I own a Waldorf Q Rack (16-voice).
Likes: The quality of the oscillators - simply the best I have found in any VA synthesizer. The modulation matrix is deep and the degree of modulation allows for some really organic sounds. The fidelity of the sound is immediate and the character is electric and alive. Flexible filter section allows you to control inputs per osc, and the dual-filter bank is freely modulatable between serial and parallel configurations with stereo routing. As such, setups such as 48db/oct. lowpass or stereo panning comb filters can be realized. Fast envelopes. I like the endless rotaries for programming. The UI is fairly fluid. The wavetables are smooth in character, and their presence combined with FM and comb filters make this synth much more than an analog emulator...it is a powerful digital synth in its own right. The arpeggiator is very powerful and very programmable. The step-sequencer is a lot of fun, especially when driving the arp. Patch morphing. Digital S/PDIF out. Sounds great without effects, but the onboard mod fx, pattern delays and quality reverb add to the fun. Powerful vocoder. I find the design and color to be aesthetically pleasing and functional. Over 1000 patches available online.
Dislikes: I don't like the non-standard power cord. Sometimes I find the filters to be a little clinical in nature. The step-sequencer is limited since it does not have any kind of pattern chaining or remote recall. Endless rotaries are not as fun for live tweaking. No true power-switch - it uses a soft switch. FX params not destinations in the mod matrix. Audio input forces you to use a custom cable since it is a stereo 1/4" jack. 32-voice expansion is expensive. No wordclock in.
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