Largo vs Blofeld

[EvilDragon]

only running it on an ARM processor instead Intel.

It's actually a Freescale DSP CPU. Not ARM.

[Synthetic Wav]

"Hardware vs. software" is misleading here, it's both software.

I don't believe that Blofeld hardware anyhow can sound "better". The Blofeld hardware uses quite similar Waldorf algorithms, only running it on an ARM processor instead Intel. A usual intel processor has much more power than an ARM like in this device. So I would assume, that the software actually produces higher quality results, since there is more power available to do so. Maybe you just love the aliasing that the blofeld produces?

We won't know until someone actually makes some tests and posts results in here. Like playing a monophonic sine, pitching a sine etc.

if there is a difference in term of alaising it s maybe very minimal and i would supect the hardware to run at higher rate than the soft and alias less.. but who know... the difference come from the da to me..i heard the same thing coming from many hardware va compared to software, it may not sound better, but there is a difference, the sound is less sharp, the transients is smoother giving the impression mroe more depth and 3dness.
to me the da stage seems to really be a part of the sound of synth and i m still suprised no software introduce da emulation in their path, thats probably one of the main diffence between digital hardware and software sound

[goldenanalog]

[EnGee]

I agree with Synthetic Wav regarding the outputs. If I route the outputs of Blofeld through my mini mixer to the audio interface, I hear more depth and 'dimension', but less clarity!

Anyway, I'm not bothered about this as if I want some more depth/dimension feel to the sound, I use a console or effect, for example, Waves REDD. Those effects/utilities can make wonders to the final sound if the source is clear. The more clarity the sound is, the easier the characteristic processes later. So, to make Largo sounds like a Blofeld, just route it through other mixers/DA converters and you would have the 'magic' of the hardware

[D-Fusion]

After getting the Blofeld again i did some tests with FM and made a really punchy in your face bass.
I tried to replicate it on Largo but with FM it only makes farty fuzzing noises and i can't for the life of me get it to sound like a bass att all (Even at same settings).

Wonder why?
Anyone else experienced this?

So based on this i have to say that they don't sound the same at all.
For standard subtractive sounds they can sound close but there is something about the Blofeld that just sounds better to my ear and work as it's supposed too when doing fm modulation.

Largo is great too and have a good sound but after this discovery i must say that they are no direct replacements of each other so get both if you like the Waldorf Sound

[yul]

I tried to replicate it on Largo but with FM it only makes farty fuzzing noises and i can't for the life of me get it to sound like a bass att all (Even at same settings).

Interesting

[chk071]

Yeah, especially as i think that Largo has some of the nicest FM sounds of them all. Not sure about basses, but, in general, i got very good results from the FM.

[chk071]

After getting the Blofeld again i did some tests with FM and made a really punchy in your face bass.
I tried to replicate it on Largo but with FM it only makes farty fuzzing noises and i can't for the life of me get it to sound like a bass att all (Even at same settings).

Wonder why?
Anyone else experienced this?

So based on this i have to say that they don't sound the same at all.
For standard subtractive sounds they can sound close but there is something about the Blofeld that just sounds better to my ear and work as it's supposed too when doing fm modulation.

Largo is great too and have a good sound but after this discovery i must say that they are no direct replacements of each other so get both if you like the Waldorf Sound

Do you mind posting an example of this, for both the Blofeld, and Largo? I'd be interested, because, frankly, after reading this, i did a couple of tests with FM on Largo too, and i suspect that there has been something weird introduced in one of the last updates. I could swear the FM used to sound different, and also, sometimes the LFO rate doesn't seem to change when you turn the knob.

[EvilDragon]

Hm, FM sounds fine to me?

[chk071]

Could perfectly be that i'm wrong here.

[D-Fusion]

Here is the example : http://picosong.com/DWAZ/
No matter how hard i try Largo still sounds softer than Blofeld.
Bass Boost is also enabled in Largo.

Atleast this time the FM Worked in Largo now so i guess i must have bumped into my Blofeld last time i tried or something else weird happened.

[chk071]

Stupid question, but, did you set the attack parameter of the filter envelope to 0 on Largo? By default, it's a bit "opened". I do hear though that there's also a difference in timbre, and the Blofeld bass sounds more "raw", as if there was a bit of distortion too.

[D-Fusion]

Stupid question, but, did you set the attack parameter of the filter envelope to 0 on Largo? By default, it's a bit "opened". I do hear though that there's also a difference in timbre, and the Blofeld bass sounds more "raw", as if there was a bit of distortion too.

Zero attack on both and no distorion effect on Blofeld Same settings on both.
The Blofeld sounds more punchy and clear while the Largo gets more muddy with extreme settings.

[electro]

try running a nebula line amp program after Largo

[Ingonator]

only running it on an ARM processor instead Intel.

It's actually a Freescale DSP CPU. Not ARM.

FWIW the DSP chip in the Blofeld is a Freescale DSP56371. Here is the data sheet:
http://www.freescale.com/files/dsp/doc/ ... P56371.pdf

IMO it is quite surprising that the Blofeld got such a complex and powerful synth engine using such a tiny single DSP chip.