Waldorf’s all‑encompassing Iridium engine is now available in its smallest form yet.
As you may already know, the Waldorf Iridium is not just any digital synthesizer. It’s the company's flagship. With a sprawling synthesis engine embracing virtual analogue, wavetable, frequency modulation, phase modulation, granular, multisampling and physical modelling, the Iridium is a true all‑rounder. While being everything to everyone may seem impossible, the Iridium’s sheer scope is undeniably impressive.
The Core is the latest option in an expanding line‑up and the smallest Iridium thus far. It measures 346 x 200 x 64mm and weighs 2.2kg, so it will fit comfortably on your desktop. It retains all of the features of its bigger siblings but with a reduced voice count of 12 (16 in the bigger models), a few changes to the inputs and outputs on the back, no keyboard, and fewer dedicated encoders.
Atomic Number 77
Like the previous models, the Iridium Core revolves around a large 1024x600‑pixel colour touchscreen. Most dedicated controls for synthesis parameters found on the larger keyboard and desktop models have been sacrificed for a smaller form factor, but you still get the top row of Section buttons for navigating, Macro buttons that can be freely assigned, the six contextual endless stepped encoders, eight rubberised pads for triggering notes and chords, and a selection of other encoders and buttons for quick access and navigation. One addition that helps with the reduction in dedicated controls is the four assignable Control knobs located underneath the screen. By default, they adjust filter cutoff, resonance, effects send and patch volume, but they can also be customised per patch, giving you control over the most important parameters for any given preset.
Iridium’s synthesis capabilities remain identical to those of its older siblings. Patches between all the Iridium models can be shared and loaded on any other model, which is easy thanks to the microSD card slot. The Iridium Core has 2.6GB flash storage for samples, pre‑loaded with a 2GB library of factory samples. There are over 1700 patches, with space to save several thousand more.
The synth engine uses two layers, which can be stacked, key‑split and panned, and assigned a custom number of voices per layer. Each layer uses a voice per note, so if you stack two polyphonic layers, you get a maximum of six voices. Layers can also be played bi‑timbrally from different MIDI channels. Each layer is essentially a full synth patch, with three oscillators, three filters, six envelopes, six LFOs, a Komplex modulator and up to five effects. Layers are always saved together as a ‘Multi’ but can be loaded individually.
Each layer is essentially a full synth patch, with three oscillators, three filters, six envelopes, six LFOs, a Komplex modulator and up to five effects.
The power of the Iridium lies in its many and varied synthesis methods. These include classic wavetable synthesis that Waldorf are well known for, virtual analogue including eight‑voice unison, multisample and granular (combined into what they call ‘Particle’ oscillators), physical modelling, a speech synthesizer and even a highly customisable modular environment called Kernels, which allows you to combine amplitude modulation, frequency modulation, phase modulation, ring modulation and phase distortion in many different ways.
For filters, each layer has up to three multi‑mode filters with different models that cover the full gamut of clean to filthy and can be routed in different ways. The filters are digital (unlike the analogue filters on the original Waldorf Quantum) and operate in stereo, which is great given that many of the oscillator types are stereo.
All this synthesis power is backed up by oodles of modulation: six LFOs (per layer), six envelopes with adjustable curves, and the aforementioned Komplex modulator, which combines two multi‑stage waveforms to create a complex, looping, synchronised modulation source. Each layer has a 40‑slot modulation matrix to help you make the most of all these sources.
In terms of effects, there are phaser, chorus, flanger, delay, reverb, EQ, overdrive and compressor. You can choose up to five per layer, and most parameters can be modulated. In addition, there is a global one‑knob compressor and a bass boost option.
A 32‑step sequencer and arpeggiator help keep things moving with advanced features like scale quantisation, rhythm patterns, swing and even MIDI output. The touch screen can be used as an X/Y pad modulation source too. In terms of MIDI, the Iridium engine supports poly aftertouch and MPE for whatever form of polyphonic expression you prefer. The Iridium Core has even kept its bigger siblings’ CV capabilities, albeit in a slightly reduced form, with clock in and out and two CV inputs that can be used to play the synth monophonically or as modulation sources.
We’ve covered the finer details of the synthesis engine in previous reviews, so if you want the full breakdown of anything mentioned above, I refer you to our previous reviews of the Waldorf Quantum (Iridium’s digital/analogue predecessor) and the Iridium Keyboard in the April 2019 and September 2022 issues, respectively. I’ll summarise by saying that the Iridium engine is a powerful beast that encompasses many synthesis types and has the potential to keep you in new and exciting sounds for many years.
Choices, Choices
Waldorf are aiming to sell the Iridium Core to people who cannot afford a flagship synthesizer that costs thousands. And they’ve done an excellent job of making it compact and more affordable, although you still cannot describe it as cheap.
Have they made the right decisions on what to cut from the bigger flagships? Clearly, they did not want to compromise on the engine. Patches are identical to the bigger siblings, and that makes total sense. I assume that the Iridium Core is running on a slightly less powerful chip, hence the reduction in the number of voices from 16 to 12. But that is the only software downgrade.
The hardware is where the cuts have been made, most obviously by having fewer encoders and no keyboard. The side‑effect of this is that the Iridium Core starts to feel a bit like a smart tablet with a few dedicated knobs and buttons attached. The lack of dedicated synthesis controls could impact your ability to use muscle memory to program the synth. I’m not sure that Waldorf could have avoided this, but it’s a fact nonetheless, and it’s worth bearing in mind that you can spend the exact same amount of money elsewhere and get a full hands‑on synthesizer experience (just not the Iridium experience).
The price is higher than I expected, especially for a unit using mini‑jacks for MIDI, and I’m not sure why Waldorf kept the rubberised pads. They don’t serve much purpose other than to trigger notes and chords, and they aren’t velocity or pressure sensitive, so they are just gated buttons. I’m sure the price could have been more competitive without them, or at least the MIDI In and Out could have been upgraded to 5‑pin DIN.
Iridium is still a flagship synthesizer... an unbelievably powerful synth that could keep you busy for years. As a digital polysynth, it’s hard to think of an alternative that can do more, and you could easily spend a lifetime getting the best from it.
All this being said, the Iridium is still a flagship synthesizer. It is still an unbelievably powerful synth that could keep you busy for years. As a digital polysynth, it’s hard to think of an alternative that can do more, and you could easily spend a lifetime getting the best from it. The Core represents the most cost‑efficient way to own an Iridium, and many people will prefer the smaller design and appreciate getting access to the ‘full’ synthesis engine.
The Iridium software is full of nice little touches that make sound design more effective. The favourites system for patches is a lifesaver when you have thousands of sounds to go through. My personal favourite is the ability to save oscillator settings as presets. This allows you to save your favourite oscillators, including samples, or the much more complex Kernels configurations, so that you can reuse them in other patches. I point these things out as examples of how mature the Iridium engine is now. It’s six years old, has had many updates, and it builds upon 35 years of digital synthesis expertise.
I was sceptical that the Iridium Core may have been hacked away at too much, but after spending time with it, I think it’s a great package. The build quality is excellent. You get all the power of the Iridium engine and the only real things missing are four voices and some knobs and buttons. Waldorf are doing a great job of offering the Iridium/Quantum engine in as many different forms as possible, and it feels like there’s an option for everyone.
Round The Back
The Iridium Core has many of the same connections as its siblings: a 12V DC power socket and switch, headphone output, stereo audio inputs and outputs on unbalanced TS quarter‑inch jacks, four CV connectors on 3.5mm jacks (reduced from eight on the Iridium Keyboard), MIDI In and Out also on 3.5mm jacks, USB connectors for USB MIDI computer connection, and a USB host socket for connecting class‑compliant controllers or USB storage.
There’s also a microSD card slot for file transfers, backups and OS updates. There are no pedal inputs, which makes sense as these can be supplied via a MIDI controller.
Pros
- It is the most affordable version of the Iridium yet with very few compromises.
Cons
- Reduced polyphony of 12.
- Mini‑jacks for MIDI I/O should not be a thing at this price.
Summary
The Iridium contains 35 years of Waldorf’s expertise in digital synthesis, and the Iridium Core is the most affordable version yet. Despite a slightly reduced voice count, it retains all the synthesis capabilities of the bigger Keyboard and Desktop versions.
Information
$2399
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