Stimming reviews Waldorf M

For our latest gear review Martin Stimming takes a look at the M by German manufacturer Waldorf.
With M, Waldorf musically returned to their roots, bringing back classic Microwave and ‘modern’ Microwave II tone generation as a new-generation of a classic hybrid wavetable synthesizer. The M features an analogue lowpass 24 dB/Oct Filter, true stereo analogue VCA with a panning option, and much more to explore in a desktop-friendly format.
The eight-voice polyphonic, four-part multitimbral wavetable synth is boldly blazoned in a full-metal blue coloured casing, hinting at its illustrious Microwave heritage.
Stimming takes a closer look into this iconic synthesizer. Let’s see what his conclusion is…
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Buy Waldorf M here: thmn.to/thoprod/527844?offid=...
Stimming's gear recommendations: thmn.to/thocf/qj6ez1cyou
#stimming #review #waldorf #synthesizer
stimming.org
www.waldorfmusic.com
www.sensemusic.tv
About Stimming
Hamburg-based producer, Stimming has become renowned over the years for bringing a truly original sound to electronic music. Mixing hand-made textures, field recordings and the latest gear in his compositions, he has earned his stripes as a dance-floor veteran. His music continues to explore interesting and progressive territories with his trademark sense of texture, emotion and discovery.

[@christdolphin69]

btw: lfos have ultra fast and ultra slow mode now, all the cool early mw waveshapers and digital vcfs are added, you can also speed p the looping wave envelope by setting it's "Time Mod" to max and setting the value to negative

[@aceboo7541]

The review was great. Really cool musical moments in there too.

[@PanuMSavolainen]

Very informative and entertaining review as always, thanks!

[@Rez311]

Iridium is so much more capable with all its choices but the M sounds so good in its specialization… would love to see Stimming try the Iridium and give his thoughts on both… mainly because I’m getting one and am leaning toward the M.

[@breslin44]

Thanks for this review Martin

[@mofateam1]

I love your reviews and can´t wait to see you playing live in Odonien soon

[@vladimirsalnikov5806]

I will find a way to write 1000 times on the blackboard: "Next synth I will design - will be with a RAM backed up from a CR2032 battery" ;) Thanks for the review. Minor addon: Saw (and Ramp) waveforms of LFO could be easily achieved by using SYMM (aka Symmetry) Parameter of LFOs at Triangle Wave (also anything in between)

[@RoastLambShanks]

dont forget a bigger screen this is of course for the M XT, that comes out next year?

[@Thomachinex]

Dont feel bad. I dont think anybody else is doing it different. Both Hydrasynth and Peak works the same way. Isnt it a european regulation that kind of prohibits the use of a battery?

[@rgcmusic]

I saw you have lfo speeds on your list of improvements. I will enjoy that a lot for ambient textures and very slowly evolving sounds.

[@peaceful_1]

@@Thomachinex My Arturia Microfreak, Modal Argon8 and Roland TR-8S all remember where I was across power cycles.

[@Thomachinex]

@@peaceful_1 Yeah, some things still do that. But i think it saves to flash, and that can make the internal storage wear out sooner as they have a limit to how many times you can write to a flash memory. Older gear saved to ram, and was backed up by a battery.

[@quinxx12]

Man you know some sick chords! Love the sounds!

[@Lhenndyn]

Always the best reviews 👌

[@LaymensLament]

Thanks for the review. Consider adding chapters!

[@Maradnus]

I have always loved the Waldorf synths, they have something magical about them

[@supercompooper]

Mine is in the mail! This sounds so good.

[@MonkeyMarc]

such a lovely synth. Thanks for your awesome review as always

[@dektro]

Good review! 6:35 this is probably not due to a slow CPU, but to how the encoder is handled. There was a similar problem with the Blofeld which was fixed in a firmware update.

[@marcusfreeweb]

Stimming is such a great witty, charming and unique guy, a real character type, he could also be an actor. Or anything. Love the guy.

[@marcusfreeweb]

And relaxed and laid back. Inspired and enthusiastic. Honest.

[@coolguy2783]

the sounds starting around 15:05 are some of the most beautiful sounds ive ever heard come out of a synth

[@verstaerker]

very beautiful indeed

[@seanluke3052]

I imagine the reason there's no wavetable interpolation is not because of the sound it makes, but because there was no interpolation in the Microwave I. Part of the M's goal is to recreate the Microwave I fairly precisely.

[@john9291]

24:42 is the territory I like, that deep woody digital sound

[@PLA.net-DANTE]

Would love to see how stimming reviews the Subharmonicon... Because I didn't hear many impressive sounds from it, but think the sequenceing capabilities are amazing. Anyways , love your reviews, keep it up

[@swst09]

The Pigments stepping is partly due to the low resolution of the interface controls via touchscreen, when you modulate the parameters internally with LFOs and envelopes it sounds much smoother. According to the user manuals, pigments has more waves per wavetable anyway (256 Pigments vs 64 M).

[@LaymensLament]

If you refer to he jumps in Wavetable scrolling ye it has to be a resolution issue either by navigation or how many waveshapes there are. I confused why you called it pigments tho? Like the arturia vst? Did you refer to the hydrasynth or am I missing something completely? Edit: oh no it was at the very end 😂 My greatest fear has become true.

[@michaelpierce3264]

lowering the vca is a good thing especially for layering and multis that way you can lower the volumes in each sound also a lot of times the vcas have its own overdrive that can work for some sounds but not all sounds

[@midinerd]

0:30 I often just lift up a synth on the store floor (no joke) to get an idea of how digital or analog it is. it actually works lol

[@fruchticaramelos9013]

Hey, vielen Dank hierfür - sehr gut erklärt!

[@SourMoonBlues]

He's the Flula Borg of synth reviews.

[@johnnyraphaell]

Aliasing can be pleasing!

[@sudbenzer6603]

okokokokok let's go! proposal for an upcoming modern classic episode: waldorf microwave XT.

[@nabooka316]

The M is essentially the PPG reborn ! - the SSI filters are more vanilla than the MW1. The sounds really comes alive when I run my M through echoboy and a little Lexicon reverb :)

[@nabooka316]

-and you can make the lfo's do saw and ramp by changing the shape of the triangle ;)

[@hansmuller1980]

ppg reborn !? never !

[@dxmat]

Different beasts.

[@sK3LeTvM1]

@@hansmuller1980 Indeed. I've owned a 2.3 back in the 80's. The M is very far from a 2.3 But hell yeah, they (Waldorf) want to make believe M-buyers they buy a substitute for the PPG. NOT !

[@verstaerker]

thanks Mr Stimming.. very entertaining and informative as usual 👍! Timbre 🤣

[@peaceful_1]

I feel the frustration with synths that reset to patch 1. For my Dreadbox Typhon I have a workaround where patch 1 is my 'working' patch, patch 2 is an 'init' patch, and when I'm wanting to do a new patch, I save patch 1 elsewhere, load init from patch 2, and save it back to patch 1. It is a real hamper to workflow!

[@LukezyM]

Do you like the Typhon, how it sound and its controls?

[@peaceful_1]

@@LukezyM Yes I do. I mainly use it as a bass synth, the four dedicated filter knobs make it easy to tweak, and you can get lots of different sounds quickly with the main wave control. The oscillators sound good and have a certain presence, and the effects range from serviceable up to dreamy (thinking of the granular cloud reverb).

[@RustyTonesJr]

I got an M. Ive been looking all over for a companion synth. I've realized the M covers most synth tones and more. I don't need another synth. i need a 88 weighted key Digital Piano thing. Having a nice piano layered with the M would be sick.

[@RustyTonesJr]

I bought a Kurzweil k2700 ol there is no need for another synthesize or anything with I'm selling my

[@sapbucry]

My GAS remedy is save synth image to photos, print it on photo paper and stick it on the wall. I also printed gear I have already … recommended book: “dopamine nation”

[@musictalk-tech]

😬

[@gammawu5383]

Nice. Thanks to you I just spent three hours on Amazon and £800 on a colour printer.

[@RadekPilich]

What does printing out what you already have help for?

[@LB-pp7pu]

It's always good to hear Waldorf instead of Uodof

[@squarelanguage]

I feel there’s something special about the original tried and true PPG wave sounds that I always find myself gravitating to. Not sure it’s just the bit rate or aliasing?

[@christdolphin69]

the triangle lfo turns into a saw with the SYM param

[@bilonggrisimmeri]

On the original PPG Wave, single cycle waveforms that make up a wavetable have no actual pitch. A different clock frequency is used for each pitch. Every value is read from the waveform, and a different kind of DAC used to the kind used today in digital audio. Have Waldorf replicated this early digital technology on the M?

[@Rareos]

VCA amount knob is useful for controller the AMP envelope amount and inverting it, no?

[@GuitarsAndSynths]

Nice! Access Virus gets you there as well.

[@MadelnMachines]

i'm with you Martin - I hate that lack of recall too. Don't get me started on £3000 sequential instruments that use $1 calculator screens!

[@christdolphin69]

sold!

[@bahutu802]

Oh how I love the Stimming review. Both with regards to the information conveyed as well as the Stimming-style of presentation

[@musictalk-tech]

1010 Music Bluebox kzbin.info/www/bejne/Znq2aKBpe7yChJY

[@flopasen]

4:58 'ye that's the crip side'

[@GertBoers]

At 22:50 you talk about that the Hydrasynth smoothly transitions through the wavetable and that you like the jumps on the M more. But to me, that's not scrolling through a wavetable, but through individual waves. And that is easily accomplished on the Hydrasynth. (I believe in even more than one way.)

[@christdolphin69]

you cant even compare the hydra to the m. the m knocks that thing out of the fuckin water. its not even close

[@Dudderlyful]

@@christdolphin69 Have to agree with this completely, the M is in another galaxy

[@RustyTonesJr]

It's kinda hard to compete with the company that released the first commercial wavetable synth. A lot of legacy in the M. Zero in Hydrasynth.

[@christdolphin69]

i think the Peak starts at your last preset. you may have to save global menu settings though

[@TeleporterM11]

I love it , it’s like Serum in a box.

[@johnruschulte2593]

Have you ever tried the Sonicware EKZ_1 just wondered how you compare the two in terms of sound.

[@MathHammer]

I have an ELZ_1, a Blofeld, a Q, and an Iridium. The ELZ_1 voices are 8 bit and the filter does not have any keyboard tracking. Its sound is very different than the Waldorf sound; it is a crunchy-sounding chip tune synth.

[@erikfarquharson6119]

Hey Thomas! Question for ya: Of those synths you mentioned, which one would be best for crafting almost orchestral stuff? I’ve been really into Hans Zimmer’s “Ripples in the Sand” from Dune, and in your opinion, which of those synths could do something like that well? Appreciate you man! :) -Erik

[@LukezyM]

@@erikfarquharson6119 For orchestral/soundtrack your best bet is NI Komplete Ultimate library. Or if you have to go with the hardware, I’d say Korg Wavestate.

[@tehnik333]

How would you compare it to the wavetable section in Waldorf Iridium?

[@FaidedBTB]

Nothing alike in sound at all I have both

[@tehnik333]

@@FaidedBTB thats interesting, thanks. I wonder why is that?

[@cnfuzz]

Ppg is known for stunning bass , it has the ability to cut were a moog can't so i do not agree , by the way can osc 1/2 use a different wavetable (in single mode)or do they have to share the same one but van have different waveadress (like ppg)

[@The_Invisible_Man]

Vca amount is for aligning your preset volumes

[@crazygamingswede]

Custom frontpanel overlay please!! Stock colors are seriously uninspired. Sounds like a million bucks though. O)

[@suntzu6122]

Pleassse do a erica synths perkons review!!!

[@wade5744]

yeah that's the crip side

[@jonnybgoodsilver741]

the magic is sitting in the lower midrange, maybe the adacs, much better then other contemporary digitals

[@mvsr990]

I'm addicted to wavetables tuned down (-2 octaves on this) and played low. I got hooked with a Fred's Lab Tooro (tiny USB powered wavetable synth with analog filters) and it made me go for the M when that came out.

[@jonnybgoodsilver741]

im desperatly looking for one in germany , if someone wants to sell for current new price, give me a ping, ill pickup

[@petert7807]

@@mvsr990 I am actually debating between the töörö and the M. Any advice? I'm mostly looking for plucky harsh sounds.

[@mvsr990]

@@petert7807 I'd say the M - aside from being easier to program (courtesy of the screen, more dedicated knobs, etc.), there's a wider variety of ways to make the M grungy and harsh with the CPU error setting (mimicking one of the early Waldorfs) and a huge amount of wavetables (the Tooro is understandably limited on wavetable selection).

[@Jim_KYB]

I have a Rev a MW and both the sounds and features of the M appear very similar. Has anyone done a side by side comparison?

[@GeekGearSynths]

Like this one? kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y33YpnaZbrFghck

[@Claude_van]

I played my Rev A today. The MW sounds different. At least for the kind of sounds I like. I prefer more percussive, analogue sounds and heavily rely on the filters and envelopes. Not so much interested in digital ambient sounds and the wavetables as such. I use them but always in a hybrid way, analogue sounding in the end. Like a complex analogue synthesizer would sound. This analogue quality didn’t come through with the M, I guess.

[@Jim_KYB]

@@GeekGearSynths that's an XT, so digital filters. Sounds very different to the original MW.

[@Jim_KYB]

@@Claude_van Thanks. Do you know what filters the M is using. I think it's a CEM 3389 in the Rev a.

[@hihat2723]

'Yeah, that's the crips side!' When the audio is only on the left channel. This guy is hilarious.

[@No.0.o.0]

Wish they would make a granular plugin or module

[@musictalk-tech]

Waldorf?

[@FabioSiverino]

I don't understand why they didn't put FM like in the microwave? :(

[@Genshi]

The original Microwave didn't have FM. That wasn't added until the Microwave II/XT. But still, since the M is trying to straddle both the original Microwave as well as the version 2, it would have been nice to add FM.

[@FabioSiverino]

@@Genshi yeah sorry, the XT had it. As M want to be an XT as well, it's sad that it doesn't have it. Still it sounds good, but at this point, spending a bit more for the irridium would be the better deal

[@pontram]

About system boot - DM12 actually starts where it was, when switched off. Yamaha Modx not. Hydrasynth not. Wavestate does. All these synths are actually computers inside, and I really do not know why some can remember their last state and some can't. Except if I assume lazy coders here and not so lazy ones there. But at a certain price, here nearly 1800 €, there should be some "industry standard" and an agreement to support the customer.

[@christdolphin69]

definitely a grower. so much magic in this if you're patient

[@drydessert4198]

Den Microwave 1 kann man zB. hier hören: Bam Bam - Get Wild [1991] kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4nZeImLbJ6Zf5I

[@gadd1111]

Do the Syntakt, do the Syntakt, do the Syntakt! (shouting like a child)

[@ZetaCarinae]

Love the review, although my conclusion is that this isn't worth $2500.

[@musictalk-tech]

If you see the prices for used Microwaves nowadays it’s a pretty good price.

[@bitchling265]

Your right it isnt

[@partirparlesarmoires]

$2500 ??? The price of this synth is 1700€ here in France...

[@m.g.kroger]

I could go crazy with so much menu diving in a tiny display and no way to have a "mod matrix list" to interact with, but pages over pages to select all the times. It gets me "out of the game" being forced to menu dive so intensely... it's un-intuitive to me.

[@musictalk-tech]

There isn’t much menu diving

[@voluptaslaborandi]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4O9hndjhdaDg5I - Synths die bei 001 starten, nerven mich zutiefst. Mittlerweile ist die Auswahl so groß, dass man andere Geräte benutzen kann. Die Sounds klingen auch nicht unbedingt einmalig. Klingt schon toll, aber must have ?

[@midinerd]

10:15 - immer von den Kartoffeln gerettet - close call. timbre like somber (meine Tante threw a temper tantrum wegen im leben zu wenig Tantra) like tambourine, u see

[@gourkernow5694]

I much prefer a granular sampler these days to wavetable synthesis, same concept but so much more versatile.

[@christdolphin69]

heard of the waldorf iridium/quantum?

[@gourkernow5694]

@@christdolphin69 yep i own a quantum.

[@fortheloveofnoise]

@@gourkernow5694 big baller!

[@RustyTonesJr]

Not the same at all.

[@suntzu6122]

Someone could tape boxes closed and have stimming review one.. Sell the boxes and become a millionaire.

[@musictalk-tech]

😂

[@kgbinfo]

I wonder why, in basically every wavetable synth I know of, the wavetables can only ever be used as sound sources and never as modulation sources. Has no one ever thought of that? Or did someone try using a wavetable as an LFO once and it sounded awful? Am I just completely nuts?

[@lindsaywebb1904]

In eurorack this is quite common. I had a small system built around the synthtech e350 and e355. Didn’t sound awful. But mono of course. And they go way down low so lots of modulation possibilities.

[@JesusGarciaNailed]

I might be wrong but isn’t that possible with Quantums/Iridiums Kernel mode?

[@gourkernow5694]

@@JesusGarciaNailed yes it is.

[@carriermonkey4821]

I thought timbre was pronounced "tamber" but the Slonimsky book says (Fr., tan'br) tanber ; so blame the french i guess .

[@MathHammer]

Timbre is a French word that originated with a Greek word 🤣

[@bigboymike7204]

1.

[@inkajoo]

You may appreciate the slightly too small screen when you realize that your hand would get in the way of a larger one more easily. Tradeoffs.

[@musictalk-tech]

Depends on the size of your hands 😂

[@worldofmuu]

Stimming turns knobs and plays keys as if at any second a bear trap could snap closed on his hands

[@microfx]

DJ disease

[@jens186]

ooohhh.. soviel menu diving.. ich sterbe

[@musictalk-tech]

Wer sagt das?

[@jens186]

@@musictalk-tech icke

[@arhythmatek-1683]

I don't think this device passes my Stimmig test. If Stimming can't make a track on it in minutes... I don't think it will work for me.

[@vwvwvwvvw6143]

He did

[@worldofmuu]

How many people can name even a single Stimming track anyway?

[@RapidFlow_Shop]

@@worldofmuu Ludwig

[@gestalter2543]

Here you go 27:28

[@musictalk-tech]

@Muu If you can’t you missed something 😉

[@WARDISWARD]

The user inerface is not really good designed Look at the filter section , you have 4 knobs in a cross shape wasting space

[@marcelmaes5275]

Schwätz Döitsch ... :-)

[@paulburkhart2619]

The potatoes again :(

[@themaykit]

Digitakt soon?

[@musictalk-tech]

Digitakt? kzbin.info/www/bejne/e3nVZZ16r7-Xnqs

[@pk9mmpara]

warum nicht auf deutsch

[@orangenotviolet]

Weil man mehr Leute erreicht?

[@r2worksee]

the user interface definitely seems a bit dated

[@musictalk-tech]

„Retro“ is popular

[@marcuslutz]

And the Blofeld is 16x multitimbral for a fraction of this price. Hmmh... I stick to my Blofeld...

[@musictalk-tech]

Very different beast

[@RadekPilich]

Blofeld sounds totally differently

[@_P_M_]

$2500 for this is obscene. Hydasynth desktop is roughly 1/4 the price.

[@ottokraut]

Stay with the Hydrasynth, then.

[@jeremydbjbjbjb]

HS is all digital, so the costs associated with the filters and analog VCA aren't comparable. HS is also sold at way below its value to establish a new company. I agree that the price is high, but it's a luxurious instrument for a niche market.

[@Heathcliff_hensel]

agreed, it should be like$1200.00

[@Claidheambmor]

@@Heathcliff_hensel you should be $1200

[@nikbivation]

don't like the sound...

[@Axiomstatic]

Pigments sounds terrible against this beast. Doesn’t surprise me really.

[@egotape]

Too bad it will be the M reviewed. I would have been much more interested in the Iridium / quantum from Waldorf.

[@isc4915]

Annoying review. M is a beast

[@musictalk-tech]

Exactly that’s what he is saying and why he keeps it 😉

[@mykdubz128]

Wayyyyy too much useless talking in very poor English. Playing along while you explain a device makes a video much more interesting but also requires that you know what you do.

[@musictalk-tech]

Why do you watch poor english videos with useless talking then? Wasted time to even leave a comment.

[@Schimelln]

I hate these Stimming reviews. Boring, misleading and stiff as a Mitte Berlin Hipster with a Soy Latte in his hand. Doesn't do the Waldorf M justice in any sense.

[@musictalk-tech]

Why are you watching then? Ps. Doesn’t look you really watched it as you then would know that he loves the M