Note: This page is no longer updated as of April 2023. Though they are amazing and I highly recommend them, I no longer own Waldorf products and will not be blogging about them.
In a nutshell the Waldorf Iridium Keyboard Synthesizer is everything a Waldorf Iridium Desktop is, with a 49 key Fatar semi-weighted polyphonic aftertouch keyboard instead of the pads (which can still be accessed digitally on the touch screen).
Good move Waldorf! With the Waldorf Quantum Keyboard cruising over $5k with tax, I am sure a lot of people will elect to save $1000 and grab the 49 keys digital Iridium instead of the 61 keys hybrid analog/digital Quantum.
Personally, I’m still seeing the extra value in the Quantum, but I am certain a lot of Quantum users are going to be hoping they can replace their monophonic aftertouch keyboard with a 61 key polyphonic aftertouch keyboard.
Notably the Iridium Keyboard, like the Iridium Desktop has CV, and a little more panel real estate, and the same touch screen as the Iridium Desktop. The side panels are also reminiscent of the Iridium Desktop.
Firmware progress
Currently the newest ‘official’ firmware release is v2.8.4 which is roughly equivalent to OS 3.0 Beta 12. I would still recommend joining the Beta program (free) and updating to newer Beta versions.
Currently I am running OS 3.0 Beta 15 (Quantum), which is publicly available for Iridium/Quantum by asking Waldorf to add you to the Beta. If you are waiting for the official release of OS 3.0, don’t. OS 3.0 Beta 15 is much more stable, bug free and feature rich. There are also many great patches that require OS 3.0. There is no downside to running the Beta, none. Running OS 2.x.x massively cheats you out of the very best Iridium has to offer. Have I said this clear enough? Ha!
This page is subject to content updates/additions. If you think any content should be updated or added, please leave a private comment on Mastodon – TurtleIsland.social/@Yehuda.
Note: This page is no longer updated as of April 2023. Though they are amazing and I highly recommend them, I no longer own Waldorf products and will not be blogging about them.
The Waldorf Iridium was officially announced on Friday June 12, 2020. Coming up on 2 years later, this very popular synth is still selling faster than they can build them. Now there is also an Iridium Keyboard version for an $1100 uptick.
The Waldorf Quantum and the Sequential Prophet X are like the Gibson Les Paul and Fender Stratocaster of the synthesizer world. It’s a BIG deal for an all digital desktop version of the Quantum to be released.
The Iridium has the same OS and same sound engines as the Quantum. Patches are interchangeable. Notable differences aside from the obvious form factor differences, are there is no analog, no auxiliary outs, and there are CV connections and a 2nd type of sequencer with the pads (on/off, not for drumming).
Firmware progress
Currently the newest ‘official’ firmware release is v2.8.0 which is roughly equivalent to OS 3.0 Beta 12. I would still recommend joining the Beta program (free) and updating to newer Beta versions.
Currently I am running OS 3.0 Beta 15 (Quantum), which is publicly available for Iridium/Quantum by asking Waldorf to add you to the Beta. If you are waiting for the official release of OS 3.0, don’t. OS 3.0 Beta 15 is much more stable, bug free and feature rich. There are also many great patches that require OS 3.0. There is no downside to running the Beta, none. Running OS 2.x.x massively cheats you out of the very best Iridium has to offer. Have I said this clear enough? Ha!
I strongly recommended that you run OS 3.0 Beta 12 or newer, unless you hate bug fixes, stability and new features. It is an improvement in all ways over OS 2.x.
This page is subject to content updates/additions. If you think any content should be updated or added, please leave a private comment on Mastodon – TurtleIsland.social/@Yehuda.
Note: This page is no longer updated as of April 2023. Though they are amazing and I highly recommend them, I no longer own Waldorf products and will not be blogging about them.
Quantum & Iridium Presets
Most Waldorf Quantum and Iridium owners know this, but for clarity – the Quantum and Iridium synthesizers share the same presets, occasionally with small tweaks to account for the filter differences between them.
Presets may include non-factory wavetables and/or samples.
Waldorf Add-on Preset Packs
Kurt Ader Stage Discover €29 Stage Discover is the latest collection from top sound designer Kurt Ader/KApro. The set includes 54 patches and offers an impressive mix of epic soundscapes, cinematic pads from strings to choir, lead sounds, plucked arpeggios and much more.
The Solos Trailer Track Free The Solos are an award winning trailer music agency in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, whose music and sound design has been used in movie trailers for 1917, Captain Marvel, Dark Phoenix, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Godzilla, Black Panther and many others.
Kevin Schroeder Cinematic Edition Vol 1 €29 64 patches with bass, lead, atmospheres and pad sounds. Also offers a large number of complex “cinematic sequences” played with one button and are ideal for creating a complete song. The simultaneous use of both layers and several parameter tracks in the sequencer creates very dynamic and atmospheric soundscapes.
Christian Gritzner Spaceman Free 100 cosmic patches using the versatility and sonic capabilities of Iridium & Quantum. Mainly comprises the categories Arps, Atmo, Bass, Bells, Cinematic, Drum, Epic, FM, FX, Keys, Lead, Noise, Pads, Resonator, Strings, Synth. The set suits well for styles as ambient, classic electronic music, chill out, soundtracks, and many more.
Limbic Bits Hibernation €27 83 patches best suited to electronic music like Ambient, Techno and Electronica. Powerful basses, warm pads with a nice retro vibe, trippy dub chords and complex organic textures. Lead sounds ranging from dreamy up to aggressive, plus a selection of swirling arpeggios. Furthermore, you’ll get a selection of samples consisting of field recordings and synthesizer pads.
Kevin Schroeder Cinematic World Free Set contains 11 complex “cinematic sequences”. By using both layers and several parameter tracks in the sequencer simultaneously very dynamic and atmospheric soundscapes are created. These can be played with one key and are great for creating a complete song. You can also let them run quietly in the background.
Tim Shoebridge Score Free A collection of fifty five carefully curated presets that provide an excellent starting point for writing your own scores. Sounds include complex evolving pads, organic bells and plucks, but also simpler sampled sounds such as pianos, vocals and strings.
SMV Producer Textures €14.99 Evolving sounds for the Quantum and the Iridium with a lot of modulations going on. There are also some sequences that may be different in style from the main sounds of this bank. Some sounds make use also of samples. All of Quantum synth engines were used.
Tim Shoebridge Steel $19 Sampled recordings of a steel strung acoustic guitar. There are eight presets included plus sample sets for three separate playing techniques: Plectrum (117MB) – Strings plucked using a plectrum. Finger (97MB) – Strings plucked using fingertips. Damped (29MB) – Same as “Finger” but strings are muted to soften vibrations.
Tim Shoebridge VA Pads $19 243Mb of stereo samples recorded from a variety of virtual analogue (VA) hardware synthesisers collected over the course of the last twenty years. VA synths tend to have high polyphony and multi-timbrality, more oscillators, waveforms, LFO’s, EG’s, filter modes and master effects than equivalent analogue poly synths, and this makes VA synths great for creating lush, rich pad patches. VA Pads is a collection of 16 of pad patches.
Tim Shoebridge Nylon $19 Combined 24 presets and 104 samples library for the Waldorf Quantum. The samples are recordings of a 6-string nylon acoustic guitar.
This page is subject to content updates/additions. If you think any content should be updated or added, please leave a private comment on Mastodon – TurtleIsland.social/@Yehuda.
Note: This page is no longer updated as of April 2023. Though they are amazing and I highly recommend them, I no longer own Waldorf products and will not be blogging about them.
Waldorf Quantum & Iridium Wavetables
These wavetables work on the Waldorf Quantum Keyboard and Iridium Desktop / Iridium Keyboard, but could work on other hardware or software synths that use standard user supplied wavetables. Many synths have limitations such as a specific wave length, number of waveforms or encoded slot information. The Quantum and Iridium have more liberal limitations than any other hardware synth that I am aware of.
Current Quantum/Iridium firmware has a maximum of 2,000 waveforms per wavetable:
99 wavetables – Roughly 100 waveforms each, 2048 sample period Access Virus TI wavetables From the wild (with permission to use non-commercially) access_virus_ti_wavetables_2048.zip
50 wavetables, 50 multisamples and 50 single samples Sequential OB-6 From Modulatable Synthesis Email: modulatable.synthesis@gmail.com
27 wavetables – Various number of waveforms each, 2048 sample period JD-XA, Mother 32, Prophet 12, and Sub37 waveforms Sampled and formatted by Paul Cotton synth_wavetables_2048.zip
10 wavetables – Various number of waveforms each, 1024 sample period Waveforms from the same category: blended, perfect, saw, saw bright, saw gap, saw rounded, sine, square, square rounded, triangle From adventurekid.se, formatted by Paul Cotton akwf_bytype.zip
520 wavetables – 8 random waveforms each, 1024 sample period From adventurekid.se, formatted by Paul Cotton akwf_1024_8.zip
Quantum instructions: Wavetable Oscillator > Timbre > Tools > Import from .wav > Set drive in upper left corner to Samples, USB Drive or SD Card > Select a file (eg the first one) > Set period to appropriate length 256, 1024 or 2048 etc. > Load. Then you can use the on-screen [prev] and [next] to move through the wavetable files.
Note: Firmware 2.0 works perfect, however on Firmware 1.3.0, your Import from .wav may not read the SD card, until you read it somewhere else. One solution is Wavetable Oscillator > Timbre > Presets > Export > Cancel > Close, and that will read the SD card so you can then follow the instructions above.
Waldorf Quantum & Iridium Utilities
SampleRobot 6.x Pro $271.00 While not wavetables software, this currently supports Quantum/Iridium and Sequential Prophet X sample exports among other synths. This is definitely the premium sample export software to have.
This page is subject to content updates/additions. If you think any content should be updated or added, please leave a private comment on Mastodon – TurtleIsland.social/@Yehuda.
Keep in mind though I own a Quantum and have great familiarity with the Waldorf wavetable synths features, capabilities, workflows etc., I have not touched a Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave yet. Pre-release public information is a little thin as well currently. There are some conclusions I can reach though, based on what appears to be a strong relationship to existing Sequential synthesizers. I currently own 2 Sequential synths and am very familiar with their features, capabilities, workflows etc. that I believe are applicable to the 3rd Wave. On the whole I am very pleased with Waldorf and Sequential products. The 3rd Wave’s Sequential pedigree means a lot to me and my expectations for it are high.
Form factors
The Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave and the Waldorf Quantum have similar form factors. Both are full sized flagship synthesizers with 61 key Fatar keybeds. The Waldorf Iridium Keyboard has a 49 key Fatar keybed, and the Waldorf Iridium Desktop has no keybed of course, but it does have a 4×4 silicon pad matrix that can play notes etc. Quantum/Iridium synths are capable of polyphonic aftertouch via external MIDI inputs. [note: Quantum MK2 and the Iridium Keyboard have polyphonic aftertouch keybeds]
Displays
The Quantum/Iridium has a large color touch-sensitive display with more graphic display of various things like wavetables, waveforms, filters, envelopes, LFOs, etc. The 3rd Wave appears to have a Sequential influenced display system which works pretty well. Most Sequential users will be immediately comforted by the familiar 4 knobs across the top and 4 buttons below the display to navigate the very accessible menu structure. The majority of display commands on the Quantum/Iridium are also accessible by knobs and buttons on the panel. The Iridium keyboard a little less so. The Iridium desktop even less so. The 3rd Wave I would expect to equal the Quantum for real time access via knobs/buttons on the panel.
Polyphony
The Quantum has 16 voices (OS 3.0 Beta 14+) . The Iridium has 16 voices. The 3rd Wave has 24 voices.
The number of voices is an important decision factor. I tend to record layer/split type candidate sounds separately so even8 voices are good for me, but I can see 24 voices being a big pull for multi-timbral live performance or jamming… Aside from system performance or expense, there is no downside to have more voices.
Multi-timbral
The 3rd Wave is quad-timbral: split and/or layered mode.
The Quantum/Iridium is dual-timbral: split or layered mode.
Analog or digital?
All these synths are digital, however the Quantum and the 3rd Wave have analog filters.
Filters
The 3rd Wave has the Prophet 5 Dave Rossum-designed 2140 analog low-pass filter (24db) and SEM-style state-variable filters (low-pass, high-pass, notch, and band-pass)(12db) per voice.
The Quantum has two analog low-pass filters per voice (24db or 12db) with innovative link modes. The Iridium has a digital approximation of these filters (as the Quantum does also). Plus the Quantum/Iridium has a digital former with additional digital algorithms per voice like comb filter, high-pass, band-pass & notch filters (Nave, Largo or PPG models), bit-crusher, drive and more which are to die for honestly.
Oscillators
All these synths have 3 multipurpose oscillators. However, the Quantum/Iridium can run as many as 6 or 8 oscillators/kernels within some of the oscillator types.
The 3rd Wave has 3 multipurpose oscillators that each can run 1 of the 2 oscillator types: wavetable or traditional waveform.
The Quantum/Iridium has 3 multipurpose oscillators that each can run 1 of the 5 oscillator types: wavetable, traditional waveform, particle generator, resonator, and kernel.
Wavetable oscillators
The 3rd Wave has 48 wavetables of 64 waveforms each (32 legacy PPG wavetables with room for another 16 of this type). Additionally there are 32 factory high resolution wavetables, and 32 high resolution user wavetables. My guess based on the Sequential Pro 3 wavetables that I believe one of the Groove Synthesis founders was involved with, is that the user added wavetables will have very specific parameters required.
The Quantum/Iridium has pretty much the original wavetable synthesis, evolved from earlier PPG and Waldorf hardware and software synths. There are 68 wavetables of 64 waveforms each, and 16 wavetables of 14-377 waveforms for a total of 6013 individual waveforms. Plus, with user supplied wavetables, the sky is the limit. Not only are there many pre-made wavetables available, but you can also make your own custom wavetables from samples, in the voice synthesis function, and in 3rd party wavetable building utilities. Depending on the number of samples per waveform, wavetables with as many as 2,000 waveforms will work on the Quantum. There are also interpolation functions like smoothing or stepping.
Traditional oscillators
The 3rd Wave can have up to 3 traditional oscillators. There are 7 waveforms (sine, saw, triangle, supersaw, pulse, white noise, pink noise) to choose from.
The Quantum/Iridium can have up to 3 traditional oscillators. There are 6 waveforms (saw, sine, triangle, square, pink noise, white noise) to choose from. Each traditional oscillator can be composed of up to 8 kernels for a total of 24 kernels that can be tuned, detuned, or panned.
Samples and other oscillators
The 3rd Wave can only import a sample to convert it to a wavetable.
The Quantum/Iridium can also import a sample and convert it to a wavetable.
The Quantum/Iridium’s 3rd oscillator type, the particle generator is generally a sample manipulation machine on steroids. It has normal and granular sample playback.
The Quantum/Iridium’s 4th oscillator type, the resonator oscillator uses an exciter signal, like a sine wave to produce ringing type sounds as well as samples.
The Quantum/Iridium’s 5th oscillator type, the kernel oscillator was introduced in OS 2.0, and in its most basic implementation is FM-like, but goes far beyond FM, an oscillator construction kit of sorts which uses 6 operators or kernels, each of which can be sines, other waveforms, or factory wavetables.
Hold vs. Chord and Latch Buttons
This is my personal pet peeve. I expect the 3rd Wave hold button to work exactly like a Sequential hold button. The arpeggiator has a relatch function which lets go of the voice to start anew with new keys, but the hold button alone does not let go of voices until it runs out of voices and they drop. I really dislike this and really hope Groove Synthesis changes this in a future firmware update if it hasn’t already.
The Quantum has a latch button which essentially operates the same as the 3rd Wave hold button. It also has a chord button which does let go of the voices with new keys. Much better, much more useful. Groove Synthesis take note.
Sequencers and CV in/outs
The 3rd Wave sequencer is insane with each (of 4) multi-timbral parts getting its own sequencer track with 24 sequences of up to 32 measures in length with note and parameter sequencing, and variable quantization resolution per sequence (32nd, 16th, 8th, quarter, half, whole note, or quantization off).
The Quantum/Iridium each (of 2) multi-timbral parts gets its own 32 step sequencer with note and parameter sequencing, and scale-based pitch quantization.
The 3rd Wave and Quantum do not have CV in/outs, but the Iridiums do.
LFOs, envelopes, and mod matrix
The 3rd Wave has 4 LFOs, 4 envelopes, and a 28 slot modulation matrix (16 freely assignable slots, 12 additional fixed-source slots) with 27 sources and 114 destinations.
The Quantum/Iridium has 6 LFOs, 6 envelopes, and a 40 slot modulation matrix with 48 sources and 185 destinations. There is also the Komplex multistage LFO/envelope modulator with blend, speed, warp, amount, envelop, entropy, sync, mode, slew, phase, delay and more too extensive to detail here.
Effects
The 3rd Wave has 2 digital effects: BBD, stereo delay, tape delay, chorus, phaser, flanger, distortion pedal, rotating speaker, ring mod, room reverb, hall reverb, super plate reverb.
The Quantum/Iridium has 5 digital effects: phaser, chorus, flanger, delay, reverb, eq, drive, and compressor. The Quantum compressor also has its own knob on the main output.
Summary
Both the 3rd Wave and Quantum/Iridium are amazing synths in a class all to themselves apart from other wavetable synths. They each have their strengths over the other.
I have a Quantum and I would buy the 3rd Wave enthusiastically. If I could only own one, it would still be the Quantum, which yields a lot more function for $1000.00 more.
Between the Iridium keyboard/desktop and the 3rd Wave, I would still recommend both. Winner takes all, it gets a bit tougher to decide between them. I still lean to Waldorf, there is just a whole lot more there than wavetables and modeled analog waveforms.
First and foremost I consider myself a Sequential person. I can totally see the 3rd Wave as a very attractive entry into a full blown wavetable polyphonic for a Sequential owner however. The 3rd Wave is an amazing synth, if it was my only synth, I would still be blessed.
I’m always looking for more information and more accurate information. If you see anything in this post that is inaccurate or you have more detail to share, holler at me.
This page is subject to content updates/additions. If you think any content should be updated or added, please leave a private comment on Mastodon – TurtleIsland.social/@Yehuda.
