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   O.Range XTension Refill details                   (by Andras - PinkNoise)
 

 

 
 

 Brief description

 
 

 

The synthetizer of the German Waldorf Microwave is a legend: there is nothing like its sound, and it has inspired a lots of performers since its appearance in 1995.

Microwave is a virtual analogue instrument, which produces the sound by using the spectral wavetable synthesis developed by Waldorf GmBH, and combines it with 10 types(!) of extremely good quality filters. ( Microwave XT)

 

The O.Range Microwave XTension refill CD is an ultimate collection for Reason users, and provides a comprehensive selection of these marvellous timbres.

You will find on the CD  216 pcs of NN19 presets, 8 Redrum Kits and 65 pcs Recycle 2,0 loops, in addition to approximately 822MB sound samples.

 

Wild leads, phhatt pads, extraterrestrial ambients, killer basses, morphing arpeggios, vivid strings, from soft and warm analogue sounds to ice-cold one: you will find everything you need!

 

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 Details

 
 

 

- 216 stereo NN19 presets in 12 subcategories (see below)

- 65 stereo sequences in Recycle 2,0 format

- 8 Redrum Kits (all in all 89 drum samples)

- 822 MB sound samples (multisampled patches)

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 What is on the CD?

 
 

 

The main refill file
It contains 3 subfolders named "Microwave DrRex", "NN19 patches" and "ReDrum".

The NN19 folder contains 12 subcategories:
- MW Arp&Sequencer  [10 patches]
- MW Atmospheric  [29 patches]
- MW Bass  [41 patches]
- MW Bells  [8 patches]
- MW Brass [5 patches] 
- MW Choirs [10 patches]
- MW Experimental  [24 patches]
- MW Keyboards  [17 patches]
- MW Leads  [20 patches]
- MW Organs  [9 patches]
- MW Pads  [24 patches]
- MW Percussion  [6 patches]
- MW Synthesizer [16 patches]

The Redrum folder contains 12 variations of 8 redrum kits. There are 4 subcategories in the sample folder: HiHats, Kick&Snares, Percussions and ProcessedMix.

The Microwave DrRex folder exactly the same as in the "recycle loops" folder on the CD. See below.

The "recycle loops" folder contains the same rx2 files that were packed in the main refill (who'd have thought it?). I think, it is useful, if somebody wants to tweak or make fine tuning those files in Recycle.
This folder contains the following subfolders: "Arpeggios" [17 files], "Bass" [27 files], "combined" [8 files], "drum loops" [7 files] and "synthloops" [6 files].

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 Order and price

 
 

 

AMG is the exclusive distributor of O.Range Microwave XTension refill CD.

You can order online this CD from reasonrefills.com or purchase directly at the local distributors of AMG around the world.

Price: 30 GBP (~45 USD)

For more information about ordering, shipping, local stores etc. please visit the main site of AMG!

 

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 Demo download

 
 

 

DEMO refill 1 [8229 kB]
NN19 Instruments: JunoBass1, JunoBass2, JunoPad, Spy923, Spy923 Arp, Super Fat coming, HighPass SPad, Super Pad, Tommy Lead, and 2 rex2 files.

DEMO refill 2 [6201 kB]
It contains only one pad (Magellan Pad) in 4 variations. We think you should check them out!:)

 

 

 

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 Testimonals

 
 

 

Review:  The 02/2003 issue of the well-known Sound on Sound magazine has published a great review of the CD. Our favourite O.Range baby has got 4 points (Champion) of 5... check out our reviews page!

 

Here are some feedback we have got from our customers:

"...EXCELLENT!! The pads are lush, the leads biting and the basses rumbling. I've coveted the Waldorf for a long time and now I've got one! Good job...it extended Reason's useful tenfold... thanks again for a great product"

Wayne Milton - USA

 

"I received the O.Range CD and it ROCKS!!!!! Great job. The REX files are awesome and the NN19 samples are swwweeeeeeeeet!!! Money well spent. Thanks so much!!"

Clayton Lewis - USA

 

"I've been using it for about a week now and I've been finding it extremerly useful. Sound quality is top notch, and the range of sounds contained in the refill are very useful for various musical styles. The patches are not too overworked (meaning I can do a lot with them creatively), and still contain lots of character. I particularly like the experimental section of the refill, some truly unique sounds!"

Alex Gibson - United Kingdom

 

"I'm amazed with the MicroWave sounds - what you can do with the Dr Rex module and those patterns is amazing - control the pitch transpose and make detailed programming with it, it's totally fabolous. Better than an arpeggiator if you ask me."

Patrick Fridh, composer & programmer, Sweden

 

"Just wanted to let you know that I'd had a chance to listen to the ReFill. WOW! The sounds are fantastic. Your loop points are excellent and the REXes are very useable. A must have and one of the best ReFills I've bought. I look forward to any future ReFills you produce."

Carl Lamb - USA

 

"For half an hour I played around with a few sound and I have to say: GREAT WORK. I remember the times I used the MicroWavePC for the Terratec EWS24 Card - that´s now 3-4 years ago. I´ve a great smile on my face that a lot of these wonderful sounds are available for Reason now. And - as far as I listened until now - you made it possible with a lot of hard work."

Stefan Lachmann, Berlin

 

"I have now received my CD and have gone through the sounds which are AWESOME!!!!!!! This CD is SUPERB, I LOVE IT! The sounds are JUST what I have been looking for."

Andrew West - United Kingdom

 

"This Refill is wonderful. I am a big fan of pads, atmospheres and rhythms, and I was blown away by the quality of this CD. The atmospheres I really liked, giving me a fresh set of ideas for almost every one, but I really, really love the REX loops. I would buy a Refill of these types of loops alone - I need non-drum rhythms to get me going on a spacey piece, and these loops were perfect...
Thanks again - a fantastic effort !!"

Maurice Gallagher - United Kingdom

 

"...I'm, as an ordinary user, very happy to have a refill like yours as a "synth".
I think people don't really know their chance to have a refill like yours (like the Xtension). It gives an enormous choice of sounds and it's nearly like having a new rack!"

Eric Corminier - France

 

"First impressions are very good. I like the sound quality, especially the atmospheres and pads which can take on a life of their own. The depth of sounds is excellent for samples and the loop points are not noticeable. This will be of great use in my music. I also like the template patches for building your own instruments from sample groups, nice idea. Great piece of work and much appreciated."

Nigel Jack Hanbidge - United Kingdom

 

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 Notes from the author

 
 

 

Although I have been using Microwave for 3 years, I am still impressed by its sound: its complexity provides an endless opportunity for experiments, its amazingly good filters can, depending on your mood, shoot you above the clouds or hammer into the floor.
The reason of my only sorrow was poor polyphony. Microwave can simultaneously sound 2x10 oscillators, and this generally means a 10 sound polyphony, but in more complex multi presets this fell to 2-3 sounds.


...And on the summer of 2001 I came across Reason. It was love at first sight.
I have been using analogue synthetizers for 15 years, so I have spent a lot of time programming them, and I suddenly felt that I found that I had previously been looking for.

 

A software which is just like a hardware workstation: easy handling, stable and provides opportunities from thorough programming and composing to almost mastering...

And suddenly I had an idea: the simple handling and high degree of polyphony of NN19 should be combined with the complexity and unique sounds of Microwave!

I started to work. I knew that I would be to some extent forced to compromise: Microwave is inclined to give sounds in a way that it never repeats again, sustained sounds are continuously changing, it drives you crazy, you are simply unable to find a loop points...
During programming the timbres I tried to make use of and simultaneously carefully limit this feature. I digitalized and looped the sound samples keeping always in mind the optimal subsequent use of NN19.

...And then 6 months, hardly more than 900 working hours, and the result is: O.RANGE!

About the NN19 presets: the refill contains 216 presets. Don't forget that these are only the starting points on the basis of which you can develop your own sonic world with your individual settings. Just feel free to set those knobs!:))

Build your own sonic universe!

Andras Haasz - producer of PNS

 

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 Microwave XT resources on the net

 
 


Paul Neagle's article about Microwave XT in Sound on Sound

Waldorf Electronics GmBH

Synthzone Waldorf section

MicroWave XT Tips & Tricks

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 Summary

 

Description

Details

What's on the CD?

Order & price

Demo

Reviews

Testimonals

Author's notes

microwave XT links