Waldorf Microwave

I don't think it's too difficult to use.
You need some time to get a feeling for the parameters, however, and the user interface could be a bit more simple.

Eight-Voice polyphony. No built-in effects. Stereo output and four single outputs. There is some software available on the internet to create your own wavetables, but I never tried that.

The Microwave is quite a powerful and versatile synth. I like the sounds very much. It can sound "analog" and "digital", and it can sound "inbetween" as well. But don't you expect anything "realistic". This thing is a pure synthesizer, not a piano module!

It can come close to some percussive, metallic DX7 sounds without reaching their complexity and subtlety. I have a DX7 and the Microwave is an excellent complement for it. The analog filter sounds great and you can do very nice sweep and lead sounds with it. The Microwave doesn't always sound very clean. In the upper tone range it adds some digital garbage (aliasing) to the sound which can't be turned off. Besides it produces some analog distortion when the output levels of the oscillators are too high - use it for dirty sounds or reduce the output levels to get a cleaner sound.
The combination of the digital wavetable synthesis and the analog filter is very powerful. It can do complex modulation sounds you won't get from an analog synth and neither from the DX7.
I've read different opinions about how close the microwave comes to the sounds of the PPG Wave 2. The hybrid (digital/analog) synthesis is similar on both synths, but the microwave has got filters that sound slightly different.
But for me that's not the question. I love the microwave and I won't sell it.

No problems so far.

As far as I know the company does not exist any more. Quite sad.

Well, had if for a few days now, and the general impression is good. V1.25 and it has come the Access Controller... basically without the Access my opinion would be quite a bit less, just because it's fun to turn knobs and generate really interesting sounds with movement in them, rather than static buzzes. Programming the front panel seems similar to the OB Matrix 6, but that's just an initial comparison. It doesn't appear to be as rotten as some have indicated.

this has already been covered. I received a few Waldorf cards and they are a welcome addition but add nothing fantastic. Many of the sounds are legato, and this sort of was a bit of a slightly unwelcome surprise.

I was intially going to compare it to my Nord Rack when I received it, but, it sounds more like a Matrix6 that's souped up, but it doesn't quite have that eyeball tearing/ripping of the M6. It does have a nice metallic sheen and covers the high EQ stuff alright, but doesn't come close to the highEQ fidelity and pristine sonic purity of the Nord. It is one of those older synths that have a tendecy to need a mfx to really cut loose, I'm using a Sony V55 on it, and they work well together.

ya, looks/feels solid, being made of metal, and other than the Mode key sticking a bit (a poor design), works well and doesn't weigh a ton for an older rack synth.

nope, and these days I'm counting on Waldorf's good repute.

I'm glad I picked it up considering it was a very quick decision to buy it. Would I buy it again, no, mostly because there's way too many other synths to check out before I die.
I would highly recommend getting the Access Programmer if possible, as that turns this good synth into a great synth, and also a mfx is a real bonus to make this unit jump alive. Given the choice, I'd buy this way before a Nord Rack because it makes me close my eyes and lets the fingers play or turn dials on the Access, wheras with the Nord I always seem to be either taking it out of the mix more than adding it, or flipping through the sounds looking for something more compatable with the stuff I'm doing.

My MW1 has version 2.0. This is the final revision of MW1 software, highly recommended.

Editing from the front panel can be a bit tedious, but more than possible. Waldorf deserves a lot of credit for making such a minimalist control set so flexible. SoundDiver makes editing this an absolute dream.

The Programming manual is very readable and descriptive. The tone is slightly less humorous than that of my Micro-Q manual, so it seems like they loosened up over time. Waldorf manuals are the polar opposite of Kawai manuals (Kawai manuals are only useful as coasters).

All MW1's (without a WaveSlave or companion MW1) are 8v multitimbral. There are no effects processors, but the nature of the box still allows it to sound wonderful without them. Don't get me wrong, a light touch of reverb finishes the sound perfectly.

I believe that the RAM cards are compatible with the Korg M1-series. I haven't tried one yet, but the limited on-board memory (64 singles) means I'll be getting one shortly.

The MIDI implementation of the MW1 is astounding, considering its vintage. There are newer synths that aren't as comprehensive.

Now, to the heart of the issue - the MW1 sounds like no other synth I own. The timbres are alive. They move like my Wavestation, blib and burble like my K5000S, buzz and bleat like my TG77. It's hard to believe that all the sound is in a single MW1 voice.

The percussive arpeggiator/sequencer tones that were done so well on the PPG are well within the unit's grasp.

This unit has one of the best 24dB/Oct analog LPF's ever placed in a 2RU box. Not to say that the multimode filter of the MWII & XT doesn't offer a boatload of possibilities, but this filter is just that good. It gives a warmth and shape to the sound that has to be heard.

It is possible to overdrive both the mixer and final VCA for interesting analog distortion. Sounds great on Mini-style patches.

There are gobs of modulation parameters that can be controlled as you play, even the resonance amount has a modifier.

Complaints are few, but the major one is the single wavetable per patch. This limitation is not the easiest to program around (need to make split user wavetables). Maybe I'll find another one at the same price :)

It seems to be built like a tank - although it is new in my rack, there are ten years' worth of miles on it. Mine was pretty well cared for, and I'll continue that. If it breaks, I'll try to get it repaired. It won't be travelling anymore - that should take care of the major risks.

Waldorf seems to "get it" with regards to customer service. There is still a section on the FTP site with MW1 sounds and programs. They kindly answer emails promptly.

I will not let this piece go. Although I would love to have some of the features and polyphony of the IIxt, I would rather add one to the rig. This is one of the best grabs I feel I have made in quite a while. I spent hours going through patch collections to make several serviceable banks for editing. I layered the MW1 into an existing multi instrument patch (Micro-Q, D-550, K5000S, TG77, MKS-80) the first day home from the store. The difference was astounding. Somewhat similar to my experience with my K5000S, the MW1 has a unique tone that is easily identified. Unlike the Kawai, the MW1 slides gracefully and perfectly into the mix - add a touch of reverb and it's done. Once the Wavestation slides back into the rack (ran out of space, time for a bigger rack) we should be cooking...

Once I get over the absolute wonder of this unit's filter, I'll probably stop wasting time listening to tremendous filter sweeps and get around to making new patches that are more musically useful. But it's a great way to spend time...

I;m using a microwave with the last version of software i think?
Presets seem cool , great vintage synth emulations , nothing to unqiue but plenty of classic sounds.Mnaula is in german and i only speak english !oops....bought from germany !editing is very easy with sounddiver !

I guess you'll have all this info.Get a ram card...

well this is why i wrote the review.I have owned 2 x xy and sold both as i just wasnt getting it ? or felt the xt lacked warmth or character of some kind?it was very cool , but lacking ...and not only filter wise.I just felt the xt was missing something?but bought one twice as i couldnt believe it was bad , and thought it was me.Anyway , i bought and sold 2 xt and then got right into the ppg
sound via the vst plugin and heard the mk1 was cool for this.Well what can i say.This thing lacks the knobs of the xt but its alive , organic and very cool.Its a very strong character and one of those synths you fall in love with.It just seems more unpredictable and better than the later models.Lovely loveley sounds.

seems cool.

i found them bad when i needed some advice for one of the xt.Took 8 mails to get a reply.

Buy one , its a classic and VERY top end synth with a quality both in build and sound , blows the xt away for most stuff , not as complex for weirdness but does weirdness inw ays the xt didnt for me?has 'That ' sound also...not quite a ppg but 99% for what i want....wonderfull.

it's not hard to use, it's just that the inrface could have been a bit more decent, but it has been made in '91 or near, so it's ok.
other fantastic synth with horrible interface: Yamaha TX81z and FS1-R.
absence of presets (not at all, but...);
personally it doesn't matter, here you have to make your sounds.

8 v poliphony, a space for a storage / loading card
no sequencer inside obviously;
pure wavetables heaven with ANALOGUE filters, the best combination i ever previewed.
you can program from earthshaking basses to the extreme puching leads to monster noises.
perfect for ambient too; it's just as you program it, it's a monster.

to my ears it's the best sounding synth ever made.
it's special for strange sounds, a lot of metallic things, but you can really obtain a complete ranhe of possible sounds; no acustic emulation or relistic ones of course, but you should be really fucked up in the head to get a Microwave to have a trumpet or a good piano....
the fact is that this thing can go into some sort of randomic noises or not wanted sub self oscillation that remember me real analogue synths as concept. but this is really more fun i.m.o.
this thing can do sounds that no other machine can do, it can be substituted with another thing if you want this shit.
very Nine Inch Nailish, Cure's sounding...

microwave 1 brings to addiction for sure.
the II or XT are great, but little toys respect the first one.
the MicroQ is again a lot of fun, i should suggest this last one insted II or XT if you can't find a microwave 1, even if these are completely different machines.
i was talking about the attitude and the randomic things that came out of the boxes.

well, don't know very much about this.

i have a Nord Modular, a MicroQ and this Microwave I.
everyone really different from the others, so i can't say one is better than another;
the Nord sounds more pure respect everything but can't reach those ultrasounds the microwave it's capable of.
a great couple.
really suggested to everyone into industrialish style, darkwave, electronica, tekno, sperimantal, and also drum&bass, yes, i told drum&bass, this thing can do monster basses that the virus can only dream.

Software version 2.0. The presets were non-exisitant. Whoever had this machine before me just loaded it up with a handful of sawtooth wave sounds. Boring, but a good starting point - I had to learn how to program the synth pretty quickly in order for it to make any sort of interesting sound.

Patch editing is surprisingly easy. I think that Wofgang Palm and Waldorf did a great job of logically laying out the button matrix and controls. The editing "modules" and nested pages of parameters is also layed-out quite logically. I haven't really had to use the manual except to look up the occasional instruction.

Soundiver, added as an editing and wavetable editing environment, makes this setup almost as powerful as a PPG Wave + Waveterm system. I haven't had the time to try out any other hardware or software editors.

Access once made a knob-laden programmer for it, but these are rather hard to come by, and don't really give the user access to deeper functions of the synth.

Polyphony: eight notes. This isn't as limiting as it sounds. The more complex sounds sometimes shine brighter when played more in a more spartan manner. I wouldn't mind 16 note polyphony, though. Waldorf once made units called Waveslaves, which were sold as polyphony expanders, but were rendered useless with ver 2.0. Useful as a spare part sources if you can find them

No built in effects. It really sounds better with only light effects anyway. Just give it a touch of reverb and some good quality chorusing - like a Roland Dimension-D.

The internal memory is only 64 patches and 64 multi's. There is a slot in the front that accepts RAM cards. Use the cards that Korg made for the M-1 as these are really easy to find. Or even better, use librarian software.

Using UPAW (on the Waldorf FPT server) you can create new wavetables and Soundiver allows wavetable editing as well. This keeps things interesting and IMHO helps to really extend the life and useability of the Microwave.

The MIDI is totally up to date. Good controllability. It responds to polyphonic aftertouch! (Hint - get an Ensoniq SQ-80 to use as a controller as it transmits polyphonic aftertouch and it's sound really compliments the Microwave. Similar in feel.)

No onboard sequencer or arpeggiator. Guess that's what makes this more like a baby PPG. No big deal. I just use an Emax for an arpeggio source.

I think everyone should know by know that there is no point in trying to emulate real instruments on this machine. Once you hear what it can do, you really won't care...trust me. This is one of the few synths that doesn't sound organic at all - well maybe organic on an extra-terrestrial level. The sounds defy description most of the time.

If you're a fan of the PPG series of synths, this machine won't let you down. The sounds are quite similar and with exception given to sounds produced using the upper wavetable, most of those classic sounds are easily re-created on the Microwave. Especially the chunky and raspy bass sounds,those "deceased choir" impressions and the big metallic klonks. The analog filter adds a nice round "push" to the overall tone, really beefing it up in ways that are hard to describe.

This machine would work well for most styles of music depending on how it was programmed. It can really make a huge variety of sounds, but would best be used as intended - like a paintbrush. The sounds are complex, intense and beautiful. They can "smear" if not treated carefully.

It can be programmed to be highly expressive. The modulation matrix really allows the player to take advantage of the expressive nature of the instrument. Imagine using polyphonic aftertouch and velocity to control the individual time segments of an envelope generator that is scanning a harmonically rich wavetable - and you've still got the mod wheel, pitch wheel, and a slew of other controllers to think of.

Programming sessions can get really lengthy and become highly addictive once you begin to understand what you can do with this thing! Inform your loved ones of this before you buy one as they won't be seeing you for a while.

Mine has been in smoky night clubs, in smoky bedroom studios, in cold storage facilities and bumpy car rides. Never had a problem with it. Well, the display did hang on me a couple of times after turning it on while cold, but that's it.

This machine was meant to be a reliable, refined, rack-mountable PPG without all the extras. It is just that. Quite a sturdy little guy.

If you ever need help, this company like dealing with good friends. They get back to you as soon as possible and are friendly in their dialog. These guys run a small company and genuinely respect their customers. Bar none the best synth company I've ever dealt with.

Repairs haven't been necessary yet. Not bad for a machine made in the late eighties.

I would quickly track down another one if stolen. I'm still waiting for the opportunity to buy a Wave 2.2, but I've grown very fond of this machine. Worth every penny spent on it.

I've been playing with synths since I was a child. Began saving every dime I could make/find after seeing Nick Rhodes play his Jupiter-8 at age nine. Got a Juno-6 a year later and have been entranced with electronic music ever since.

I use/have used: Microwave 1, Emulator II+HD, Emax I, Emax II, Jupiter-6&8, Prophet-5&600, ARP: Odyssey,Axxe,String Ensemble,Solus, Korg MS-20 & MS-10, NED Synclavier, Ensoniq SQ-80, Yamaha TG-33, Roland: JV-80, S-10, S-50,Juno-60, SH-101, Casio CZ-101, Simmons SDS-7
and a whole bunch more.

I love the fact that it can make sounds like nothing else I've ever heard. The kind of sounds that can produce goose-bumps and spine-chills.

Only thing I can compare it to would be a PPG Wave 2.2/2.3. The Microwave II series that followed got further away from the grit and dirt of the originals. Very distinct sound.

Only thing I wish it had would be the Fourier analysis functions of the Waldorf Wave.

It's an inspiration to work with and very musical.

Very easy - not difficult at all once you get used to it, which happens quickly. More buttons/interactivity and more info in the display would be nicer... The manuals are good. Use a patch editor for it.

Wave-sweeping oscillators and a real analog filter - Can't find these features anywhere else!

This thing creates unique sounds like nothing else out there. I do have to say, however, that the analog filter on this thing leaves much to be desired. It isn't very clean, and lacks the warmth and fullness of Moog/Oberheim filters. In other words, don't expect to get nice analog sounds out of this. But the digital sounds and wave sweeping are to die for.

This thing is old, but seems built like a rock. I'm not worried about it lasting. Has given me no problems.

Waldorf still supports this instrument! You can download and install the latest Operating System. How great is all that?

If it died or was lost or stolen, I'd definitely try to get another one, or get the Microwave 2 or XT. Compared to my Yamaha TG-33 which does Dynamic Vector synthesis, this thing is incredible - nothing else sounds like it. The most unique sounding synth out there, period.

I bought it when it was new years ago.It looked great and sounded better!The preets were actually very cool and definitely unique.It has a small LCD,but I thought it was abreeze to get around.

It is an 8 voice machine,but it is multitabmbural.It doesnt have any built in effects,but yo never miss them.It has sound cards.MIDI in,out,thru.No onbobord seguencer.

It was made for unique sounds,Its not suppose to make some true to life pano sound.Its great for all types of music.It has velocity,aftertouch,etc.

The first time I turned mine on I got these chinese looking characters,but I also ran into that with an emax.I just hooked it up to a juice goose and never again had a problem.Its definitely reliable.

I think waldorf is a great company.Very helpful.

Actually today,years later im buying one again,never to part with it again.Belive me,Ive owned just about all of them which Im ashamed to say ,but with that I know which ones are best.I might not be the slicket,with fancey functions and stuff,but it sounds great,and isnt that what really matters in the end.

The stock patches are ok , but make your own!! after you get used to it, its not that bad, it would be nice for realtime control! But the sounds it makes make up for its inconvenience of panel control . The manuals are quite long and difficult to understand, read them a few times .. if it had factor realtime knobs I would give it a 10..!!

its a rack unit , it can be used as a midi to cv converter, the eproms can be updated it has full midi functions all parameters if you get one the Access realtime programer is always nice the panel is a bit tricky to use . it has four individul assignable outs.

The sounds are very unique , nothing else like them , the modulation matrix , and the almost human like voice sounds you can create from scratch waveforms are awesome .. its very very flexible with sounds, and very warm , with the analogue vcf. I can emulate most analogues with it ... !! its baddd!!!! well good ., you know what I mean ..

it is very dependable , its been tossed to and fro, and beat around , works like a dream

They are very good on support, but the Microwave has been discontinued quite some time now !!

I would have a hard time parting with this machine, they are fairly rare, and are much better sounding than the Microwave 2 or the XT ! aren't nearly as cheaply built and mass produced.. the programmer makes a world of difference for the controlability of the Micro wave .. If the microwave had realtime control stock I would have to give it a 10 rating , I have a lot of synths , and this is the most unique, of both analogues , and digital , vectors.. for the sound its worth every penny you will give ...

This is an unusual synth -- it has 8 voices and each voice consists of 2 oscillators, a real analog vcf (and probably an analog vca). However, the oscillators are wavetable scaning interpolating oscilators (like an ensoniq transwave, but more confusing). Each oscillator has 64 bins that stores a cycle of a waveform, when you play, you can scan the oscillator bins in a programmable fashion. A bin may or may not store a sampled wave, if the bin is empty, a new wave is synthesised based on the wave that preceeds it and the wave that follows it in the oscillator table. Its not entirely clear how the new wave is created, but its based on the PPG waveterm, if thats of any use.
The 2 line display and parameter are ok, but it is not easy to program. In addition, you will probably want to copy or download your own waveforms to get the most use, and this isnt easy to do. In the unit I had, it wasnt even clear from the manual how the wavetables were constructed .
The presets are very techno oriented--It would be difficult to get an acoustic simulation out of this box, but thats not what its designed to do. It would be effective for dance and other applications. It really is a true synthesiser of electronic sounds, and you can get some amazing modulation effects from wavetable scanning and analog filter sweeps.

No keyboard, 8 note polyphony - hybrid voices--digital oscillatiors with analog processing banks. The microwave used to accept the waveslave units, that would add an additional 8 voices, but I dont know if the waveslave is still in production. I believe that korg ram cards can be used to store patches. The operating system is occasionally updated (which is amazing for a synth that is > 6 years old). This is basically a sound generator, the unit that I had had no sequencing capablity, but that may have changed with the newest operating system. But it was not designed to be one of these modern 64 voice megasynths, it was design with a very unique personality to appeal to a nitche audience

Instruments are very unrealistic in most cases. This synth was designed for the unusual. It would make a powerful lead synth and may be very popular with the techno/rave movement. It has full matrix modulation and is very expressive for creating some of the most unusual sounds you can think of. But dont try to get a piano tone out of it.

Had it for several years with no problem -- well built.

This is a very unique synth and you probably really want a certain sound to be even looking at it. If you can stand its strong personality, it can do wonderful things. I had to sell mine awhile back, but I have been considering purchase of a new one. But there is a long waiting list and the price is actually higher that it was several years ago.