Incoming Knobby Blofeld (sort of)?

[Infrasound]

Saw this on website before, may be of interest to those in Melbourne.

http://www.audiochocolate.com.au/produc ... 49b2f09c46

I heard stories of the Studiosonic Sledge but wondered if it was vapourware.
I don't know what the hardware will be like but despite the ugly colour it has a good number of knobs. The so called 'Waldorf DNA' sounds interesting also.

The implementation sounds Waldorfy, Osc 1 having 66 PPG wavetables. Not as knobby as a Wave, or Q, but substantially more than the Pulse or Blofeld (I think Blofeld Osc 2 also had wavetables).
So far I've only seen a crappy video with some guy repeating the names of synthesizer parameters and saying wow a lot.

I will be watching and listening as this could be the knobby synth I am waiting for.

[Blue Monster 65]

Sonic State video @ Music Messe: http://www.sonicstate.com/news/2012/03/ ... ic-sledge/

[Ashe37]

Studiologic Sledge, discussed in the coverage from NAMM and in this thread.

As discussed there, the sledge is only 8 voice and much less capable programming-wise than a blofeld.

[Infrasound]

Sorry didn't see that thread, and I thought I looked but maybe I didn't.

There's another demo here:


IMO it's fairly hideous and I wonder who the h**l their target market is?

I think my GAS just died.

[meatballfulton]

[implant]

the original sledge

[James Mandible]

Sorry didn't see that thread, and I thought I looked but maybe I didn't.

There's another demo here:


IMO it's fairly hideous and I wonder who the h**l their target market is?

I think my GAS just died.

that is such a strange demo. Sounds like they're aiming for some imagined late 80s jazz funk demographic.
Anyway whatever interest I had in this died a while back at seeing it's supposed list price...which was somehow way more expensive even than the Blofeld keyboard. I'm still thinking that's gotta be incorrect somehow but who knows...

[Ashe37]

The guy in the Sonic State demo says a thousand euros...

but basically, it sounds like its the Micro Q engine, just like the expansion board that used to be available for the CME controllers.

[bouzoukijoe1]

nice knobby interface, but argghh not another yellow synth! looks like a taxi cab.

[AnalogKid]

As discussed there, the sledge is only 8 voice and much less capable programming-wise than a blofeld.

How is the Sledge much less capable programming-wise? I would think that the Sledge, with its over 40 hands on panel controls, would be much better for programming than the menu diving required by the Blofeld. In my opinion, menu diving diminishes sound programming creativity. What does the Blofeld have that makes the Sledge much less capable programming-wise? I don't want to look into the Sledge if the Blofeld will blow it away. Menu diving is an inconvience, but it can be put up with if the Blofeld is a much more capable synth, especially at a fraction of the price. I would just like to know why the Blofeld is a better synth. In my book, the panel on the Sledge is a big plus.

[GuyaGuy]

As discussed there, the sledge is only 8 voice and much less capable programming-wise than a blofeld.

How is the Sledge much less capable programming-wise? I would think that the Sledge, with its over 40 hands on panel controls, would be much better for programming than the menu diving required by the Blofeld. In my opinion, menu diving diminishes sound programming creativity. What does the Blofeld have that makes the Sledge much less capable programming-wise? I don't want to look into the Sledge if the Blofeld will blow it away. Menu diving is an inconvience, but it can be put up with if the Blofeld is a much more capable synth, especially at a fraction of the price. I would just like to know why the Blofeld is a better synth. In my book, the panel on the Sledge is a big plus.

I think he meant that the Blo is capable of deeper programming, not that it is easier. With sample options, programmable arpeggiators, and a lot more waveform options, the Blo is just simply a deeper synth. But I'm not going to dismiss the Sledge because it seems to capture a lot of what the Blo does in a knobby package. I don really need it but I'd be interested in actually hearing it and finding out about the quality before dismissing it like a lot of armchair critics have done without having heard or touched the damn thing.

[Ashe37]

Guyaguy pretty much got what i meant, but also the Sledge seems to lack the PPG Filter the blofeld has. Also, i seriously wonder how the mod matrix is implemented... that probably means a lot of menu diving on a comparatively small screen.

[Mino]

Waldorf's mod matrix is as easy as it can be. It's very well laid out compared to its power.

You can get a second hand Q keyboard (16 "fixed" voices, 32 if expanded) for the Sledge's price. More knobs, much better polyphony with 4 envelopes and you keep the PPG filter and wavetable suboscillators. Midi CC's match with Blofeld, too (and Largo softie) too bad, they discontinued it because of market.

Sledge may have more instant gratification factor compared to Blofeld, but the real power is on Waldorf's originals.

[clubbedtodeath]

Waldorf's mod matrix is as easy as it can be. It's very well laid out compared to its power.

Seconded.

I particularly like how envelopes are shown on the screen as you modify them. Btw, if menu-diving isn't your thing, there's an excellent Blofeld VST, which gives you access to all the parameters on-screen.

Very handy, although I have few problems with the Blofeld menu system as it is.

[Ashe37]

I have a Blofeld and enjoy it.

I was referring to the tiny two-line LCD on the Sledge.