Waldorf - Protein

Waldorf has a long history with wavetable synthesis. The Microwave 1 from the early 90s still remains a beloved instrument, known for its gritty 8-bit character and distinctive digital-analog hybrid sound. With the Protein, Waldorf brings that past into a compact and affordable desktop synthesizer, pairing that classic oscillator design with modern features drawn from their Iridium series. The oscillators are modeled on the original ASIC chip, running internally at 250 kHz to match the authentic sampling rate. All the original Microwave wavetables are present and bit-identical, including the algorithmic and speech tables. The result is that unmistakable Waldorf character — sharp, crystalline, occasionally crunchy.

Protein offers eight voices of polyphony across up to four layers. These can be stacked for massive sounds, set to round-robin for variation, or split across MIDI channels for multitimbral use. The filter section models the classic CEM analog filters, complete with adjustable "de-calibration" to simulate the slight inconsistencies of aged hardware. A "Flavour" knob adds subtle fluctuations to the sound which brings a touch of "analog unpredictability" to its digital engine. Three envelopes, two LFOs with tempo sync, and an eight-slot modulation matrix provide ample shaping options. On the effect side you'll find the usual suspects — reverb, delay, chorus, phaser + more.

The interface of the Protein is very straightforward — clearly labeled sections for Pitch, Wavetable, Filter, Modulation, Envelopes, and Effects, with color-coded knobs highlighting key parameters. There's also a small OLED display to assist navigation. Over 150 factory presets ship with the unit, and there is room for 250 user patches. MIDI In/Out, USB-C for power and MIDI, stereo outputs, and a headphone jack round out the connectivity. At under a kilogram and roughly the size of a hardcover book, Protein is easy to take along. A solid entry point into the Waldorf wavetable world and a tiny unit that punches well above its size!

Features:

• 8-voice polyphonic wavetable synthesizer
• Two oscillators based on original Waldorf Microwave ASIC modeling
• Internal 250 kHz sampling rate matching original hardware
• All original Microwave 1 wavetables, bit-identical
• 8-bit quantization and aliasing faithfully recreated
• CEM analog filter modeling with adjustable de-calibration
• "Dirty" filter modes: noise, crackle, click, geiger, bursts
• 3 envelopes, 2 LFOs with tempo sync and sample & hold
• 8-slot modulation matrix per layer
• Up to 4 timbral layers (stacked, round-robin, MIDI split)
• Mono and legato modes
• Advanced arpeggiator and 32-step sequencer
• Chord and scale modes
• MPE and polyphonic aftertouch compatible
• Two effect slots: reverb, delay, chorus, phaser, flanger, drive, EQ, compressor, tremolo
• 150+ factory presets, 250 patch memory slots
• Patch import/export via MIDI SysEx
• Stereo audio output (6.35mm), headphone output (mini TRS)
• MIDI In/Out (mini TRS Type A, DIN adapters included)
• USB-C for power and USB MIDI
• Firmware updates via USB
• Dimensions: 252 × 170 × 48 mm
• Weight: 0.9 kg