The Essentials to Know About the Waldorf Microwave 1 Plug-in Software
- Ultra-faithful recreation of the legendary Microwave 1, with its unique sonic characteristics and "hardware" behaviors (artifacts, stepping, per-voice calibrations).
- Hybrid synthesis: digital wavetables + modeled analog filters (revisions A and B) for massive basses, sharp attacks, and silky pads.
- Complete original wavetables (including algorithmic and "speech"), plus wavetable editor and user waveform creation.
- Full Multi-Mode: up to 8 instruments layered/split, with dedicated mixer, original presets, and import of .mid/.syx dumps.
What Waldorf Microwave 1 Plug-in Is For
Waldorf Microwave 1 Plug-in is a virtual instrument designed to recreate within your DAW the unique character of the first wavetable machines: a lively, granular, sometimes brutal sound with a typical presence found in electronic productions. It excels both in sound design (complex modulations, spectral movements, digital textures) and in production oriented towards electro, techno, synthwave, EBM, ambient, or modern pop seeking a credible vintage grain.
Thanks to its multi architecture, it allows quick construction of layers and keyboard/velocity splits for evolving patches, bass and lead stacks, or multi-layer pads with a "machine" rendering.
Main Features
A modeling designed as an instrument, not just a simple emulation
The engine has been rebuilt to capture the specific behaviors of the first generation: per-voice DACs modeled, nonlinearities, and even some typical phenomena of the period's digital mixing (including an overflow behavior). The result: rich wavetables, a sharp attack, and that "biting" edge that immediately cuts through a mix.
Complete wavetable section: heritage and creation
All original wavetables are included and reproduced identically, with the characteristic 8-bit quantization and aliasing. The interface provides access to the full waveform catalog and offers a wavetable editor based on internal control tables, as well as a user waveform editor. Randomization modes add a playful and inspiring dimension to generate unexpected variations.
Analog filters and per-voice calibrations
The filter section reproduces revisions A and B with a realistic approach: individual calibration of cutoff and resonance to simulate differences between voices, and extended modulation possibilities. A graphical frequency response display, animated by modulations, speeds up adjustments and makes sound design more intuitive.
Envelopes, LFOs, and modulations with a "vintage" character
The envelopes and LFOs replicate the specific timings, including subtle micro-variations linked to original limitations. You have a filter ADSR envelope with delay, a volume ADSR envelope, and an 8-stage wave envelope (variable key-off point, loop possible) for complex morphings and evolutions. Two LFOs are available with multiple waveforms, symmetry and humanize parameters, and phase offset capability between them, with modulation options for rate and level (LFO1) and a global mode.
Multi-Mode, presets, and studio integration
The Multi-Mode allows up to 8 instruments stacked or split (or combined), with keyboard zones and velocity ranges. A multi mixer offers volume, pan, detune, transpose, and many parameters, with individual tuning per instrument possible. The plug-in includes all factory single and multi presets, several additional banks, and import of .mid and .syx dumps (including user tables and wavetables). User presets also save wavetables, tunings, and velocity tables.
Hardware control and practical tools
The plug-in can also be used to control a hardware Microwave in single mode via MIDI, with a "live" option where each control is transferred automatically. For everyday comfort: resizable interface and configurable spectrum analyzer.
Technical Specifications
System Requirements
- Mac: OS X
- Windows: Windows
Supported Formats (Plug-ins)
- Mac: VST-2, VST-3, AU, AAX
- Windows: VST-2, VST-3, AAX
Sound Engine and Modeling
- Internal sampling at 250 kHz (independent from DAW sample rate) to match original behavior
- Modeling of digital-to-analog converters (DACs) for each voice
- Two oscillators based on the same wavetable per multi instrument
- Unique digital noise generator based on ASIC technology
- Digital mixer for oscillators + noise, including original overflow behavior
- Pitch generation without interpolation, faithfully recreated
- Digital waveforms recreated and bit-by-bit compared to match the original
- Reconstruction of digital noise with its artifacts
Wavetables and Editing
- All original Microwave 1 wavetables, original coding, bit-identical
- Includes: algorithmic and speech wavetables
- Faithful recreation of 8-bit quantization and aliasing
- Wavetable editor based on internal control tables
- Access to the full waveform catalog of the original instrument
- User waveform editor
- User wavetable and waveform creation
- Randomization modes for wavetable editing
Filter
- Modeling of analog filters revision A and revision B
- Individual per-voice calibration of cutoff and resonance (hardware detune simulation)
- Cutoff and resonance modulations
- Frequency response display, animated by real-time modulations
Amplifier
- Modeling of voltage-controlled analog amplifiers (VCA) and pan section
- Recreation of voltage control DACs, including stepping effects
Modulators
- Recreation of envelope and LFO timings based on original 68k code
- Modeled micro-timing variations (hardware limitations)
- Filter envelope: ADSR + delay parameter
- Volume envelope: ADSR
- Modulable timings and levels for filter and volume envelopes
- 8-stage wave envelope with variable key-off point and loop possible
- Modulable levels and timings for wave envelope
- Attack-Decay envelope for LFO1 with additional delay
- 2 LFOs: varied waveforms, symmetry, humanize
- Phase offset possible between LFOs
- LFO1: global option, modulation of rate and level
Non-standard Tunings
- 4 user tunings individually editable
- Tunings saved within user presets
Multi-Mode and Polyphony
- Up to 8 instruments layered/split, or combined
- Split by keyboard zone and velocity range
- Multi mixer: volume, pan, detune, transpose, and additional parameters
- Individual tuning per instrument
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