Just got one of these. I normally am ok with obscure digital Synths but this thing is kicking my backside. Anyone got good tutorial recommendations? There are lots out there. Definitely want to crack this thing as itâs super interesting.
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I mentioned these above but didnât share a link. I just went and found them:
What helped me was reading the manual front to back, watching both videos and then having the manual on my ipad for reference while messing about.
I was wicked sick and took a few days off work which helped me put the time in.
A youtube premium trial was also very helpful so I could rewind and not get hit with some BS 30 second ads.
Probably one of the coolest but complex synths Iâve ever owned. The potential is ridiculous if you like evolving sequences, pads, etcâŚ
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The vids @Lieder recommended above look good. If you want something else to try, there are the Youtubes that Noisegate did.
For more of a wander through different Wavestate topics, there are also the Youtube series by BlueCliff and Qui Robinez.
My favorite âhow to think about the Wavestateâ video is this one by Waveformer, where you can see how the four synth parts and eight assignable knobs are set up and performed in an extended composition, with explanatory captions:
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Fascinated by this Wavestate
I made this track with it. Recorded live in my SP-404MKII.
Added rain, Eq and 404 vinyl in SP.
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Starting to consider getting one againâŚNo used market for the module in EU though and I find the price a bit steep compared to the mk2keyâŚ
Hey Wavestate users, I need your opinion and your experience!
Iâm downsizing my hardware and looking for a good keyboard/workstation-lite synth and I need it to be lightweight enough, 4 part multitimbral, and able to play PCM/sample stuff. I was almost dead set on a Nord Wave 2, but the Wavestate SE caught my attention, as it seems to be both a kind of ROMpler with bells and whistles and a super interesting synth for sound design and evolving, textural patches.
On YouTube and online though, I can only find examples of truly awesome IDM/glitch sound explorations and pure cheesy 90s rompler stuff. How does the Wavestate behaves as a gigging keyboard? Like, a playerâs synth, with decent pianos, nice but not dated pads, synth basses, splits and layers and such? How malleable are the samples to make them sound not too ROMpler-y and use them truly like oscillators? How restricting does it feel having only a single sample/multisample per layer if I want to use it multitimbrally like a workstation?
Nord Wave looks like a standard Nord keyboard, i.e. itâs definitely a gigging synth, but also a bit boring and not particularly deep for sound design. Would I regret getting a Wavestate for cheaper and use for both all those cool experimental features and the boring but reliable stuff?
Hope I explained myself well enough! Iâm aware of the complexity of this synth but Iâm willing to get on with it as the results can sound, as many examples posted here, truly amazing and unique
My opinions:
- WS se is not âvery lightâ.
- Its presets are very romplery and itâs not easy to make it sound otherwise, but you can use your samples
- Itâs 100x more deep and clunky than every other ânormalâ or âclassicâ synth
- It seems to me it can do the things you ask
I donât have it anymore but the Wavestate is a very warm and beautifull synth with a lot of power. Maybe the best all in one for ambient. But it is not the simplest by far.
Itâs keys are just ok for me. Not the best.
You should maybe download the 30 days free Native VST to have an idea of its sound and sound design capacities.
I recorded this track in 3 takes in my SP-404MKII. All sounds are from the Wavestate: Stream Electric Fragments by Franck Gillis | Listen online for free on SoundCloud
MKII of course
- Yeah, keywords being âlightweight enoughâ, I really havenât found anything under 8kg thatâs 4 part multitimbral, synthesis and PCM/sample based, with a large enough keyboard (at least 4 octaves) and thatâs not a workstation with limited hands-on controls (I have an MPC key 61 which I love, but I despise doing sound design with it). 8kg is the upper limit I can consider tolerable to carry around while gigging
- Thatâs what brought me here asking for advice, presets sounds bad in 99% of any synth though, also I heard great stuff made with this Korg in this thread. I just havenât found any example of standard live band sounds which donât make my eyes roll immediately after hearing them
- Thatâs something I considered too, but Iâm willing to approach it if it can give me both good usable standard stuff and exciting textural patches
- Thatâs great to know!
Grazie!
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Thatâs exactly the stuff that makes want to buy this! Great tune, Iâm definitely into this
Didnât know thereâs a free trial of the plugin version, good call, Iâll definitely be exploring that to try it out, thank you!
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You need to know that reverb is applied on all 4 parts. You canât select which part goes to reverb or not
I had one and sold it.
- very light weight indeed
- its own keyboard is horrible
- very powerful modulation and fx possibilities, but
- Interface (on the device) is painful. Probably better if you get along with the software editor.
That said, I had it before the 2.x update, which I think would allow you to load some very good external keyboard patches.
I wouldnât use one to actually play live without an external keyboard, unless it was just occasional chords.
I assume you are talking about the regular Wavestate and not the SE? Is the keyboard bad on that one too?
Yeah Iâm ready for a deep interface. The results seem too unique to not be intrigued by this synth
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Yeah, I havenât tried the SE, presumably itâs a better keybed. The KB on the regular really is bad.
I think the wavestate has a lot to offer sonically, it can be quite joyful when it clicks, but ultimately I spent too much time programming and not enough time playing it. Kind of the opposite of a Nord.
The reverb blanket is one of the most limiting aspects for multitimbal use. I have a Wavestate and, although I donât love it, Iâve put in many hours progamming performances that go with my Arturia Keystep Pro. It works but it takes a long time to do anything compared to most synths. Itâs also a bit of a PITA that you need the editor to be able to program the effects and even worse when you have a small laptop like my little HP Envy - the FX parameters are difficult to access because of the editorâs fixed layout. I can usually get wha I want but only if I reduce it down, at which time I need an actual magnifying glass to see the bits I need. You might have better eyes. 
The 4Gb of sample RAM is very generous but beware - you can fill it easily if you load multisamples containing too many individual samples. I actually filled mine on my first go with a bunch of my own samples, plus a set of multisamples someone prepared for the Deluge. Final thing worth knowing - although itâs 4-part multitimbral, you canât have multiple layered oscillators per part as you can on, say, the MultiPoly. So each part can require quite a bit of work so it sounds interesting, especially as the filters are, well, OK but nothing special. Actually, the HPF is really good but the others less impressive.
Hope that helps. Given my own choice again Iâd probably have gone for the MultiPoly instead - mainly for its individual reverb sends, broader range of filters, analogue envelope behaviour etc.
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Still debating whether the SE is worth it or not for me.
Limitations put me off, like the global reverb wet/dry only control, also itâs quite pricey for what it is, yet I love how this thing sounds, itâs great for the kind of music I like, and I found a decently priced offer for a mint platinum one.
One thing that could be decisive for my case: how good is the SE as a master keyboard? Is polyAT and keybed worth the price? Can layers send MIDI to different channels when played via the keys? (Not the sequencer lanes)