street priceThe PPG Wave 2.3 with Waveterm B represents a pivotal moment in music technology history. Developed by German inventor Wolfgang Palm's company Palm Products Gmbh (PPG) in the early 1980s, this system was one of the "big three" Computer Musical Instruments alongside the Australian Fairlight CMI and American NED Synclavier. While the Fairlight focused exclusively on sampling and the Synclavier employed FM synthesis before adding sampling capabilities, the PPG Wave pioneered an entirely new synthesis method: wavetable synthesis.
The system's modular purchasing approach made it more accessible than competitors. The Wave 2.3 synthesizer alone cost approximately USD6,500, while adding the Waveterm computer module brought the total to around USD13,000 — significantly less than the Fairlight's USD40,000 or the full Synclavier system's USD150,000 price tag. This revolutionary technology gave musicians and recording studios unprecedented control over their sound, delivering new sonic possibilities and the promise of editable perfection.
PPG Wave 2.3 Synthesizer
The Wave 2.3 is housed in a large yet surprisingly lightweight black metal case, measuring four feet wide by approximately two feet deep and eight inches high. The striking front panel features white text and graphics on a vivid blue background, divided into two distinct control sections.
The instrument features a 5-octave, 61-note keyboard with Minimoog-style smoked perspex pitch and modulation wheels. The keyboard is both velocity and aftertouch sensitive, though it proved mechanically vulnerable to heavy use, often warping and damaging key contacts over time.
Sound Generation Architecture
Rather than using traditional analogue oscillators, the PPG employs a groundbreaking digital approach. The system uses extremely short digital sound samples called "waves," each just 256 bytes long. These waves loop continuously to produce the oscillator sound, with 64 waves combining to form a complete "wavetable." The Wave 2.3 provides 30 different wavetables in total.
The digital oscillator output is then processed through an analogue 24dB/octave low-pass filter, capable of producing sounds ranging from distinctly digital (with the filter wide open) to warm, mellow, analogue-style tones when the filter adds its characteristic warmth.
The system incorporates 16 digital oscillators driving 8 voices. Each voice can access two sound sources: one from Bank A and another from Bank B. This configuration is called a "program," and the Wave 2.3 can store up to 87 programs. Additionally, 20 complete machine snapshots can be saved as "combi-programs," with different sounds assigned to each of the eight voices.
Modulation and Control
The synthesis architecture includes three envelope generators: two full ADSR (Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release) envelopes and one simplified AD (Attack and Decay only) envelope. One envelope generator can be assigned to force the oscillator to cycle through a given wavetable, creating extremely complex and evolving sound sources that helped make the Wave unique.
The left section of the front panel, labeled "Multiple Function Analog Control Panel," contains all the analogue knobs for envelope and filter control. A "Panel" button on the right side switches the knobs into a second panel mode, changing their functions entirely.
LFO Section: Three knobs control the low-frequency oscillator. The Delay knob sets the time before LFO onset (ideal for natural vibrato emulation), the Waveshape knob morphs from triangle wave (left) through various sawtooth shapes to square wave (right), and the Rate knob controls LFO speed. In second panel mode, this Rate knob controls sequencer playback speed.
Envelope Controls: Three knobs manage Env3 (the AD envelope) for attack, decay, and level. Two rows of four knobs control ADSR1 and ADSR2, with discrete knobs for each envelope stage. In second panel mode, these eight knobs control the volume of each of the eight oscillator outputs.
Sound Modifiers: The VCF Cutoff knob sets the filter cutoff frequency, while VCF Emphasis controls filter resonance. The Waves-Osc knob selects which of the 30 wavetables the oscillator uses, and the Waves-Sub knob determines which of the 64 waves within the chosen wavetable serves as the oscillator's start wave.
Three red LEDs indicate which bank is active (A, B, or both) and whether second panel mode is engaged. Three additional knobs assign envelope control: Env1 to filter, Env2 to volume, and Env1 to wave position. This last assignment allows the envelope's attack rate to control how quickly the sound cycles through the selected wavetable, enabling extensive expressive control.
The front panel's left side features two additional knobs: the lower controls master volume, while the upper "Basis" knob controls stereo positioning. When using the PPG's stereo outputs, turning this knob left outputs sound centrally in mono, while turning it right assigns each sound to different sides of the stereo field, with the stereo width increasing as the knob turns further right.
Digital Control Section
The right side of the front panel, labeled "Multiple Function Digital Control Panel," features a green backlit display with two rows of 80 characters, a contrast adjustment knob, a numeric keypad, and a 10-button mode selection pad.
The display attempts to cram extensive information into limited space, resulting in cryptic abbreviations. Helpful notes are printed around the display as reminders. Keyboard modes are numbered 0-8 (mode 0 = "Poly 8 * 1" for 8-note polyphony). Modulation sources use letters: K (keyboard), M (modulation), T (touch sensor/aftertouch), and V (velocity sensor). Modulation destinations include W (waves), F (filter), L (loudness), and P (pitch).
The 10-button "Display Select" keypad changes machine status with options including Program, Digital, Tuning, Analog, Sequencer, Group, Datat, Keyb, Panel, and Run/Stop. The Tuning button, for example, allows customization of each voice's pitch, even enabling programming of pitch sequences that cycle through as a note is repeatedly triggered.
Sequencer and Arpeggiator
The onboard real-time sequencer is challenging to use by modern standards, complicated by the small display. Even with the Waveterm monitor attached, operation remains difficult. Unlike the Fairlight's distinctive Page R sequencer sound, the Wave sequencer lacks an identifiable character. Given the Wave's MIDI implementation, external sequencing is recommended.
However, the comprehensive arpeggiator deserves exploration. Accessed through special sequencer modes 1 or 2, the arpeggiator offers multiple patterns: up, down, up and down, random, or moving. These modes excel at creating rhythmic sequence parts, and when combined with the Basis pan control, produce excellent stereo effects.
Connectivity
The rear panel provides extensive connectivity options (left to right):
The Waveterm computer module is a 19-inch rack-mounting unit housing a monitor with dual disk drives—substantial enough that solo lifting is discouraged. This module dramatically expands the Wave's capabilities, with sampling being the primary addition.
Sampling Capabilities
The original Waveterm A provided 8-bit sampling, while the improved Waveterm B offered 12-bit sampling resolution. Maximum sampling time is extremely limited—three seconds at a relatively low sample rate. However, the 24dB filters can extensively process these samples, transforming even crude original recordings into usable material.
User Interface
The Waveterm lacks any graphical WIMP (Windows, Icons, Menus, Pointer) environment. The entire interface consists of an 80-column text display with two rows of buttons beneath the monitor screen, functioning as 10 programmable soft keys whose functions change based on context displayed on screen. Two vertically-mounted 5.25-inch floppy disk drives sit to the right of the case.
Below the disk drives are two knobs: the left controls screen brightness, the right sets input level. Audio input uses a 3-pin XLR socket with an impedance switch for mic or line level and a red LED for input overload indication. A "Restart" button allows computer reset when the system crashes.
The rear panel features three connectors: the communications bus to the Wave, plus connections for a printer and QWERTY keyboard.
Operation
On power-up, the Waveterm checks the communication bus for connected devices. The disk drives are dedicated: the left must contain the system disk, the right the data disk. Inserting the wrong disk in the left drive requires pressing Restart with the correct disk to recover. After the master disk boots, the communication management screen (Page 0) appears.
From Page 0, users can load the eight voices with samples or wave compound files (wavetables). Confusingly, the Waveterm refers to these storage locations as memory banks 0-7 (1-8 in computer terminology), which are completely separate from the Wave's Banks A and B.
The rightmost function key is labeled "Help" but actually requires two successive presses to access help files—the first press takes you to the File menu instead. This menu handles copying, disk creation, sample merging, and file management (get, store, delete, list). File recall and storage uses combinations of digits like "T023," "T201," "T803," though PPG library disks can use up to 75-80 characters for descriptions.
Pressing the Page function key followed by a digit accesses different operational pages for computing waves, creating wavetables, inputting transient sounds (sampling), editing events (sequencing), and other functions.
The PPG Wave was highly sought after in the mid-1980s, helping create the bright sound characteristic of British pop music when synthesizer duos were fashionable. Notable users included The Pet Shop Boys and the Stock, Aitken and Waterman production team. Classic PPG Wave sounds appear on Propaganda's "A Secret Wish" and Thomas Dolby's "The Golden Age of Wireless." More recent users include Nine Inch Nails.
The wavetable synthesis technique introduced by PPG has since been adopted by manufacturers including Korg (Wavestation) and PPG-offshoot Waldorf (Wave, Microwave). While several modern synthesizers deliver much of what the PPG Wave 2.3 offers, none quite match it. The PPG's analogue filtering provides a distinctive edge, and systems can now be acquired for £500-£1,000—a tenth of the original asking price—making this grungy-sounding Germanic machine capable of both sweet sounds and unholy noise a weird but worthwhile investment for those willing to master its quirks.
Physical Dimensions
Keyboard
Sound Generation
Signal Path
Modulation
Memory
Control Panel
Sequencer
Arpeggiator
Stereo Controls
Keyboard Modes
Rear Panel Connectivity
Original Pricing (1980s)
Current Used Market price: USD 20000 + 15000
Physical Specifications
Sampling
Storage
User Interface
Audio Input
Rear Panel Connectivity
Software Pages
Menu System
Original Pricing (1980s)
Country of origin / production: Germany
Recommend product to a friend| Usage Design/ Form Factor | |
|---|---|
| With Keys | |
| Archetype | |
| Hybrid, Digital+Analog | |
| Polyphony | |
| Voices | 16 |
| Multi Timbral Capacity | 8 part(s) |
| Tone Generator / Sound Synthesis | |
| Synthesis Method | Analog Subtractive |
| Oscillators per voice | 2 |
| Programs/ Voices/ Timbres | |
| Single Voice Preset | 256 |
| Multitimbral Preset | 256 |
| Filter | |
| High-pass Filter (HPF) | |
| Low-pass Filter (LPF) | |
| Multimode | |
| 12dB | |
| Resonance | |
| MIDI in/ out | |
| IN | |
| OUT | |
| THRU | |
| OUT count | 2 |
| Keys | |
| Type | Semi-weighted |
| Aftertouch | |
| Size | 5 |
| Number of Keys | 61 |
| Display | |
| Display type | LCD |
| Resolution: Horizontal | 640 |
| Resolution: Vertical | 64 |
| Built-in controllers | |
| Assignable Wheel | 1 |
| Pitch Bend Wheel | |
| Modulation Wheel | |
| Audio out | |
| Stereo | |
| Analogue: 1/4" (6.35mm) | 6 |
| Analogue: 1/4" (6.35mm) headphones preamplified | 1 |
| Audio in | |
| Analog 1/4" | 4 |
| Computer Interfaces | |
| FDD | |
| Power | |
| Power Supply | Built-in, internal |
| Dimensions | |
| Height | 200 mm |
| Width | 1220 mm |
| Depth | 610 mm |
| Weight | 18 kg |
| Production start | 1982 |
| Production ended | |
The Waldorf Wave represents a landmark achievement in synthesizer design, emerging from the legacy of PPG's pioneering Wave 2.2 and 2.3 synthesizers. Released in 1994, this professional-grade analog/digital hybrid flagship instrument from Waldorf...
