Waldorf Largo, $30 bucks! (NOW $25!)

Discuss VST stuff here!
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TheDragonborg
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23 Jun 2020

TheDragonborg wrote:
22 Jun 2020
I already own a Blofeld so I think I'll pass...
It became too tempting at $25 so I bought it lol

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hurricane
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23 Jun 2020

I don't see what the big deal is about browsing patches. Seems normal to me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Kind of disappointed with the factory presets as they're all too aggressive and trancy for me. I was hoping to find softer, more ambient types of sounds....you know, bells, tines, atmospheres, soundscapes, digital wavestation-type patches. It can totally do those types of sounds really well (like Albino), I just wish they were already there instead of me having to create them. First world problems, I know.
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ab459
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23 Jun 2020

hurricane wrote:
23 Jun 2020
I don't see what the big deal is about browsing patches. Seems normal to me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
If just load - yes. Until you not to start save your own, incl in form of bank. Possible some issues.

Btw about mentioned builtn reverb - i'm in contrary, found as enough interesting, as digital\cold (like match his general character).

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BRIGGS
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23 Jun 2020

hurricane wrote:
23 Jun 2020
I don't see what the big deal is about browsing patches. Seems normal to me. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Kind of disappointed with the factory presets as they're all too aggressive and trancy for me. I was hoping to find softer, more ambient types of sounds....you know, bells, tines, atmospheres, soundscapes, digital wavestation-type patches. It can totally do those types of sounds really well (like Albino), I just wish they were already there instead of me having to create them. First world problems, I know.
:lol:
You'd probably make better patches anyway...more suited to your style.
r11s

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TheDragonborg
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23 Jun 2020

Also as a warning to whoever buys this... don't copy and paste the serial code from APD... it won't work. You have to manually type it out. However copying and pasting the serial from Waldorf into the plugin works fine.

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Loque
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24 Jun 2020

TheDragonborg wrote:
23 Jun 2020
Also as a warning to whoever buys this... don't copy and paste the serial code from APD... it won't work. You have to manually type it out. However copying and pasting the serial from Waldorf into the plugin works fine.
You don't get a serial from APD. It's an redeem code.
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TheDragonborg
Posts: 285
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24 Jun 2020

Loque wrote:
24 Jun 2020
TheDragonborg wrote:
23 Jun 2020
Also as a warning to whoever buys this... don't copy and paste the serial code from APD... it won't work. You have to manually type it out. However copying and pasting the serial from Waldorf into the plugin works fine.
You don't get a serial from APD. It's an redeem code.
Semantics... the code whatever it's called when redeeming it on the Waldorf site. You still have to manually type in this code.

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Loque
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24 Jun 2020

TheDragonborg wrote:
24 Jun 2020
Loque wrote:
24 Jun 2020


You don't get a serial from APD. It's an redeem code.
Semantics... the code whatever it's called when redeeming it on the Waldorf site. You still have to manually type in this code.
I pasted it in. Maybe you had a blank somewhere.
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adfielding
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24 Jun 2020

This seemed like a bit of a no-brainer as I was considering picking up a Blofeld a year or two back (decided against it as I prefer to stay in-the-box wherever possible), but I literally just sold another soft-synth I got in another crazy sale. It was a solid synth, I just wasn't using it. I very much didn't want to repeat the same mistake of impulse purchasing a synth because it's on a crazy sale (plus the Largo audio demos didn't sound great, to be honest), so I grabbed the trial. Figured I'd give myself some proper time to decide whether I'd really use it and whether it'd be a good fit.

The audio demos absolutely do not do it justice, imo. The interface is pretty ugly (but it's an oddly specific kind of ugly that I have a bit of a soft spot for - shiny late 00s skeumorphism), but I found it pretty intuitive to use. I think the filters are the real star of the show, and within about 10 minutes of using it I already had a patch going that I want to use as a basis for a track.

tldr - was wary of making another unnecessary impulse synth purchase, trialled it, loved it, bought it.

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Boombastix
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24 Jun 2020

A couple of more notes:
Hovering over a knob displays the parameter value, that is great. Some synths force you to move the dial to see the value, that is a mess if you try to match things up. Thanks Waldorf for that! :thumbs_up:
You cannot access the FX parameters in the Mod Matrix, toooooo bad. :thumbs_down:
You can access the FX parameters via Automation or Combinator.
Individual Pitch Bend per Osc is not very common. That's cool.
The mod matrix has some math and boolean functions, hmmm. Wonder how that can be used? :shock:
The FX Drive is just wonky, but the 2x Filter Drive is very useful, just dial in carefully, it can get digitally crazy!

And yeah, I agree, this puppy could use some love in the presets. I am making some as I explore it's capabilities. Love the digital filters. Not like analog, but very nice in it's own right when you find the sweet spot, for a unique sound.

If you plan to make some presets: I noticed some waveforms do have a default spectrum that is a little unusual. And the Brilliance control further changes it. It can be a disadvantage or an advantage, use SPAN and you'll see. Easy to dial in so you start off with the right oscillator sound source.
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kinkujin
Posts: 206
Joined: 01 Mar 2018

24 Jun 2020

Also, don't sleep on Waldorf Nave. I have had it on the iPad for awhile but have always felt - maybe its just me - that it needed to be on the desktop. Well, I got a great deal yesterday from an online seller (made a best offer) and got it. I could not be more pleased to have this on my mac now. So, with Largo and Nave I am complete for awhile.

Incidentally, I could easily copy and paste in the serial for the Largo but could not for Nave. With that one I had to type it in manually and oh brother is that a long serial.

Good times for software folk.

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BRIGGS
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Location: Orange County California

24 Jun 2020

There's a few sound sets, if you have no time for design work, or are just looking for inspiration:

r11s

ab459
Posts: 383
Joined: 28 Dec 2018
Location: Minsk Belarus

24 Jun 2020

Need say in past times Largo had problems with sluggish UI knobs, and enough big cpu usage, but later it all was fixed.

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BRIGGS
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24 Jun 2020

Boombastix wrote:
24 Jun 2020
A couple of more notes:
Hovering over a knob displays the parameter value, that is great. Some synths force you to move the dial to see the value, that is a mess if you try to match things up. Thanks Waldorf for that! :thumbs_up:
Double click, and you can type in values. :puf_smile:
r11s

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hurricane
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24 Jun 2020

BRIGGS wrote:
24 Jun 2020
There's a few sound sets, if you have no time for design work, or are just looking for inspiration:
Here's one that was posted on Gearslutz where the dude basically copied some of the sounds from a Microwave. Some excellent digital goodness in this bank, and it's free:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electro ... largo.html
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hurricane
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24 Jun 2020

Stay away from the CHE Soundsets - there's a lot of them, but they're all 100% crap. This guy has been posting free soundsets for a while now. I don't know who this clown is, but every single soundset of his is epic crap.
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BRIGGS
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24 Jun 2020

hurricane wrote:
24 Jun 2020
BRIGGS wrote:
24 Jun 2020
There's a few sound sets, if you have no time for design work, or are just looking for inspiration:
Here's one that was posted on Gearslutz where the dude basically copied some of the sounds from a Microwave. Some excellent digital goodness in this bank, and it's free:

https://www.gearslutz.com/board/electro ... largo.html
Thanks!!! :puf_smile:
r11s

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r2101
Posts: 20
Joined: 21 Oct 2018

24 Jun 2020

speaking about waldorf, ppg and wolfgang palm... his plex synth is nowerdays free (don´t know if there is a apple version but the original plugin was updated to 64bit).


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wF_lMNv47-M

https://plex.seib.info/

:puf_smile:

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Boombastix
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24 Jun 2020

Boombastix wrote:
24 Jun 2020
The mod matrix has some math and boolean functions, hmmm. Wonder how that can be used? :shock:
Mod Matrix operators explained, this is deeeeeeep!
http://synth.stromeko.net/docs/Modifiers.pdf
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TheDragonborg
Posts: 285
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24 Jun 2020

One thing I've noticed is that the sound of Largo is a bit weaker than the Blofeld... not by much as it's pretty close. I'm also at the point where I could make a new patch quicker on my Blofeld using it's matrix than with Largo and all of it's controls.

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hurricane
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24 Jun 2020

TheDragonborg wrote:
24 Jun 2020
One thing I've noticed is that the sound of Largo is a bit weaker than the Blofeld... not by much as it's pretty close. I'm also at the point where I could make a new patch quicker on my Blofeld using it's matrix than with Largo and all of it's controls.
I actually like the non-driven, unison on '2' with very minimal detune, spread all the way up, sound of Largo as it's a very pleasant, wide, soft and smooth tone, and it's quite appealing to me compared to the patches with mucho drive and mega detuned access virus-like unison. The factory patches definitely do not do it justice (which is the sentiment I seem to see often on other forums) and instead try to make it sound like a Virus (as do most of the other commercial soundsets floating around). I mean the 2009 version of me (when Largo was released) would have absolutely looooved this because I was into trance back then. But does a trance pluck really show off what Largo can do? No, it's just a generic patch you can make on any synth. Largo's factory patches lean heavily on these generic trance patches, and while I can understand this as it was a sign of the times, this synth can do sooooo much more. I'm enjoying sound designing on this thing because the sounds are instantly satisfying. And you don't even have to use layers.

Largo is the synth deal of the year in my opinion, and it has quickly become one of my favorite synths. It's also surprisingly made me momentarily forget about the almighty Obsession!
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BRIGGS
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24 Jun 2020

hurricane wrote:
24 Jun 2020
Largo is the synth deal of the year in my opinion, and it has quickly become one of my favorite synths.
I hear you...It's my #1 favorite VST synth. :puf_smile:

Nothing comes close to the sound of those filters. :shock:
r11s

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Loque
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25 Jun 2020

BRIGGS wrote:
24 Jun 2020
hurricane wrote:
24 Jun 2020
Largo is the synth deal of the year in my opinion, and it has quickly become one of my favorite synths.
I hear you...It's my #1 favorite VST synth. :puf_smile:

Nothing comes close to the sound of those filters. :shock:
I must have missed something on the filters... I thought they are quite standard... I must take another listen...
Reason12, Win10

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BRIGGS
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Location: Orange County California

25 Jun 2020

Loque wrote:
25 Jun 2020
BRIGGS wrote:
24 Jun 2020


I hear you...It's my #1 favorite VST synth. :puf_smile:

Nothing comes close to the sound of those filters. :shock:
I must have missed something on the filters... I thought they are quite standard... I must take another listen...
There's some 'special sauce' type stuff, going on here. :geek:

I wonder what Waldorf did to nail down their own uniqueness.

Maybe there's a special harmonic enhancer or something coded into the filters. A 'tip off' is the 'brilliance' setting on the oscillators. :think:
r11s

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Boombastix
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25 Jun 2020

BRIGGS wrote:
25 Jun 2020
Loque wrote:
25 Jun 2020

I must have missed something on the filters... I thought they are quite standard... I must take another listen...
There's some 'special sauce' type stuff, going on here. :geek:

I wonder what Waldorf did to nail down their own uniqueness.

Maybe there's a special harmonic enhancer or something coded into the filters. A 'tip off' is the 'brilliance' setting on the oscillators. :think:
Looking at the spectrum I do not see any enhancement, the brilliance is that, but nothing that I can see in the filters.
Often it has to do with the resonance and how they apply limiting. You can push it into distortion, and if hitting a sweet spot that creates a unique sound. At high frequency it gets a bit chirpy, and a t low a bit narly. I like it, it sounds nice and it is different. Also it sounds clear, not muffled. The drive alogos are unique and pretty nice if used just a little before they "crack" up.
You can get a lot of nasty digital distorsion if you go to hard.
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