Waldorf Iridium - Quantum desktop

[muzines]

https://www.matrixsynth.com/2020/06/new-waldorf-iridium-desktop-synth-in.html

[Logarhythm]

Has fewer colourful LEDs than the Quantum, and is therefore clearly inferior
(Insert Delusion Synth Owner magazine.jpg)

Looks like Waldorf have a page ready for it, but whether it's disappeared or yet to appear is unclear: https://www.waldorfmusic.com/en/iridium
I saw a rumour suggesting an RRP of €2300.
The only thing that I can't quite get my head around is the omission of a dedicated button for the Kernel mode for the oscillators - this was added to the Quantum as a V2 update so rather than having a dedicated button/indicator like the other oscillator modes, it illuminates two adjacent buttons in an alternative colour. Given that it's included from the start for this, I just can't quite fathom why Waldorf would release a synth using the same dedicated button-per-osc-type approach, and only include four buttons to cover five modes?
(I don't really have any other complaints about my Quantum. Wouldn't mind if the touchscreen could be a smidge more responsive, but the scope of sound generation options from it is still mindboggling even several months in...)

[hogberto]

I find the idea of a Quantum desktop module quite appealing. Less space & much less cash. I'll come back to it in a year or so, once the teething issues have been sorted out.

[Logarhythm]

Waldorf's page is now live and list price is €2300 - appears to be available on preorder in the UK at £2k ish.
In theory it should be relatively stable if it's a direct "Quantum in a box" implementation running the latest V2 OS. I was going to say it's been bug-free for me, but that seems like a foolish way to tempt fate...

[hogberto]

Good to hear that the Quantum has been stable. Given that the OS has already been road tested on the Quantum, I may have to truncate my usual 1 year purchase purdah to 6 months. Or less.

[Dave B]

It looks great and I like the price too. But ......

Can someone please sell me on the Quantum (/Iridium)? On paper it looks amazing, if a little pricey. But, as we all know, it takes a very big price to put me off a synth - my heart can kick my wallet's ass anytime. I played a Quantum at Synthfest and .... nothing. It just didn't speak to me at all. I think I was expecting to be blown away and I wasn't. It was a case of "that's nice ... what's next". I just didn't _get_ it.

(in fairness, I never rated the Waldorf Blofeld and I tried that several times and nothing clicked until I heard one with someone's own sounds in it. Is this something similar - should I be looking to ignore the presets on this one?)

?

[Eddy Deegan]

I played a Quantum at Synthfest and .... nothing. It just didn't speak to me at all. I think I was expecting to be blown away and I wasn't. It was a case of "that's nice ... what's next". I just didn't _get_ it.

Similar here. A friend of mine has one and I've noodled on it a few times. Whereas I can see it's a very powerful and flexible engine I didn't find anything of note that I felt I could use in a musical sense.

Lots of impressive sounds for sure and I would imagine with a bit of programming it could do a lot but I found it sounded a bit 'cold' and the huge majority of the sounds were impressive as demos but not very usable to my ears. On the 'usability' (or lack thereof) front I feel much the same way about anything that uses Karma on a Korg.

That said, I've not done a deep dive into it and can see that for some people it would be amazing. I certainly wouldn't want to detract from it as an instrument; my opinion is very subjective. For my money the Hydrasynth happily covers the ground I would have looked to the Quantum for.

Attributes of the Quantum that really do impress are the physicality, the display and the control surface... no qualms at all on those fronts. The module looks to maintain that quality but I can't see myself going there.

I wonder if it's something that comes with having more synths. The more one has, the less inclined one is to dive deeply into them. That's definitely a trait I've noticed in myself in recent years. It's not that I don't want to, it's more a question of juggling time in an increasingly busy world and the studio time I get is skewed more towards being creative than learning the ins and outs of a specific piece of gear.

I also realise that might be to my deficit and I intend to do more "familiarisation" sessions with some of my equipment going forward.

[Logarhythm]

I bought mine on a bit of a whim in a genuinely rare moment of "only get one go at life and this is too good an opportunity to pass up", on the basis that at the price I could sell it without losing a penny if I didn't like it. Having now spent a few months with it, I can't see it going anywhere.
It's perhaps not one of those instruments that instantly grabs you, but it really does grow on you - the scope for shaping sound in such a deep and broad range of ways through a single interface that is relatively user-friendly given the complexity of the instrument is quite addictive.
It's also absolutely beautiful as a piece of design and engineering, the combination of knobs and screen does an excellent job of creating a surprising degree of instant engagement and simplicity, for what is a fairly intimidating instrument, and to me it genuinely feels quite special to use.
My take is perhaps a bit unusual as I don't really think of myself as much of a musician - I'm not particularly proficient as a player, but I love messing about with sound and something about it just sits right with how I engage with that process.
It probably helps that it's currently my only hardware synth, so if I want to tinker without turning on the PC then I have precisely one option, which has very much forced me to get inside it to a level that even the One Synth Challenge perhaps doesn't achieve.

Many of the stock sounds are a bit "stock sounds", and I agree that a lot of them are of the superficially impressive but probably not useful variety that plague a good few synths (and there's also an amount of "we got this famous person to design this bank, so that makes it even better"). If you can find someone with a spare Quantum then I'd say spend a couple of weeks getting to know it in more detail, and then see how you feel about it. I feel like it's an instrument that I'm getting more out of as I've put more time into it, and I really do like some of the sounds I can make with it, but it helps that I've found it fun to use too.
That having been said, I can also understand it being a relatively niche instrument - the price point puts it into competition with some very serious and capable synths, and most of those will not be lacking for depth, potentially have a more distinctive sonic character, and may offer greater flexibility in their specific area. Or the same money gets you a nice PC, a DAW, and a selection of VSTs that would surpass many of sound design capabilities, but probably not with the same immediacy, and it definitely wouldn't feel like a single whole instrument in quite the same way.

I'll add the same disclaimer as Eddy on subjectivity though, only mine may be further corrupted by a chunk of confirmation bias that's roughly the same size and shape as the hole it left in my bank balance...

[Eddy Deegan]

I'll add the same disclaimer as Eddy on subjectivity though, only mine may be further corrupted by a chunk of confirmation bias that's roughly the same size and shape as the hole it left in my bank balance...

I couldn't possibly dispute anything you said in your post and with specific regard to the quote above, more power to your elbow. The Quantum is without question a fantastic piece of kit. If anything I wonder if the limitation is mine and I need to get out of a rut which I've been seeking to escape from for a while (with some success, but not completely).

I was mainly responding to what Dave B said as it resonated with me but I acknowledge (as I'm glad you picked up on) that it's a personal view. If someone gave me a Quantum I wouldn't sell it, even if I didn't use it as much as it deserved.

Sometimes I wonder if I have too many synths. Then I slap myself in the face and tell myself not to be silly. The real problem is that I don't have enough time to spend with my synths

[Logarhythm]

Sometimes I wonder if I have too many synths. Then I slap myself in the face and tell myself not to be silly. The real problem is that I don't have enough time to spend with my synths

I'd say this was one of the obvious weaknesses of the Quantum - for all of the interesting options, there isn't one that alters the passage of time relative to the rest of the world despite being a feature that so many of us would appreciate. Perhaps I'll suggest that as a possibility for V3 of the OS

Maybe when the world returns to something closer to normal we'll have another SW SoSage, and you and Dave will be more than welcome to tinker with it for the afternoon. Whether that is enough time to get more of a feel for it is another question, but equally it's fine to conclude that it's not your cup of tea. I can still respect you even if you're wrong

[Guest]

Are you still getting on with the Iridium?

I have been interested in one for a while and am thinking of taking the plunge, I would be interested in your thoughts after you have had it for a while.

[Logarhythm]

Are you still getting on with the Iridium?

I have been interested in one for a while and am thinking of taking the plunge, I would be interested in your thoughts after you have had it for a while.

Was this a question for me?
I had (sadly definitely "had" rather than "have"...) a Quantum rather than the Iridium. Absolutely loved it, don't think I've spent so much time sat at a keyboard just tinkering and making new sounds since I got my first synth(ish) as a teenager. Stupidly sold it to fund an ill-fated house purchase, yet here I am with neither house nor Quantum

If/when circumstances allow, I'd buy another without hesitation. It could well turn out to be Iridium- rather than Quantum-flavoured - IIRC the former loses the analogue filters, but as an overall package at the price point, and having used that synth engine (engines? there is quite a lot in there!) and interface, I think it is extremely enticing.
If you're in the lucky position of being able to get an Iridium then I'd go for it

[Guest]

It was for you but I had misread your post thinking you had an Iridium.

I have been a bit put off by the thread on GS about the Iridium, so many people having hardware problems.

I do still fancy one but am a bit wary, for instance Juno has 5 in stock, 4 of which are b-stock!