After making waves with the release of a plugin version of its classic Microwave synth, Waldorf has doubled down on its hardware-gone-software strategy with the release of a plugin version of the Blofeld synth.
Released in 2008 and named after a Bond villain, Blofeld is a wavetable and virtual analogue synth available in both desktop and keyboard versions. The plugin version is a faithful recreation of the original and can even be used as an editor by owners of the hardware synth to edit parameters and import presets and wavetables.
Blofeld is a polyphonic and multitimbral synth with 24 voices that can layer up to 16 sounds or split them across the keyboard. Each voice can utilize three oscillators capable of wavetable and virtual analogue synthesis and sample playback, and FM is possible between oscillators. Blofeld ships with an extensive collection of wavetables, including those from Waldorf's Microwave II/XT/XTk synths, and you're able to load up to 38 of your own.
Each of Blofeld's voices runs through two independent multi-mode filters capable of filter FM and drive, with adjustable drive curves, and as for modulation, Blofeld's four envelopes are joined by three LFOs with adjustable waveshapes, phase, and speed, and a 16-slot modulation matrix. Four additional modifiers allow you to apply mathematical functions to modulation signals.
There's a sophisticated arpeggiator onboard with 16 steps per pattern, along with timing, accents and velocity controls for each step. Blofeld's two effects slots per sound can be filled with a choice of chorus, flanger, phaser, overdrive, delay, reverb, and a lo-fi sample and hold effect. There's also the option to load Triple FX, a multi-effect that contains three of Blofeld's effects with limited parameter control in a single slot.
Waldorf Blofeld is avaiable now for macOS and Windows in VST/VST3/AU/AAX formats, and it's currently priced at an introductory discount of €119.
