Waldorf Iridium Digital Polyphonic Desktop Synth

Waldorf Iridium 16-Voice Digital Polyphonic Synthesizer.

Building upon the success of the Quantum, the 16-voice Waldorf Iridium packs much of the same powerful features into a compact and less expensive desktop module, well suited for sound designers, musicians, and synthesizer enthusiasts. The Iridium combines the raw power of classic digital and analog synthesizers with futuristic sounds that are only possible with today’s intensely programmable soft-synths, in a sleek and accessible user interface with a multitouch display, which features an onscreen spectrum analyzer and oscilloscope for deep, visualized editing.

The instrument utilizes three digital oscillators and two digital mulitmode filters. For even more versatility, the voices can be split or layered multitimbrally between two parts. Additionally, there are five master effect slots for each timbre, providing the full breadth of sound design options. Each oscillator is capable of five synthesis algorithms including Wavetable, Waveform, Particle, Resonator, and Kernal, which offers six internal kernel operators per oscillator using various FM, Ring-Mod, AM, or wavetable-based audio-rate modulations. What's more, the instrument can generate custom wavetables using audio that can either be routed into the Iridiums’s audio input, or loaded from the internal memory or removable sample memory.

The Iridium has a massive modulation section with six LFOs, six multistage envelopes that are loopable, an onscreen step sequencer, an arpeggiator, and a chord play mode with hold and latch. A 4x4 pad button matrix provides live performance controls over an array of features. The rear panel offers stereo 1/4" outputs, stereo 1/4" inputs, and 1/4" and 3.5mm headphone outputs with a dedicated volume control. Additionally, the Iridium is equipped with several 3.5mm connectors for Eurorack compatibility including four CV Continuous Control inputs, CV Gate, CV Clock and CV Start inputs, and a CV Clock output.

Additional features include a microSD card slot for importing and exporting samples and sounds and performing software updates. Also onboard is a USB computer connector USB (Type-B) and a USB controller connector (USB Type-A) for further expansion and control. The Iridium ships with an external power supply.

Top Features:

• Digital polyphonic synthesizer
• 16-voices plus two-part multitimbrality
• Three stereo digital oscillators per voice, each capable of five synthesis algorithms
• Wavetable creation from audio and sample based synthesis
• Two digital stereo filters in various modes and configurations including innovative link modes
• Visualization and deeper sound editing via multitouch display
• High-quality key controls, arpeggiator, and step sequencer
• 4 x 4 pad matrix for sequencer, arpeggiator, sampler or live performing control
• Patch-compatible with Quantum 2.0 patches, exchangeable in both directions
• Multistage LFO/Env modulator:
• Six LFOs
• Six loopable envelopes
• Master effect rack with five slots for each timbre including reverb, phaser, flanger, chorus, drive, EQ, and more
• Connectors:
• Stereo audio output
• Stereo audio input for sample recording and real-time processing
• High-Quality 24-bit A/D and D/A converters
• Headphone out with separate level adjustment
• 4 CV Continuous Control inputs for connecting EuroRack modules or compatible devices
• CV Gate, CV Clock, and CV Start inputs for connecting EuroRack modules or compatible devices
• CV Clock output for connecting EuroRack modules or compatible devices
• USB host type A connector for interfacing MIDI controller or USB storage devices for sample/preset exchange and software updates
• USB Type-B device connector for interfacing computer or other class-compliant MIDI USB hosts (like iOS devices)
• microSD Card for sample/preset exchange and software updates
• DIN MIDI In, Out, and Thru
• External power supply unit

Stereo audio input for sample recording and real-time processing

• 4 GB internal Flash memory for presets, samples, and wavetables plus microSD slot for samples

Synthesis Algorithms

• Wavetable:
• Waldorf style with all the classic wavetable
• Speech synthesis and wavetable generation from audio
• Modulatable realtime spectral modifications and FX
• Innovative realtime modulation across wavetables
• Various interpolations modes
• Import and export wavetables from Nave format
• Import from multi- and single-cycle WAV-based wavetable files
• Waveform:
• Waveform with up to 8 simultaneous waves per Oscillator
• Detuned or chordal modes
• Internal high-quality hard-sync
• Modulatable waveform warping and PWM
• Tunable noise
• Particle:
• Rich stereo sampler in traditional and granular mode using multisamples
• High-quality pitch and interpolation algorithm for great sound
• Flexible Key and velocity zones
• Live input processing in granular mode
• 2GB internal user sample Flash preloaded with high-quality sample content
• Import of sample content via USB drive or microSD Card
• Resonator:
• Exciter using noise or multisampling plus filterbank sound model
• Many modulatable spectral parameters
• Kernel:
• 6 internal kernel operators per Osc using various FM, Ring-Mod, AM or wavetable-based audio-rate modulations
• Innovative macro-templates for quick and easy editing
• Rich low-level editor for additional detailed editing
• Each kernel with multistage envelope and keylevels
• 5 macros based on Osc internal modulation matrix
• Import of classic FM sound patches

Sampling Capabilities

• Each of the 3 oscillators of a single timbre can be used in one of three modes using samples
• Stereo multisampler with looping
• Granular sampler with extensive parameter set
• Resonator model using sampler as exciter
• Samples are organized using key and velocity maps, selections rules like round-robin, random, etc., and individual pitch, gain, and pan settings
• Samples are stored in internal Flash memory of about 2GB in capacity, prefilled with over 1GB of specially made-for-Iridium factory samples
• New samples can be recorded from external stereo audio inputs or from self-recording Iridium's own engine
• Samples can also be imported and stored to internal Flash via microSD card using WAV-file format (44.1 kHz sample rate)
• The Iridium allows for a huge range of sample-based sound design capabilities from classical synth sounds to uncharted territories. It’s worth noting that the sample use in the Iridium is always within a synthesizer's sonic context, and it is not meant to work as a bread-and-butter sample keyboard to play back like traditional sampling instruments or third-party libraries

Arpeggiator Parameters

• Seven algorithms to choose from, including up, down, random, etc.
• Octave range
• Seven sort orders
• Three velocity modes
• Gate length
• Swing
• BPM
• Beat division
• Rhythmic patterns
• Reset modes
• Keyboard Latch: Chordal and nonchordal
• Individual patterns can be created in the step sequencer, including transpositions and scale quantization