WMD Legion - Ultimate Oscillator: TZFM, Swarm, Alpha, TZ-Sub Osc

[closedLoop]

This is of course happening much more slowly than we anticipated. I wanted to ship this year, but it looks like the majority will be shipping in January / February.

Completely appreciate the delay, I was just curious. Thanks for the update!

[Kosmikos]

Just knowing that things are moving makes me happy!

[scuto]

Has anyone received any word on when Legion might ship?

Legion is being assembled at the present time. Front panels are being put on. All the soldering is done. Units will then go to testing.

Subway is in the same assembly stage.

This is of course happening much more slowly than we anticipated. I wanted to ship this year, but it looks like the majority will be shipping in January / February.

Are they all spoken for already? If not, how can I order a couple?

I've been on a mad hunt to get another C4RBN & MSCL. Had to import from Canada.

I hope you guys will be back soon!

This is only based on my own speculation, nothing direct from WMD or elsewhere, but there may be some going to retailers. Try checking in with your preferred ones to see if they have any on order.

[WMDevices]

Has anyone received any word on when Legion might ship?

Legion is being assembled at the present time. Front panels are being put on. All the soldering is done. Units will then go to testing.

Subway is in the same assembly stage.

This is of course happening much more slowly than we anticipated. I wanted to ship this year, but it looks like the majority will be shipping in January / February.

Are they all spoken for already? If not, how can I order a couple?

I've been on a mad hunt to get another C4RBN & MSCL. Had to import from Canada.

I hope you guys will be back soon!

Dealers will be getting them when we finally ship.

[Tarocco]

Anyone got theirs get? Starting to see these out in the wild.

[jschussler]

Anyone got theirs get? Starting to see these out in the wild.

Yup, mine arrived last week. Gonna do a vid on it shortly.

[Tarocco]

Just got the shipping notice for mine! Can't wait to get started.

[hawkfuzz]

I was hoping to have sold enough to get one when it shows up but no luck. Maybe next lifetime.

Excited to hear the demos.

[joeyfrench]

Still waiting on mine (2) to ship but got an email response from WMD that they would be heading out directly. Can't wait!

[joeyfrench]

... well, what do you know - just got my shipping notification

[DaytimeBender]

I was late to the party and only pre-ordered a pair from a retailer last week. So I'm sure I'm at the end of the line to get mine. But I'm pretty excited to eventually get these. They sound so good in the demo videos. I'm looking forward to hearing the kind of sounds everyone else is able to create with them.

[closedLoop]

I got mine last week. It's pretty wild.

My direct points of comparison for Legion are the E352's cloud modes (for swarm comparison), Cruinn (also for swarm), Neoni (for TZ), and Generate-3 (also for TZ). I haven't had a SSI2130-based oscillator before.

The TZFM has the tuning stability of Neoni, but it has a very different relationship to tuning than Neoni or Generate-3 when those two are in TZ mode. Legion seems to retain both carrier and modulator pitches to a degree, depending on the amount of the TZFM. The carrier sounds more tonally dominant with lower FM, the modulator is more dominant at higher FM. There isn't any of the warble that I got from TZFM in Generate-3, or from Neoni when it's not set to AC coupling. Legion a precise, stable and synced feel to the TZ.

The straight Swarm sound doesn't have the depth of the E352 or Cruinn, but holy hell - when you TZ Legion, and listen to the Swarm out, it's hard to describe what happens, but it's good.

The sub out is great with the multiple waveforms (my favorite aspect of Spectrum), especially because it also gets TZFM. This makes it great for thickening the sound of the other outputs.

The way the tuning knob works is taking me a bit to get used to, but the lock tuning is much appreciated.

[boramx]

i’m curious about the “digital” portions of the module and their relationship to the modulation inputs.

examples: the supersaw is created by with x # of “dac lfos”(?). and yet is “100% analog”.(?)
also- the “tuning” is stabilized through “digital control(?)”. how does that interact with external FM?

obviously all the switches have logic chips etc but i’m mostly curious if there are any digital “limitations” to modulation…be it FM, PWM, supersaw swarming etc….

[closedLoop]

obviously all the switches have logic chips etc but i’m mostly curious if there are any digital “limitations” to modulation…be it FM, PWM, supersaw swarming etc….

What limitations are you thinking? Are you wondering if modulation might not function up to audio rates? Or there might be artifacts in the modulation?

[johnny_infinity]

obviously all the switches have logic chips etc but i’m mostly curious if there are any digital “limitations” to modulation…be it FM, PWM, supersaw swarming etc….

What limitations are you thinking? Are you wondering if modulation might not function up to audio rates? Or there might be artifacts in the modulation?

Anything digital is going to be limited by the sample rate.

[closedLoop]

Anything digital is going to be limited by the sample rate.

WMD themselves would have the best answer. I'm imagining there are aspects that are defined by the SSI2130 chip (which is all-analog?), and there is additional functionality that WMD has added to this module, like the swarm, and the "windows" on the saw output, and the sub.

I haven't run the swarm rate up to audio rates, so I can't comment on that. I can imagine that is where you'd most notice any of the kind of sample rate failure that you're asking about.

I have noticed some small glitches in the sub output when it is set to a triangle waveform, but less than the glitches I get when I try to make the same sub with a function generator. There may be the same glitches in the saw and pulse waveforms from the sub, but they are harder to pick out from those richer waveforms. I do really like that the sub gets the same TZFM as the other outputs.

I have no idea how the tuning is digitally regulated, and whether that might introduce any digital artifacts. It does seem very stable, and the lock tuning is a feature I wish more oscillators had. I'm always inadvertently bumping the big tuning knob on the E352.

[nomass]

I have just received Legion 153. Looks like these things are on the way! Haven’t tried it yet, but like other WMD modules it has a very tough and durable look. I’ve always been a fan of their engraved black panels.

[Tarocco]

Just got mine as well, number 232.

[CaptainRockout]

#210 reporting. Just arrived today and it's glorious. Really glad I also preordered one from PC so I'll have a pair.

[closedLoop]

i’m curious about the “digital” portions of the module and their relationship to the modulation inputs.

examples: the supersaw is created by with x # of “dac lfos”(?). and yet is “100% analog”.(?)

After some play time, I can report back that the rate of the LFOs that determine the phase of the swarm out definitely tops out beyond LFO rates. If the CV rate crosses a fast LFO rate, the modulation of the supersaw goes from a smooth phase transition to a sample and hold type shifting of phase.

[jschussler]

Here are some sounds in comparison to other small waveshaped VCOs:

[gwpt]

With pwm on saw, does this do a good hoover sound? Anyone tried?

[DaytimeBender]

I got my pair of Legions yesterday, and I'm super happy with them so far. They sound amazing and there is a large depth of sounds that you can get out of them with minimal patching. The FM lives up to the hype. The pitch is rock steady and the semitone adjustment mode works really well.

[machineoil]

Is anyone having an issue with their legion where it only clicks and doesn't produce any other sound? I have tried multiple power cables, different power slots, nothing changes the behavior. It is in a Doepfer monster case, and there is plenty of power available. Going to try it in a skiff to see if it does the same thing, and yes I will open a support case on Monday...just checking to see if anybody has a similar issue and maybe found a solution before then.

[Zymos]

Just have to ask- is it tuned really low?