Waldorf Iridium Desktop MK2 synthesiser

General

Some years ago, the Waldorf Iridium came out, an extremely powerful desktop synth for the seasoned sound designer. Because oy oy oy oy what a lot you can do with it. You won't come across much more extensive than the Iridium. Although... it is possible after all, with this Waldorf Iridium Desktop MK2 synthesiser. And the "MK2" is there for a reason, of course; this new synth is similar in essence to its predecessor, but with some nice new features.

The basic idea of the Waldorf Iridium Desktop MK2

You've got synths that are good with wavetables, you've got FM synths, you've got synths that do something with physical modelling.... And you have the Iridium that does it all. You can't have heard these synths in a weekend, impossible. The wavetables alone will be a voyage of discovery for new users. With FM, it goes straight to 6-on FM, so that's thousands of sounds right away. Granular synthesis then, also a treasure chest of possibilities that you don't see with just any synth. When it comes to filters, the range is also quite extensive: stereo LP/BP/HP in 12 or 24 dB, supplemented by specific flavours (Nave, Largo, PPG etc.). The effects comb-filter, bit-crusher, drive, ring mod and formant filter are also at your disposal. Furthermore: six envelopes, six LFOs, a 'Komplex Modulator' (combination of LFO and envelope, with user-shape and morphing), and so you understand why you won't get through this synth in a weekend. And that's not all: a fat mod matrix with 40 slots, various effects, and a good arpeggiator are also waiting for you!

New to the MK2

By now you might wonder if we actually needed an MK2 at all, the chances of anyone knowing the MK1 at all are so slim. But Waldorf has done it anyway. A few of them involve complex new things that, in the "show, don't tell" context, are better reviewed in the accompanying video than to explain them here, such as the 'Seeds'. The Per-Note-Parameter-Locks are easier to explain: for each note, you can set certain synth parameters that make them sound exceptional compared to other notes that don't use that lock. Sort of like a drum kit, but for normal sounds - idea from Aphex Twin! The new Flavour is about random deviations for timing, pitch and timbre, making sounds sound a lot less static. Also: a polyphonic arpeggiator mode, 4-part multi-timbrality, and a cosy 6GB of flash RAM, 2GB of which is factory sounds.

For whom.

You might be tempted to think that this synth must be monstrously complex. After all, just how complex was a DX7? And in this Iridium, a 6-on FM unit is only part of the whole. Fortunately, this module too has a colourful touch-screen, and a decent parade of dials and other controllers. In itself, it is very clear what you are doing. Doesn't take away from the fact that it's a lot, though. For a beginner, it will probably be far too much - although of course there are plenty of fine presets that can be played directly. But in all sincerity, that beginner is also not the target audience. Even someone with quite a few years of service in the guild of sound designers, will have to go on a journey of discovery for a while. But in principle, everything is well and clearly stated; it's just a lot to grasp. You won't get through it in a weekend, but for the connoisseur, in ten years t it will still be a great synth. And over that time span, the price isn't too bad either for this endless Iridium MK2!

• Note that an SD card must have FAT or FAT32 as its file-system to use with the Iridium.