Waldorf Microwave 1 Rev-A Synth with Stereoping Controller

The Waldorf MicroWave 1 remains one of the most characterful synthesizers ever unleashed upon unsuspecting studios. Designed in the shadow of the mythical PPG Wave and built in West Germany during the final glorious years before beige workstations conquered the earth, the Rev A MicroWave delivers a uniquely fierce combination of digital wavetable oscillators and warm analogue Curtis filters.

This particular unit runs the desirable OS V2.0 and is paired with the excellent Stereoping controller, transforming the famously menu-heavy Microwave into a tactile sound-design instrument bristling with hands-on control. Filter sweeps, wavetable movement, envelopes and modulation become immediate and addictive in the best possible way. Frankly, once you use a Microwave with a Stereoping attached, going back feels like trying to conduct an orchestra through a letterbox.

Sonically, this machine is pure late-80s and early-90s electronic alchemy: metallic evolving pads, snarling basses, glassy textures, dystopian drones, digital choirs, techno stabs and violently animated timbres that seem permanently on the verge of escaping containment. The analogue filters add weight and movement absent from many later digital wavetable synths, giving the Microwave its famously alive and unpredictable sound.

Included are three original Waldorf sound set cards, expanding the sonic arsenal even further with additional waveforms, patches and textures ready for immediate exploration. The Stereoping controller alone is a hugely desirable addition, offering deep real-time access without sacrificing the original character of the synth itself.

Condition is excellent for its age, with the iconic dark-blue fascia presenting beautifully and the system booting correctly into OS V2.0. A magnificent machine for collectors, serious synthesists, soundtrack composers and anyone seeking the glorious sound of vintage wavetable synthesis before software made everything terribly polite.