PPG Wave 2.3 / Waveterm B System

PPG WAVE 2.3 / WAVETERM B SYSTEM

This is a PPG Wave 2.3 synthesizer with a Waveterm B programming 'head' computer, which allows numerous programming functions for the synth itself. Together, with the disk library included, the system seen here is one of the state-of-the-art workstations from the mid to late-1980s, akin to the Fairlight IIx, but with the added perks of analog controls, filter, etc.

The provenance on this system is also interesting. I acquired it in the mid-90s from the film composer Michael Whalen, who got it from its second owners, the +8 techno artists Legion of Green Men. But before that, its original owner, supposedly, was Oscar Peterson. One of the members of Legion of Green Men and I had a longish discussion over this many years ago and he was able to identify the equipment and explained they had purchased the system from Peterson's studio in Toronto c. 1990. No documentation, sadly, but I have no reason to doubt their explanation.

There have been some modifications and repairs to this gear over the years, mainly to correct some of Wolfgang Palm's foibles in physical design, power, etc. On the Wave 2.3, the infamous Pratt-Read keybed issue has been corrected with a full, professionally-installed rebushing in the Spring of 2015, which is why you see this PPG without its frequently-seen nasty-looking 'snaggly' keyboard alignment and, although unseen here, its sticky action. In short, it plays beautifully, and with the rebushing job, it'll keep doing that for quite some time. Wave 2.3s also had a notorious power supply under-spec issue; this was corrected way back in the mid-90s by EPR in New York state, who was still doing PPG servicing at the time. So this unit is quite stable, without any crashy issues caused by that problem.

The Waveterm B (you can tell the difference by the floppy drives; the A uses the huge 8” ones, the B, as you see, has 5.25”s) was also altered, again to resolve power supply issues with the display itself and the overall unit stability. Plus, a low-noise fan was added to improve air circulation through the case, which helps even more as the stock units, especially in a rack case, were prone to overheating issues. A look at the images of the Waveterm B's rear panel will show the fan switch location; it was designed as such by myself and Aaron McCallister to allow the fan to be turned off in background noise-critical situations. McCallister Audio, Urbana, did the Waveterm's servicing and mods, as well at the keybed fix on the Wave 2.3.

For those unfamiliar with the capabilities and/or history of this system, a quick Google search should lead you to a number of helpful resources on the net. The capabilities of this system are WAY too complex to elucidate here, as will be evinced by the fact that the offering here also includes two quite thick manuals, one for the synth, the other for the Waveterm. The info out there is far more in-depth than I could provide here, and goes into the history of the system's development and its later carry-over into the Waldorf wavetable-based synthesizers.

Remaining issues with this system offered here are cosmetic. Some knob caps are missing – again, Wolfgang Palm back in the PPG days concentrated more on the sound-making aspect and not so much on the physical, so these tend to pop off. They're easily obtainable, though, and don't affect operation. Also, one rack ear on the Waveterm B is bent – not quite sure why, as it came to me like that and while I've done some work to flatten it back out, it's also never been a functionality issue. Lastly, aside of the typical scratches and such seen on something of this vintage, there are a couple of missing wire cable clips on the DCB connectors – again, not a functionality issue unless you're planning on yanking the DCB cable around quite a bit.

I've really had a blast using this over the past 20+ years, actually, but I've been considering a different approach to my studio and studio methods in the past couple of years, and this is something I'm willing to part with. For a power user, it's a killer system, one capable of some jaw-dropping sounds. Not cheap, mind you, but those who understand what this is will definitely want it!

This offering contains the following items:

PPG Wave 2.3 synthesizer.

PPG Waveterm B programming computer.

Power cables for the above.

DCB cable to connect the above.

Disk library, as shown, with PPG factory disks and others.

Manuals for synth and Waveterm B (copies).

Please note that I am NOT willing to part this system out; please do not ask.

Buyer pays all shipping and handling costs. Shipping listed is an estimate and will be adjusted at time of sale. No shipping outside USA.

WOULD PREFER TO HAVE LOCAL PICKUP THAN SHIP AS DEVICE IS SENSITIVE.