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Waldorf IRIDIUM: Review and full tutorial (applicable to Quantum too)

 

Hi!

If you want an all-in-one overview of how wavetable synths, resonators, granular synths and FM/multi-operator synths work, this is the video for you...

Believe it or not, I set out to make my videos as short as possible, and yet this is my longest ever - there was so much to cover in Waldorf's Iridium - this is the best I can do without leaving anything important out.

Iridium is the desktop version of Quantum, and Iridium outdoes it in many ways (until perhaps Quantum catches up with a firmware update). Really 5 synths in one, it's quite an experience to use, because so many synthesis timbres and engines are so readily available.

Is it perfect? No, but it's probably the best implementation of a usable interface that gives access to so many features and timbres.

I hope you find this useful!

All my best,

Ziv (getting excited about resonators on youtube as "Loopop"...)

Waldorf IRIDIUM: Review and full tutorial (applicable to Quantum too)

Comments

Hi David, It has been quite while since I made this review so I'll have to refer you to the manual. Iridium's kernels are actually quite capable, but I'd give the win to opsix, though not by knockout (on the "fm" side) - obviously Iridium can do way more on the sampling/granular side.

Can you assign midi CC for each of the kernel oscillators level/ratio? Or are you stuck using the UI if you want to modify them? And how would you say the opsix compares against the Iridium kernel oscillator especially in terms of UI? (Obviously the Iridium can do a lot more, and can have three different kernel oscillators, but if you were to just look at one)

Yes regarding the iridium - nice! Congrats :)

Hey - just saw your follow up question - was it regarding the Iridium? Yes, I decided to buy the review unit - damn Waldorf getting me hooked!

Whoops - I never scroll past the timestamps, so I completely missed that. Thank you so much! I'm quite honestly very much digging Iridium. I'm still super skeptical about how well it would work in a live setting though. Do you have any plans of getting/keeping one?

Regarding external sequencing - yes, you can control each timbre separately. Regarding the comparison, it's the first thing I did when I got it ;) I hope you don't mind the copy-paste but so many people asked, I put the comparison in the description of the video....: Hydrasynth pros: - Less expensive - Velocity and pressure sensitive pads (desktop) poly aftertouch and ribbon (keyboard version) - More filter and reverb models - Different wave mutators vs digiformer - Macro mode for the knobs - More flexible arpeggiator - Desktop version is smaller and lighter, and comes with rack ears Hydrasynth cons: Monotimbral, 8 voices vs Bi-timbral and 16 voices on Iridium No resonator engine No custom wavetables Shorter wavetables (8 vs 128 waveforms in a table) No sampler/granular playback engine No engine like the kernel engines Mono filters as opposed to stereo filters in Iridium No proper sequencer vs two sequencers on Iridium

So I've watched this now three times. I can't help but mentally compare the Iridium to the Hydrasynth as they feel like, in principle, very similar as sonic sculpting powerhouses with a LOT of flexibility, except that the Iridium takes it and cranks it up to 11 with the higher price points, bitimbral, more voices, more modulation, etc. Do you think this is fair assessment to make? I'm trying to toss up between the two, and honestly, although I'm leaning towards the Iridium, it does seem fairly intimidating with its interface that might hurt the immediacy of it, especially if I used it in a live/jamming setting. (also, not sure if I missed this, but can you externally sequence the bitimbral layers separately over different MIDI channels?)


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