Waldorf, a German manufacturer of analog-sounding synths, has come up with a product that bucks a trend commonly seen in the music industry. That is, they have taken a virtual instrument (VSTi Attack) and transformed it into a hardware instrument: the RackAttack.
While I have not used the software version of the RackAttack, I found the hardware unit to be intuitive to use. It’s knobs and buttons, and the generous 2×20 backlit display make for easy navigation and a quick learning curve. I would have like to have seen a brighter color for the panel, as the dark blue makes it difficult to see the panel; especially if you are in dimly lit rooms.
One of the great things about the RackAttack is the ability to program synth sounds in conjunction with the drum sounds. Using analog modelled subtractive synthesis, you get 2 oscillators, filter, VCA’s, 2 LFO’s and 2 ADSR envelopes, as well as the capability to use external sources as modulators. You also have 3 sampled hi-hat sounds, which allows you to more faithfully reproduce hi-hat textures.
One amusing and interesting feature is what Waldorf calls “crack modulation”, which (all jokes aside) is basically amplitude modulation using a sawtoothe waveform that is great for creating hand clap sounds.
I found the RackAttack to be a very nice addition to the drum sound creation pallete, especailly for those producing techno and dance music.
