Synth maker Waldorf revealed the 2-pole Analog Filter in the USA at the NAMM show. Now, they’re coming home to Germany with more details.
The emphasis here is making a filter for everyone: producers and synthesists, yes, but also DJs and guitarists. We already know guitarists like having access to this stuff if it can be playable (see KOMA, Moog), and if Waldorf can sell DJs a buttery filter instead of the awful stuff you get on many DJ mixers, they may be doing the world a public service.
The hardware has an all-analog filter path, which makes sense for a filter, using Waldorf’s own multimode filter design. (Waldorf has a track record here, with the 4-Pole, X-Pole, AFB16, Q+, Wave, and Pulse.) To that, they’ve added modulation (LFO, envelope follower, or external signal), and a lot of goodies that let you do more with the sound.
To keep this from just being a boring filter, there’s a Rectifier and overdrive after the filter; as you hear in the video, you can make some extreme-squelchy sounds, making this as much an effect as a run-of-the-mill filter.
And playability/performance options are what might really justify buying this as dedicated gear. There’s a Trigger button so you can “play” the result, true bypass, CV input for those with other analog gear, foot pedal controls for both the filter and envelope follower.
“Funk up your guitar licks.” Or lick up your guitar funk, perhaps. In any case, crank up the modulation and you have some pretty wild sounds.
It’s all mono, but you can “cascade to stereo” if you really want to buy two. I could see this box in a rig with gear from someone like KOMA; I’ll be in the booth with them this week, so maybe we can borrow a Waldorf and try mixing all this stuff together.
Availability: this month.
Pricing is 229€ (should see a bit lower than that in America).
Full specs:
Fully analog signal path: Preamp -> Filter -> Overdrive
Award winning Waldorf analog multimode filter technology
Filter can be modulated by LFO, envelope follower or external signal
Preamp with overdrive capability for direct connection of instruments like bass or guitar
Post-filter overdrive with adjustable gain
LFO with different ranges, rate up to several kHz
Envelope follower with trigger section and different modes
True Bypass
Cascadable to stereo (for two 2-pole units)Controls
Input Gain with level LED
Rectify pot for mixing-in the rectified input signal
Filter Cutoff pot
Filter Resonance pot
Bipolar Filter Env Mod pot
Filter Type switch
Overdrive pot
Activation switch
Output Level pot
LFO Range switch with 3 positions
LFO Rate pot with LED
LFO Mod Depth pot
Trigger Button with LED
Trigger Threshold pot
Trigger Hold pot
Envelope Follower Source switch with 3 positions
Envelope Follower Attack pot
Envelope Follower Decay potConnections
Audio In
Audio Out
Cutoff CV In
Envelope Follower CV In
Trigger In
Power DC 12V
http://www.waldorf-music.info/2-pole-overview