The Waldorf 2-Pole is a standalone hardware filter unit from Waldorf, an analog, mono filter with low-pass, high-pass and band-pass modes1. Alongside the filter itself it carries a drive circuit, an envelope and an LFO, which Future Music described as "a warm, characterful multimode filter partnered with a gritty drive circuit, envelope and LFO"2. It sits in the same territory as a filter pedal but is built as a desktop unit rather than a floor pedal.
What it does
At its heart the 2-Pole is a mono filter with low-, high- and band-pass modes, controlled by cutoff and resonance controls1. MusicRadar's reviewer found that "with the resonance down, the filter itself is smooth and warm, and capable of lovely wide sweeps in all three modes," with self-oscillation available at maximum resonance and Acid-style squelches in the mid-range1.
The drive circuit, envelope and LFO give it modulation and grit beyond a plain filter2, and the unit is highly tweakable in a knob-per-function layout1. It ships with a quick start guide demonstrating setups from an auto-filter to a wah-wah, a noise gate, or a tuneable kick drum1, so it can be put to work on sources well beyond a synth line: think wah duties or noise gate tricks from the same box.
Size and format
The 2-Pole is the same size and shape as Waldorf's desktop synth Rocket, and also the then-forthcoming Streichfett1, so it fits alongside that family of compact desktop units.
What reviewers said
Future Music described Waldorf's analog filter as "a filthy, retro-styled beast" and rated it 4.5 out of 523.
The full review's verdict: "Gritty, flexible and a lot of fun, the 2-Pole is a great way to instantly add character to your sounds." The reviewer found it characterful with a real vintage flavor, and recommended it as a means of injecting instant analog grit at an affordable price1.
At the time of the 2014 review it was available from Thomann, Gear4Music and DV247 in the UK, and Sweetwater and Full Compass in the US2.
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Questions
Is the Waldorf 2-Pole analogue or digital?
It is an analogue unit. Future Music described it as a warm, characterful multimode filter partnered with a gritty drive circuit, envelope and LFO, and MusicRadar's group test called it a simple, affordable mono two-pole filter with low-pass, band-pass and high-pass modes.
What can the Waldorf 2-Pole be used for?
MusicRadar's review notes that it ships with a quick start guide showing setups ranging from an auto-filter to a wah-wah, a noise gate, or a tuneable kick drum, so it covers far more than straight filtering. Its mono input and three filter modes make it usable on synths, drums and other sources.
Sources (3)
- Waldorf 2-Pole Analog Filter review, MusicRadar, 2014-07-14
- The best new compact hardware effect processors of 2014, MusicRadar, 2014-12-28
- Tech group test: Hardware Filters, MusicRadar, 2017-07-14
