The faithful plug-in recreation of the Microwave, Waldorf’s first instrument – hybrid wavetable synthesis with analogue filters for massive basslines, enigmatic wavetable modulations and silky pads.

In a multi-year project, Waldorf analysed and modelled the Microwave down to the finest sonic details. At its heart is the custom Waldorf ASIC, co-designed by Wolfgang Palm, the inventor of wavetable synthesis, working together with the Curtis filter chips and controller software based on a 68k CPU. Regardless of the DAW sample rate, the plug-in runs internally at 250 kHz like the original ASIC, models each voice’s digital-to-analogue converters, the digital noise and the 8-bit quantisation including aliasing, and contains all original wavetables bit-identical, including the algorithmic and speech wavetables. Faithfully modelled revision A and B analogue filters, envelope and LFO timings taken from the original code and artificial detuning and recalibration of the analogue components provide its lively character.

Features

• Internal sample rate of 250 kHz, regardless of the DAW sample rate
• All original wavetables with their control structures and the full waveform catalogue
• Editing of existing wavetables and creation of user wavetables and waveforms, additional randomisation modes
• Recreated digital noise and digital-to-analogue converters with their non-linearities
• Graphical display of wavetables, envelopes and filter curves, tuning and velocity tables
• Quick layering of single sounds into complex sonic structures

Technical details

• Type: virtual instrument (wavetable synthesizer)
• Operating systems: Windows, macOS
• Plug-in formats: VST2, VST3, Audio Unit (macOS only), AAX
• Licensing: computer-bound

The licence is registered with the manufacturer at https://waldorfmusic.com/coupon/. You will receive your serial number and the download link by e-mail immediately after purchase.