Waldorf X-Pole

you know how to read ?
you know how to turn knobs ?
you got it .
actually it is much more than that but it is basicly pushing
and turning knobs.
that's all.

I own many analog and digital filters including the rare Sherman QMF
Akai MFC42, Mutron III, moog filter,
and I got to admit that this is by far one of my top choices.
the sound quality is cream de la crop.
simply put,
you get 2 channels of amazing programmable
24/12 db slope low pass filters with awsome self oscilation ad
with stereo panning modulations.
clean punchy and warm filters sound.

built like a tank.
never had a problem.

Never called them.

Here we go.
it is way to complex to explain all the goodies here
but some of the intresting featureds are:
2 complete channels of high quality filter. duh.
2 lfo's with the random mod.
full midi control out and in.
full CV control out and in.
midi to CV.
you can use it for almost anything that makes sound.
you get to store your programs for future use.
Don't confuse it with the cheap production of the 4-pole
which has NOTHING to do with this design.
i bought the 4-pole and sold it a week later while
this X-pole will stay here.
and even my Waldorf Pulse Plus don't have 2 channels...
in other words
if you find one JUMP on it and don't let it go.
waldorf stoppeds making them and they are seen very rarely.

First, what is it? It's a dual, programmable resonant low-pass filter. It comes as a 2U rackmount, although waldorf makes the only rackmounts I know that are less deep than they are high :-) Features: 24dB/12dB per octave lowpass filter (two), so the unit can either work in true stereo or you can program both filters independently, the filters have an ADSR envelope. Per filter there is also a VCA with an ADSR envelope, and a LFO which can modulate most parameters in the unit. Also you can use the audio input level as modulations source, or an extra audio mod input, or CV/expression pedals. All parameters react to MIDI controllers. You can trigger the envelopes via MIDI notes, too... it has a really nice sounding distortion/overdrive circuit, but if you want you can also overdrive the filters themselves - since the audio path is all analog, this yields very pleasant results. In fact, this thing is nearly a complete synthesizer, just without oscillators. Understanding this thing is pretty straightforward if you are used to synthesizer programming (I am fortunately, although I use the X-Pole mainly for guitar), but for guitarists used to stompboxes with 3 knobs only this unit may be difficult. Fortunately the manual is pretty good, explaining in detail what the unit does, has nice flowcharts of the signal flow complete with modulation options, and provides a nice glossary at the end for those who don't know what a LFO is. Programming this unit is done by a controller matrix: you have six knobs, and with a button you select one line of the matrix you want to edit - this is pretty straightforward. But since the display is only a 3 digits 7-segment LED display, and some of the parameters displayed have pretty crude acronyms, you will have to consult the manual frequently. Unfortunately you get only 30 user presets and 30 factory presets with this unit... the factory presets are made for synth/midi use, many rely on midi note triggering, but they show nicely how wild and woozy this thing can get. I rate this unit a 9 for some slight design deficits, like the sparse number of presets and the small display, and the somewhat complicated programming, but on the other hand, this filter has such a wealth of features and options, that only the sherman filterbank can be compared - which itself has more filter characteristics, but is mono and cannot be programmed.

I've got two of this units - one in my guitar rack, and one for recording/synth purposes. In the guitar rack I use it for several purposes: as a post-preamp-overdrive, as a filter to reduce harsh trebles, as a tremolo effect, as an envelope follower, as an auto-swell-effect, as a triggered swell effect (triggered by foot, works better for me than fumbling either with the volume knob or with a volume pedal), as an auto-wah (it's not a band pass - so what? At least it doesn't kill the bass response!). For recording I use it to spice up my digital synths, to add to guitar sounds, for mangling vocals...

The sound quality is awesome. Noise? Forget it. This unit has a maxmimum dynamic range of 115 dB. Wow. And its outputs can put out lots of juice, so beware. The filters range up to 36 kHz, according to the technical specs... they resonate up to nice self-oscillation. The LFO is pretty fast, going up to 500Hz. The filters sound really sweet and fat, they are build as a moog cascade design, similar to the mini filters. They also distort very nicely, as does the extra distortion stage after the input. But you can keep this thing very clean, too. The envelopes can be so fast that they can click. It reacts very fast to midi messages... the filter cutoff can respond to the key you play, you can even make it fit the key you play - turn up the reso nance into self-oscillation and you can play it like a synth. Stunning.

The housing is sturdy. The knobs seem a little flimsy, but they failed to break during some hauling around and dropping one of my units, so I'd say it is well built.

That's a category where waldorf shines - if you have internet. They have a very active mailing list where the support people and the waldorf developers participate and answer questions. Good thing - a small company, they seem to actually care for their customers.

I use the X-Pole for a lot of musical styles - it isn't made only for electronic music. It replaced my wah since it sounds so much smoother and fatter. If one got stolen, I still have a second, which is a) a sign of how much I love this thing and b) a good thing because they are not made anymore. If you find one somewhere in a store, keep this in mind. They are semi-rare, not too many of them were made. What I love most about it is that it seems to give my electric guitar tones, that are run through it, an extra bit of punch and fatness. Oh, and I love how the resonance can scream - it sounds more open and crisp than most digital filters which seem to be capped of at the top end to make them smooth and "round" sounding. I think the only competitor is the sherman filterbank, the electrix filter factory stuff is merely a toy as I am concerned. OK, the X-Pole is an expensive filter, but you pay for quality...