Waldorf Blofeld Coming of Age
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- čas přidán 13. 07. 2024
- It's been around since 2007 so how does it stack up in 2023? Surprisingly The Waldorf Blofeld is coming into its own... only take 16 years:) I'm desperately resisting the urge to put Bond references about Blofeld return etc... mainly because I can't think of any good ones!
Its the perfect accompaniment for a DAWless setup - get yer pads out... 16 tracks and 25 voices simultaneously and all sounds bang on. Nice and neat - so powerful with a miniature table friendly footprint.
/ starskycarr
www.starskycarr.com
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► Clubbing TV From the Studio:
• From The Studio
0:00 Track #1 Big EDM Banger
1:00 Surely it's old hat?
2:58 Let's take a quick look
5:22 What's under the minimalist hood
8:54 Some Preset Basses
9:28 Some Preset Pads
10:49 Programming an FM tone
15:45 What about the Sound quality?
20:28 Making a 3 osc moog style tone
22:16 Turn that into a simple pad
23:36 PPG Wavetable tone
25:09 Surely there's some -ves
26:48 Track #2 Dr Blofeld
#waldorf #blofeld #demo #review - Hudba
Blofeld is amazing. Especially the keys version with that fantastic, responsive fatar keybed. Waldorf should consider a 2.0 version. It doesn't need anything added really it's already nicely featured. Just upgrade the underlying hardware. I think the hardware is a little under-powered for what they wanted to do and that's probably where the bodies are buried regarding synch issues etc. Not enough horsepower. Put it in a 4 and 5 octave package (white and black) and you're done. They could add a premium model if they wanted which gives you knobs instead of the matrix interface.
100% agree. It's surprising in a way that Waldorf haven't sought to capitalise on the success of the Blo', with a sister product, or a Lite version or, as you say, a 2.0 or some such. So little of its sonic character would need to change - just update the UI, smaller form factor, perhaps more controls, etc.
I'd say, a big version with keyboard and more knobs and the compact version which is sized like the existing one. A more contrasty screen, more "horsepower", power-over-USB.
@@ssneg Yeah. I think their biggest problem is the SoC they used in the original. The CPU is apparently a 233mhz unit. Fine for embedded devices in 2007 but not today. Sadly it doesn't seem like they're interested in updating it. Looks like it'll just die. They released a bunch of hardware synths over the last few years but they've all been upmarket parts. Iridium is almost $4000 USD. Crazy. Cool but not sure about a digital hardware synth at that price point in 2024. I paid less for my Prophet 10.
It's a really underrated synth.
The amount of crazy things you can do with a little work.
Lately I like doing 'analog' FM. Using it's VA waveforms to FM each other in ways that wouldn't be stable and in tune on an analog synth.
Also have found the voice architecture benefits from gain staging.
Pull the level of the OSCS down by 20% or so to give you more headroom. Then the filter and effects sound better.
Though you end up having to drive the filter to gain up the volume. Or else boost in your mixer.
The real shame is that they never got the MIDI sync bug fixed. It has such a cool arpegiator its criminal that you can't get it to clock externally without that little hiccup.
Wish they would do an updated version with that fixed and some added features from Largo/Lector/NW1.
Never understood complaints about the interface. It's pretty easy to use compared to the wildly popular Octatrack.
Only ever needed the manual to figure out Multis.
For sure a modern digital synth classic. Sounds wonderful mixed with a dreadbox nymphes as its analog counterpart. And they both sit above the keystep 37 perfectly.
Bought mine in 2009 and purchased the optional Licence SL Sample pack. Still squeezIng new patches out of it after all these years. Worthy addition to any studio. The Comb filter is excellent! Cheers Starsky Carr 🍻👍
You still get 16 parts multitamb. out of 25 notes polyphony, however, complex sounds and chords put the cpu under more pressure. If you’re playing around 8 notes you get away with any note stealing. If you need more then you can layer tracks in your daw. I tend to layer anyway. There are a number of free wavetables on the internet to fill up free slots in your Blofeld. PS I would definitely recommend editor software.
Very helpful video! It's a big help to get a look at some practical applications in addition to a general overview like this. Thank you
Thank you for highlighting this versatile synth. A modern classic!
I love the blofeld! Great video!!!!!
Thanks, I got one after watching this video. Great synth possibilities 🙂
Excellent video and blending 😉I really like the the Waldorf stuff!
Thanks so much! 😊
Thank you, Englishman for the help, the best of life for you.
You know I still get that "polyend play and the blofeld" vocoder melody stuck in my head, Starsky!
it's the Polyend.... haha... :)
I got my Blofeld in 2014. It arrived the same week as my Cirklon and they're a great combination. I used it for everything except drums and analogue knarliness. It is still the atmospheric bedrock of most of what I do. A lot of stuff has come and gone but Blofeld is an actual keeper.
The Blofeld has a lot of charm and some serious power. Some great artists like The River have it at the center of their workflow.
It is my live play synth of choice as well.
Amazing synth!I adore it completely.
In my case it’s sequenced from the Digitakt with all 8 midi cc commands I can give it,ranging from filters,fx mix,and LFO on filter played live with speed and depth,and amp envelope attack and decay.
I get more or less 4 channels out of it but I use unison a lot.
It will never leave my place :)
Great video :)
It simply can do EVERYTHING.Can sound chilling deep and soft but also brutal as hell.
Modifiers are the deep hole which when you dive in,you see what differentiate it from everything else.
Dude I'd love to see a vid of your digi/blofeld
I am considering buying the blofeld to use the 4 midi trakcs of the digitone with it. Do you think I could get out of the blofeld 4 differentsequence with different sounds? Moreover, I see many people lose the patch they do with a small scroll of the main knob, is that an issue?
@@OceanMoonJack Sorry mate but I just saw this.All my vids include the Blofeld in my set,you can pick any :)
Interesting. I bought mine in about 2012, someone at the local music store had ordered one in and then decided he didn't want it, and they reduced the price by about 50% in order to sell it. It's always something that I wanted to delve into, but found the menu confronting - and I was a guitarist in an indie/folk band so never really got into it. It seems now they're experiencing a bit of a rennaissance, I'm keen to get it out of the box again and play around with it!
Waldorf are mad not redesigning this VA synthesis engine... into a groovebox pattern sequencer. Join forces with Elektron to put the Blofeld VA engine into the Elektron pattern sequencer engine...
Very glad you made this video; it convinced me to give the Blofeld a second chance after selling my first one and I’m absolutely loving the one I just got for £209. I ‘get it’ now…. Especially the modulation options. Destined for cult status!! (The Blofeld, not me 😂)
Thanks for spending some time on the PPG sounds. Loved my Blofeld but the interface eventually made me get rid.
That's why for stuff like this I like the editors for deep diving - they just help to show what's going on. Ive the XT which has 40 encoders but use editors if going down the rabbit hole.
@@StarskyCarr from what I can tell the XT certainly had a go at making an accessible interface, the Blofield however... Software editors are the way forward for that sort of thing, no other way really! Btw the XT and now the M, sound absolutely unbelievable
Love mine...so versatile...like a mini-Wave
Got the Sq 1, microwave, that vector prophet thingy wavetables loaded into mine which I use on almost every patch, lol I've had this synth for 12 years and I've still barely scratched the surface, made a midi device panel for it in cubase and it makes it waaaay more inviting to program with all parameters covered with sysex, works a treat. Nice video cheers Starskl
Cool… where did you find the prophet wavetables btw. I’ve been looking. I’ve actually got the VS but no idea how to create a wavetable from it!
SQ1? The ancient Ensoniq? We've been using one at my church for 30odd years now.
Thanks for reminding me of my Blofeld! I used it all the time and even bought an extra when I started using one as a drum machine in multi mode. Did make me nervous as sometimes booted up without any presets so stopped using it live
..."as a drum machine in multimode".... brilliant
@@StarskyCarr yes map out each voice along the keyboard and have the same midi channel for all of them
Thanks for this video!! I bought my blofeld in Germany when it came out. It is still one of my favorite synths. It demands patience to learn to navigate its programming, but is a great sounding synth!!!
That's why I used the software to show it. Once you've seen it all on a single screen somehow it all pops into place really quickly. It makes thing so much easier to understand.
In my opinion its still the best £300 digital synth you can buy.
@@subconscious.com_usa6691 Another great old digital synth is the Yamaha FS1R - really worth a listen!!!
Love my Blofeld, loads of options, great sound, and it's built like a tank (if we overlook the knobs)
Yep that was the oversight … build quality is outstanding 👍
Someone on another discussion pointed out that if you use a software editor you 1) get a clearer picture of the overall architecture while you're editing, and 2) you won't wear out the cheesy encoders under those pretty metal knobs. 🙂
Wow! This and a KeyStep Pro for some 70s Berlin-school ...🤔😎
I like the way it sounds, the featureset is reasonable, I hate the interface as not having enough knobs/buttons so requiring tons of diving and playing to get to where you want, there's an issue with LFO syncing they never managed to fix, and the knobs on these are known to go bad so be careful buying a used one.
Yeah, the clock stuff is good for a buyer to know about.
Great synth, shit encoders.
The only reason I ever had any issues from any of my 4 Blofelds was from constant (thousand of hours) of programming from the front panel.
And even this can be mitigated with the right type of contact cleaner. (But you have to catch and clean the encoder before physical damage is done to the pads)
That's Waldorf. Great synths, but, the software (and often the hardware) always has issues.
i love my Blofeld. besties forevs
Uhh, the Blofeld. Sold it because of the never ending knob story.
Maybe I give it a try again, MIDI Conroller these days are so powerful…
I recommend to go back a little bit further. Grab a Nord Lead 2 Rack (with Memory Card) or the Nord Lead 2x Rack - a Multi Timbral Virtuell-Analog Monster, easy to control.
Lovely content as ever ❤
Cheers from Germany
use and editor - there's free ones as well - and the one I'm using here you can use free if you don't want to use it to save patches on the computer. It will help reduce the stress on the knobs.
Yes the 03:05 blend is on point, I love that when it happened...👍
Preaching to the choir here.
I only have 4 Blofelds (1 keybed I lent to my brother), which leaves me with a black keys, a white keys, and a module.
The only thing I have more of are Monotribes at 6.
The Blofeld IMO is a great all rounder and for me goes well with the Modwave. very little overlap. Both modulation monsters.
Great video, made me want to give Largo a second try after having put it aside maybe a bit too early and light-heartedly 👍
Largo has the grittiest filters in the box ! And i mean that in a good way.
Really enjoy my Blofeld, actually quite refreshing in the current world of analogue re-creations...
That's a good point. Refreshingly not analog.
The bass can be surprisingly analog sounding when I tried a couple of bass presets didn’t expect that
It’s an amazing little synth, especially considering the age.
I love this synth. It can do almost anything you want. Most modern synths are still catching up to this classic beast.
They still haven't caught up with Virus in many ways.
I've got Micro Q, Blofeld and Largo. My friends used to have the Microwave.
I like the sound, but I find everything I've owned and tried from Waldorf buggy.
For the hardware:
- Pots are not good, they skip values. This is really a trivial thing to fix, can be done in software easily, with some basic interpolation.
- Layout with 6 knobs for everything is a challenge.
- No official editors.
- For Blofeld specifically, wavetable creation is a pain. Sample upload is a bit challenging to manage.
- Effects are not good.
- Blofeld has a humming issue if you use midi via USB. Not every Blofeld has this, mostly older models. Mine dies
But filters are cool, sounds is nice. Modulation ranges are a lot higer than other synths, like for example Virus. Envelopes are snappy and lots of them. Very good for making drum sounds.
For Largo:
Haven't used it in a long time and just installed it again on my Mac M1 a few days ago and I was hoping it had been updated and some bugs fixed. Pros are the same as for the hardware, but it's just crashing all the time, which make me feel that it's close to unusable.
- Crashes Logic every 5th minute approximately.
- Chorus/Flanger does not sound good.
I am a member of some of the Facebook groups for the more expensive Waldorf synths. What I see in there is a bit scary. The amount of design issues is mind boggling, everything from a touch display which is only mounted with glue, not fitted with screws, to faulty brand new devices and everything in between. I literally saw pictures og a Quantum where the display has fallen out of the synth. a $3500+ synth. I would never buy one of the expensive synth from them, It's just too risky. I would be utterly pi**ed if I bought a $3500+ synth and it was full of bugs. I really hoped they fixed all of these issues for the expensive machines, since I don't think there are any excuses, if you charge a premium price, you also deliver a premium product, both in features and durability. Features are unique, but the durability I question a lot.
The best controller for the "mini-me" module is the Blofeld keybed. With MIDI SOLUTIONS hardware or even software you can poly-chain two Blofeld together.
I still use mine for Psytrance Acid Techno Ambient music
It may be a little oldie, but it is just a good machine, I also own the Q-rack and the Microwave2 and some softsynths of them. My quest for the Waldorf sound is satisfied with these ones
I’m so sad that mine broke, and I spend 6 hours trying to fix it but it turned out to be the signal processor 😢 It was my “Hans Zimmer Horn go to. So deep and resonant.” I’ll need to find one one the second hand market again.
It’s like the Prophet made love to a Jupiter and the Waldorf was sonic love product.
I had one for a fair while, but got a hydrasynth instead. And a Virus TI as a multi timbral option.
okayyyy !!!... I'm just discovering this Synth today, and, the editor(s), ... ... It's calling me ... six hundred euros... this workflow and all capacities (ext midi cc control possibilities...) are very very, or seems to be, very interesting to me... A story is starting here maybe ... To be continued soon, i think personnaly...
Still have mine.
I once bought it together with the sample expansion to put the Polymoog Vox Humana sample pack on it. Still awesome!
Never really got into the rest of the Blofeld though. Perhaps time to finally discover it 😂
Hey which sample pack has the Vox Humana ? Is it a good version of it? Cheers.
Thanks, Starsky. Just about to sell mine due to lack of space but you may have changed my mind.
nah... it doesn't take up any space :)
@@StarskyCarr I'm getting fed up sleeping in the bin store.
Co fessing my sins: I owned the keyboard version, owned the desktop TWICE….sole it ALL.
NEVER knew the Magic lurking beneath the Hood. I just never gave it a chance. At the time, there synths beside it that were kind of staggering-they’re gone now too.
Anyway, I agree…I think it would be Excellent value for dollar.
I have Large V3, NAVE and the PPG WAVE V3.0.
I wrote to Waldorf, pleading that they Enlarge the GUI X 5 to where I don’t have to wear magnifying glasses to see mother interface.
It would be good to have the desktop again
I love it! I make progressive house and trance with it and it's amazing! there are also some preset banks you can get, pretty cool stuff, this is my first hardware synth, and I can't be happier, I've used in almost everything, always a track has to have at least 2-3 elements made with the blofeld, i love it in plucks and PADs, but it also shines in bass. I don't like the reverb though LOL I prefer to use it clean and add some crystaline
In my demo of the Blofeld I used it for all the synth parts on a trance track - it fitted the bill perfectly.
I got him 1 year before and I have reached not more than 5% of it’s capability… what a big little synth…😊
Another quirk to this synth is that the EGs are not linear but rather are either exponential or logarithmic. Why this matters: you can't do a wavetable sweep the same way as in the old PPGs just by applying an EG to the wavetable index. Rather, you basically have to use one EG to sweep through the PW position for the wavetable, then have another EG control the rate of the first EG, which effectively mathematically translates the EG curve to a flat slope.
As a peripheral note to that, and a very big positive to this synth: the mod matrix is HUGELY robust, which is what allows you to make such a routing possibility in the first place.
Yeah… I didn’t want to go too deep into the mod matrix here. That could take an hour in it own. You do something g similar in the Tempest to change from exponential to logarithmic for those long 808 style decays.
Honestly, I was hesitant to watch this video. And why? Because I just ordered a Behringer Pro-1 to lighten my GAS after seeing your comparison with the original. What luck that I already have a Blofeld in the synthcave! 😆
I’ve always thought the Blofeld Desktop looks a bit like a circuit-bent TR-505 (Or 626 with its longer body) 👍
I purchased a desktop unit second-hand not too many years after launch. I've already had to replace some extremely tiny resistors on the output circuit years ago due to what appears to be a not-uncommon issue that causes extremely quiet output on both headphones and main outs, and though you may be able to chalk this up to poor soldering work it appears to need attention again. When it works properly, it is one-of-a-kind in a very good way, but anyone buying these should be aware that it does not appear uncommon to have to do some somewhat significant repairs at a point that is quicker than you would think.
Yeah - I had issues with a couple of the rotary encoders, just a few days after the warranty had expired 🤬 (or at least, that’s when I noticed the issue). Got rid of it eventually and hadn’t missed it at all, but Starsky’s review is now making me think “Doh!!” 🙄
I mainly use mine as a keyboard controller, but I also use it as a synth at times, it is the black (or white) sheep of the synth world, some of the sounds blow anything and everything out of the water, especially the pads, some people state that the FX are a bit meh, especially the reverb, but I don't have that issue. Its a very capable synth, even today, and its a shame that it is often overlooked. Thing is, its still in production today. So its having a good run, and rightly so. Its a keeper.
Sounds only demo vs M coming tomorrow… plus a breakdown between them next week. Blofeld holds its own up to a point (a £1200 cheaper point!). It can make some gorgeous sounds. It does have a nice digital edge and a nasty one at time - and sometimes it can scare the sh!t out of you!
As shown, can be a hugely capacity mono/bass synth as well. I’d say more than pretty good that Starsky says 😉
The bass on the Polyend track is amazing. Big and fat and then the HP crunches it beautifully.
Don’t forget that Microwave comparison video… you’re tempted right? Btw check my video on the Blofeld, well check how many views. For a tiny little inactive channel it’s bonkers!
@@ikarugamoo I watched that one - it certainly made me regret selling mine!
The Studiologic Sledge uses a simplified version of the Blofeld voice and offers knob per function editing. IMO, it’s a great value VA / wavetable synth
Yeah, but it has only one wavetable oscillator
Wasn't the PPG a single wavetable?
@@jamesdefrancesco7765 the PPG Wave 2.2 and 2.3 have two wavetable oscillators per voice. It would be nice if oscillator 2 on the Sledge could do wavetable too, and it’d be nice if the filter had additional modes like the Blofeld (you can hack this somewhat with imported presets), but the ease of making sounds on the Sledge is great, and even only having one wavetable oscillator makes it possible to program very nice patches
@@HatredPrime But with two layers it has two wavetable oscillators. The Sledge is bi-timbral.
Super easy to set up a LP pad, clone it, switch it to HP and use both filter types on a layered pad.
With cc hacks you can also get all the filter drives and filter types of the Blofeld
This would look lovely nestled up alongside a Microcosm.
heck yes
Looks like that right side knob has come of age as well
haha.. it's perfectly perpendicular in real life.
If Waldorf would put the Attack Rack / Attack app in an MPC style box or even a little desktop with usb host so you could byob and maybe add a few little features to the chromatic synth parts to do mono and legato parts they would have objectively the ultimate groove box hands down .
Totally worth the price that they're going for these days.
One million patches! (little finger to lips)
hahah.. love it
Edisyn editor can upload user wavetables to Blofeld. It is free and edits plenty of other synths in a nice GUI. Runs on Win 10/Mac and Linux . M1 with Rosetta although its creator is still supporting it and is looking into compatibility when he gets a new Mac.
Thanks.
I loved my Blofeld but the interface, although well thought out, got to me in the end and I sold it. I do miss the sound a bit.
That where editors come in very handy.
You can use the Largo VST it’s not 100% the same. PPG Filter is missing for example and the comb filter sounds a little bit different. For me the sounds that I made with the Blofeld I can recreate 1:1 with Largo. That’s why I sold my Blofeld too, for the same reason.
I realy like your reviews.
BTW do you plan a test of the Virus/DSP56300Emu/open source Osirus? (in short it's the free emulation of a Virus B or C)
That’s a nice idea. I’ll put it in the list.
INice inclusion of physical knobs for the arp, unlike other such synth modules with minimal controls.
i couldn't afford a Virus TI but this comes quite close ^^
For anyone interested: The Waldorf Largo is basically the Blofeld in the box. Very few differences, and the sound is almost identical. Recently got updated for native use with Apple M1 processors.
That’s in the video btw
@@StarskyCarr Ah... missed that. 👍
Nice, even editors! When the release date? :) Cool track mate!
The editors don't come with the synth.. this one can be used free if you're just editing - there are loads of them tbh. even browser based etc. you can pay (this one is €50 I think) and there are free ones.
@@StarskyCarr Editors should be norm, and 3rd party is cool as long as synth is open. Thanks for brining light to Blofeld. Was always looking into that one, bur did not have any dukats at the time. Keep rewatching your SD-4d, arriving soon. Hope editor(s) will be there and good addition to small studio-table controller for VST, synth itself, and plug-out idea catcher with native (Roland) drum synths .... but it has lots of usability you've mentioned for Blofeld had 16 years ago :) those two standing out as small, capable synth unit for everyday use.
Absolutely smashing video! I was thinking of buying a Virus Snow but after this video I’m considering the Blofeld. I’m curious on your opinion, which one is better and why. A comparison video is the dream but a comment would be very appreciated.
The virus also has wavetables and a couple of filters as you probably know. So they’re comparable from that perspective. I used to like the TI on the virus but it doesn’t work anymore which reduces its functionality for me a fair bit . The blofeld with an editor works well (mystery islands also do a virus editor btw). Overall though I’d be tempted by the virus because the interface is more immediate. I think the FX are better although the modulation isn’t as comprehensive - but I never use all the slots in the xt or blofeld anyway.
1st real synth I ever bought, still the best keybed I have ever used too. I cannot simply get rid of it due to this, it sounds great, has a horrible UI, I paid less than the module, what else could ever anyone want?
The Blofeld is a very good synth. The only issue I see (and many many people had it) is the rotary encoders which are not working after some years. They have to be replaced.
Others that that, it has some very nice features if you don't mind endless diving in the menus.
If you use an editor - there's loads of free ones - the one I use here can be used free unless you want to save patches on the computer. It opens uno the synth nicely. You still have the hardware for performance and tweaking, but deep editing is so much simpler. Plus using a controller to add to the knobs is a good idea.
@@StarskyCarr Yes indeed, you are right about the editor. But my setup is now "dawless", so using an editor is out of question as I'm not willing to use my computer. But of course, I could use it just to create my patches, and then return to my dawless setup, but it's just not the way I want to work, for the moment.
Thanks for this excellent video about the very good and underestimated Blofeld.
I have recently installed a bank of "analogue" patches and this gives a new breath of life to my Blofeld !
After a few months.
Are the encoders difficult to replace? Can the average person do it or does it have to be sent out for an expensive repair job?
@@richardfarabaugh7604 I did it myself, and if you have a soldering iron and a desoldering pump, it can be easily done.
I’m really starting to love the sound of digital synths. When you run the signal into a cheap guitar amp with spring reverb and record the signal with a nice mic and pre, you forget all about the fact that it’s a digital synth. Using a Roland ju06a now like this and it’s the absolute tits
This is great! thanks for sharing!
Question: how do you send Program change messages from Play to Blofeld?
I've never tried tbh... you're best off asking Polyend as they now use the Blofeld in their own demos :)
@@StarskyCarr Yeah, just did. Will post here when they response. I think it's crucial for live.
One other thing that might be a differentiator: have you tried syncing the LFO’s to external MIDI clock on both synths? I haven’t found a good way on the Blofeld to do this without getting crackles in the output.
Apparently it just doesn’t work very well. It’s not something I’ve tried tbh - but there’s lots of comments about it.
Love my Blofelx but 25 voice polyphony is a misnomer. The polyphony is reduced quickly once you start any serious programming. Still awesome and love the vid.
Wasn't it described by Waldorf as 50-voices polyphony synth? ;)
It's a great synth, and you might sell it cuz you're not using it, but when it's gone you...kinda buy another for some weird reason(listening to recordings you did with it)...Thus, if a synth has 3xosc & 2xfilters, it can do anything, this became the standard by which I judge other synths...Korg's record kinda thin so there is room in the mix and the blofeld I've found records really 'weighty' and I like that, reminds me of the an1x in that regard, requiring 'minding the levels' when spinning thru patches.
i deeply regret selling my blofeld ._. couldnt really wrap my head around the interface at the time and now i want it back
Thinking of getting one of these but the menu-diving makes it look really complex and I'm fairly new to programming synths. Have you found it complex and how do you think it would fare in the hands of someone with a lot of musical knowledge but new to programming? Thanks!
I’d pick up an app/editor to understand the features. Once you’ve used the app a few times the hardware makes more sense and you find you can navigate it much more easily. Editors are also good for seeing what’s going on in an existing preset that you want to tweak. Theyre a great learning tool.
@@StarskyCarr Thanks!
Have had one since 17 and got a Waldorf M. If you like the Blofeld you should check out the M
I've an M vs Blofeld video which you might like
Been seriously considering one of these guys lately. It seems like an awful lot of synth for the money. I don’t like using editors because it makes me feel like I’m just using a software synth. Editors are nice just for reference so I can keep track of what’s going on in a complex patch. I guess the thing I’m mostly wondering is, how intuitive is the menu diving? Does it flow nicely or is it a convoluted mess?
its actually quite easy once you know the flow. hit a button to enter the main page for eg an oscillator - the main 4 parameters are accessed by the knobs, but anything else is scrolled through with 2 additional parameters per page. Scroll all the way through osc1 and you get to osc 2. So all the menu items on the right can be accessed by simply twisting the menu knob through all the menu pages. BUT.. the knobs do have a tendency to have issue due to all the scrolling. I find having a controller with access to main parameters is a great shortcut.. On the Keystep37 I have access to both the main envelopes, main filter parameters and osc shapes. this saves time, but will also save the encoders in the long run.
@@StarskyCarr Thanks for your input. I very much appreciate it. I think a “New” Blofeld and a Keystep 37 or possibly a Keylab 49 is in my near future.
I wanted this for a while, Because there are actually some really good sounding virtual analog sound packs for Blofeld.
Something I forgot to mention was the number of amazing sound packs... it was in my plan... gggrr!
I like my Blofeld - the wavetable and sample import extension is a must-have. My only criticism is the deep menu dive you need to do when editing (you really need a programmer/remote), and that the stereo outs are unbalanced. If you use balanced cables here, the Blofeld won't make a sound. A very minor flaw, but it nevertheless limits the distance to the audio inputs somewhat if you want to avoid hum.
Balance. Vs unbalanced. I’ve had ‘discussions’ in various forums where I’ve given people advice about trying different cables only to be given tonnes of abuse about how they should both work and I’m talking nonsense. Nice to hear someone else feels my pain 😂
You can mod it to add spdif output 😃
@@stevereid5944 I read that as splif
output.
@@StarskyCarr haha great ! from experience the blofeld increases splif input 🤣
You can really get lost for days programming it , especially beautiful silky evolving pads
so you take it through DI box, where is the problem then?
Excellent, BUT YOU'VE MISSED SOMETHING. . . . . . the one really big problem with the Blo, has always been the rotary encoders....they're complete shit.....mine started failing quite quickly, as I do a lot of programming......and it's a very common complaint amongst Blofeld owners - quite well documented. My MicrowaveXT had similar issues, sadly. As I'm sure you, the original Waldorf company (Wolfgang Palm) went out of business years ago, and the new Waldorf Company is a new group of people.......I'm watching to see if things like the Iridium has similar issues, or if they've sourced completely different parts. Your reviews are exceptionally detailed and well organized. I was going to comment to suggest pulling out the USB when you heard that aliasing noise......nice to see that you were right on top of that.......awesome in every way.....here's one for you:
czcams.com/video/3KWxqWB9xzw/video.html
Haha ITS IN MY CLUBBING TV EPSIODE. I try to record a deep dive for CZcams and more of an overview for my Clubbing TV show. I assume more of a knowledge of the kit and production here. But i do mention it in that show, where I think most viewers will not be aware. Having said that… I did intend to include it here and thought I had - turns out I was remembering what I said in the earlier recording 🤦♂️
cool. I'll check it out.................just thought it was worth a mention.....(not meaning to complain or criticize)...........
@@willswitchcraft it'll be broadcast next week I think. After that it goes on their CZcams channel.
Awesome......I'll keep an eye out
I tell folks, don't think of the Blofeld as a great multi timbral VA... but rather use & think of it as still of the best VA polysynths to keep handy. I have owned a MicroQ rack module for about 20yrs... That is also able to do 16 multi parts/tracks... But it was better always to make a great waldorf poly synth track with... & was easier to work with it, & set up a 4 part multi timbral operation than stretch it ever to be good for 16 parts. If the Blofeld had a better implementation of a 4 part multi mode. That would make it better & closer to the microQ in use as a multi timbral va synth. But both of these Waldorfs can really shine, just having 24note polyphony to always be enough to use on great pads, & polysynth patch's.
Nice dissolve
I have a blofeld desktop, but everytime I attempted to use it, it seemed not to fit with everything else. and to me a weird stereo field.
I found that with my XT when I first got it... loved it individually but found it difficult to fit in a mix. Also found that with my SE-1 ... just too fat. These days I find I can use them anywhere, and I've no idea what changed! I think perhaps I go with the vibe more and worry less. or maybe my ears aren't what they used to be :)
What should i buy? The Desktop Version with ja Arturia Keystep 37 or the Blofeld Keyboard? Thanks!
I would definitly go for the desktop version with either keystep pro or 37 as it takes up much less space
My studio monitors are reproducing a bit of high-frequency noise in all of your audio recordings. starting at 3:02.
I think there was some usb noise I didn’t notice until later … if I remember correctly.
Funny to see these kicking around, in the sense of how much Waldorf re-treads over the same territory. Yes, they are the kings of wavetable, but of course Korg would argue that point. The interface isn't 1000 miles from the Micro Q, and the sound isn't that far from the original Microwave 1. Your point about DAWless is taken, but hook up any good module from the 90's on, and you can give it a good show. Try it with the Roland Integra 7 or even a venerable E-Mu Orbit 3. Go ahead, I double dare you!
Form factor is a big thing here. Desktop vs rack mounts. Seems blofeld saw the future!
@@StarskyCarr It could be! Depends on your flow, I suppose. If I have everything mapped to my controller, I'm not touching the synth much once the set is programmed. If you need to twiddle multiple things at once maybe you need the desktop format, but the 'feld isn't really configured for that either with the parameter system it uses.
Almost makes you think that the new machines are just this re-packaged, and this was a microwave xt re-packaged.
I guess they’re all repackaged in some way. The
i love this little box, incredible sound from it, but damn its a wonky little bugger with midi timing for me
That's interesting. I found that with logic it's well out of time (was trying to work out if it was a logic thing)... but with the Polyend Play it was bang on. weird.
I could never get the LFO's to sync up with the bpm on my unit
I think i had a bad one, but the ENV loop function managed to
replace them in a certain way.
Good synth with tons of modulation options. But menu diving is a little tedious and the module only has 1 stereo out.
I saw the single stereo out as a good thing for live - otherwise I'd definitely try to add FX chains etc... massively complicating the set-up :) Something to control my experimental tendencies!
I cannot mention many 25 voice with 16 multimbral hardware synths that goes for under ...400 €....
Est-ce que le logiciel est livré avec le synthé ou faut-il l'acheter à part? Vous l'avez peut-être renseigné et je m'excuse par avance car je ne parle pas votre langue.
Ce logiciel coûte 50 € mais il y en a beaucoup de gratuits
@@StarskyCarr super merci.
@@StarskyCarr Was "Google Translate" your friend here, or are there even more talents to Starsky Carr than we realised 🙌😆
I heard that there are a lot of technical problems with the blofeld. It falls out sometimes. It doesnt work so well anymore after an update. Too much risk for the price. Can somebody say something about this?
The main issue I have is with timing via Logic, but when I use a hardware sequencer it’s spot on - so probably more of a Logic issue. The only other thing that can annoy me is not realising what mode I’m in and losing edits. You soon Lear. To save as you go! But I’ve not had any significant lockups … and if I have they’ve not been bad enough to remember.
I loved the sound of mine. I bought it brand new. The filter cutoff knobs failed after 2 weeks. I sent it back for another one. They broke again. I got my money back. (also the arps would never stay in sync, and the LFO's just wouldn't play well ever either. I then bought another a few years later and i had all the same problems all over again. They're all well documented. Feel like i was particularly unlucky but i won't buy another waldorf synth again now (although would love a Microwave II XT)
I’ve got the xt and Jane similar issues with the arp! I just never got it to work the way I wanted. I have to say I don’t use the arp on the Blofeld, not because of any issues but because it’s easier to use them in Logic. Probably put off by me experience with the XT.
Biggest problem is it's buggy as hell... mine crashes a lot in multi mode, it can't really sync to over midi, Also you don't always have 25 voice, stuff like multiple wavetable osc use up voices
It's one of my favorite...hate object, because of that. I've sold it as fast as I could, despite the great sounds. I would never dare to buy (more expensive) synths from Waldorf, they can't implement well working pots and a reliable OS.
Although I will agree that it does eat voices and the max patches I get is about 4(heavily modified though),it has been the most stable thing I ever used really.Might have crashed once in two years,accepts midi cc and program changes from DT perfectly and it’s always in multi mode.
Exactly. Multitimbral in theory, nullitimbral in practice because it just crashes after a few minutes. That is, if you can listen to the crackling noises it makes for so long. Having said that, I don't think I will sell mine considering it was my first hardware synth and how cheap it is now. I still hope I will find a use for it some day. But I definitely won't buy anything from Waldorf ever again. Maybe I could understand if they discontinued the product and simply forgot about it, but they are still selling it with all those bugs after so many years... disgusting.
This + Digitone or Digitakt and that's all you need.
Dr Pressure at the end?
M***f**rs gonna talk
suena precioso! pero no me gusta q tenga tan poca polifonia para usarlo en modo multi :(
Blofeld is a classic for all the right reasons. But you will have to run it through external effects to make the most of it. While the Blofeld delay is OK-ish, its reverb, flanger and phaser are downright bad.
Did they ever fix that LFO sync issue?
Sadly no, the main biggest bug for lots of folk. For me it creates some lovely weird poly rhythms!
It's not something I've come across tbh. I don't use the arp.. too fiddly to bother with, and never sync LFOs on it. But just looked it up and it seems to be a thing ... you learn something new ... :)
It’s the same the new Waldorf blofeld 2 than the mk1??
I don’t think there’s a Blofeld mk2?
@@StarskyCarr
The poor man's Iridium. hat the Blofeld can do for the money is absolutely astonishing. Unfortunately, the encoders are prone to failure, which is odd for German-engineered product. But aside from that, it's hard to fault the Blofeld as a versiatile and powerful unit.
Noooo….. encoders are fine. And Noooo…. Irdium is limted in ways the Blofeld is not.
@@oscarvanderburgh9915 The encoder failure problem is a real issue tt has been weel documeted on CZcams and elsewhere. Maybe it asn't happened to you, but It's a real problem.
The Iridium has all of the Bofleld's wanetables and numerous other engines. If the proce ws the same, almost nobody woud chose the Blofeld. That doesn't mean that the Blofeld isn't a great syth, but the Iridium is clearly newer nd more powerful. Deal with it.
@@geoffk777 Yeah, Iridium is a modern synth build upon vintage tech. Blofeld is clearly outdated in many ways. Still it's the one I love. Peace Out!
Thanks for the video. I really enjoy it, but can’t listen to the whole thing bc. of a quite loud noise beep in your audio. 😕
Just mentioning this for your own improvement 😊
Thanks… that’s weird I can’t hear it. But will look into it.