Waldorf M brings back both Microwave and Microwave II tone generation as a modern classic hybrid wavetable synthesizer with an analog low pass 24dB/octave voltage-controlled filter Ð SSI2144 Fatkeys improved ladder type Ñ with resonance and analog saturation, a true stereo analog VCA with panning and much more to explore in a desktop-friendly form factor featuring a wide range of unique sounds.

• Two wavetable oscillators with independent wavetables and two different tone generation models
• 96 factory wavetables + 32 slots for user wavetables
• Analog low pass 24 dB/oct VCF with saturation
• Analog stereo VCA for each voice
• Four envelope generators: 8-point loopable time/level Wave envelope generator, VCF and VCA ADSR envelopes
• Two LFOs with different waveforms
• Arpeggiator with 16 preset patterns, chord mode and the ability to sync to MIDI clock
• 2,048 Sound programs + 128 Multi programs

 

Plentiful presets professionally programmed by world-renowned sound designers also include all of the classic Microwave sound sets, such as MW1 Factory Sound Set, MW1 Soundpool 1-5, the fat-sounding Analogue and Bassco as well as PPG Wave 2.3 sounds cleverly converted for the original Microwave. Moreover, it also features freshly-programmed sounds utilizing M's myriad new features, from true hard sync when working in its Modern Microwave II/XT mode to the arpeggiator and MIDI-syncable global LFO.

Beating at M's musical heart is an eight-voice polyphonic, four-part multitimbral wavetable synthesizer, each voice comprised of two wavetable oscillators with independent wavetable-generating Classic Microwave 1 and Modern Microwave II/XT modes, meaning that the wavetable oscillators behave differently in each mode. Consequently, there is no hard sync or ring modulation available in the Classic Microwave I mode, where 16-bit wavetables are bit-reduced to 8-bit and a 240 kHz non-anti-aliased sample rate is offered, whereas the Modern Microwave II/XT mode offers a 40 kHz sample rate with band-limited wavetables. Both oscillators use the same panel parameters.

Two LFOs generate a periodic waveform with adjustable shapes and frequency rates that can be used for modulation purposes. Unlike other Waldorf synthesizers there's no modulation matrix in M, a conscious design decision to set up M's modulation facilities directly on the corresponding display page while also paying tribute to the 1989 vintage Microwave.

M takes performance to a whole new level, thanks to an advanced arpeggiator with 16 preset patterns, chord mode and MIDI clock sync.

Four programmable envelopes allow adventurous users to manipulate sound parameters via rate or timed modulations.

Musically making a connection to the outside world is important for any synthesizer, so M offers six rear panel stereo analog outputs arranged as MAIN OUT (L/mono and R) and AUX OUT (A, B, C and D), the latter of which can be used to route each of the four multitimbral parts to different outputs, if desired. A stereo headphone output has its own volume knob in addition to the topside master volume.

5-pin MIDI in, out, and thru DIN connectors are complemented by a USB 2.0 port for computers to transmit and receive MIDI data. An SD card slot is provided for updating M's firmware, importing/saving sound patches and importing/saving M-specific data, such as user wavetables.