Who's Game for that Waldorf Stromberg model?

The wavetables was the particular section of interest on the PEK for me and I really like my Microwave XT samples in Kontakt 2.

I'm hoping this lives up to expectations. Anybody else?

HELL yes... :thu: It's gonna be awesome if they really have managed to smack a Q+ and a Microwave together in an updated package. Backwards compatibility will be a huge selling point, at least for me.

I'm hoping that it actually *will* see the light of day (and before Winter NAMM 2008 ) but it probably won't be cheap when it does. It probably *could* be reasonably priced since it looks like they are basically re-tasking their existing DSP designs with a new interface and OS.

Unfortunately, they are trying to get back into the business and they need to make some money... This isn't a "Big 3" or "bread and butter" kind of board, so the market will probably be limited. Less volume = higher price. How high that price ends up being, I guess we will find out pretty soon...

Thanks!

bax

I'll give a second HELL YES!

I am very excited about this product.

This looks to be the Waldorf XTQ+ that we've been dreaming of

Not to be negative, but I can't help but wonder how many bugs this one is going to have when it hits the streets, and how many will never be fixed.

Love my XT though.

Yeah, this board really excites me in a way that the V-synth 2 dosent for some reason. I guess its all down to how much its going to cost. But as dugman points out, its aimed at a more niche market, so to make their money, it may well be priced high. All speculation of course, but we can only hope. I may well have to let my JD800 go if this thing is priced right

I feel the opposite of Flat Earth, its gonna take a lot to beat the VSynth for my attention...

It looks good, but is it just a rehash of the old technology? Whats exactly new? I've never been that into all those Waldorf synths I have to confess. All this Analogue Modelling and Wavetable stuff sounds like its been done a lot over the last 20 years...

Now if they were to somehow incorporate user samples into the wavetables then that might be interesting.

The epiano looked the most interesting to me btw...

I like the fact that it has a USB 2 port so it will interface (audio & MIDI) with a Mac or PC. If it sounds anything like my old XT did, then I'm in!

@orangefunk - you can upload your own wavetables (made from your own sample data) into the MicroWave XT, so I'd guess it might be a reasonable bet that you would be able to do that with Strom. Obviously that is pure speculation at this point but I can't imagine they would abandon that capability if they've already got it figured out in a previous product.

As an aside, between my Microwave XT and the V-Synth I spend more time on the MicroWave...it's just a lot of fun. It has this digital "flavor" that is not matched by anything else I have come across. If Strom has that same flavor I'll *seriously* consider paying the price.

Thanks!

bax

Thanks,

I had the original microwave (but I thought that was just some monosynth trying to be an analogue? I don't remember anything about wavetables in it... so perhaps I'm mistaken) but I didn't get on with it. INteresting that you can put user samples in the wavetables...

The problem I had with the VSynth was that I spent tooooo long on it and didn't do any music... far too addictive...

I don't know, they seem to be building on an existing code base. There may be alot of reuse happening, which could trend the bug count lower.

I'm betting the price will be between $1800-$2400.

I also bet that it will be more fun to use than the KLC Wavestation with an interface that makes designing your own waves more practical than the PolyEvolvers.

Here's to hope.

Unfinished coding would be a major bummer but one would think that they learned that lesson by now.

It looks sweet, but it'll probably be too rich for my blood - plus, I don't have the space for an extra board in my room at the moment.

Mark

Yeah, I'm game ... But how much to play?

I agree with Orangefunk, though, I think 2007 might be the Year of the V-Synth GT.

I like the ideas behind the Stromberg, but to me it seems like it might be a little too yestertech + boutique price for me since Waldorf is just coming out of its hypersleep.

The idea of the optional analog filters seems intruiging, though.

But WTF do I know anyway?

Does anyone know what those two protrusions are on the back of the keyboard, right side? Very strange looking. It looks like there are wingnuts on top of each box.

They are a filter and tube expansion.

Don't plan on those as I already Have a Triton Extreme and an S90ES. (Tube and lots filter types).

"yestertech"? Sure. Any analog synth is yestertech, I guess, also.

The v-synth sounds like {censored}. If you want to spend your money on its tricks and corporate sound, be my guest. (note - yeah - I'm not entirely serious. I like mine at first before it really started grating on me). There aren't too many hardware synths that I see really expanding the boundaries of synthesis. When they do, people here mock them mercilessly because they don't fit the usual categories, and in some cases led to a company's downfall....the Neuron for instance.

Well, I expect that this new Waldorf synth will be very interesting. No groundbreaking synthesis types, but just great sound, great mod routings, and the ability to create unusual, changing, sonic textures.

I expect it will be pretty expensive, though, given that they are charging $3299 or whatever it is for the Q+. This does seem to have analog filters on it, or is that an add on?

I'm betting the price will be between $1800-$2400. I also bet that it will be more fun to use than the KLC Wavestation with an interface that makes designing your own waves more practical than the PolyEvolvers. Here's to hope. Unfinished coding would be a major bummer but one would think that they learned that lesson by now.

Hell, you'd think the U.S. government would have learned their lesson by now, killing their own soldiers and also Iraqi civilians. But you're into that...so I'm sure you'll make the usual accomodations. (gratuitous personal insult)

Oh, wow! I have YOUR blessing. Maybe I'll buy two.

"Corporate" sound? I guess I'll just have to determine that for myself.

Anyway ... Since we know almost NOTHING about these synths ... and I said "MIGHT BE too yestertech" ... considering these COULD BE leftover designs ...

Lotta discussion on the thing we haven't heard yet. Neat graphic tho.

I take it you don't get that reference.

Still no life huh?

Keep at it, one will eventually come to you.

"Yestertech"...cool word

And that is probably exactly what it is...and that is fine with me, because I think Waldorf had it just about nailed before they "went under" last time. Granted there were bugs left to be worked out in practically all of their products and those may or may not still be there, but it looks like they are taking the best of what they had (analog modeling, wavetable sysnthesis, REAL analog filtering) and putting it all together in a single product. That is something that Waldorfians have wanted for a LOOOOOOOOONG time...

If they get it right, I couldn't care less if it is yesterday's technology, cuz that technology STILL rocks. IMHO, nobody has since come along and surpassed the Microwave XT wavetable implementation, and aside from the Alesis Andromeda does anyone know of any other synth currently in production that has 16 analog filters onboard? I think it is really cool that they set that up as an add-on/option because it is probably gonna be buck-wild expensive and most people won't want to spring for that option anyway, but it is there if ya really want it... Same with the Tube/Valve add-on - Korg's attempt at that was laughable, and it looks like this was something that probably would have taken its place alongside the AFB-16 a few years ago had Waldorf not gone out of business. A lot of people run their keyboards/digital gear through tube amps for that analog warmth and distortion, so this option also makes 110% sense to me.

I'm hopeful that Strom will be an awesome piece of gear and that Waldorf will learn from past mistakes and make sure that it is stable and functional out of the gate... I'm also very skeptical of that possibility given Waldorf's previous track record, but still hopeful

Thanks!

bax

From this Waldorf fan's perspective, "yestertech" and "leftover designs" aren't bad words at all; in fact, they're exactly what we want to hear.

For years now we have been dreaming of a merger between the Q+ and XT. When KSS search is re-enabled, you can go back and find several threads where people have pined for that very thing. Here's an image I created a while back for one of those threads:

I'm sure the claims of "yestertech" and "hey, they're just repackaging old stuff" will be all over the boards, and they may be true to an extent. But there's a clear reason for the Stromberg's existence: (A) they need to put out a product quickly, and more importantly, (B) this product is exactly what Waldorf fans have been asking for. IF it lives up to the promises that I infer from the brochure, it may very well be considered Waldorf's 'holy grail' product.

BTW, a dealer has informed me that the Stromberg is expected to ship 3Q 2007.

Well, unless the likes of you gets us all killed.