Vlad, the developer of the M, is answering questions on gearslutz:
Well, M has no Komplexer, no HP mode of the VCF, no Resynthesis capabilities, so it is not a big grandpa definitely. I personally prefer the next definition - the M is an MW1 engine under the MW2 Xt controls.
Best regards
Vladimir
It is really an unique move from Waldorf regarding this machineā¦ itās like a counter movementā¦ no fx, not too many modulations, a simple layout, and so on
Less is more ā¦ what an irony in our times when quite a lot of people cry out loud for more and more in a small box
M is definitely a bold statement.
I think Waldorf will be successful with this synth
Im waitinā for the MK2 version, the N. 
Thatās the attraction to it. No frills just synth and the color scheme says āplay me ā. I was going to get the black corporation jupiter 8 clone but I think I may get this along with the super 6 desktop
Yeah Iām hoping to get a chance to play on a super 6 today, to help decide if I want an M or super 6 desktop. I am really leaning M in my heart. Probably will touch an Iridium for a bit just to get an idea of the build quality also.
Looking forward to hearing what you think.
Tell us how do you like the shorter throw sliders. Thatās the only thing Iām debating on whether or not to get keyboard or not. Also let your inner Depeche Mode out on the āMā.
Peace
You must read the GS threadā¦ppl. already asking for more and more featuresā¦
But i think they have counter parted themselves. The Quantum/Iridium are the total opposite of the M.
They follow with this focus on some features instead of feature richness, companies like Moog, or Vermona. Their latest products are also very focused on a few but then very good features.
I really like that!
Waldorf is having a run.
Yes, they cry out for more more more, and then cry again when they canāt figure out how to use it all! 
Ok, not everyone. Some of us like to dig deeply. (Including me under the right circumstances.)
However, there is something special to me about a quality instrument that is immediate, quick or familiar to use, that sounds excellent.
There are plenty of synths out there that attempt to do everything, to various degrees. I think this was a solid move on their part.
Less features lead to real love : )
What is more important - M sounds really good, itās possible to judge even from youtube demos, play Iridium demo and after the M and it immediately captures attention by itās warm, characterful sound.
After seeing M I experienced something like it was 25 years ago when first digital āVAā synths started to show up. Wow!
I guess itās a hit!
Oh I was testing out the keyboard Super 6, and then the build on the Iridium/Quantum. The build quality on the high end Waldorf units is pretty impressive, super solid knobs. Super 6 is more or less how I perceived it in demos which is great sounding but there is a bit of grit that seems harder to pull out of it, the knobs donāt feel quite as solid as the Waldorf. Actually same goes for the Iridium/Quantum, amazing sounding but not quite what Iām after. Got to test out the P5 and the Take 5 also but I suppose Iāll post that over in the Take 5 thread. Iām pretty sold on the idea of the M at this point thoughā¦ now it is just a matter of deciding where I might get them in first for preorders in the US.
Aha, this answer from Vlad is very interesting and answers a question that ppl here always ask about Elektron machines as well, if you mentally transfer it:
Itās a funny story. In order to come close to the original MW, we decided at some point to artificially restrict my possibilities in terms of Kilobytes and Megaherzes
That lead to the fact that I had to find a way to think like Andy Busse, being restricted in hardware.
I mean - itās easy to build a shiny damn good sound synth with a Gigaherzes and Gigabytes, but build it, having 160/512 Kb of RAM only pushes you to find and fresh renew good old solutions to make it sounds properly !
I was initially excited about this synth, but after reading the manual, Iām not as excited anymore.
Iām much more interested in Fredās Lab Tooro. I like that the Tooro has phase modulation for its oscillators and I think its filters are more interesting. I prefer its compact size as well.
maybe the Waldorf Iridium comes really close to the M of course with other types of Filters. I need some Waldorf Wave Wavetables to check this out 
But the Waldorf M is for sure a great Synth! With a lack of EFX
Just FYI: It wasnāt.
Yeah I could see that, Tooro seems pretty rad. I ended up dropping in an order for the M. Something about the crunch feels so true to those old synths. I use an old akai through a Pro2 for that sort of sound from time to time, but the workflow really keeps me from doing it often and it isnāt really nearly as special sounding to me. Hopefully the wait for the US isnāt too brutal but I know it could be a while.
Itās kind of funny it is simple compared to modern wavetable stuff but compared to most analog synths it is pretty dang deep.
In the gear space thread Vlad mention there is a good chance of a PPG mode coming in an update that more accurately emulates some its nuances.
Good choice! Iāll be doing the same after I first acquire my Hydra Deluxe.
Never buy gear for what they could becomeā¦only how they are.
This would b really great! Any details on what it is exactly? I really love PPG bells and cold wavy metal glass stuffā¦
It was talk about the way PPG pans each voice. They will cycle between left and right channel, and width is determined by a pan spread function.
