Blofeld love

[Clancy]

Spectre is good for building multi sample instruments or kits. The key assignments can be set with an ext keyboard. Pretty quick if you look up the shortcuts. In my case I set up 25 drum kits in one go and it’s been great to have them on there. A kit then takes up only one oscillator slot

In multi mode a kit can be all on one part, or you can spread them across multiple parts to use different filters and drives per drum voice.

Arpegiator is fun with a drum kit on an oscillator too.

Installing SL license was painful though. I have never got my Mac to communicate properly with my Blofeld. I basically had to acquire a PC just to get SL license on there. Since then using windows has been fine. I use Bigglesworth beta for occasional backups / bank rejigs.

[AdamJay]

I’m kinda surprised Waldorf hasn’t given us a Blofeld MK2.

The complaints of the Blofeld are rather universal.
Encoders, fiddly destructive multi-mode, underpowered DSP.

Just sorting those common issues out, and perhaps adding a row of encoders for the most commonly used parameters (Tetra/AS1 style), they could have really capitalized on the latest (unfortunately monotrimbral) wavetable synth boom and filled the gap with an affordable wavetable/VA module with multi capabilities and world class sound.

I love the sound of the Blofeld but can’t stand using the thing.

[jazznbass]

some really nice single cycle snippets

Do you mean single cycle wav converted to wavetable or used as a simple sl sample? I guess as a simple single cycle, any sample, only pitched down can have a somehow listenable result. Digitakt uses single cycle wav with the use of loop and start/end points. This is not happening to blofeld sampling engine. So i guess for single cycle osc sl is useless.

[jazznbass]

I’m kinda surprised Waldorf hasn’t given us a Blofeld MK2.

The complaints of the Blofeld are rather universal.
Encoders, fiddly destructive multi-mode, underpowered DSP

Same thing that will happen to the Access Virus. https://synthmorph.com/blogs/news/access-virus-future-kemper-amp-virus-ti3
Old, outdated DSP code will not probably be translated to fresh platforms. An FPGA alternative maybe in the far future.

[Adam9]

Blofeld love

Yeh to question 4 as well… I create samples in FL studio and the loop points are caried over to the licence SL…

Scroll up have a read aground post 402, the Blofeld does loop single cycle samples as long as you set loop points in the sample when you create it, You cant do it on the device (in a straight forward way) but if you set the start and end in any wave editor (like audacity or Edison), those are carried by Spectre to the Blofeld and read fine. like old school samplers where the loop point can be set to elongate the sustain phase, you simply take the single cycle sample (or sometimes more cycles if you want) and place the loop point at the very beginning and very end of the sample…

try this one, its a little too beefy and textured for poly…but you get the idea…

[jazznbass]

this looks like something valuable, recognizable sustain loop points, I will check, thanks!

[jazznbass]

https://web.archive.org/web/20171104165703/http://www.waldorf-forum.com/pipermail/user-forum/2012-August/027632.html

Instructions copied from the 2012 mailing list… for future reference (from the wayback machine archive):

Summary

I hit up Waldorf, they were happy enough to put together a step by step.

Here it is for future reference:

sorry, there is no step-by-step instruction yet. What you need is:

• Spectre

• The Blofeld factory sample content in Spectre format

• A sample editor that can create and edit loops and save them in WAV

format.

---

First download Spectre and the Blofeld factory sample content from:

Download these files:

• spectre_091_windows.zip

or

• spectre_091_OSX.zip

• factory-01.zip

• wurlilight_scd.zip

---

• Create a sample with a loop in a sample editor. Make sure that the loop

start should at least be around 500 samples from the start and that the

loop shouldn’t be shorter than 500 samples.

• Save the sample in WAV format.

• Open Spectre and make sure only one program is in the program list.

• Load the sample into the program. For testing the sample, Spectres

program list should contain only that particular program since it takes

some time to transmit samples and you want to check if the sample with the

loop plays without clicks in the Blofeld. When you are happy with the

result, you can save this program and load it into the factory set.

• Adjust the root key and other settings if necessary.

• Transmit the sample to the Blofeld. This removes all other samples in it.

Create a sound with the sample and check if it sounds properly. If not,

adjust the loop points in the sample editor. Most of the time, you should

repeat the loop cycle once or twice and adjust the loop points accordingly.

• When you are happy with the result, save the program, load the

factory.wpc file and append the created program to the end of the program

list.

• Save the wpc file under a different name, this is now your own Blofeld

sample content file.

• Transmit the set to the Blofeld and have a big cup of coffee. It might

last quite some time to transmit the whole content.

[soon_come]

Agree with this, although I guess that’s kind of what they’ve done with the Kyra (?).

Btw (unrelated), @AdamJay sorry for the posts re: Catalina recently / thanks for pointing me to the update. I had no idea. Is there a better way to stay up to date on these releases?

[AdamJay]

Hey no problem.

Scroll to bottom of www.elektron.se and sign up for the newsletter.

[soon_come]

www.elektron.se

Thanks, I really thought I was on this already, but apparently not.

BTW, re: Blofeld, I love it so much I swapped out the knobs and replaced the display with an easier-to-read inverted one.

[Album] Soon Come

[jazznbass]

Free sample loop point editors:

LoopAuditioneer

http://loopauditioneer.sourceforge.net/index.html

Endless WAV

https://www.bjoernbojahr.de/endlesswav.html

Wavosaur free audio editor

https://www.wavosaur.com/

First 2 have some special functions for automatic loop recognition without “clicks” and batch processing. Wavosaur has a smooth loop audition when moving sample marker points (like Digitakt) and apparently more editing tools. Additionally there is a batch processor that can “add loop point at Start and End” for many files at once. Useful for updating many single cycle waveforms.

[loopdude]

Just saw this on facebook. Maybe a good opportunity to try the monstrumfeld editor.

[jazznbass]

For SL license / samples. Only “midi” sample file upload works with this Spectre software at ridiculously slow transfer speed. Tested with Bome SendSX tool which is free. USB transfer measured by SendSX at max speed of 43kb/sec. Using a USB to midi DIN interface speed gets even lower maximizing at 3kb/sec.

This Spectre software have many drawbacks and seems abandoned, leading users to live a nightmare to get serious results. There is a hidden feature though, on loading mapped multi-samples.

It supports Korg’s *.kmp multi-sample mapping format.

It is one of the formats that Korg uses on hardware like Triton/Trinity/M3/Kronos etc. The corresponding PCM file has the extension *.ksf and obviously *.kmp file includes the mapping data and references to samples. Tested and uploads ok. There are some commercial converters to this format like the Awave Studio software. You can then convert many well known formats like sfz or sf2 soundfont files etc. to Korg *.kmp and load them to Spectre but every case has to be used knowing possible capabilities and limitations. Sfz format for example, as far as I can see, can have many layers of samples [velocity? other?] so to export multi-layer multi-samples you have to keep only one layer and export multiple *.kmp/*ksf group of files, then maybe use them as multis in blofeld or use at will.
An alternative option is an other commercial software called Sample Robot which supports the xml format of Spectre, there is a special cut down version for blofeld .

[ericd]

Sorry to hear so many problems with Spectre. It is working for me fine now, uploading samples without converting them to MIDI first. Selecting MIDI in as Blofeld was the trick (the instructions all tell you not to, but that’s what works for me). Using Blofeld OS 1.25, Windows7. This allows me to only upload new/missing sample programs to a sample set, while also keeping the already uploaded samples on the Blofeld.

EDIT: the video I linked above, as well as this, helped me figure it out. https://modulatethis.com/2014/12/15/must-read-waldorf-blofeld-synthesizer-new-1-23-firmware-blofeld-new-spectre-app-secret-sauce-sample-transfer/

[jazznbass]

I have mixed results, It seems to work sometimes but not always. I will have to test further.

edit: Yes it works, I use both Spectre and sendSX through loopMIDI virtual midi port to see what it is going on. Sometimes though, I do not know when, sysex gets corrupted and there is no “please be patient…” screen on hardware and the hash check will just blink, and then the unit will froze with ( ? question marks) as osc sample names. If hash check is showing numbers then it will probably work. Sometimes there is not a “restart” option, you have to restart blofeld and spectre and reload the xml file and start again, but samples have been uploaded, not the presets, the 2nd attempt loads the presets also. Really weird stuff but it can work. But not always! Sometimes it can get easily corrupted, repeat/restart and pray.

Thanks for the link / solution

[jazznbass]

Studiologic Sledge 2.0. This “brother” synth has the same sample engine, even the 60MB flash ROM appears to be the same. The mapping software is the same but re-budged.

Spectre automatically moves loop starting point 225 samples forward from the first sample. That is probably used to avoid latency clicking noises.

A difference observed between them is that the key note has different position in keyboard mapping. For the Sledge version, I am not sure if you can use this to transfer sample/midi files, probably not, as those that will be created might have different manufacture id sysex data not recognised by blofeld.

https://www.studiologic-music.com/support/sledge/#6-0
###### Release note

**1.01**
Improved conversion of Stereo to Mono samples, with anti-clipping protection;
Optimized conversion of short Loops in various format, with anti-click protection.

**1.0**
Initial release.

[Inakito]

What are your experiences using the blofeld as mono synth? I am finding it great for techno, elektro, and ebm basslines

[tr909]

monstrumfeld

Great as a monosynth - especially since you can get 16x in mono mode. I still marvel at the time I wasted owning this synth but not using it.

[fragletrollet]

Hey don`t know if this’ been cleared up, but the reason these encoders end up being jumpy/jittery, is that the grease that makes the encoder turn nicely slowly leaks in under the knob and onto the conducting material beneath the encoder, where the encoder data is read. Just open up the synth, carefully pry the small metal tabs that keep the encoder in place (after removing the knob ofc) and lift the actuator off the base of the knob. Underneath here you can swipe with a q-tip, you’ll notice how greasy the plastic disc has become. Just wipe it dry and re-assemble, encoders work perfectly afterwards

[Automageddon]

Had a Blofeld in the past and regret selling it, now I’m pondering a second one and I have a question about the wavetables.
If I remember correctly, scanning through different wavetables is not smooth, but scanning the position on a wavetable doesn’t have any stepping, correct?

I pretty much never used the wavetables, now I know what I missed…