Hooray For Waldorf & Second Hand Synths

Track2 · Post by **Track2** » Sun Sep 09, 2007 9:38 pm

Just got a micro q.

I always wanted a Q but dont have either the space or the £2,000 to get one

.

Picked up a uQ for £180.

What a great synth.

I was some what concerned that it might be the proverbial "painting the kitchen through the letter box" ui, but I marvel at the ingenuity of the interface- what a truimph of clever design to get that much ease of use from 4 knobs and a few buttons- really well thought out. I thought it would be a pain to use- its a pleasure, relatively speaking.

I'm loving the sound- very muscular and distinctive.

Glad to see that its got the beserk randomizer function like the xt!

What a joy it is to pick up these VA's for a fraction of their original cost- future classics many of them, I'm sure, as soft synths become ever more prevalant amoung the next generation coming to music for the first time, the majority of whom increasingly in the future I suspect will just use software.

cartesia · Post by **cartesia** » Mon Sep 10, 2007 1:25 am

generally speaking, if i like the evolver's matrix editor, will I like the microQ's?

I'm in the same boat. .would rather a q rack but am only a poor fellow

crystalmsc · Post by **crystalmsc** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 10:22 am

that's a nice price for the uQ and I also think that it's going to be a future classic. not sure about the Devo matrix editing, but for people who like the Pulse matrix editing they'll be likely have no problem with the uQ matrix editing. They even have an almost identical casing size.

lovedroid · Post by **lovedroid** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 12:50 pm

cartesia wrote:generally speaking, if i like the evolver's matrix editor, will I like the microQ's?

Yup, I'm quite sure that you'dlike it! -To me the Evo matrix was more difficult to grasp than that of the uQ. (I owned a desktop Evo for a couple of years before I got a MEK.)
The larger display on the uQ makes quite a difference. And since there are only 4 encoders/knobs in the matrix it's a bit easier to find your way. But on the same time that means you need a bit more button-pushing to get to the parameters you want.

minime123 · Post by **minime123** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 4:56 pm

i disagree - i dont think its going to be a future classic, even though its a nice powerful and cost effective synth.
mini

Track2 · Post by **Track2** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 6:28 pm

crystalmsc wrote:that's a nice price for the uQ and I also think that it's going to be a future classic. not sure about the Devo matrix editing, but for people who like the Pulse matrix editing they'll be likely have no problem with the uQ matrix editing. They even have an almost identical casing size.

Its interesting- I was very concered about the editing, as my other stuff is pretty knobtastic.

Alltough the wardolf interface on the uQ is a little work of genius, you are still having to visualise the parameters you are editing or going to edit next in a way that you dont with a more immediate interface.

I was programming it last night and I realised that actually this is really cool in that it really makes you think about your programming, more so perhaps than if you are staring at a load of knobs and buttons laid out a-la the signal path more or less.

You have to hold in your mind what it is the synth can do, rather than letting your eye wander temptingly over the interface.

I bet this influences the way one programmes- its a much more rigorous process and a great discipline.

I still want a Q+ though

ReaPeR · Post by **ReaPeR** » Tue Sep 11, 2007 8:14 pm

Track2 wrote: I still want a Q+ though

+1 >_<

machvingtsun · Post by **machvingtsun** » Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:24 am

Hows the uQ compare to the Microwave xt in terms of editing. I found the XTs interface painfull and hated the small screen, is the uQ any better?