Waldorf Microwave 2/XT vs Blofeld

[labyrinth]

I was wondering if anyone knows if the Blofeld is missing any features from the Microwave series.
I can't find any spec docs on Waldorf's site. What I do know is that the Blofeld contains all of the
wavetables from the Micowaves.

I'm essentially trying to figure out if I'd me missing out on any features other than knobs if I got
a Blofeld and not a Microwave.

[clubbedtodeath]

Hi there,

Welcome to VSE.

The best place to get responses to this sort of question is Buyer's guide forum; I'll put this over there.

[GeneralBigbag]

Microwave 2/XT manual
http://www.waldorfmusic.de/assets/files ... .3%20E.pdf
Blofeld manual
http://www.waldorfmusic.de/assets/files ... manual.pdf

[Bitexion]

AFAIK there are no differences, the Blofeld is like a "best of" of features from the microwave/XT/q+/pulse synths, with some added goodies ("upper wavetable" from PPG Wave and emulated PPG Wave 2.x filter) thrown in too. It has all the wavetables the old synths have, according to the manual.

But probably can't directly transfer XT patches, since the whole layout and OS is different.

I spent 3 hours yesterday listening to wavetables, and only got to #20 or so because I'd always start messing with multiple oscillators and filtering and arpeggiator and distorted effects and whatnot instead of trying the next one.
The pulsewidth knob acts as "pointer" in the wavetable, or you can automate it with LFO or envelope or anything else that can move a parameter.

[Joey]

There are a bunch of differences between the two.

the blofeld lacks the wave envelopes from the XT, as well as many of the filters, the S&H, sine X lp, waveshaper, and filter Fm by osc 2 filters are all missing in the blofeld

the blofeld on the other hand has the PPG filter, upper wavetable, overdrive curves, and a few other things that the XT doesn't have that I can't recall right now

they also have a much different sound, think of the blofeld as more of a successor to the Q series rather than the XT, with all the xt wavetables to boot

[Bitexion]

Oh, that much difference. Glad I put AFAIK (As far as i know) in the beginning of my rant, then.
Guess the blofeld manual isn't too keen to tell people all about what it doesn't contain, naturally enough.

But you can sort most of those things out with the modulation matrix anyway.

[GeneralBigbag]

The Blofeld is really the Q architecture with wavetables, more filters, and the overdrive curves.

[Robonaut]

I was considering the Blofeld for a while, but the extra knobs available on the XT outweighed any advantages that the Blofeld might have as far as features. There are so many parameters available on Waldorf synths that I just knew there would be no way I could live with the Blofeld's tiny screen and scant knobbage.

[breitt]

I was considering the Blofeld for a while, but the extra knobs available on the XT outweighed any advantages that the Blofeld might have as far as features. There are so many parameters available on Waldorf synths that I just knew there would be no way I could live with the Blofeld's tiny screen and scant knobbage.

But, isn't the screen, with its high-contrast graphic display, and the quick navigational capability via the high-quality knob/matrix interface supposed to compensate and/or improve upon the extra knob scenario?

Bitexion-what do you think?

[crystalmsc]

with its high-contrast graphic display, and the quick navigational capability via the high-quality knob/matrix interface supposed to compensate and/or improve upon the extra knob scenario?

based on my experience with the simpler uQ and Pulse+, I don't think that it would replace the joy of those XT knobs on wavetable synthesis.

[Bitexion]

I don't find the lack of "1 knob per function" to be a problem. The knob you scroll through menus with (top left) is a stepped endless controller (like you feel little clicks when you turn it). And the 4 knobs on the right side control 4 parameters on each screen, like filter cutoff, resonance, eg amount and type on the Filter screen, or A D S R times on the EG screen. The written matrix on most of the right-hand side shows what the 4 knobs control without having to look at the LCD.
Also the 2 knobs directly beneath the screen is mapped to two parameters (always right above the knobs). On the oscillator screen for instance, wave shape and detune is mapped to those two, and on the wavetable osc screen, PWM and PWM amount is mapped to those two (PWM sets the "pointer" in the wavetable, PWM amount sets how far an LFO or any other automated sweep shall go.)

Knobbage is no issue for me.

[Joey]

waldorf has always had really good editing matrices...

I usually find myself programming the XT from the four knobs at the top which are usually found on the microwave 1 and 2, you need to use them for the deeper functions anyway, and it is pretty quick to edit

the pulse is easy too, but its even easier now that i got pulse editor... I can use the XT's knobs to edit it

the blofelds interface looks great, and probably is similar