Behringer Wasp Deluxe
The 1970s spawned the first truly portable analog synthesizer, and while it was quickly adopted by lots of renowned musical artists including Jan Hammer, Chick Corea, Rick Wakeman, Jean-Michel Jarre, Isao Tomita and Keith Emerson to name a few, it was somewhat temperamental and very expensive.
In 1978 a unique and quirky little synthesizer was born. The Wasp, as it was called, was a monophonic, two-octave keyboard that used touch-sensitive keys. It was a novel idea back then but tended to be unreliable and difficult to play. An ultra-affordable homage to that iconic synthesizer, with all the features of the original and then some, the Behringer WASP DELUXE lets you conjure up virtually any sound imaginable with incredible finesse and ease. Pure analog signal path based on authentic VCF and VCA designs in conjunction with a flexible 6-shape waveform LFO including noise and S&H with frequency and pitch modulation control. Having your very own WASP DELUXE is like having your own personal time machine, enabling you to freely embrace the past – or shape the future!
- Legendary hybrid synthesizer with dual digital OSC design allows for insanely fat music creation
- Authentic reproduction of original “Wasp Deluxe” circuitry
- Pure analog signal path based on authentic VCF and VCA designs
- 3 variable oscillator shapes with pulse / ramp and enhanced mode for ultimate sounds
- Multi-mode VCF with Lo, Hi, Band and Notch modes
- Flexible LFO with 6 waveform shapes including noise and S&H with frequency and pitch modulation control
- 2 analog Envelope Generators for modulation of VCF and VCA
- Noise generator dramatically expands waveform generation
- 16-voice Poly Chain allows combining multiple synthesizers for up to 16 voice polyphony
- Complete Eurorack solution – main module can be transferred to a standard Eurorack case
- 29 controls give you direct and real-time access to all important parameters
- External audio input for processing external sound sources
- Comprehensive USB/MIDI implementation with MIDI channel and Voice Priority selection
- 3-Year Warranty Program*
- Designed and engineered in the U.K.
True to the Original
Great care has been taken in designing the WASP DELUXE including the true to the original “Wasp Deluxe” circuitry. This is what gives it its ultra-flexible sound shaping capability, which covers everything from super-fat bass and lead tones, stunning effects – and all the way out to the otherworldly sounds of your imagination.
The inspired synthesizer tracks laid down in the 1970s and ‘80s are etched in the annals of progressive rock, wave and synth-pop music forever, making them truly classic in every sense of the word. WASP DELUXE’s pure analog signal path based on authentic VCF and VCA designs, lets you recreate all of that magic – or design incredibly fat and original sounds that will make you a legend in your own right!
More than just being true to the original, we just had to add more features. Each of the two oscillators comes with three variable waveforms: sawtooth, square wave and an enhanced mode which adds punch and some clarity to the oscillator’s tone. Both oscillators can be adjusted across a wide 5-octave range (32’, 16’ 8’, 4’ and 2’). Oscillator 1’s wave shape can be adjusted via the Width knob, while oscillator 2 has a pitch control that can be adjusted against oscillator 1’s pitch to create some really sweet modulation effects. To top it all off, these can be mixed and blended together with an external audio signal to get a truly unique sound.
The Control Oscillator section is where things start to get interesting. This section features a flexible LFO with six waveform shapes such as a sine wave, rising sawtooth, falling sawtooth, square wave, noise and random which can be further manipulated with the Frequency and Pitch knobs. A noise generator that dramatically expands waveform generation and can be mixed in to create additional percussion sounds. The WASP DELUXE also comes with a switchable, multi-mode VCF with Lo, Hi, Band and Notch filter options as well as a Freq and Q setting where you can play with the filter cutoff and width to get some really wild sounds that can add some spice to your music.
Next in the chain is where you can create some very intricate patches. The WASP DELUXE has two analog Envelope Generators for modulating the VCA and VCF. The VCA Envelope section contains an Attack, Decay, Sustain Level/Repeat knob as well as a hold switch that can be used to sustain a note indefinitely while the Control Envelope features Attack, Decay and Delay/Repeat knobs. Set these just right to get millisecond-quick notes ala Kraftwerk or create long atmospheric synth beds just like Vangelis in Bladerunner.
While it is a monophonic instrument (one note at a time), WASP DELUXE’s 16-note Poly Chain function lets you combine multiple synthesizers for up to 16-voice polyphony – plus provides vastly improved reliability and stability over its 1970’s predecessor.
Designed to handle the rigors of life on the road or in the studio, your WASP DELUXE can easily be transferred into a standard Eurorack case for the perfect integration into your existing system.
We just can’t help ourselves – like you, we’re gear-heads, too. For those who want the numbers, WASP DELUXE has 29 controls, all laid out in a highly intuitive format that puts the joy back into your music creation. Input and output connections include: MIDI I/O and Thru over USB/MIDI DIN; Main Audio via a 3.5mm TRS connection; LOW and HIGH Main outs via a ¼” TRS connection.
When it comes to not just pushing envelopes but creating them, WASP DELUXE gives your imagination its voice – and it’s so very affordable. When modern performance calls for classic analog sound – it calls for the Behringer WASP DELUXE!