Waldorf Blofeld

[Joshy]

First off I'm a big fan of Waldorf and I've been thinking a lot about picking up a Blofeld as my next synth. I've also really enjoyed my Micro Q so far and have wanted the full fledged Q for a while. Additionally I've wanted to get into wavetables as well via the Microwave. All three of these synths I really enjoy the sounds I've heard from them (Q, Microwave, Blofeld) but I'm feeling a little divided.

I'm wondering how the Blofeld sizes up against the older generation of Q and Microwaves. From what I have read it seems the Blofeld really covers both aspects of being a VA with wavetable capabilities. It seems so versatile and at its price point I can't complain.

The more I look at the Q and MW it seems the only benefit is a knobby interface. If that's the case I'll take a much more robust sound engine with a few less knobs any day.

Thoughts? Any input is appreciated.

[syntheticsolutions]

I really love the Blofeld, it is the first modern digital synth that I have had the urge to buy myself.

I would research the various bugs in the Blofeld's OS. I have had my hands on 3 separate units (all keyboards) and each of them suffered from issues such as control freezes, power cuts, complete loss of preset memory where every patch is reduced to an unnamed click and incredible difficulty syncing to external sources.

Hopefully Waldorf will sort these out asap. The sound is certainly unique and the bang for buck is exceptional!

[Rick N Boogie]

Agreed. As a synth, it's one of by favorites. Sold my Virus, kept the Blo. Sound engine is incredible, and even with a mere 6 knobs of control, the layout is a breeze and very intuitive. Easy to dig in deep and create stunning sounds. But, as stated, sometimes it'll freeze up and get weird. This usually happens after it's been on a while, and turning it off and rebooting corrects the issue, but I'd hate for that to happen on stage.

[ColorForm2113]

Blofeld is amazing, its practically a digital modular synth. Filters sound really good to (thats coming from a moog fan boy lol) i have had as few issues with it, like the memory problem and it freezing but with the the newest OS (1.16b I think) and having a mod that was recomended by the folks at waldorf (an SMD cap soldered inreplace of one of the other caps for memory storage) I really haven't had any issues since. I do recomend getting one of the free blofeld editors though to back up your patches. I do this maybe every other time I play with it just to keep my mind at ease.

And even with only a couple knobs and buttons, its pretty easy to get around (I'm also typically a knob per function guy)

I would think it would be worth owning multiple waldorf synths, even if they cover a lot of the same ground. They all have their unique charms

[Joshy]

Right, thanks for the input. I'll definitely be picking up the Blofeld as my next synth and hopefully the current issues can be fixed by Waldorf.

I may eventually try the other Waldorf synths in the future. I'm definitely interested in the full Q.

[calaverasgrande]

these have been out fora few years now. There are still stability problems?
How frequent are the freezes?

[Rick N Boogie]

Since my last post, my Blofeld has not froze up once. And I play with it for hours on end, almost everyday. It has happened a few times in the 8 months or so since I've owned it, but not once since the 4th. Maybe it heard me complaining?

[calaverasgrande]

Since my last post, my Blofeld has not froze up once. And I play with it for hours on end, almost everyday. It has happened a few times in the 8 months or so since I've owned it, but not once since the 4th. Maybe it heard me complaining?

I've been itching for one for a couple years now. I am a big fan of the PPG2.3v VST/AU. I'd love to get some of that gristle in my rig without resorting to laptopcore. But I am concerned with the reports of issues.
That doesnt sound that bad. I have drum machines and synths (and an MP201) that glitch more often.

[Joshy]

I'm tempted to get the Blofeld keyboard version from Guitar Center since their tax saver sale is going on. $200 off their listed price of $999.

Not too shabby in my opinion.

[Gummi]

I am interested in the blofeld.

do any of you guys know if it would be a good beginner synth.

im only sixteen and have only been messing around making music on and off for 3 years.

[Ashe37]

Uhm...

I don't know how well someone new to synths would work with a Blofeld. Have you used any other synths- even VSTs? do you understand how subtractive synthesis works? Then there's the editing matrix... if not, something like a Novation Nova or K-Station, or an Access Virus A might be better.

(Not knocking the Blofeld at all, I <3 my Blofeld, I just don't know how good of a beginner synth it makes...)

[Bitexion]

Don't scare the guy off buying a Blofeld. A total beginner needs a synth with loads of presets of all kinds. The Blofeld has that in spades.

If he decides to get into synthesis eventually, it's best to teach on a synth you already have instead of spend ages looking for "the right one for me". And Blofeld are pretty darn cheap for all the power you get.

[Ashe37]

All true

[ColorForm2113]

Actually with all the visual feedback on the oscillators, filters, envelopes and,lfos, I think it would good for a newbie to learn on. I actually used mine to teach synthesis to a friend of mine that had a free synth for a couple weeks.and knew nothing about synths other than the fact that they make ccool sounds

[Gummi]

I well i have ableton on my mac and have only been messing around with operator, mostly learning from youtube and messing around with presets.