Waldorf Blofeld

Description

Waldorf is a German synth manufacturer with a handful of legendary units under it’s belt including the MicroWave and Q series models. Released in 2007, Waldorf uses virtual analog technology here to combine all the wavetables from the Microwave line plus all of the Q series oscillators (plus sampling capabilities, FM synthesis, and tons of editing) into a tiny desktop synth the size of a book.

So much is possible with the Blofeld that the 1000+ presets only start to give you an idea of what can be created. Editing the presets is easy, and even creating sounds from scratch becomes quick with practice using the easy to read digital layout and the comfortable steel rotary knobs. As if the sheer number of sound types you are able to assign to each oscillator isn’t enough, the 25 voice polyphony, robust effects section, filtering options, enveloping, and modulation possibilities make it clear that you can get just about any synth sound out of a Blofeld. A very flexible arpeggiator is included as well.

Around back you’ll find a ¼ inch TRS stereo out, headphone out, USB 2.0, and MIDI in jacks. The Blofeld runs on an external 12V power supply. Waldorf also makes a keyboard edition of the Blofeld featuring a 49-key keyboard with aftertouch.

At just over $500, the Blofeld is a formidable synth that you may never get bored with. You basically get many synths in one here, and all with more editing capabilities than any one synth would include. This provides nearly endless sound design possibilities in a small, well-priced desktop module.

Technical Specifications

Waldorf Blofeld