Waldorf Microwave 1

What Waldorf Microwave 1 Plug-in Is For

Waldorf Microwave 1 Plug-in is a virtual instrument designed to recreate within your DAW the unique character of the first wavetable machines: a lively, granular, sometimes brutal sound with a typical presence found in electronic productions. It excels both in sound design (complex modulations, spectral movements, digital textures) and in production oriented towards electro, techno, synthwave, EBM, ambient, or modern pop seeking a credible vintage grain.

Thanks to its multi architecture, it allows quick construction of layers and keyboard/velocity splits for evolving patches, bass and lead stacks, or multi-layer pads with a "machine" rendering.

Main Features

A modeling designed as an instrument, not just a simple emulation

The engine has been rebuilt to capture the specific behaviors of the first generation: per-voice DACs modeled, nonlinearities, and even some typical phenomena of the period's digital mixing (including an overflow behavior). The result: rich wavetables, a sharp attack, and that "biting" edge that immediately cuts through a mix.

Complete wavetable section: heritage and creation

All original wavetables are included and reproduced identically, with the characteristic 8-bit quantization and aliasing. The interface provides access to the full waveform catalog and offers a wavetable editor based on internal control tables, as well as a user waveform editor. Randomization modes add a playful and inspiring dimension to generate unexpected variations.

Analog filters and per-voice calibrations

The filter section reproduces revisions A and B with a realistic approach: individual calibration of cutoff and resonance to simulate differences between voices, and extended modulation possibilities. A graphical frequency response display, animated by modulations, speeds up adjustments and makes sound design more intuitive.

Envelopes, LFOs, and modulations with a "vintage" character

The envelopes and LFOs replicate the specific timings, including subtle micro-variations linked to original limitations. You have a filter ADSR envelope with delay, a volume ADSR envelope, and an 8-stage wave envelope (variable key-off point, loop possible) for complex morphings and evolutions. Two LFOs are available with multiple waveforms, symmetry and humanize parameters, and phase offset capability between them, with modulation options for rate and level (LFO1) and a global mode.

Multi-Mode, presets, and studio integration

The Multi-Mode allows up to 8 instruments stacked or split (or combined), with keyboard zones and velocity ranges. A multi mixer offers volume, pan, detune, transpose, and many parameters, with individual tuning per instrument possible. The plug-in includes all factory single and multi presets, several additional banks, and import of .mid and .syx dumps (including user tables and wavetables). User presets also save wavetables, tunings, and velocity tables.

Hardware control and practical tools

The plug-in can also be used to control a hardware Microwave in single mode via MIDI, with a "live" option where each control is transferred automatically. For everyday comfort: resizable interface and configurable spectrum analyzer.

Technical specifications

Type

Full software

Downloadable

Yes

Mac	OS X	Quantization and aliasing	recreation of 8-bit quantization and aliasing
Windows	Windows	Wavetable editor	based on the internal control tables
Internal sampling	250 kHz (independent of the DAW's sampling rate), true to the original behavior	Waveform catalog	access to the complete range of waveforms from the original instrument
Converter modeling	digital-to-analog converters (DACs) for each voice	User waveform editor	yes
Oscillators per multi instrument	two, based on the same wavetable	User creation	wavetables and waveforms
Noise generator	digital, single, based on ASIC technology	Wavetable editing	randomization modes
Mixer	digital, oscillators + noise, including the original overflow behavior	Analog filter modeling	revision A and revision B
Pitch generation	without interpolation	Filter calibration	individual cutoff and resonance for each voice (hardware detune simulation)
Digital waveforms	recreated and compared bit-for-bit with the original	Filter modulations	cutoff and resonance
Digital noise	reconstructed with its artifacts	Frequency response display	animated by real-time modulations
Original wavetables	all those from the Microwave 1, using the original encoding, bit-identical	Amplification modeling	analog voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCAs) and pan section
Included	algorithmic and speech wavetables	Voltage control DACs	recreated, including stepping effects