16 thoughts on “10 Waldorf Blofeld Tips”

1. I picked up the keyboard version for a song recently. I had dithered some time due to some adverse reviews and uninspiring demo videos. I am very happy with it – more so since I started creating my own patches. Its deep but not overly so and I learnt a couple of things from this video – so, thanks!

2. I very much doubt the Blofeld has Karplus-Strong synthesis, if only because there’s no input source to the WaveTables. What it has is 3 static wave-tables that have been created (ie: sampled) from a Karplus-Strong model. Still sounds great, but not the real thing.

   BTW, love the Blofeld, know it very well, one of the best synths for patch morphing and it’s fantastic for evolving soundscapes / ambient too.

   1. In the MicroWave, Wavetables 28–52 and 65 (so including Karplus-Strong) are algorithmically generated. So why not also in the Blofeld? For Waldorf, “Wavetable” is not just Wavetable. And don’t forget, that even the PPGs generated some Waveforms in realtime so that memory space was saved!

      https://chrisarndt.de/files/waldorf/mw_wavetables.pdf

      1. Because that is not its design.

         The Blofeld is not a MicroWave.

         1. So, you designed the Blofeld? With your line of argument, one could say that

            “the Blofeld has no wavetables because the Blofeld is not a MicroWave. Should I just believe it because they call it the same? It is a different design.”

            In fact, the Blofeld has different hardware but this does not mean that the implementation (in software) is different.

            Plus, even IF they had changed the implementation the result would be exactly the same…

3. Love the Blofeld but it doesn’t have 3 Karplus-Strong models, it has 3 wave-tables sampled from a Karplus-Strong synth – these same wave-tables were used in the big orange Waldorf XT synth.

4. Blofeld: Love and hate.
   Would be great if they make a blofeld 2 (not Sledge), with more polyphony, better sample memory and implementation (loop editing and modulation maybe), updated filters and overall stability.
   Mine produce noises when plugged on usb and can’t handle lot’s of midi messages (polyphonic aftertouch + wavetables is a no no).

5. Worth adding that you can also create and load in your own user wavetables. There are a couple of free programs – wave creator, and my favourite audio term. The latter takes samples and turns them into wavetables. Can be a little cronky but worthwhile. There’s a lot of depth to the Blofeld in a cleverly designed box.

   1. To follow up just in case anyone stumbles upon this, I have created a tutorial about how to create your own wavetables using Audioterm. It is available here http://www.brokengadget.org/homegrown-pleasures/#more-406

6. There is even one more synthesis method: FM. It works like a 3 operator FM synthesizer with its individual envelopes.

7. The fact that this unit is multitimbral is really interesting. I am interested in trying this with the Linnstrument.

8. My three Blofeld tips:

   1. Get a Waldorf microWAVE II instead.
   2. Get a Waldorf microQ instead.
   3. Get a used Kurzweil PC3 (even a PC3LE) instead.

   😉

   1. I’m really curious about the Kurzweil VAST architecture. Looks like you can do anything (if you know what you’re doing).

   2. You forget about

      1. Pay 4 times as much as for a used Blofeld
      2. Pay 2 (almost 3) times as much as for a used Blofeld
      3. Pay 5 (to 10) times as much as for a used Blofeld

      There are always better synths around…

9. Well, you can do a lot with it, but not Waldorf-style Wavetables. I mentioned it, because for less than the price (at current used market prices) of the Blofeld keyboard model (new), you get one of most versatile keyboard controllers with a capable synthesizer and a rompler thrown in. And the effect section is leagues better than that of the Blofeld.

10. Get a Blofeld
    Get a Modwave