Waldorf Micro-Q

at first is a bit much but overall it is simple and gets pretty intuitive. not a slider and knob ladden beast but not a burden either.
the presets are not my thing but it is a very nice sounding synth.
manual is ok but kind of stilted in its translation.

well it is a pretty basic layout allthough capable of very complex sounds. enough polyphony for me for part muti timbral.
this box has a good arpeggiator well excellent actual and you can even get some nice slides out of it.
endless rotary encoders adequate screen and nice metal chasis. effects arent the best but not the worst either.

the sound engine on this synth is amazing.

i cannot stress enough if it was just the sounds you were basing this unit on it should get a ten.
it is its own thing and i can say after owning a micron nord and ms2000 as well as a an1x this is a amazingly good sounding synth.
it can sound extremely analog and big warm and pumping. it can also shimmer with the most mettalic noise as well.
fm is nice some people say it sounds tinny and crappy well it can and its not a bad thing.
programmed properly tho this synth just gets so deep.
it can layer sounds nicely. fits with so many different genres even some of the current nintendo glitchy stuff can be had out of this box.

so far so good.
the powersupply looks sketchville tho dont know about that to much

dunno

it bloody slays. i mean get to programming it and you can do lots no other synth can do with this one.
that being said if you still are hauling tons of boards to do your live set if you program this properly you can probably slim down your live set.
one of the best synths i have ever owned.

Prety easy to use. Mq's manual is good for beginner & some good tricks...

Apr is prety good, mod matrix can be firt odd to use.

Sounds are just unbelievable! Only problem is external signal to vocoder

10 really solid work. Knobs can be only hard to find.

Waldorf as a company isn't dead, just chance of owner right now. Really heplfull e-mail forum.

I would buy new one if this been stolen. Makes fine sounds & easy to update sounds. Can be expaded to up to 75 notes poly beast as mine is!

I'm using OS 2.14. I like the interface. It's way better than Pulse if you've ever used that. I hear a lot of people $%^&* about having to go through menus, but if you know how to program you don't need 500 knobs, and if you do get the full size Q :) At least it has a nice lcd compared to the crappy 3 digit display on the Pulse. I like the endless rotaries too, and they added an on/off switch! Wish it had an internal p/s though. Presets are somewhat lackluster, but presets shouldn't be the be-all and end-all of a synth's features anyway.

I have the blue rack version (the yellow ones are hideous, lol), so I can't comment on key action. Mine's the standard 25 voice poly version, which is plenty for me. MIDI implementation is good. Plenty of i/o options. Built in fx are decent, but outboard are far superior, as they are with most synths. Tons of routing options and envelopes make it very versatile. Plenty of memory locations too. Vocoder is good but i prefer my MS2000 for live use.

The Micro Q, as well as the Microwave series, have a sort of love-it or hate-it sound. I personally love it. This is a very unique sounding instrument and is really an inspiration to play. I get bored playing synths that all try to sound the same. If you want your synth to sound like a moog, prophet, or jupiter, then go buy the real thing. The Micro Q can do mostly any type of sound, and do it well. It's great for leads, bass, pads, sweeps and wierd bleepy bloopy noises and fx. Great for industrial, dance, or pretty much any electro-style. The filters are especially awesome, (try the comb filter) and there are LOTS of them. The fx aren't really that good, but thats what we have outboard processors for. A lot of people say it has a 'clinical' sound, and it's true it's not as warm as some of my other gear such as the JP-8080, but it's flexibility and unique sound more than makes up for any shortcomings.

I've never had a problem with OS 2.14, but I've heard Waldorf are notorious for their unstable early operating systems. I've also heard that some units overheat, but I've never had that problem with mine. Knobs and buttons feel sturdy. I'd use it live without hesitation.

Waldorf no longer exists, but there are plenty of user forums online.

If it were lost or stolen I'd get another one for sure. They are easy to find on ebay and an excellent value. I wouldn't use it as my only piece of gear, but if you are just starting out it makes an excellent choice for a 1st synth. I mostly play industrial, and it's right at home in that style of music. I've got a lot of other rack gear, including a K2500RS, Microwave XT, Jp-8080, Pulse and Virus XL, and this synth compliments them quite well.

I would not say the unit is easy to use - contraire, just need to
take the learning curve into consideration.

The criterion is of only 3 areas; number of ocillators, types of filters and quality of waveforms. Most of the other features are
secondary or tertiary.

This is why I bought the unit - twice. The sound is really high end
in terms of complexity and texture. I would say it sounds digital
and/or analog. It also sounds unique. I mainly use it for lead via
a Yamaha KX-5 but use it for ambient shading as well.

Seems to work fine - both units.

n/a

I did replace the unit so there you go. In a subjective sense
I do favor Waldorf. It's a sort of liquid quality through which
I can really express. Coooooooool!!

Not bad. The routing system on the front is a bit confusing at first, but when you are used to it - it's a big help.

Good set of features. The arpeggiator is... heaven. No doubt. If anyone thought the Virus C arpeggiator is cool, wait until you've tried the Micro-Q arpeggiator. The downside, it looks a bit frightening at first, but it's both easy to use and to program.

Absolutely terrible. I can't understand what people see in the MicroQ. The sounds are lifeless and metallic in some unpleasant way. Believe me, I've programmed many synthesizers and I'm used to make sounds myself - the MicroQ may look like a beast on the paper, but it's not. Take a look at eBay and ask yourself... why is so many people selling their MQs if they are so good as they say?

Avoid.

The latest OS is OK, but has to reorganize every now and then when loading new sounds to it. Can bve pretty annoying if you're trying to clean out all the presets you don't use.

Well. Waldorf are gone, but the community isn't that bad. It's easy to get proper help.

Sold it, will never replace it. A shame though... the MQ keyboard looks so nice...

V2.14

Presets sound awesome... fat, thin, random... everything has some level of 'warmth' to it. There's many options, I know, but even compared to the nicer workstations (Triton, Motif, Phantom), these MicroQ had a 'richer' quality.

This is where it's quicker than the workstations. Doesn't have the same extent of knobs but very quick to edit on the fly.

Looking for a manual.

Keyboard action is awesome considering its not weighted. It's quick and dynamic enough to do some interesting rhythmical grooves. Please refer to the other reviews for technical details... it's got it, so move on.

Let's just say that's it a deal for all the features that's offered by the Micro Q.

Since this is a VA (not a workstation), yes, it's realistic in emulating FAT analog synth tones. Don't expect it to do great grand pianos.

Look, its great for rock, trance, pop... but it's awesome for kick ass R&B, funk. You can do some updating and sick on some ol' Parliament tunes.

For digital / analog tones, it's definitely dynamic.

Built like a tank.

Unfortunately, Waldorf went under due to severe competition from soft synth. The only problem with those soft synth is that there a main in the butt.

Micro Q is immediate.

If you factor the size, it's absolutely the best value out there for a sweet VA synth. I looked at the rack version but the keybaord is worth it.

Using OS 2.14, I found this to be rather more easy and intuitive to use than I expected going through 4 or 5 knobs and buttons! The only part I had some confusion with (and for which the manual isn't as helpful) is navigating through the main Global settings and OS menus with the red knob; tweaking all patches is easy and straightforward, though (now made easier through my Oxygen 8 controller)

For the money, I couldn't ask for more. I looked around at a lot of other VAs and small synths ... microKorg, Micron, K-Station, X-Station, you name it... something was ALWAYS missing. microKorg has a decent vocoder (a plus for me), but the keys are too small and polyphony low; Micron has great sounds and full-sized keys, but more geared for classic-rock style leads and such... plus, the vocoder sucks, and it only has 3 KNOBS for tweaking sounds! K-station seemed the best bet for the money, but its monotimbral and low polyphony, X-station fixed some of this and has USB interface... but dropped the vocoder!

SO, with 16 part multitimbral, 25 voices, sweet vocoder, virtual analog capabilities AND nice digital filters, this synth has everything I wanted other than a keyboard (but at $80 used, my Oxygen 8 easily solved that problem)

I have not had a chance to use the onboard effects yet, so that may be a drawback from what I hear, but the arpeggiator, preset soundbank patches, and variety are incredible. I would say it sounds best for lush basses, thin/airy/fuzzy sweeping pads and strings, and watery-sounding modulator transformations... if you're looking to make trance, this thing is awesome. I personally am trying to use it for some glitchy rock stuff, so it may not be the best for that, but I feel confident that with as many filters, oscillators, etc. that this thing has, I can make it achieve any sound I am going to want.

It feels dependable. To be honest, this is my first rack synth, so I'm not really sure how these things hold up... plus I will be taking it on the road and gigging with it. I'm only a little concerned about the jacks in the back, which are apparently connected straight to the motherboard but not secured to the case at all! But that's okay, because I ended up buying two of them (used)! I considered reselling the second one since I don't need it... BUT I would have a heart attack if the one I'm using suddenly gave out.

So I foresee having two of these, one of which will be stowed away as a safe and reliable backup, just "in case" Even if I never need it, I'm willing to bet these babies will be hard to come by in the near future since Waldorf went kaput and they are still in high demand.

Company is dead.

Maybe if I'd spend the original $800-1000 on this baby I wouldn't give it a 10, but for what you can get out of it at a little over $300 used, it blows my mind. Between this and a sampler keyboard for more realistic sounds (I use the Alesis QS6.1), I feel like I will never need to buy another keyboard again (unless it's a better controller board)

Like I said, I have two of them, and I'm now thinking of holding on to the second one because I think I would literally break down and cry if mine broke and somehow I couldn't replace it.

Good manual. Preset editing difficulty is average; the matrix editing is fairly efficient but of course, not as good as having dedicated knobs for all parameters...an OK trade-off though since that would increase the size and price considerably.

The Wavetables and Bass/Lead/Pad template initial patches are nice touches. Very well spec'd. in terms of LFOs, envelopes, and filters.

When I first got the Micro-Q about two years ago i thought it had an overall digital quality to it (...not necessarily a bad thing as some would imply) but I've since changed my mind and think that the Micro-Q can also have a pleasing analog quality to it e.g. smoooooooth pads.

I agree with the last reviewer in that the build quality seems good but the AC cord has a loose fit in the socket.

When Waldorf was still in business they were great but now....well, I haven't had occcasion to even try to contact them but you can't expect support from a defunct company.

I agree with pretty much everything the previous reviewer said. MO the Micro-Q is a very worthwhile synth for electronic/synthetic sounds; it can sound digital or analog.

Easier than I expected for such a small rack-mount synth. OS 2.22, "25-voice" version (see below). The editing matrix is not as easy as one-knob-per-function, of course, but it's not really hard. Just a little slower. I've never used a patch editor. Presets are absolutely fantastic. Mind-blowing. The manual is pretty good...it even contains a couple examples of German humor.

You only get 25 voices if you have a simple sound, like maybe one oscillator and one filter. A complex sound can bring polyphony down to 10 voices or so, but so what? The Jupiter 8 only had 8 voices, and people still lust after it. No keyboard, effects are good but not as good as multi-thousand dollar Lexicons (that's OK with me), no expansion, MIDI functions are great. The Q's step sequencer has been dropped, as has the ability to morph patches and filter settings. Morphing patches on the Q never amounted to much for me (only continuously controlled parameters morphed, not selectible parameters), and the filter thing is no big deal. There are still two filters per voice here, and they still sound great.

The synth engine here is one of the best ever made. 3 oscillators (with smooth, smooth, smooth wavetables), 2 sub-oscillators, 3 LFOs, 2 filters, ring mod, FM, overdrive, gobs of envelopes, a genuine mod matrix, arpeggiators, etc. etc. A programmers dream.

Can I have a witness!? This thing is amazing. I play synthesizer, not oboe, so I don't care about acoustic instrument replication. The MicroQ is a fantastic synthesizer. Most of the time you can tell it's digital, but digital is just as exciting as analog to me. Plus, in a dense orchestration or a live band, it could easily pass for analog. Very expressive. There's a hard edge to many of the sounds that give this synth a definite, unique character that I truly love, but there's huge variety so it doesn't always stand out like a sore thumb. Between its fantastically complex sounds and its straightforward, punchy ones, it would work perfectly for any music that called for a synthesizer or for unconventional sounds. A real classic, and much more than a simple "virtual analog."

Seems great. The plug for the external power supply feels a little loose to me, but Waldorf stuff seems to be rock-solid and to hold up very well. They're German, after all.

Tragically, Waldorf is gone. I've heard that Access has hired some former Waldorf employees, so even if Waldorf resurfaces, it probably won't be the same. I live in a small town--trying to get the service manual for the Q keyboard was pretty hard, and the only synth repair place nearby had never even heard of Waldorf (in 2003). I basically consider myself to be without tech support for this synth. If it ever malfunctions, I'll have to drive hours and hours to a major city, then hope for the best. If you live in a big city and use Waldorf synths, you might be better off.

Easily, EASILY, the best $350 I've every spent. It's worth over $1,000. I would definitely replace it if I had to (with the blue one, not the ugly yellow one). If money were no obstacle, I'd get the Q Rack instead, but the few extra esoteric features are not worth doubling or tripling the price. I'm a serious amateur who's been playing for 8 years or so. I've owned a ton of different synths, and I currently use a K2661, a Supernova II, and a Microwave XT. No soft synths! They're too demanding of computer power, too tempramental, and they'll all get flushed down the toilet eventually by computer OS upgrades. I play synths that will be around for decades and will reward all the effort I put into programming them. The K2661 is capable of cool sample mangling, but it's difficult to use; the Supernova is a breeze and a pleasure to program, and it sound more analog but also more limited; the Microwave has deeper wavetable synthesis and some weird and cool filters, but it doesn't sound as lush and enormous as the MicroQ. If the MicroQ allowed me to make my own wavetables, I'd sell the XT. Overall, the MicroQ is as close as I've seen to the perfect synthesizer. Tomorrow's Minimoog. If you see one for sale, get it.

Latest software as of this review date.
Manual is good.
Editing is parameter-based intensive but workable.

See other reviews.

I really like the sonics of this unit. I've been a rompler and analog and digital synth guy for a while, but this this baby has sent me in new directions. I always thought these thypes of units were for dance, trance, industrial etc. I was wrong! It has a strong bottom end, rich middle, and a crisp high end.

It's worked for the last three weeks:-)

They're defunct or close to it. Yes, very sad. I finally get on board and the bus has broken down. Alesis managed to get through bankrupcy, but they were in CA during DotCom boom - good luck W.
Lots of good support on the web from Fans and ex-employees.

It's only been 3 weeks, but I'm pretty sure I'd buy another even 5 years from now. It's a swiss army knife of sound. Currently (XV88, QS8, DX7IIFD, Juno106, HPD15, DM5, CZ1, Wavestation EX, S550 (x2), D70, lots more blah, blah, blah. A friend bought one and raved about it. Most of the knobs protrude an inch or so, and I'm worried that someone will snag one, but they are great to grab and twist and it's hard to have your cake and eat it too.

The August 2002 issue of Electronic Musician has a good comparison chart and article on analog modeling synths that includes the MicroQ. That's what I used to decide...along with a trip to the music store to listen.

I wish it had a bigger display. Small displays are dumb and unforgiveable. Even a free phone with a cellular plan has a bigger display. A synth with an original retail price of 1K should have a decent size TFT. I'm not much of a tweeker anymore, but it's important for setting global parameters and creating multi-timbral setups - this is a minor gripe and there are plenty of synths that cost more and have equally small displays.

BOTTOM LINE: Swiss Army Knife of sound for less than four bills used.