Released in 1989, Waldorf’s Microwave was a digital/analogue hybrid synth that built on the success of the earlier PPG Wave, the technology for which the company had recently acquired.
This rack-mounted instrument looked pretty unassuming - aside from the massive red knob in the middle of it, of course - but had a familiar sound that remains popular to this day.
Which goes some way to explaining why Waldorf seems set to bring back the Microwave in some shape or form. A new 10-second teaser video shows a photo of the original alongside the words “Legends never die,” so there’s definitely something cooking.
Of course, Waldorf recently called on the Microwave’s heritage for M, a hybrid eight-voice, four-part multitimbral desktop synth with two wavetable oscillators. As such, it’s possible that we might just be getting a rack version of that.
A plugin emulation is also a possibility. Waldorf already offers a software version of the PPG Wave - among other instruments - so it’s not inconceivable that it’s about to give the Microwave the same treatment.
Or maybe it will just be a straight-up new version of the Microwave. We’ll let you know when we find out.
