what do you think is the best synthesizer on the market right now?
- Thread starter Bethata
- Start date
And to be fair, I've probably spent more time testing out various Virus synths than you have had with the Andromeda. You're welcome to come check it out anytime though!
Griffin Avid
Media Editor
Damnit Man, Then what is your favorite synth and why aren't you posting huge pictures of it in every thread?!
Griffin Avid
Media Editor
Waldorf Q in Black?
Custom job?
Prototype?
Special Edition?
VSE says:
The Waldorf Q is a professional virtual analog synthesizer well suited for demanding performance and studio work! The Q was a large and bright yellow beast but now they come in a sleek dark grey look. Through digital emulation the Q faithfully reproduces the sounds and programming characteristics of virtually any sophisticated analog synthesizer with state of the art control and precision.
the Q is well adapted for reliable live use. Waldorf's excellent analog sound emulation is complemented by sophisticated yet familiar analog-type controls and parameters. There are 3 oscillators per voice, 3 LFOs with ramp, sine, square, etc. and 2 12/24dB Filters (Low pass, band pass, hi pass, notch, comb, ring mod and more). A powerful arpeggiator and sequencer are also on-board for creating complex accompaniment or arpeggios. There are 58 knobs to aid you in tweaking away at creating amazing sounds! All knobs and edit parameters are MIDI controllable. The Waldorf Q is topped off with 8 effects processors (2 per sound that include Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Overdrive, AM, Delay, Reverb, etc.), 2 analog audio inputs, 6 outputs and 1 S/PDIF output (44.1kHz / 48kHz switchable) and vocoding capability. The Q is a professional-grade virtual analog synth that combines the raw power of analog synthesis with modern technology, stability and creativity.
16 analog filters and up to 100 voices.
Okay..Signature piece- I can feel that...
Custom job?
Prototype?
Special Edition?
VSE says:
The Waldorf Q is a professional virtual analog synthesizer well suited for demanding performance and studio work! The Q was a large and bright yellow beast but now they come in a sleek dark grey look. Through digital emulation the Q faithfully reproduces the sounds and programming characteristics of virtually any sophisticated analog synthesizer with state of the art control and precision.
the Q is well adapted for reliable live use. Waldorf's excellent analog sound emulation is complemented by sophisticated yet familiar analog-type controls and parameters. There are 3 oscillators per voice, 3 LFOs with ramp, sine, square, etc. and 2 12/24dB Filters (Low pass, band pass, hi pass, notch, comb, ring mod and more). A powerful arpeggiator and sequencer are also on-board for creating complex accompaniment or arpeggios. There are 58 knobs to aid you in tweaking away at creating amazing sounds! All knobs and edit parameters are MIDI controllable. The Waldorf Q is topped off with 8 effects processors (2 per sound that include Chorus, Flanger, Phaser, Overdrive, AM, Delay, Reverb, etc.), 2 analog audio inputs, 6 outputs and 1 S/PDIF output (44.1kHz / 48kHz switchable) and vocoding capability. The Q is a professional-grade virtual analog synth that combines the raw power of analog synthesis with modern technology, stability and creativity.
16 analog filters and up to 100 voices.
Okay..Signature piece- I can feel that...
Griffin Avid said:
Not just any old Q. It's the Q+, with upwards of 100 voices and 16 analog filters, the same ones found in the Waldorf Pulse. The black paint job is for the Phoenix edition, which is a reissue of the Q and Q+ line following Waldorf's resurrection. I have the original burgundy model, from the old Waldorf.
acidphakist
New member
Are you going to sell off your A6 when you get this?
I'm skeptical. I don't quite see how this will compete with the TI series. Care to elaborate on where you think it'll edge out Access?
And bear in mind that in the world of VA it's the quality of your algorithms that really speak to your end result. Access has been banging out their line for a decade now, improving it every step of the way. As far as I know, Waldorf went under and has been slumbering instead of R and D'ing...
I'm skeptical. I don't quite see how this will compete with the TI series. Care to elaborate on where you think it'll edge out Access?
And bear in mind that in the world of VA it's the quality of your algorithms that really speak to your end result. Access has been banging out their line for a decade now, improving it every step of the way. As far as I know, Waldorf went under and has been slumbering instead of R and D'ing...
acidphakist said:
I have both the Q+ and Andromeda. No reason to sell one to get the other, as they cover completely different sonic territories. The Andromeda excels at 70's discrete analog sounds, while the Q+ has a very bright and "modern" digital sound, which is then tempered by its analog filters. In terms of TI vs. Q+, the Q+ offers a lot more modulation options, which are important to the kind of music that I like making. There's no point in comparing the sound though, as they are also completely different in that regard, and that would come down to a matter of tastes.
It's not really fair to say that Waldorf hasn't been doing any R&D while it was out of business. The main R&D guys were commissioned to do several projects, not the least of which was substantial work on the Virus TI. The Waldorf team helped with the Wavetable implementation, the dual DSP architecture (up until the TI, Access synths relied on a single DSP architecture, while synths like the Q+ have 5 DSP's working in tandem), as well as the Total Integration, which was derived from their AFB unit. All of these features combined are really what made the TI what it is now. Also, don't forget that Access was originally part of Waldorf, operating out of the same building. Access was the part that made custom programmers for synths like the Waldorf Microwave 1.
In general, Waldorf has 30+ years of R&D behind them, dating all the way back to the early PPG days, so they have quite a wealth of knowledge when it comes to digital synthesis. This really shows in their newest synth, the Blofeld, which pulls all of the best features from the Q and Microwave lines, improves on them, and puts them in a new unit. They also borrowed some ideas from the Virus line, most notably 2 drive stages per voice.
acidphakist
New member
I can't speak for the Waldorf side, but the Access site has lovely mp3's of the TI.
GjB said:
Alesis Andromeda:
Virus TI:
Waldorf Q:
as there are no Q+ youtube solo videos, you can hear some Q+ MP3's here:
http://www.waldorfmusic.de/en/products/q_plus
Of course, all of these demos show off a very narrow band of sounds that each of these synths is capable of, so please take musical tastes into account when listening to these. They should give a good indicator in regards to the differences in sonic character though.
GjB
New member
^Thanks..Youtube is an obvious resource but the sound quality on Youtube is questionable at best...I was looking for .mp3 examples...Its my fault that I wasn't more specific. Thanks for the Q link.
I'll check it out...thanks.
Question...in the Virus video above...how does one give a synth that bird-chirping type of effect that starts the video?
I think I'm in love with the Q.
acidphakist said:
I'll check it out...thanks.
Question...in the Virus video above...how does one give a synth that bird-chirping type of effect that starts the video?
I think I'm in love with the Q.
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GjB said:
No prob, here's some MP3's:
Alesis Andromeda:
http://www.******.net/audio/139592009d4a2101/
http://www.wohmart.com/a6/audio/
Waldorf Q trance demos:
Waldorf Q+ solo songs:
Virus C trance demos (the TI can load all B and C patches without a hitch):
Incredible Jarre cover done on a Virus KB:
And then there's the aforementioned demos on the Access site, the Dark Side and Light Side MP3's, which show off the new oscillator types of the TI.
GjB said:
Sounds like an LFO, the speed of which is controlled by a decaying envelope, is modulating the pitch of a sinewave oscillator, or the cutoff of a self oscillating filter.
GjB said:
You should check out the Blofeld then:
http://www.waldorfmusic.de/en/products/blofeld/blofeld_specifications
Probably the best bang for the buck synth I've ever seen, though there have been some good deals on Ebay lately in regards to the Q rack. Then there's the Q+ if you really want to splurge....
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i had a blue Q that u see above, but i never could get a proper bass out of it, so i sold it. i like my waldorf pulse more than the Q.
balma
New member
Most of the "RIGHT NOW' synths still not reviewed properly.
Alesis Andromeda kicks a*ss.
NEKO synths can go to hell. We definitly don't need them. absolutely, completely, totally OVERPRICED bags of sh*t.
About the Waldorf, well, still playing and learning my micro Q screaming yellow, not time yet to tell something valid about this machine since I'm not already an expert on it. Only a few weeks owning it, but definitly not even compared with the VIRUS TI
IMHO, and I repeat it, talking on VAs, I have own these ones
Virus B
JP 8080
Electribes
Yamaha EX5
Roland V synth
Virus TI
Waldorf Micro Q
VIRUS TI is simply better than all together. This is the most killing modern VA on the market at this moment. No words to describe the sounds produced by the TI, and at this moment, my fav synth of all times.
There are new products from Waldorf not yet reviewed.
New Prophet hasn't release all its potential yet.
Alesis Andromeda kicks a*ss.
NEKO synths can go to hell. We definitly don't need them. absolutely, completely, totally OVERPRICED bags of sh*t.
About the Waldorf, well, still playing and learning my micro Q screaming yellow, not time yet to tell something valid about this machine since I'm not already an expert on it. Only a few weeks owning it, but definitly not even compared with the VIRUS TI
IMHO, and I repeat it, talking on VAs, I have own these ones
Virus B
JP 8080
Electribes
Yamaha EX5
Roland V synth
Virus TI
Waldorf Micro Q
VIRUS TI is simply better than all together. This is the most killing modern VA on the market at this moment. No words to describe the sounds produced by the TI, and at this moment, my fav synth of all times.
There are new products from Waldorf not yet reviewed.
New Prophet hasn't release all its potential yet.
acidphakist
New member
GjB said:
I used reaktor fairly often before (never made my own patches but downloaded hordes of them) and, while conceptually it's WAY more powerful than the TI, the TI has continually astonished me since I first plugged it in.
So, it has been my experience that NO, there are no soft synths that match the TI.
Array said:
More detail, please.
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