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Waldorf IRIDIUM Keyboard
Waldorf IRIDIUM Core
The Waldorf Quantum is a 61-note high-end digital/analogue hybrid synthesizer which offers 4x kinds of synthesis powered by 3x oscillators (Wavetable, Waveform, Particle and Resonator). The Fatar keyboard is velocity sensitive and features aftertouch and the expected Modulation and Pitch Bend wheels are present on the left of the keys. The functions of the Quantum are expansive, incorporating 8x voices, multiple LFOs, effects processing, FM, Oscillator Sync and Ring Modulation. The centre of the control panel shows all the relevant information in a large high-resolution multi-touch display. This expands the spectrum of possibilities to include sounds that are generally only heard from individual Eurorack modules.
The elaborately constructed sounds are routed via the mixer to 2x analogue low-pass filters and processed accordingly. No less than 6x complex LFOs, 6x envelopes, a complex modulator, an extensive modulation matrix with up to 40x entries and the intuitive modulation assignment via control elements and control LEDs provide extensive tools for synthesis.
5x well-designed, freely linkable effect blocks with dedicated controls are provided on the control panel, alongside a compressor on the main output to tame dynamics. The high-resolution multi-touch display allows convenient access to any parameter and visualizes every move on the control panel. This gives you optimal access to the sophisticated arpeggiator and step sequencer; the latter goes beyond recording note values and allows parameter automation and scale-based pitch quantization.
The main features of the Waldorf Quantum include:
3x Stereo Digital Oscillators with 4x Synthesis Forms:
PROS
CONS
SUMMARY
The Quantum is a massively flexible polysynth. It lacks the polyphony of some of its competition, but it can sound superb and I have to admit that, during the review period, I found it to be quite inspiring at times. Once the teething problems are ironed out, it will be hard to ignore it.
CONCLUSIONS
Very soon we’ll have at least three flagship analogue/digital hybrid polysynths from which to choose – the largely analogue Moog One, the largely digital Waldorf Quantum, and the Prophet X, which sits somewhere between the two. All three are mighty powerful beasties that nod toward earlier synthesizers, but I’m not going to try to compare them because, despite superficial similarities, I view them as very different. If you are wealthy and suffer from unrelenting gear lust, you could make an argument for owning all three. If you have to choose just one, and if we assume that the sound quality of each (which is excellent in all three cases) is equally appealing, then your choice will possibly be determined by the balance between immediacy and flexibility. If you lean toward the latter, the Quantum is undoubtedly the winner, and I can’t see anyone exhausting its capabilities. And, to answer the question that I posed at the start of this review, it’s the most ‘finished’ flagship polysyth that Waldorf have ever released; there’s a delightful absence of messages to you of features no yet implemented. Then the USB/MIDI problem is fixed it will be a superb sound design and performance tool. Lest you be under any illusions, I like it a lot.
- Gordon Reid, SOS April 2019
