Good to see that Waldorf quits the clone wars and tries to deliver something exciting that can inspire fresh sounds as far as the imagination of the sounddesigner reaches. Good user interface and product design also. Thanks for the vid!
I think the potential is there, but could do with better demo sounds, not really hearing anything here that doesn't sound like a 'clone' of whats been done before in other synths or cheesy 80's bell sounds
Yep, such complex beasts take time to be mastered and lots of synths got underrated due to some cheesy factory presets. But here is the point where an intuitive interface will make the difference to be able to benefit of all the pipes and whistles of such a topnotch machine within a reasonable amount of time. My ESQ-1 still offers surprises after 30 years. :D
This thing is the fucking future. Unfortunately, I can't afford that future but it's still really cool. Hopefully in 10 years I can pick one up used on eBay for 100 bucks.
In 10 years it will be out of production, classic records will have been made with it and it will go for 10k as the Waldorf Wave. Maybe Behringer will clone it too by then.
I don't mind him, it's just a weird thing to say. Compared to a Solaris it's about right. Compared to a Minilogue it's about right. Compared to an OB6 it's about right. Compared to a good quality flute it's about right, and compared to a mid range guitar it's dirt cheap.
I agree.....not at all surprised by the price. When you look at what a new TI2, 008, 002, or Solaris costs.....this is not exactly a ridiculous asking price. There are people who will buy this, no doubt. I can’t afford it, but it’s gorgeous nonetheless. People have been asking for HW granular for a while. That screen is ridiculous. Looks so fun to play with.
Looked, a little vaguely, promising at MMesse. You sure made a lot of progress on it since then! Regarding the user interface, touch screen, and apparent ease of using. Definetly promising and professional now. Respect and compliments on all your work, and thanks to Sonic State for bringing us this update.
I'm glad the Big '80's are coming back in style! This sounds like a D-50, DX-7 and OB-Xa thrown into a blender with a Kronos. It looks beautiful, but a non-glare screen might be nice for a P3I update.. That niggle aside, this should go over well with pro sound designers.
Using samples as drivers and putting them through modeled resonators was already available in 1995 on the Technics WSA1, my favorite synthesizer ever, but being able to use your own samples via granular synthesis and even being able to program your own resonator responses is quite another thing yet. Mama, I want one!
Nice seeing someone do new stuff, and not just the same old all over again. This is one of the most interesting synths of the last few years. And it can still do the retro sounds, if that is what you want. I'm a big fan of physical modelling synthesis, so it's good to see it implemented in a hardware synth. Now, all I need to do is win the lottery …
Wow nice to see a synth on the market with a no compromise approach... back in the 80s you had to pay through the nose for cutting edge (i.e. PPG, EMU-II etc) and this looks amazing. Like others have said, the sounds weren't all that special but the potential is obviously enormous!
I was there and tried it - the sound editing potential is what makes this synth very nice - the screen is a great way to edit filter and envelope shapes - the presets may not be so impressive, but there's plenty of scope for interesting sounds after you dive in. I think when it comes to hardware synths there's still a lot of room for improvements to the interface though - one day we might see the whole front panel as a screen, with knobs/sliders on top.
At last, an new synth that excites me. Too many clones and remakes recently. Now finally something ground breaking. I would also hope that it has some weight to it. Daft as it sounds, I like a heavy synth. It shows build quality. And if you afford one of these, you can afford a roadie to carry it :)
Architecture is obviously different but the Montage can do quite a bit of this already and it has historically had a hard time over the price. But the Monty has matured over the two years since it's NAMM debut so this is definitely interesting at this stage in its life cycle. Can't see them being ready in 8-10 weeks myself but I hope they do get them out there soon. Great video Nick - those cheap headphone / mic sets are making a big difference already in terms of background noise etc.
Marvellous. Wonderful to see Waldorf "go big" again. It's a significant investment but let's be honest: it could be all the synth anyone could need. Doesn't stop me loving my Peak though. :)
I criticized this product last year but I'm glad that they have adjusted it and got some sound designers working on it. Unfortunately I don't currently make enough money from the music industry to purchase this but I am putting the STVC in the purchase pipeline.
I like all the refs to Behringer "we're not into cloning synth from the 70s"! :-D Whether you like the Waldorf sound or not, they have to be applauded for having their own identity and delivering something different from all the other brands. Once they've made more progress with the sound design, I'm sure they'll have some killer sounds in this beast!
i feel bad for anyone else at namm this year!!! fantastic job waldorf!!!!!!!!!!!! about time someone makes something thats like a vst but that you can touch!!
Howie's a genius sound designer. If he's a part of the sound design team, this will be a killer piece of kit. The price will unnerve some, but that's par for the course, as it's not for everyone.
Well done Waldorf - taking hardware in a brave direction★ The challenge is going to be customer base which understand and appreciate the power of the DSP in real time ; 1st comparison sound wise is going to against laptops and plug ins
This thing is friggin gorgeous! Its almost like Alchemy, but hardware. Love the touch screen, holy shit! Like all the room in between knobs on the interface. What a machine! ....can’t afford it though :-(
I see all kinds of people saying this is the best synth ever, or that Waldorf have lost their minds and this is no better than a $200 VST. they’re both right, it’s not going to magically turn $4,000 into sound like a VST could never make. At the same time it’s an incredibly flexible piece of hardware that appears to have a very good workflow for live or studio use.
If this included an extra oscillator which was a true VCO that would be godly.....still amazing for what it is. Can't afford it now but hopefully one day!
Reminds me of my K5000S. A synth from a time when analog was a dying breed. I hope there are enough musicians who embrace it. 4000,- isn't that much for a professional instrument. This thing and a Modal 8 and you have all your bases covered.
Rumor has it that Waldorf is going to release a Subtractive Analog Linear Additive Delay eurorack module at Superbooth 2018. This is otherwise known as the Waldorf SALAD module.
approx. 6:27 there is mention of the glare; a comment on another 2018 NAMM video (multi-D foot controller) also referred to the glare factor. Touch screens are cool for sure, but I wonder if anyone [e.g., a manufacturer] is addressing the potential glare issue, if it is an issue, in performance settings. Just wondering.
Finally, someone who is able to rise up from the analog snare and create something new. One thing he didn't mention is if you can load samples from an SD card.
GREAT synth. Can't wait to get my hands on one. That said, it's hilarious to see people START YELLING once they put headphones on and try to talk, lol.
someone get this synth to Richard Devine, bt, or the like get on this for making present sounds. it's obvious this thing can make incredible sounds. but judging from these presets, and I realize they are still in beta, it's definitely being underutilized.
Nice, but I was hoping for the PPG Wave 3.V software in a case with a bunch of knobs and a keyboard for around the price of a Blofeld. Well, maybe in 2019...
Michael Bauers sounds right from the specs on the website, it also says "up to 8 simultaneous waves per oscillator in detuned or chordal mode". I guess that means you could wave sequence 64 waves simultaneously? This thing is mind blowing, not sure I would ever get any work done!
It's a beautiful looking synth with what appears to be really great craftsmanship. It has a well thought out voice architecture. I really like the touch screen too. With all that being said, I just wasn't all that impressed with the sounds. I didn't really hear anything that made me feel like any of it's sounds were new, innovative, or exclusive. For that price tag, I wouldn't want a synth that sounds like any other $200 virtual synth plugin.
They are still working on the presets, and they only showed a few presets in this video. The innovative thing here, is clearly a combination of VA, Wavetable, Sampler, Resonator and Granular engine in a hardware synth. There's nothing like that. In a way, it's sad there's only 8 voices, but that's how it goes with hybrid. Prophet 12 did 12 though. In another video they had mentioned a 40 modulation slot spec, which is epic.
What do you mean by " new "? If you want to ear something new, process the sound yourself throught different outboard or high quality vst's. It sound like you want a synth that create a signature sound for you. A lot of 200 dollars soft synth sound as good as hardware synths for a lot of people.
This changes everything. Agreed, the only thing missing is FM, but commenters are saying it sounds too digital. Wish Joe Zawinul were here to play this. Crazy cool. Check out the specs: waldorfmusic.com/en/spezifications-quantum
It's nice that you came out with a flagship that a lot of people will talk about but most will never buy. But please come up with something knobby and affordable. That's all most people want, not many people are gonna spend 3k on analog and a touch screen when a knobby version of the blofeld at a sub 900 price would have blown out the door like microkorgs. Doesn't seem like waldorf is ever going to come through with a midrange knobby synth like every other company does.
![[demo] Introduction to Waldorf Quantum](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/6d2l8v8sVfc/mqdefault.jpg)
![[demo] Introduction to Waldorf Quantum](/img/tr.png)
I love this guy. He is exactly who I would picture if someone said, “imagine a ‘German Synthesizer Company Representative’”.
Good to see that Waldorf quits the clone wars and tries to deliver something exciting that can inspire fresh sounds as far as the imagination of the sounddesigner reaches. Good user interface and product design also. Thanks for the vid!
synthesizer-shop.com Bang on. Its been a long time coming. This looks very promising :-)
I think the potential is there, but could do with better demo sounds, not really hearing anything here that doesn't sound like a 'clone' of whats been done before in other synths or cheesy 80's bell sounds
Yep, such complex beasts take time to be mastered and lots of synths got underrated due to some cheesy factory presets. But here is the point where an intuitive interface will make the difference to be able to benefit of all the pipes and whistles of such a topnotch machine within a reasonable amount of time. My ESQ-1 still offers surprises after 30 years. :D
synthesizer-shop.com yep totally agree! I can see the potential for sure
synthesizer-shop.com . Yes some of the old digital analog hybrids are very deep. Regret selling my SQ80. Doh !!!!
I can't wait for the 2-hour long Sonic Labs video review for this thing. Hahaha. There's no way you can cover the features in 20 minutes.
This thing is the fucking future. Unfortunately, I can't afford that future but it's still really cool. Hopefully in 10 years I can pick one up used on eBay for 100 bucks.
in 10 years it will be $1000 in decent shape.
the future of bell sounds lol
+DarkStar Audio I have multiple jobs.
In 10 years it will be out of production, classic records will have been made with it and it will go for 10k as the Waldorf Wave. Maybe Behringer will clone it too by then.
It’s a 3k blofeld.
Ok. I've officially stopped buying food as of now.
This is absolutely phenomenal! If I had the money and needed another keyboard, I would go for this one in a heartbeat. So new and innovative.
Massive kudos to Waldorf for not building this down to a price and building in compromise. Not expensive for what it is.
BluffMunkey $4,200 is quite pricey.
Compared to what?
I don't mind him, it's just a weird thing to say. Compared to a Solaris it's about right. Compared to a Minilogue it's about right. Compared to an OB6 it's about right. Compared to a good quality flute it's about right, and compared to a mid range guitar it's dirt cheap.
I agree.....not at all surprised by the price. When you look at what a new TI2, 008, 002, or Solaris costs.....this is not exactly a ridiculous asking price.
There are people who will buy this, no doubt. I can’t afford it, but it’s gorgeous nonetheless.
People have been asking for HW granular for a while. That screen is ridiculous. Looks so fun to play with.
Who has $4,200 to blow on a keyboard?
Looked, a little vaguely, promising at MMesse. You sure made a lot of progress on it since then! Regarding the user interface, touch screen, and apparent ease of using. Definetly promising and professional now. Respect and compliments on all your work, and thanks to Sonic State for bringing us this update.
Excellent work Waldorf! Thanks Nick/Sonic State :D
I'm glad the Big '80's are coming back in style! This sounds like a D-50, DX-7 and OB-Xa thrown into a blender with a Kronos. It looks beautiful, but a non-glare screen might be nice for a P3I update.. That niggle aside, this should go over well with pro sound designers.
Agreed...that screen is not gonna work too well under bright (stage!) lights...or at least the lighting guys are gonna have to be careful.
Using samples as drivers and putting them through modeled resonators was already available in 1995 on the Technics WSA1, my favorite synthesizer ever, but being able to use your own samples via granular synthesis and even being able to program your own resonator responses is quite another thing yet. Mama, I want one!
This synth is gorgeous.
I'm extremely impressed, this looks phenomenal! It's high price is well earned imo.
Wow, beautiful design, epic typical Waldorf sound (also) and hands on control. Setting a new standard for the future!
This looks like a sound designer's dream
I don't remember being this impressed by the prototype on display last year. Amazing.
Nice seeing someone do new stuff, and not just the same old all over again. This is one of the most interesting synths of the last few years. And it can still do the retro sounds, if that is what you want. I'm a big fan of physical modelling synthesis, so it's good to see it implemented in a hardware synth. Now, all I need to do is win the lottery …
Surely a flagship synth!! (And a flagship PRICE to match) 🤖
That is an awesome synth... OK, time to start saving up!
Oh god...
My synth wishlist grows and grows... xD
Just sold my underpants thanks waldorf. I appreciate the innovation in this love the touch screen too.
true innovators. THANKS YOU WALDORF
Wow nice to see a synth on the market with a no compromise approach... back in the 80s you had to pay through the nose for cutting edge (i.e. PPG, EMU-II etc) and this looks amazing. Like others have said, the sounds weren't all that special but the potential is obviously enormous!
I was there and tried it - the sound editing potential is what makes this synth very nice - the screen is a great way to edit filter and envelope shapes - the presets may not be so impressive, but there's plenty of scope for interesting sounds after you dive in. I think when it comes to hardware synths there's still a lot of room for improvements to the interface though - one day we might see the whole front panel as a screen, with knobs/sliders on top.
'We're not here to make clones!' Love the dig at Behringer
At the 4 minute mark, he looks ready to throw down. "Excuse me"? So good.
At last, an new synth that excites me. Too many clones and remakes recently. Now finally something ground breaking. I would also hope that it has some weight to it. Daft as it sounds, I like a heavy synth. It shows build quality. And if you afford one of these, you can afford a roadie to carry it :)
It's out of my price range but it is extremely cool. Kudos to Waldorf for creating something like this.
"new territory, not a clone".....thank you Waldorf....we dont need any more copycats or clones.
I already think of this as “Ty’s synth”, LOL! 😆
I immediately thought the same thing :)
haha. Yep!
Architecture is obviously different but the Montage can do quite a bit of this already and it has historically had a hard time over the price. But the Monty has matured over the two years since it's NAMM debut so this is definitely interesting at this stage in its life cycle.
Can't see them being ready in 8-10 weeks myself but I hope they do get them out there soon.
Great video Nick - those cheap headphone / mic sets are making a big difference already in terms of background noise etc.
Marvellous. Wonderful to see Waldorf "go big" again. It's a significant investment but let's be honest: it could be all the synth anyone could need. Doesn't stop me loving my Peak though. :)
I criticized this product last year but I'm glad that they have adjusted it and got some sound designers working on it. Unfortunately I don't currently make enough money from the music industry to purchase this but I am putting the STVC in the purchase pipeline.
I like all the refs to Behringer "we're not into cloning synth from the 70s"! :-D Whether you like the Waldorf sound or not, they have to be applauded for having their own identity and delivering something different from all the other brands. Once they've made more progress with the sound design, I'm sure they'll have some killer sounds in this beast!
I'll tkae Behringer's clone of the synth from the 70s anyday:) Connect it to other 5 and I have a 1,500 new polymoog, who can argue with that?
I just brought a deep mind 12 for 700 and the best synth i ever brought for the money i spent
What, no 16 note sequencer? Seriously, a mega synth. Let's hope it gets truly used to its fullest potential and not ignored. Well done Waldorf
what a massive weapon this is
i feel bad for anyone else at namm this year!!! fantastic job waldorf!!!!!!!!!!!! about time someone makes something thats like a vst but that you can touch!!
Very cool synth/sampler.
Howie's a genius sound designer. If he's a part of the sound design team, this will be a killer piece of kit.
The price will unnerve some, but that's par for the course, as it's not for everyone.
Love the philosophy behind this synth
Rolf I'm excited and it resonates a lot with me
Finally NEW stuff, learn with that big companies :)
Well done Waldorf - taking hardware in a brave direction★ The challenge is going to be customer base which understand and appreciate the power of the DSP in real time ; 1st comparison sound wise is going to against laptops and plug ins
Isn't there other synth release a clone of 70's string synths? Let he who is without clones throw the first shade.
a lot of interesting options. also great design!
This thing is friggin gorgeous! Its almost like Alchemy, but hardware. Love the touch screen, holy shit! Like all the room in between knobs on the interface. What a machine!
....can’t afford it though :-(
Hopefully these will ship soon, preordered one months ago.. still waiting. Played one a Knobcon and have no doubt it'll be well worth the wait!
I see all kinds of people saying this is the best synth ever, or that Waldorf have lost their minds and this is no better than a $200 VST.
they’re both right, it’s not going to magically turn $4,000 into sound like a VST could never make. At the same time it’s an incredibly flexible piece of hardware that appears to have a very good workflow for live or studio use.
I can't wait to jump into the manual for this thing, granular and resaampling, hooray
If this included an extra oscillator which was a true VCO that would be godly.....still amazing for what it is. Can't afford it now but hopefully one day!
Looks interesting. Look forward to Nicks review.
Reminds me of my K5000S. A synth from a time when analog was a dying breed. I hope there are enough musicians who embrace it. 4000,- isn't that much for a professional instrument. This thing and a Modal 8 and you have all your bases covered.
Holy heck! This looks amazing!
a lot of those sounds are in the Blofeld
I appreciate his discussing of the technology, but I wish he would just play PPG-era sounds for the entire 15 minutes. Not enough sound demonstration.
something new and interesting...YES
so much good synths and sequencers getting released right now but this looks like the daddy from what iv seen so far, the prologue also looks nice
Make a desktop version!
Igg go yes i got cheesy keys on every fuøæææ synth and keyboard i own! And i have pay extra for shitty keys i never use anyway.
Rumor has it that Waldorf is going to release a Subtractive Analog Linear Additive Delay eurorack module at Superbooth 2018. This is otherwise known as the Waldorf SALAD module.
Oh man, this is a dream machine.
Waldorf once again proving they are masters of the game
So unicorns exist now??
approx. 6:27 there is mention of the glare; a comment on another 2018 NAMM video (multi-D foot controller) also referred to the glare factor. Touch screens are cool for sure, but I wonder if anyone [e.g., a manufacturer] is addressing the potential glare issue, if it is an issue, in performance settings. Just wondering.
Ooops. Comment about glare occurs @ approx. 6:18 .
Sorry. Gotta go to 6:10 to get the comment.
Monster of possibility here.....afraid to ask how much
By far the best thing at NAMM this year. I too am fucking sick of clones. Well done Waldorf, I will be getting one ASAP.
Here here! We've spent 20 years knocking off Roland stuff from the 70s and 80s. We did it. We need some new ideas, new sounds, new MODES of synthesis.
No sequencer/ arp ?
sounds great...i worries about touch screens tho and how long of a life span they have
Very interesting concept!
Finally, someone who is able to rise up from the analog snare and create something new. One thing he didn't mention is if you can load samples from an SD card.
4:02
Oh I’m getting one of these for sure
My pocket will be empty again.... Cool new synth engine! I like it!
Can this synth only do bell sounds or can it do Cowbell as well?
The screen menus look a tad small for some fingers. I wonder how well a touch stylus would work with this ?. Blinding bit of gear all the same :-)
GREAT synth. Can't wait to get my hands on one.
That said, it's hilarious to see people START YELLING once they put headphones on and try to talk, lol.
This looks like a nice complement to my new Schmidt...
Exciting looks fantastic
This or a OB-6. OH MY GOD I NEED TO HEAR MORE OF THIS BEFORE I PURCHASE ANYTHING
He said they are using system on a chip tech?
Why do these interviews remind me of Antiques Road Show!
Same price as a Minimoog Model D reissue.. a bargain really for what you are getting
someone get this synth to Richard Devine, bt, or the like get on this for making present sounds. it's obvious this thing can make incredible sounds. but judging from these presets, and I realize they are still in beta, it's definitely being underutilized.
Nice, but I was hoping for the PPG Wave 3.V software in a case with a bunch of knobs and a keyboard for around the price of a Blofeld. Well, maybe in 2019...
no surprise, it sounds like v-synth, and every digisynth of the 90s...
NIce one, lot of possibilities
So this is a dock for an ipad?
A Quantum leap in to hardware!
Will there be a cut down version as a Blofeld 2?
I thought I read people thinking Blofeld 2 might not happen, due to the DSP or FPGA or whatever it uses being end of life.
Michael Bauers not surprised. It's long in the tooth.
I wonder, will it do Multitimbrality like their previous synths and also MPE?
Gustavo Alberto Elizondo the synth anatomy video says bi-timbral (all 3 parts replicated twice)
Feel like I'm cheating on nick when I watch anyone elses namm coverage
He told me he thinks you guys have an open relationship.
It will be limited by being hybrid though, so bitimbral will be limited to 8 voices total I think?
Michael Bauers sounds right from the specs on the website, it also says "up to 8 simultaneous waves per oscillator in detuned or chordal mode". I guess that means you could wave sequence 64 waves simultaneously? This thing is mind blowing, not sure I would ever get any work done!
It's a beautiful looking synth with what appears to be really great craftsmanship. It has a well thought out voice architecture. I really like the touch screen too. With all that being said, I just wasn't all that impressed with the sounds. I didn't really hear anything that made me feel like any of it's sounds were new, innovative, or exclusive. For that price tag, I wouldn't want a synth that sounds like any other $200 virtual synth plugin.
They are still working on the presets, and they only showed a few presets in this video. The innovative thing here, is clearly a combination of VA, Wavetable, Sampler, Resonator and Granular engine in a hardware synth. There's nothing like that. In a way, it's sad there's only 8 voices, but that's how it goes with hybrid. Prophet 12 did 12 though. In another video they had mentioned a 40 modulation slot spec, which is epic.
What do you mean by " new "? If you want to ear something new, process the sound yourself throught different outboard or high quality vst's. It sound like you want a synth that create a signature sound for you. A lot of 200 dollars soft synth sound as good as hardware synths for a lot of people.
that pitchbend at 4:12
What a beast!
This changes everything. Agreed, the only thing missing is FM, but commenters are saying it sounds too digital. Wish Joe Zawinul were here to play this. Crazy cool. Check out the specs: waldorfmusic.com/en/spezifications-quantum
An unapologetic digital synth that sounds like a digital synth? Crazy! ;)
It looks fantastic, but 75% of the patches he plays don't show it off well.
I don't know man, I think the Modal Electronics 002 kicks it's butt in the sound Dept.
Super feature set.. but the current patches don't sound wow. Waldorf.. you need to push your sound designers much harder!!
Take my bike and give me your Quantum. Awesome!
It's nice that you came out with a flagship that a lot of people will talk about but most will never buy.
But please come up with something knobby and affordable. That's all most people want, not many people are gonna spend 3k on analog and a touch screen when a knobby version of the blofeld at a sub 900 price would have blown out the door like microkorgs. Doesn't seem like waldorf is ever going to come through with a midrange knobby synth like every other company does.
Oooo, live granular buffer. Mmmm mmmm good.
this looks fucking insane
you know what that looks like? If akai came out with an MPC LIVE KEYS