Waldorf Attack 3 – Attack is Back!
5,0 / 5,0 | 
A quarter of a century has passed since Waldorf first dropped Attack. Now it is back, but does Attack 3 still hold up, all these years on?
Prepare to feel old if, like me, you remember Attack the first time around. Waldorf first released Attack in 2001, when the world was a very different place in so many ways. So is this once powerful drum and percussion synth capable of holding its own against the new kids on the block?
Waldorf Attack 3 Key Highlights
- Expanded user interface
- Refined oscillators
- Upgraded filter and drive
- Advanced envelopes
- New LFOs
- New instrument effects
What is Waldorf Attack 3?
Attack was, and still is, at its heart, a drum synthesizer, an instrument that allows the user to craft and hone their own unique drum sounds whilst at the same time, embracing sampling and all the benefits that it has to offer.
Attack was originally released as a plugin back in 2001, and then, a year later, Waldorf took that plugin, wrapped it up in a box and gave us the RackAttack! This was bold stuff back then. Attack got an upgrade to version 2, many years ago, and whilst it has still been available up until now, it has been superseded many times over.
Well, Attack is back and Attack 3 has been brought bang up to date without betraying its pure synthesis methods and its ability to allow the user to create very unique sounds. So how does it improve upon the old paradigm and does it cut it today?
What’s New in Attack 3?
First up, the interface is now completely redesigned. Attack 3 now looks like a proper synth, and that vertical strip of trigger slots has gone in favour of the more traditional horizontal format we’re used to these days.
The synth engine is clearly laid out, simple to understand and delivers instant visual feedback. The whole thing is also fully scalable, so no more squinting at Attack 2 on large screens. There are dedicated browsers for kits, sounds, samples, and MIDI mapping. Everything is just a lot easier to navigate.
But what about the sounds? Well, the oscillator section has been fully refined and made more precise, delivering accurate phase control for synthetic waveforms and some powerful sample playback options. The importing of user samples is fully supported with velocity mapping, round-robin playback and adjustable start positions.
The filter has had an upgrade with the addition of 24db filters, positive and negative comb filters and sample-rate reduction for that grit and crunch. Sounds can be driven too, via some new drive types like Transistor, Crunch, Overdrive, Diode and Clip.
Add to this two new advanced envelopes, two fully-featured LFOs, expanded modulation routing and new effects. Attack 3 gives you 24 individual sounds per kit, with 12 of them playable polyphonically as pitched instruments. Each sound has insert effects, plus a range of global effects to help you shape your sound, your way.
In Conclusion
Waldorf’s Attack 3 is less of an update and more of a complete rebirth. And if you’re still an owner of Waldorf Edition and Waldorf Edition LE, both of which contain Attack 2, you can benefit from a great upgrade price.
However, if you’re buying it for the first time, there’s an introductory offer available until February 22nd, which gives you 50% off the full price of €99, including VAT. VAT. Upgrade offers can be accessed via your existing Waldorf user account.
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