Waldorf IRIDIUM 16-Voice Synthesizer

General

There are few synthesizers as truly awesome as the Waldorf Quantum. Fitted with a keyboard and packed to the very rafters with potential as well as luxurious extra, the jaws of synth-geeks the world over hit the floor and buzzed with expectation: when would a modular version arrive? The Iridium is a touch smaller than the Quantum, has a slightly more sympathetic price, and the keyboard has been removed, but this hulk of a unit compromises nothing in terms of function. Sixteen voices, various audio sources and filters, six envelopes, six LFOs, an insanely extensive modulation matrix and, of course, more. In fact, the Iridium has so much on offer, the control panel should be a teeming mass of knobs, and while it is well-populated, the face of this desktop unit is neat, clean, clear, and comes supported by a nicely sized touch-screen.

Functions of the Waldorf Iridium

Just as with the Quantum, the Iridium is made for sound-designers who are trying to keep away from the beaten path. So, if all the standard wavetables and virtual analogue synthesis available just doesn't do it for you any more, you also get granular synthesis, resonator synthesis, and kernels (a kind of 6-operator FM). Skipping to the end, this compact unit genuinely provides everything: an arpeggiator, 2GB sample flash RAM, CV/gate, thousands of factory sounds, and enough space for thousands more. The Iridium is an audio-based adventure in a box.