From: georg@dali.nlp.physik.th-darmstadt.de (Georg Mueller)
Newsgroups: rec.music.synth
Subject: !!! The WAVE Flyer !!!
Date: 13 Apr 92 14:29:44 GMT
Distribution: rec.music.synth
Organization: TH Darmstadt, Institut fuer Angewandte Physik


The Frankfurt-Musik-Messe Flyer transfered to electronic medium without
permission
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                                  waldorf                                 
                                 The WAVE
                          Preliminary information

                                 The WAVE 
      Advanced Modular Wavetable Synthesizer with the most intuitive      
                       user-interface avaiable today

The WAVE by Waldorf represents the logical refinement of Wavetable-
synthesis, with the utmost consideration for a clear, concise and
intuitive user-interface. In addition, the WAVE has been conceived to be
completely modular in its hardware as to cater for various needs the best
possible way. Options for soft- and hardware extensions allow for an even
greater flexibility, putting the WAVE, as its predecessor, the MicroWave,
into the best position to become a classic.

COMPREHENSIVE SYNTHESIS
The WAVE refines the Dynamic Spectral Wavetable synthesis by Waldorf. 
Right at the unit *User-Wavetables* can be created and edited, putting
the potential to realise an undreamed of host of innovative sounds at
everyone's disposal. A truely unique function to extract single spectra or
spectral groups from sampled sounds, including their timbral evolution
over time, will stand out in the creation of new sound-colours.

The modulation-capabilities have been improved enormously as well: for
example, MIDI-clock, playspeed, keyboard-status, and more can now also be
utilized as modulation sources; modifiers can be turned inside-out by new,
special modules such as *Control Delay*, *Control Mixer*, *Control Shaper*
or *Control Comparator*; additional modulation inputs allow for even 
greater expressive capabilities than before.

Finally, there is a new, assignable four-stage Time/Level envelope, new 
LFO-Waveforms and -parameters, advanced voice-allocation algorithms, plus
a whole lot of other beneficial improvements.

CLEAR HIERARCHY
For simplicity, the WAVE always is in multitimbral mode, thus offering up
to eight Sounds simultaiously in each *Performance*, which can be used in
split- or layer- combinations as well as for sequencer-use or combinations
thereof.
Each Sound is defined by its own virtual *Instrument*, which determines 
key- and velocity-zones as well as MIDI-channel, volume, panorama, detune, 
transposition, plus the level of two independent auxiliary sends for 
controlling effect-pathes.

Comprehensive makro-functions simplify the task of arranging complex
split- and layer-arrangements. A total of 128 Performances and 128 Sounds
are internally avaiable; an optional memory expansion board increases this 
number by a factor of three.

EXPRESSIVE MASTERKEYBOARD FUNCTIONS
The 61- (or on demand 76-) key keyboard is ideally suited as a MIDI 
masterkeyboard. Each Performance of the WAVE holds up to eight additional
key-zones for controlling external equipment; thanks to two independent
MIDI-Outs up to 32 different MIDI-modules can be addressed, not only by 
channel, but also by name.

Extensive performance-controllers guarantee extreme and manyfold 
expressiveness: besides pitch- and modulation-wheels there exists a
programmable *Freewheel*, two *Playbuttons, an a *sustain-* as well as two
definable *foot-pedals*, all assignable seperatly to each zone, and even 
with individual scaling for the pitch- and modulation-wheels. To round 
things of, the eight faders are available as additional realtime 
performance-controllers for both the internal instruments or external MIDI
gear.

PC-COMPATIBLE DISK DRIVE
All data, Sounds and Performances of the WAVE can be saved on the built-in 
HD floppy disk drive. All dataformats can be stored and recalled 
separately, and naturally sys-ex data of other MIDI equipment can also be
archived. As a reference, date and time will be stored along thanks to the
built-in battery-backed realtime clock.

As the icing on the cake Sounds and Performances can be archived on disk by
means of their own respective databases, which of course, offer subgroups,
as well as several search-functions.

The disk format is MS-DOS compatible and thus can be read or written to on 
most standard computer systems.

INTUITIVE USER-INTERFACE
The most important feature of a synthesizer today is not only its sonic
variety, but its user-interface as well. ONly functions that can be 
accesed quickly and efficiently will stand up to the day-to-day workload
of the professional musician.

Therefore, Waldorf did not allow for any compromise in designing the user-
interface of the WAVE. Almost all sound-parameters can be accessed by 
their respective single-purpose knob, button or dial. On top of that, 
_the_largest_display_implemented_in_a_musical_instrument_to_date_ shows 
all information of the status of each sound-module. With related faders 
and buttons each depicted display-parameter can be manipulated immediately
as well.

Additionally, a range of unique edit-modes offer even more refined edit-
operations:

- MULTI-EDIT: several Sounds of diffenrent instruments can be edited at 
  the same time in relation to each other. If, for example, the release
  time of the filter shall be changed for all Sounds of a eight-part
  Performance, a single twist of a knob does the job.
- GROUP-EDIT: a single parameter of all Sounds/Instruments can be edited 
  in parallel using the eight faders. Thus the finetuning of the 
  Instrument volumes, for instance, becomes child's play.
- QUICK-EDIT: several related parameters of a single sound will be edited
  relative to each other to attain a large change of timbre. Additionally,
  makro-functions for envelope- and modulation-settings can be exerted. 
  This way, a Sound can be perfectly finetuned or changed dramatically all
  within seconds.

To never loose one's head, the WAVE puts extensive copy-, intialisation- 
and compare-functions at your disposal. Also, each Sound comes with its
own edit-buffer, never leaving you crying over a lost original or edited 
version of your preciously crafted textures. And to top it off, you even 
may audition sounds from disk, try Quick-Edit makros or send MIDI sys-ex 
dumps to the WAVE -  still none of your Sounds, be they originals or 
edited versions, will get lost.

FUTURE EXPANDABILITY
By consequently employing a modern computer architecture, the WAVE can be
expanded in software as well as by hardware curcuit-boards. You can, for
example, increase the number of voices from 16 up to 48 by simply plugging
in two Expansion-Voice-Boards - and, of course, each voice still comprises
two Wave-generators. 
Furthermore, two option-slots are available to hold upcomming hardware-
modules that will make the WAVE even more universal and colourful. Any way
you look at it, the WAVE is armed for future expansions and extensions,
putting  it on the cutting edge of technology.

THE FEATURES

8 Modebuttons:
 - Performance      - Intrument Edit
 - Xtrument Edit    - Wave Edit
 - Global Edit      - Quick Edit
 - Option A         - Option B
 - Permanent Sound-Edit mode

Numbers of voices:
 - 16, 32 or 48 up to 8-part permanent multitimbral mode 3 Stere-Outputs
   2 Aux-Outputs Volume Controller Power-switch
 - 61-key Keyboard (optional 76 keys) Channel Aftertouch

Performance controllers:
 - Pithcbend-wheel
 - Modulation-wheel
 - Free-Wheel (freely definable bipolar modulation-wheel)
 - 2 Play-buttons
 - 2 Transposition-buttons
 - Sustain pedal
 - 2 freely definable foot-pedals
 - 8 Performance-faders

Sound-modules (per voice):
 - 2 Oscilators
 - 2 Wavetable-generators
 - Noisegenerator
 - Mixer
 - Multimode-Filter
 - Amplifier
 - Panorama
 - 2 Aux-sends
 - LFOs (6 Shapes each)
 - ADSR Amplifier envelope
 - DADSR Filter envelope
 - 8 Time/Level-pairs Wave envelope
 - 4 Time/level pairs Free-envelope
 - Controll-Mixer, -Shaper, - Delay, -Sample&Hold, -Comparator

User-Interface:
 - 1 Display, 480*64 Pixel (four hundred eighty * sixty four)
 - 8 Display-buttons
 - 8 Display-faders
 - Mute button
 - Group-Edit button
 - OK/Cancel buttons
 - Page Buttons
 - +/- buttons
 - 12-key Numeric keypad (program-selection)
 - 4 Storage buttons (store, recall/init, compare, copy)
 - Disk-access button
 - 27 Sound-Edit buttons
 - 53 Sound-Edit knobs
 - 9 Sound-Edit increment-dials
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You can tip up the front-panel a la MINI-MOOG.

Well, I think this is worth some MILKSHAKES for typing in.
Hope this will stimulate GEAR LUST (TM).

	Georg.