Re: upon the fringes of looplicity...

["L. Stafford" <r4c@winternet.com>]

At 05:03 PM 9/7/99 -0500, you wrote: 
>
>     Furthermore my insatiable queries into unorthodox guitar signal
> processing has brought me across an interesting synth called a Microwave 
>XT
> by Waldorf. Does anyone have knowledge of this wonder. It looks very
> appetizing! <http://www.waldorf-gmbh.de/>http://www.waldorf-gmbh.de/ 
> Evidently, with a 1/4" input you can plug anything from guitar to vocals 
>into
> this thing and tweek it into the next millenium. Nice! Perhaps, though, 
>all I
> really need is the 4-pole filter thingy which is much less expensive and 
>just
> as devastating. Peace in, 
> Jamie
>  
> p.s. This echoplex software update songs tantalizing! Granulations? wow.


The audio input on the XT is kind of a bonus to its incredible synthesis
capabilities.  I have the MicrowaveII (XT w/o the input & extra knobs) 
which
never ceases to amaze me.  It would be a shame to use this box as solely a
processing unit.  If you just want the filters, go w/ the 4-pole, X-pole or
D-pole (the software plugin).  If you want some impressive synthesis
capability, go w/ the MWII or XT (or XTk if you want the keyboard).  The
Waldorf synths also have some of the best user interfaces of ANY synth I 
have
ever used.  Be prepared to program it because its not a "preset" synth, 
but you
will certainly be rewarded for putting in a little effort to prog it 
because
these things put out some amazing sounds.  Like anything, try it before 
you buy
it because the MW series have a very unique sound that may not be to 
everyone's
taste.  After purchasing a creamware pulsar synthesis/audio mixing card &
native instruments' Generator/Reaktor, the only outboard synth gear that I
actually use anymore is a Waldorf and an oberheim MX1000.  This probably 
says
much about the MW's unique sound which can't be easily duplicated by 
anything
else.  Additionally, the MW's are software upgradable which is as easy as
downloading a MIDI file and playing it in your sequencer into the MW.  You
might also want to check out the Waldorf mailing list
(mailto:user-forum-request@waldorf-gmbh.de?subject:"subscribe").



Lorren Stafford
Richard For Cerebellum/A Most Happy Sound
http://www.winternet.com/~r4c
http://www.futureperfect.org/art/happy.html

"We ask ourselves whether truly this is the beginning 
of a new world or whether perhaps the world...is about
to perish.  There are people who earnestly and seriously
fear this, where music becomes the slave of the machine..."