Behringer releases Wave
by The Press Desk   10th December 2024

Not yet available at Sweetwater. No mention of price..I assume it's around $1200.

Says $599 direct from Behringer

https://synthanatomy.com/2024/12/beh...completed.html

"Retailers should have it in a few weeks or months".😄

Ooh! Never owned one but always loved the sounds, this just went to the top of my gas purchase list!!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=IYq50aMon9s

Old 80’s sounds yet again.

Back in the days synth manufacturers were trying to make new sounds and new instruments with each release. We get to the 2000’s and new synth technology just stopped.

What’s worse is there are very few virtual instruments developers even trying to make new sounds with the power of digital available.

So many say music is stale. Part of it is we don’t get the any new sounds like we used to in the days of “un-stale” music.

Any limitations that might exist because of the synth inspirational ceiling (and I agree that this did occur) can't be responsible for what you'd call stale music. The industry doesn't release a new synth and then suddenly the market is exhilarated and reformed. Its producers and artist who find new ways to use existing sounds that brings freshness to the Top 40.

Consider classical composers who were limited by the common instruments of an orchestra. They managed to reinvent music many times over across centuries, and that occurred in the compositions. If there's staleness in music it's on the artists, not the gear.

The Behringer Wave isn't a "new" synth concept because it is based on an OLD
synth..the PPG Wave 2.2 and 2.3. Are you not familiar with the PPG? Wow..

To say no one is making brand new concept synths is also completely wrong. There are many "new concept" synths, both hardware and software. Here's one of them:

https://rhizomatic.fr/index.php/plasmonic/

Here's another:

https://synthanatomy.com/2024/12/sup...gkUsOQS25_-XFA

Think there aren't any new concept synths? You just aren't looking in the right places for them.

First, I said few, not none.

Second, I know exactly what the Berlinger is based on. My uncle’s studio was full of them…back in the 80’s as a kid. A time when we looked forward and not backwards.

To be fair, Steampipe is based on the old Reaktor ensemble. Great synth, I’m sure the Erica version is fantastic, but I don’t see much innovation there other than the fact it’s expressed in hardware.

Totally agree. Feature sets are dumbed down, along with the obsession with retro nostalgia. All seemed to kick in post 2000. Even 90's plugins were brimful of features that you hope to see, but, miss in contemporary stuff. Compare MH channel strip to the standard SSL one for example.

Anyway, that being said, I digress.

I like what I'm seeing of this synth a LOT! The blue panel is cute, it has all the stuff you expect eg aftertouch and analog filters. Sounds cool, and looks fun. Best of all is the price.

Really on point, this comment - in two ways:

1. The early/mid-80s in particular had an explosion of new textures, plus new technology, which made everything a sonic delight - new sounds were around every corner, and there was a gold rush of who could use a new sound in a hit song first.

2. Those same aspects consigned a lot of creative invention (e.g. classical study) to the scrap-heap, because so much was available at the push of a button. Sonic novelty is a cruel mistress, quickly wearing out its welcome and requiring new infusions. We've reached the logical end of that with bit-crushing and granular, leaving quick-change timbre the only novelty remaining.

The ultimate irony is the late obsession with lo-fi: no longer pushing forward, but returning to older sounds as more genuine/warm.

What I like about the analog revival is the forced return to pre-modern requirements: instead of an infinite menu of pre-made possibilities, these are machines which only do what they do. Modern versions are often augmented to soften the less-inspiring challenges (e.g. adding minor effects/sequencer) -- but no more; the user has to grapple with the beast as is.

I've been waiting for the Wave -- even to the extent of selling other gear to make space for it. Whether people use it to make new sounds or only relive the old -- that's really up to the individual people. The modern trend is backward-looking, but that doesn't mean those same tools can't be used looking forward; all it takes is to be an artist

Where is this modern trend that people here are on about?
If one digs a little deeper there’s an amazingly eclectic assortment of innovative, creative music that reaches further than just juxtaposing old and slightly new styles and genre’s. Same can be said for music tech…
That said, the PPG Wave with Waveterm was really something and this - judging from the couple of presets shown - seems to have captured the essence of the old PPG.
I wonder if they’ll have the metal plates preset
This is probably the first hardware synth - affordable - that I’m lusting after.

The old stuff is the best stuff.

Like mics and preamps, guitars, drums, pianos they mastered all this stuff decades ago.

Apart from quirky faddy stuff there’s nothing in the last 25 years that’s grabbed my ear.

My tube amps are from the 60’s designs - my favourite mic pre (Coil CA-70 is from the frikkin 1930’s!!) favourite mics 50’s - favourite compressors 60’ and 70’s.

It’s a long list.

The 80’s was brilliant for digital reverbs, synths, drum machines etc.

It is what it is - the old stuff is great because it’s great.

Now it’s rinse and repeat or crazy out there weird for the sake of being new.

Oh, and I’m old too so I’m fab also

I’d love one of these synths.

There's "best" but there's also "familiar" - when these coincide, there's magic

Since the advent of the boutiques/behringer clones I've been in analogue heaven!
For years I'd lusted for a 303/101 etc, just couldn't justify/afford the price of those original machines.
Personally I find the hands on rather than mouse on approach a way more creative process.

This thing looks great. All I want is 80s nostalgia so bring it on!

sounds great too

GuyS, CaN OLd SoUnDz bE pUt ThrOuGH nEW EfFecTS?

Up on Sweetwater for pre order at $599

https://www.sweetwater.com/store/det...le-synthesizer

Looks great!

A couple of thoughts on this one:

* I agree with @ GrammynOut2 "old sounds" comment. The PPG 2 series wavetables (in part or in full) have been consistently used in various hardware & software instruments from Waldorf (with Wolfgang Palm's blessings) and others since PPG went under...which was ~40 years ago at this point.

* The back panel (the side an audience would see) has a strikingly similar look and feel to the Groove Synthesis 3rd Wave. Similar blue top with white text over a black bottom section and similar "capsule shaped" cutout vent holes- neither of which were on the "OG" PPG keyboards (edit- I think the 3rd Wave's vent shapes are a nod to the red enter button shape on the first Waldorf Microwave???). Seems like Behringer is going out of their way here to create confusion and force Groove into spending money to issue cease and desists.

*As a Waldorf Blofeld and Wavestation owner I feel equipped to say that "a little bit of wavetable in a composition or song set goes a long way". I think a lot of Wave purchasers are going to end up surprised in a bad way at how difficult it can be to get a lot of the wavetables to play nicely with other sounds and how quickly wavetable sounds can go from novel to almost cliche. I also think that a lot of purchasers are going to quickly tire of the 0-9 key and text abbreviations of the emulated vintage PPG UI. I'm betting that we're going to see a good number of these quickly end up on the used market as a result.

* $599 for 8 voices makes me suspect that there's plans for sub $1K 16 voice (or higher) version if the 8 voice sells marginally well.

I think that is a very, very limited view on wavetable synthesis?

From sweetwater page: "We expect these to arrive in a few months. Estimated May 2025."

That's true. Wavetable synthesis do not mean you have to scan a table in every patch.

Beeeeeeeecaaaaaaaassssssseeeee?

Edit- I think you want to jump off into a conversation about Wavetable synthesis in general and up to modern day instruments. This thread (and the context of my comments) refer to a specific product built to emulate the technology of ~40 some years ago

Absolutely true, but the PPGs Wave series strength is in its unique abilities to scan wave tables...Doing classic ROMpler or VA type type sounds have never been the PPG series strong suit- tons of better options for that on the market today...and don't overlook that the Wave looks like it's going to only have 8 voice polyphony.

Well... The PPG strengh is in its limited digital 8/12 bit technology added to its analog filter/dca technology, that no plugin has faithfully reproduced (afaik), when the scan wave thing has been beaten to death, to the point, as you said, it became a cliché.
I preordered a Wave and it's not for wavescanning (or very slightly).

The Waldorf Wave 3. VST (which Wolfgang Palm was consulted on and "approved") is about as close to dead on as you can get (and has modes to emulate the Wave 2, 2.2, and 2.3). There's a free trial download available for it if you want to give it whirl.

Hope you like your Wave...will be interested in seeing if it's a "scratch the itch and move on" or "long term keeper" for you.

Well... having already red the Wave manual a few times, i get your point, and agree it's not exactly a logical layout as one can find in modern synths (those abreviations...), but it's really a matter of practice and coming from oldies (but goodies) like the SY77 and the Wavestation (speaking about wave sequencing...), that are also real pita in their own genera, i'm confident that if the sound is there (and judging by the demos, it is), it will be a keeper.
Doubling this by the fact it will replace a little master keyboard that's dying, Wave's will enlighten my studio for the years to come, hopefully.
At worst it will cure my gas for the real deal, so it will be a 14000 euros saving at the actual price.
All in all it was the one i was waiting for, so i'm glad it's finaly coming.

really looking forward to this thing. Hope it's great...