Protein Polyphonic Wavetable Synthesizer

Ever wonder what happens when Waldorf digs up the original Microwave 1's ASIC chip—the same one that defined wavetable synthesis in the late '80s—and squeezes its raw, gritty soul into a pint-sized modern powerhouse? That's Protein: an 8-voice polyphonic desktop synth that revives those classic PPG and Microwave wavetables with a 250 kHz sampling rate and even models the old-school DAC converters for authentic bite, complete with a unique ASIC-based noise generator.

At its core, two wavetable oscillators per voice deliver that signature Waldorf morphing character, shaped by a resonant low/high-pass filter with Dirt and Envelope Amount controls, plus a Flavour knob for subtle micro-variations across voices. Modulation shines with three ADSR envelopes, two tempo-sync LFOs (including sample & hold), and an 8-slot mod matrix that handles poly aftertouch and MPE sources. Hands-on editing feels immediate via 21 pots—mostly fixed, with some push/rotary encoders—and a shift button that doubles functions, all guided by a crisp display; layer up to four timbral parts in stacked, round-robin, or split modes, then fire off the Iridium-inspired arpeggiator, 32-step sequencer, chord/scale modes, or global effects like reverb, delay, chorus, phaser, drive, and more. It's USB-C bus-powered, super compact at 9.9 x 6.7 x 1.9 inches and just 1.98 lbs, with stereo TRS outs, headphone jack, MIDI I/O, and 150+ factory presets across 250 slots.

Players love how it nails vintage wavetable aggression in a portable package that punches way above its weight, though some wish for deeper front-panel mod access without diving into the matrix. Perfect for sketching ideas on the go or layering into bigger rigs—it's Waldorf's clever bridge from retro digital dreams to today's workflow.