Blofeld questions

[Hugo76]

I have some questions I can't seem to find the answer for:

1. Does it now store multitimbral setups? I read somewhere that it only could store the last setup used.

2. The arpeggiator is programmable with 1 memory location, it seems. What does this mean in practice? Is it possible to run a setup of 16 different arpeggios in multimode, but only store one pattern to the synths memory?
Are the arp patterns stored within the patches? Can they be exchanged between different patches, or do I have to go via the synths 1 user pattern storage?

3. I read somewhere that the Blofeld desktop features the same memory chip that the keyboard version uses for storing samples. Are there any indications Waldorf will release an OS update enabling sample playback in the desktop?

4. How do you find the effects? Good points/bad points?

Thanks.

[Bitexion]

Here are all the OS update lists:
http://waldorfmusic.de/en/news#122

What isn't there, is not done yet.

The effects are better than usual. The delay is good, and it reacts as an analog delay when you tweak delay time while it's echoing (great changes of pitch). It's the overdrive that's Blofeld's strongest point I think. It's not just distortion, there are models for tube overdrive, binary overdrive, overflow (that turns whatever sound gradually to white noise) and more.

Chorus, phaser, flanger is there too, and they all sound okay. Not too many settings except lfo depth and band separation. But I found the phaser to give out some horrible wails that turned my speakers inside out (and most likely my neighbors too) on certain settings on automatic sweep. Scary.

[Hugo76]

Thanks for the input, Bitexion.
I'm hoping sample loading in fact is an option, and that Waldorf will be announcing it at NAMM. But it's really not an issue for me at all, when I come to think about it
Also, multi-setups isn't that important either. What I'm more concerned about is compromises when sharing effects; this is something that has always bugged me in synthesizers.

Can anyone comment on the arpeggiator?

[Bitexion]

Since I'm the only one that seems to own one of these (they're too new still), I'll pitch in again..

There is a separate ARP category in the patches, so yes, all the arpeggiator settings are stored with the patch.
This arp is something on its own, it has the standard up/down/up+down patterns, but also a 16-step sequencer-ish fully editable pattern where you can edit each step, decide the length of steps, or jump over certain steps.
There's also several modes for how the notes appear in the pattern (how it reacts when you insert a new note for instance). The Arp is always on the far right knob, so you turn it on just by twisting the knob until you have the desired mode, including a nice Hold mode. I like it.

[Hugo76]

Since I'm the only one that seems to own one of these (they're too new still), I'll pitch in again..

There is a separate ARP category in the patches, so yes, all the arpeggiator settings are stored with the patch.
This arp is something on its own, it has the standard up/down/up+down patterns, but also a 16-step sequencer-ish fully editable pattern where you can edit each step, decide the length of steps, or jump over certain steps.
There's also several modes for how the notes appear in the pattern (how it reacts when you insert a new note for instance). The Arp is always on the far right knob, so you turn it on just by twisting the knob until you have the desired mode, including a nice Hold mode. I like it.

Sounds very interesting. In other words, one could have 16 different sequences playing at once in multimode..? This deal is certainly getting sweeter and sweeter.
I'm a little bummed out by the exclusion of midi out, though, but I'm sure it' won't be that annoying.

[Bitexion]

Well, it's not a sequencer, it's still the Arpeggiator so you still have to play the chord yourself. But when you do in Hold mode, it can go on forever until you insert a new note or change the chord. The unique thing is that "user editable" pattern, you adjust the length and accent of each note in the pattern. I don't think you edit the notes themselves, since you play a block chord on the keyboard anyway.

And the manual says you can run 1 arp for each part in multimode, never tried it and there are no presets that does that. I've only owned mine for 2 weeks, and multitimbrality has never been something I've needed so I didn't try it.

You have to change mode from "Play mode" to "Multi mode" to setup all that stuff.
MIDI out isn't such a big deal, the USB connection does MIDI in/out aswell so it interfaces well with a computer to dump and reload patches.

[Lojong]

I have one Blofeld too for about 1 week... I always want to have a Waldorf Synth, and since I'm a little newbie on synthesis that generous Lcd helps me learning!

Like Bitexion said (and the manual) you have 1 arpegiator for each part when in multimode, so you can have 16 running! It's cool!

I like the fx's specialy the overdrives, dirty, dirty!

Well, I just hope that Waldorf don't give up on the update for true multimode, because in their website they don't mention anymore the 100 multi's on the specs

I try out the midi by usb, mine it's a bit unstable because I can't access the modulation page and have the grafics, just oscilators, filter and effects... when I access the modulation it shakes the blofel a little, like he can't handle the job. Fortunately I will use mine with midi cable to my mpc1000!

I'm enjoying this synth a lot

Bitexion: Thank's a lot for the link to the diehard PPG Wave 2.2/2.3 emulation, I just found it last week while browsing the forum, I love the ppg and this is a great great emulation. Thanks man!

[Bitexion]

Yeah Hermann Seib's wavesim is great, if you really wanna learn the PPG Wave 2.x that's the way to go.
I have the english manuals for both 2.2 and 2.3, and the emulation is so accurate even the menus are 1:1.
The 2.2 is very different from the 2.3, you can change the OS version in page 2 of the main menu (as you could on the original one that had a chip for each OS inside). It will "reboot" into the new OS.
The 2.3 has the weird combi mode, but you can't access all the wavetables, whereas the 2.2 has all wavetables but no combi patches.
It's also one of those synths where you can't just twiddle knobs and figure out how it works, since so much of the cool stuff is in those menus with only 2-3 letter abbreviations like UWT: 0a, KBM:1 etc.

I've tried to buy the full version from him, but he stopped replying me after a couple mails back and forth about price. Maybe he forgot. I don't think it's ever been fully completed for sale, more like a pet project for him since he's been making OS updates for the hardware synths for years. I believe the last PPG Wave OS is v8.something now. He made the PC simulation to make it easier for himself to implement new stuff on the hardware synth, since he can use the software one as a programming platform and test everything out there, and just burn to a chip and place inside the hardware synth when it's done.

Have no clue how that Waveterm thing works, but it looks nice Hermann did the big PPG Wave 2.3 review on bluesynths.com if you wanna check out more about it. Loads of sound samples there too.

[Lojong]

It's really a shame that a full version it's not avaiable to buy, I will buy it for shure But i'ts comprehensible, even for a proffesional programmer like Hermann. This thing requires a lot of work!!

I also don't know how that Waveterm thing works, but all this PPG technology it's so incredible and so advanced for his time... And the monowave by Paul Maddox... Wow!!

I did the download of the 2.2 manual and I found how to do an arpegio we have to hit numbers all the time!!! The sound it's so deep...

I have so much too learn with this. I'm gonna check out that review on bluesynths right now!! And thanks again for he tip Bitexion