivalent would be the likes of the Arturia PolyBrute or the Sequential Prophet 6 — analogue to the core and the epitome of what people love about their VCOs and VCFs. What they lack in variety of tonal palette they make up for in personality and desirability.

So if you’re in the market for a polysynth, but it has to be analogue, then this is not the droid you’re looking for. But a word of caution, you could be doing yourself a disservice by limiting your options in this way.

TESTING THE METAL 

So what is Iridium… apart from being a hard, dense silvery-white metal with an atomic number of 77?  It’s a multi-faceted dual-voice polysynth with a variety of synth models, a host of sound shaping facilities, 40-slot modulation matrix, effects and more. 

Iridium offers five different synthesis models for each of the three oscillators:

Wavetable: What Waldorf is best know for; like a Microwave under the bonnet.
Waveform (Virtual Analogue): All the usual subtractive synth sounds here.
Particle (Sampling and Granular Sampling): Use Iridium’s samples or input your own.
Resonator: Bell sounds and the like.
Kernels: Kinda like FM synthesis on steroids.

There’s something romantic, mystical even, about how the most revered synths to this day can largely trace their roots to the innovators of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s. Names such as Bob Moog, Dave Smith, Tom Oberheim and others are invoked in hush tones. 

And so it is with synth stalwart, Waldorf. It all started with Wolfgang Palm — another legend who’s jersey has long been retired in the synth hall of fame.

The Waldorf Microwave was released in 1989 and despite its programming challenges,  you could find it in studios everywhere.

It was most people’s introduction to wavetable synthesis. The Microwave used a digital/analogue hybrid setup in which digitally sampled wavetables are processed through analogue VCA envelope and filter sections. It had a different voice to the analogue synths before it and distinct to the contemporary sample+synthesis synths of the time. It was a genuinely alternative colour in the palette of electronic musicians of the time.

In the late ’90s, Waldorf followed the Microwave up with the Microwave II/XT/XTk, with its 16-bit (rather than 8-bit) wavetable oscillator. That said, the approach was largely same.

Now, 20-something years later, Waldorf has modernised the Microwave for a new generation. It’s the ‘M’.

COOKING WITH THE MICROWAVE

If you’re new to Waldorf and you’re wondering what sort of name ‘M’ is, then I can only refer to you to previous offerings such as the Blofeld and Q to answer that. As yet, there’s no Odd Job or Jaws in the pipeline.

If the M is a modernised, reimagine Microwave, it does so pretty darn sympathetically. If you want a Microwave, the M can do it for you in a way such that you won’t be able to hear the difference.

Ditto the Microwave XT. Wish you could have afforded a Wave? There are Wave presets as well.

Firstly, let’s quickly whip around the features:

• Two wavetable oscillators — 96 factory wavetables and 32 slots for user wavetables.
• Analogue low-pass filter: 24dB/Oct VCF (SSI 2144 Improved Ladder Type) with saturation
• Analogue stereo VCA for each voice
• 4 Envelope Generators; 8-point loopable time/level Wave envelope generator, VCF and VCA ADSR envelopes and a free assignable loopable 4 points time/level envelope
• 2 LFOs with a variety of waveforms
• Arpeggiator with 16 preset patterns, chord mode and MIDI clock sync
• 2048 Sound programs and 128 Multi programs
• 8 voice polyphony (16 with an expander board)
• 4 part multitimbral