waldorf micro Q
waldorf micro Q
anyone got this little beast?
i'm using my roommate's mQ at the moment, still learning the basics of navigating the matrix and everything but the presets sound delightfully 90's so i'm already loving it
however i'd like to hear some veteran's opinions on how flexible it is, for example i still can't get a proper chord stab (you know the ones with the fast filter sweeps) out of it, for some reason when i let the filter envelope close too fast i get horrible rumbling noises :/
how suitable is it for modern sounds?
i'm using my roommate's mQ at the moment, still learning the basics of navigating the matrix and everything but the presets sound delightfully 90's so i'm already loving it
however i'd like to hear some veteran's opinions on how flexible it is, for example i still can't get a proper chord stab (you know the ones with the fast filter sweeps) out of it, for some reason when i let the filter envelope close too fast i get horrible rumbling noises :/
how suitable is it for modern sounds?
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I have an mQ and I love it. It's super flexible: three oscilloators, FM, ring mod, two wavetables, two filters with FM from the oscillators and a stereo signal path.hasezwei wrote:anyone got this little beast?
i'm using my roommate's mQ at the moment, still learning the basics of navigating the matrix and everything but the presets sound delightfully 90's so i'm already loving it
however i'd like to hear some veteran's opinions on how flexible it is, for example i still can't get a proper chord stab (you know the ones with the fast filter sweeps) out of it, for some reason when i let the filter envelope close too fast i get horrible rumbling noises :/
how suitable is it for modern sounds?
I've had it for years and always found the sound a bit strange (especially the effects). Very digital, potentially terrible sounding. But for some reason it connected with me and I made lots of sounds with it and ended up spending more time on it than the Nord Rack 2x I used to have.
There used to be a Java software editor called MQEdit which I think is still around. I found it really helpful for learning the synth but after a while I got pretty decent on the matrix anyway.
There shouldn't be any problem making good stabs on it. Make sure your envelopes are set to the standard ADSR first -- Waldorf tried to implement some breakpoint envelopes and they never worked right. Make sure you have the latest firmware.
Anyway, this all probably sounds like faint praise, but I do really like this synth. I have plugins that cover all the same bases but they aren't as much fun to mess around with -- just more convenient.
Re: waldorf micro Q
wow i didn't know about mqedit, looks great! thank you so much for that 
i've tried the demo for midiquest but that was just a pain in the arse to set up and the UI looked terrible, i didn't know there was a free alternative.
i get what you're saying about it having a weird sound, it definetly doesn't sound analog but for some reason it's still way better than vst's.
i've tried the demo for midiquest but that was just a pain in the arse to set up and the UI looked terrible, i didn't know there was a free alternative.
i get what you're saying about it having a weird sound, it definetly doesn't sound analog but for some reason it's still way better than vst's.
Re: waldorf micro Q
I had one, the yellow rack version, loved it! But then I'm a huge Waldorf fan. Read the manual like it's a good book, it sort of is, Waldorf manuals are really well written and once you've been through it you'll jump far ahead in the quality of sounds your making. All Waldorfs have a certain sound, hence some hate them, but I personally think it's a great sound, perfectly suited to techno. You can get some amazing evolving sounds out of it, just wait until you start automating parameters as your tracks play through, you can create some stunning changes in tone and timbre with automation 
And don't forget about the audio inputs! Man the filters are good on drum and percussion tracks. For me it's another synth in my long list of why the hell did I sell that! Might have to get another.
And don't forget about the audio inputs! Man the filters are good on drum and percussion tracks. For me it's another synth in my long list of why the hell did I sell that! Might have to get another.
Re: waldorf micro Q
All of the Waldorf's synths previous to the "new age" (before almost dissapear) are maybe more powerful and with own character... I don't know how will be the sound of the new Pulse 2, but certainly Blofeld sounds not as powerful and rich as XT or all the synths they say that are inside Blofeld (in form of their wavetables)
So, if someone could get a older Waldorf, for sure will be a good deal.
Even most of analogs today are sounding cheap, not with the armonics and power than the older.
So, if someone could get a older Waldorf, for sure will be a good deal.
Even most of analogs today are sounding cheap, not with the armonics and power than the older.
Re: waldorf micro Q
Talking about the mQ got me thinking about it, so I set it up and made a couple patches. I forgot to mention it's got tons of modulation possibilities and a fairly sophisticated arpeggiator. You can tune the comb filters for primitive physical modeling stuff too. Awesome manual as previously mentioned. Very cool.
I also got mQEdit working... it's fiddly but useful. Waldorf recently updated the software so I downloaded that -- nice to see they haven't abandoned it. Fun synth.
I also got mQEdit working... it's fiddly but useful. Waldorf recently updated the software so I downloaded that -- nice to see they haven't abandoned it. Fun synth.
Re: waldorf micro Q
mqedit is indeed awesome, i'm loving it to bits
still feel like i have barely scratched the surface though, need to spend more time practising.
i found some sysex patches at rhythm-lab.com, some of them are quite nice (though they lack modwheel assignation which should be a punishable crime imo)
here's a link http://www.rhythm-lab.com/wadorf-micro-q-patches
you can just preview them one by one in mqedit without saving them to your waldorf, keep those you like and delete the rest.
i also use them as starting points to make my own sounds
still feel like i have barely scratched the surface though, need to spend more time practising.
i found some sysex patches at rhythm-lab.com, some of them are quite nice (though they lack modwheel assignation which should be a punishable crime imo)
here's a link http://www.rhythm-lab.com/wadorf-micro-q-patches
you can just preview them one by one in mqedit without saving them to your waldorf, keep those you like and delete the rest.
i also use them as starting points to make my own sounds
Re: waldorf micro Q
Just downloaded those sounds -- thanks man!hasezwei wrote:mqedit is indeed awesome, i'm loving it to bits
still feel like i have barely scratched the surface though, need to spend more time practising.
i found some sysex patches at rhythm-lab.com, some of them are quite nice (though they lack modwheel assignation which should be a punishable crime imo)
here's a link http://www.rhythm-lab.com/wadorf-micro-q-patches
you can just preview them one by one in mqedit without saving them to your waldorf, keep those you like and delete the rest.
i also use them as starting points to make my own sounds
By the way, are you able to use the "Initialize" and "Randomize" commands in mQEdit? It doesn't seem to work for me and it'd be nice not to have to go to the unit for this (mine's the rack mount version).
*Edit* Never mind, I figured it out: you have to save your init sound somewhere... duh.
Re: waldorf micro Q
The change in sound is the move away from their traditional wavetable synthesis method. The newer models, Blofeld etc are all using more modern dsp and digital sample based synthesis. The wavetable sound is the one we all know and love as Waldorf. If I could find a secondhand Microwave XT, the big orange keyboard, I'd jump at it. A mate had one years ago, it was an amazing bit of kit!! Plus one on the arp!! It's great for techno.