AudioPilz Digs Up the Waldorf microQ: The 2000s Are Back, Like It or Not

AudioPilz kicks things off with his trademark irreverence, setting the scene for a synth that’s been left gathering dust in the shadow of 90s nostalgia. The Waldorf microQ, birthed at the dawn of the DAW revolution, is painted as a relic from an era when music tech execs were too busy flogging half-baked reissues to notice the digital tide rolling in. It’s a synth that was already a bit dated when it landed, but somehow escaped the reissue cash-grab that’s plagued every other decade.

What’s brilliant here is how AudioPilz skewers both Gen X ravers and trance-hungry zoomers, pointing out that no one’s lining up to throw their cash at this oddball. The microQ’s garish yellow shell might lure in the 90s diehards, but as the video makes clear, it’s the guts that matter. And those guts are weird, wild, and worth a closer look—even if the synth world would rather pretend the early 2000s never happened.

Now, let’s talk filters—the bit where most virtual analogs fall flat on their faces. Not the microQ. AudioPilz points out its dual filter array, which can be run in serial or parallel but skips the fancy in-betweens of its bigger siblings. You get digital 12 and 24 dB models, plus comb filters that’ll have your ears ringing like you’ve just left a squat rave at 6am.

It’s not pretending to be analog, and frankly, that’s its charm. The filter sweeps have a chemical tang that sticks around long after the sound’s faded, and the top end is all snap and sizzle. If you want warmth, look elsewhere. But if you want a synth that’ll cut through a mix like a broken bottle through a pub brawl, the microQ’s your mate.

In true Bad Gear style, the finale isn’t just about the synth—it’s about the industry’s obsession with nostalgia and the endless parade of reboots. AudioPilz wonders aloud if the microQ, or anything from the early 2000s, is ripe for a cynical reissue. The answer? Don’t hold your breath. The microQ’s spirit lives on in free DSP emulations, and the odds of a big brand cashing in are slim unless some billionaire gets bored enough to buy up the whole game.

There’s a cheeky swipe at the usual suspects—Roland, Alesis, even Christoph Kemper—reminding us that sometimes, what’s best left in the past is best left alone. Still, for those who crave that raw, aggressive digital filth, the microQ is a reminder that not all synth nostalgia needs to be warm and fuzzy. Sometimes, it’s the cold, hard edge that keeps things interesting.