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Waldorf Microwave, Pulse etc. infamous Nextel faceplate repair, redo!

Older Waldorf synths used a Nextel paint based coating that gave them a nice satin finish that was soft to the touch. They almost felt like suede. They were gorgeous when new, but unfortunately the coating breaks down over time and gets sticky to the touch. They also smudge when you touch them, while the paint can become flaky and fall off.

So I’ve asked it’s designer Axel Hartmann to tell me what is wrong with the Nextel and here is the full explanation:

“from my experience, the problem is not Nextel. It is much more the proper preparation of the basic coating. If that was done right, Nextel should be staying just as long as any other (wet paint) surface treatment. This does not only mean cleaning the basic part well; – I think, the painter must also use a special / Nextel proven ground finish (which I think, sometimes did not really happen 😉

– that ultra matte, peach like finish did really get me, back in the days -we are talking early 90ies here 😉 I have not investigated into that material in the past years, as we experienced too many problems with it. But like said before; – peeling has mostly to do with improper basic coating / preparation. Still, I found that not a series-production friendly coating, especially with low(er) product run numbers that are typical for MI products / Synthesizers.”

So, actually it wasn’t neither Axel’s or Waldorf’s fault, it just seems that one of the subcontractors messed up a bit at one point. Of course while they were new no one could have known what will happen 20 yrs later down the line. I did found some partial solutions using wipes with oil but since they contain alcohol I decided to stay away from “repairs” and do everything myself.

Paint remover – first steps
Please make sure you are while wearing gloves, eye protection and mask. Paint remover, also known as paint stripper, is a chemical product designed to remove paint and varnish from surfaces. Before applying the paint remover, it’s important to prepare the surface by cleaning it thoroughly. Remove any loose dirt, dust, or debris from the surface using a brush, vacuum, or compressed air. There are different types of paint removers available, such as solvent-based, caustic-based, and biochemical removers. The choice of remover depends on factors such as the type of paint, the material of the surface, and environmental considerations.

Follow the instructions provided by the manufacturer for the specific paint remover you’re using. Typically, you’ll apply the paint remover generously to the painted surface using a brush, roller, or spray. Ensure that the area is well-ventilated and wear appropriate protective gear, such as gloves and goggles, as some paint removers can be harsh chemicals. Allow the paint remover to sit on the surface for the recommended amount of time specified by the manufacturer. This dwell time allows the remover to penetrate the layers of paint and soften or dissolve them, making them easier to remove. After the dwell time, the paint should start to bubble or blister, indicating that it’s ready to be removed. Use a scraper or putty knife to gently scrape away the softened paint. Work in small sections, and be careful not to damage the underlying surface. Here is a picture of the unit 2 hours later as I started peeling the old paint down.

After 15 minutes of work the paint should be gone.

The surface is cleaned and treated to remove any oil, grease, dirt, or rust. This ensures proper adhesion of the powder coating and the panel is ready to be taken to a shop.

Powder coating
Powder coating is a dry finishing process used to apply a decorative and protective finish to surfaces. The powder coating material, typically a finely ground mixture of pigment and resin particles, is electrostatically charged and sprayed onto the surface to be coated. The charged particles adhere to the grounded substrate due to electrostatic attraction. The coated object is then placed in an oven where it undergoes a curing process. During curing, the powder particles melt and fuse together to form a continuous film. This results in a durable and uniform finish. After curing, the coated object is allowed to cool down. Once cooled, it is inspected for any imperfections or defects. Finally, the finished product is packaged and prepared for shipping or further processing.

Powder coating offers several advantages over conventional liquid painting methods, including increased durability, resistance to chipping, scratching, fading, and corrosion, as well as environmental benefits due to reduced volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions.

Graphics
Before removing the paint I scanned the front panel to be able to build new graphics Drawing vectors over a scanned background in Inkscape involves a few key steps. Here’s a simplified guide. Open Inkscape and import your scanned background image by clicking on “File” > “Import” and selecting your image file. The background will appear on the canvas. It’s good practice to create a new layer for your vector drawings. This keeps them separate from the background image and allows for easier editing. The Pen tool is commonly used for creating vectors in Inkscape. After creating the basic shapes with the Pen tool, you can adjust the curves and lines using the Node tool. Once you’ve outlined the object, you can fill it with color and add a stroke if desired. Here are the screenshots from the process, including tests on how the final product will look like:

Before the final print it is wise to go to the print studio to make a test print to test various colors and their actual output on a printed material:

Printing and the final result
A UV printer is a type of digital printer that uses ultraviolet (UV) light to cure or dry ink as it is printed onto a surface. UV printers are versatile and can be used to print on a wide range of substrates, including paper, plastic, glass, metal, wood, ceramic, and more. They are commonly used for producing signage, labels, packaging, promotional items, personalized products, and decorative materials. The UV curing process offers several advantages, including fast drying times, reduced ink consumption, improved scratch and abrasion resistance, and the ability to print on non-porous surfaces. Here is the finished result:

And before:

Vector file graphics
Here are the vectors for Waldorf Pulse+: Pulse.zip. These are to be printed on a UV printer. I have included two files since studios prefer to have the edges as well, so they make a test print on transparent acrylic surface with the edges included, then they remove the acrylic and use the other file which contains graphics only.

Waldorf Streichfett Demo (making of)

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And so it came. One little package i’ve been eagerly waiting to receive from Waldorf Music. There was no particular timeline by how soon i need to provide them a demo, i was just told it should be around 3-4 minutes long. Immediately i knew this wasn’t enough, because this synth offers so much and did i mention i’m a freak for retro string machines so you bet i was going to try all the knob positions in recreating some of the old retro sounds. There’s no particular serial number on the unit, it just says BETA273 which i think is just cool enough.

First things first, right after unpacking i’ve installed the latest OS and immediately started testing the unit. Found couple of bugs and sent them to Stefan along with all the details (some mild distortion appeared at certain settings – this will be fixed with next release, so don’t worry). Despite those i was immediately pulled away by the smooth and hypnotic sound of this unit. That moment you touch the animate knob, it’s over. No more playing by you, just push the hold pedal with your foot and enjoy the ride. In fact this was inspiration for the Streichfett Freestyle three demo takes i’ve later put in the video. Let the machine sing it’s way. All i did was press Rec and it came out perfectly.

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On various music forums I’ve noticed some complaints that it doesn’t sound vintage. Well, no one ever claimed it will so i don’t really see a problem in here? I’m still a happy owner of Logan II String Ensemble, Arp Omni II and Korg Trident MkI. I’ve never went for expectation Streichfett will replace those. I used totally different approach to the equation and that is – Streichfett will complement those. So as of now on i’m a proud owner of fourth string machine in my arsenal.

Soundwise, Streichfett stands proudly on its own. While its synth section is a bit limited, there is however a nice PWM emulation in it, that combined with panned Tremolo adds a nice extra to the sound. Example can be heard by the end of the first Streichfett Freestyle recording in the demo when the balance knob was pushed more toward right side and synth section is introduced to the mix, giving that extra shimmering to the sound, though smooth at the same time.

Since i always liked Solina in combination with phase shifters, one of the first things to do on Streichfett was to try its Solina recreation, then run it thru PH-3 phase shifter from Boss. The result is actually what is last track in the demo, though it was first recorded. If you ask me, given in a busy mix, would someone notice a difference between real Solina and Streichfett, its really hard to answer given over 50% of people listen to music on their <insert smartphone name> ear buds. Kinda sad, isn’t it?

One thing that surprised me on the Streichfett was the quality of reverb. TBH I was never a fan of Blofeld’s reverb. This one however sounds much better. Another cool feature is the fixed phaser position (the other half of the knob turn). This opens a whole new area for sonic exploration, particularly if you’re into voice / vocal ensemble emulation. There’s a lot to try in here. No it doesn’t model VP-330, bit it can yield some surprisingly interesting choir / ensemble types of sounds. Which brings me to the start – this machine is not here to replace, but complement. And i intend to keep mine.

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Back to demo. Actually right after receiving the unit i went to the sea for vacation, so there was no much movement in demo progress for three weeks. As soon as i came back, started working day/night on it, to produce some output ASAP. Video editing didn’t worried me too much. Idea was to grab some old renderings i did some 10 years ago, mix it with some filming i did, a few classic synth tweaking shots and of course some retro 70’s materials taken from webarchive for the vintage mood of the video. I also added a short excerpt from New York School Of Synthesis instructional video by Dean Friedman. As of the audio/video quality in my demo, unfortunately Youtube compression kills a lot of it, including the sound, which is why i have to say this, the demo played from Youtube and actual unit sound quite differently. So best is to try one in the store, because in general – don’t rely on the “sound” of any unit by watching Youtube videos!

Pussy Galore
One of the Gearslutz forum members with a nick Astralform said how it would be cool if Waldorf actually named their synth Pussy Galore (original post here). So i’ve decided to make his wish come true in a way, at least in imaginary form of a music video. And so the car scene was born. The one with secret package that was placed near back tire with special letters saying – codename – Pussy Galore. Well, there you go! I hope you enjoyed it as much as i did making it.

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Problems as usual
Just as i was about to record first demo, my E-MU 1212m soundcard died. This is the second 1212m soundcard that i had problems with. So i was forced to use a second backup system which is a Roland VS2400CD multitrack HD recorder. I should point out that my first to go converters, which is Ensoniq Paris rig at that point was not in function since i had some wall painting works in the studio (read: bedroom) and simply had no enough room space to set it up. I will not complain about the VS2400CD sound, since it is 24bit/44k and offers linear PCM encoding, essentially what you put in comes out. Never tested if something gets lost though, i might run a DC-20k sweep, but i doubt anything will be lost. There’s a lot of Voodoo talk when it comes to converters and I’m simply not one of the believers in the “magic” of some of the converters, unless it includes surrounding electronics with certain design in mind, such as was the case with Ensoniq Paris where their goal was to deliberately give it a slightly warmer sound, so maybe not 100% accurate per se, but boy does it sound sweet.

Easter eggs
Of course this wouldn’t be a proper Don Solaris demo without some Easter eggs. This time it was really simple, well at least the part i will reveal. That burst at the beginning of the video consists of various people i randomly picked off my Facebook friend’s list. So it’s not alphabetical or in any special order, just plain random. Your eye will see it in the video but brain might not be able to detect it (not meaning this in any offensive way). It’s simply moving too fast. If you’re curious you can click on the image below to see the full content of that burst, if not, just move along to the demo instead.

Contact

The Demo
It took me a week of work for video making but i think it was worth the fun. Unfortunately Youtube chews some of the video data like crazy. No matter how high bit rate you provide, it just doesn’t care, it will chew up anything that moves fast. Other than that, i’ve already mentioned kinda poor audio quality. However if you click the 720p option, there is definitely some sonic improvement. I should also note video was optimized for full screen viewing.