The Wavestation & Wavestation SR in either guise is an excellent original synth. Originally, I bought my Wavestation SR because of the wave sequences it offered. I had some spare cash, and decided it would be good to have this synthesis available to create some interesting ambient stuff, and to try to get into creating some weird arpeggiated stuff. From that point of view, the synth is certainly a different sound source to the range of mid priced synths which are available, and that's what I wanted, cos most newer synths were leaving me cold. The Wavestation is one of the rare modern synths that offers something different from the usual samploid synthesis boxes.
The Wavestation creates Wave Sequences which can be played as evolving mono lines, or poly pads. You can build a sequence, divided into parts, each with a defined timespan. These parts are then chained together to form staged sequences of evolving sounds....So you can for example create a sequence using drum sounds....designating the timing duration between these samples so as you end up with a drum beat plated from a single key press.
But imagine creating a similar sequence, but utilising any of an enormous range of sample waves as the root sources...This method allows you to make rhythmic, or evolving patches. It also uses vector synthesis, so the combination of the two makes for some unusual sounds! The result is some extremely impressive sound effects and atmospheric pads. Definitely NOT a "Check out the brilliant Oboe sound" synth! The wave sequences can be clocked to external midi clock, so they can be programmed to evolve or play rhythmic sequences in perfect time with the track.
The Wavestation is also a pretty cool standard synth as well, containing a palette of some 650 internal patches, including a few of the usual instrument impressions such as sax, horns etc, a large selection of different pianos, organs, strings and synths etc, .and a mass of gorgeous pads, sweeps & atmospheres. Absolutely lush is the best way to describe some of them. You also get some cool industrial sounding pads, with lots of robotic/metallic sounds evolving away.
The unit contains a couple of editable FX processors with all the usual stuff including a vocoder patch...these FX can be tied into the patches via midi or other forms of control to work dynamically with the patch. The SR works in performance mode, or "Multisets", where you can create custom set-ups for different songs, so that is nice to just hit a set-up, and everything is there for a particular track. 32 note poly, 16 part multi-timbrel, and the option to plug in rom or ram cards for patch/edit storage above the measly 100 or so internal locations. The SR can also read 0W range RAM cards as well.
To round it all off, there's 6 audio outs configured as 3 stereo pairs. Yup, all in all a very very powerful synth, but what a COMPLETE bastard to programme! Someone coined the phrase "Like trying to wallpaper the hall of your house, through the letterbox!", and that's a fair description.
I must have nearly torn out my hair on several occasions when it comes to editing the SR. Difficult would be a mild description of how it goes. In fact Korg, in recognition of this fact, added an extra 200 or 300 presets to the original wavestation. The original Wavestation utilised a joystick to programme the vector synthesis part of this synth, which is missing from the SR. So it's shitty menus and cursors all down the line. If you work with this box regularly, then you can start to go "Oh yeah, go here, then here, then step down the menu to here" etc, but if it ain't your main synth, and you use it infrequently, you find yourself forgetting where things are, and having a few attacks of the heebie-jeebies trying to find simple stuff like the patch volume setting within a multi timbrel set-up. That's really the only bad thing. This is a very very powerful synth, and can achieve sounds and FX not available with other units, but it takes time to learn it, after which I would say this box can be extremely original and creative. If you use the unit more regularly, or have an editor, it will be easier, but this unit is not as intuitive as something like a K2000 for example.
So to sum up.... A VERY POWERFUL SYNTH, WITH A UNIQUE & DIFFERENT SOUND. A great and usable pre-set palette of sounds, something different from the usual multi-layered patch synths, but if you are into programming, this is the type of machine you dream of being shipwrecked on a desert island with. The SR doesn't use resonant filters; maybe that's a problem for some people? but there's more to life than resonant filters! This synth will offer you a genuinely different palette of sounds, and the ability to create more of your own with some practice. It comes with a headphone socket too, which is excellent....Just make some tea, grab the SR rack and a small hardware sequencer and you can laze in bed all day with the cans on practicing some editing, and creating some cool sounds!
Not a "Dance" module, but stick this with a sampler and some analog/resonant stuff, and it will provide a massive source of weird & wonderful sounds. As used by The Prodigy.
SPECIFICATIONS
Synthesis Type :
- Digital / 4 Mb rom/ Subtractive, Wave Sequencing, Vector
Oscillators per Voice : - Min : 1
- Max : 32
Hardware Controllers - None
Effects : - Number of FX units : 2
- Number of different effects : 55
Drums: - Number of Drum Kits : 1
- Number of Drum sounds : 30
Keyboard : - Midi receive : Velocity & AfterTouch
- Sounds can be split by : Keyboard-Zones / Velocity
Memory : - Patches : 105 RAM, 280 ROM, 35 card
- Performances : 150 RAM, 400 ROM, 50 card
Inputs and Outputs : - Number of Audio Outs (excluding Phones) : 4
- Number of Audio Ins : 0
- Number of MIDI Outs (excluding Thru) : 1
- Number of MIDI Ins : 1
Upgrade Options : - PCM card (compatible with 01/W series)
- ROM or RAM program card (Reads all Wavestation range cards)
The Wavestation & Wavestation SR, both very cool synths. Please add any user comments below. cheers.
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