Waldorf Crema vs Streichfett: What's New, Specs & Features

Many synthesizers are defined by how much they can do, while others are defined more by an instantly recognizable sound. 2014's Waldorf Streichfett belongs firmly in the second category, delivering classic string machine ensembles, vintage solo sounds and lush retro textures through a refreshingly hands-on interface that's fun to play.

Waldorf Crema builds on that foundation with a much broader synthesis architecture. Retaining Streichfett's distinctive string sound and its complementary second engine, Crema adds wavetable and four-operator FM synthesis, deeper modulation, expanded effects, an arpeggiator, a programmable step sequencer and more extensive MIDI configuration.

Here's a detailed look at what has changed, what's been preserved and how those improvements translate into real-world sound design and performance.

Watch a video deep dive on Crema

Waldorf Streichfett vs Crema: What's changed?

The biggest difference is that Crema transforms a specialized string synthesizer into a more versatile instrument without abandoning the original's defining sonic character.

Key improvements and highlights

Expanded synthesis: From stringer specialist to versatile ensemble

Streichfett's Strings section morphs through Violin, Viola, Cello, Brass, Organ, Choir and combinations of these registrations. Its Solo section blends Bass, E-Piano, Clavi, Synth and Pluto-style tones. Together, they deliver the layered, animated sounds that define the instrument.

Crema retains this string-oriented foundation in its Texture engine, but expands the available sound-generation methods considerably:

• String synthesis: Preserves the registration-morphing character associated with Streichfett while adding new sound-shaping and modulation options.
• Wavetable synthesis: Scans through different waveforms to create evolving pads, animated digital textures and changing spectral colors.
• Four-operator FM synthesis: Opens the door to metallic bells, electric-piano-like sounds and more experimental timbres.

The complementary Lines engine develops Streichfett's Solo concept into a more configurable polyphonic virtual-analog synthesizer. Two detunable oscillators, selectable waveforms, pulse width modulation, vibrato, tremolo and glide provide greater control over tone and note transitions.

The practical improvement is substantial: Crema can still deliver classic string-machine textures, but it can also generate sounds that go well beyond Streichfett's more specialized palette.

Deeper envelopes and modulation

Streichfett prioritizes immediacy, for better or worse. Its Strings section simply offers attack and release controls, while the Solo section provides straightforward envelope shaping and selectable sustain behavior.

Crema introduces a more detailed sound design environment with expanded envelope controls, wavetable movement, filter modulation and engine-specific modulation options. Depending on the synthesis type, these tools can shape amplitude, alter a sound's spectral character or change how a tone develops over time.

• More expressive envelopes: Shape how a sound develops, settles and fades rather than relying on simple attack/release adjustments.
• Animated wavetable movement: Modulate waveform position to make a held note evolve in timbre.
• Filter shaping: Use cutoff, resonance and filter envelope modulation to create sounds that open up, darken or shift character over time.
• Expanded performance modulation: Configurable LFO behavior, mod wheel control, aftertouch and MPE-related options provide additional options for expressive movement.

For synthesists who want to design complex, evolving sounds rather than simply adjust a strong starting point, this is one of Crema's most consequential upgrades.

A more comprehensive effects architecture

Streichfett's Animate, Phaser and Reverb effects are well suited to its intended sound. The original also allows these effects to be combined, keeping its processing flexible without making the interface complicated.

Crema expands the selection to 14 selectable effect types, plus Shimmer/Reverb processing. The available options cover modulation, saturation, delay and spatial effects with additional parameter control for shaping their behavior.

Just as important, Crema provides more flexible routing between its two sound engines and the effects stages. Texture and Lines can be processed differently, allowing a wide, reverberant pad to sit alongside a more focused lead or bass sound.

The upgrade is about more than having additional effects. It gives you greater control over how the instrument's layers interact, making elaborate ambient textures and more carefully separated mixes easier to construct.

Built-in arpeggiator and programmable sequencer

One of the clearest functional differences is Crema's ability to generate musical patterns internally. Streichfett obviously responds to incoming MIDI notes but does not offer a built-in arpeggiator or programmable step sequencer.

Crema adds both:

• Arpeggiator: Turns held notes into rhythmic patterns with adjustable direction, octave range, step length, swing, gate and playback behavior.
• Step sequencer: Creates patterns of up to 32 steps, with note pitch and velocity editing, MIDI note recording, scale selection and adjustable playback settings.

These features make Crema a more self-contained performance and composition tool. You can generate repeating bass lines, pulsing pads, ostinatos and evolving patterns without depending entirely on an external sequencer or computer.

Expanded performance controls and modern MIDI

Streichfett already offers useful performance tools, including a Solo-section keyboard split, a Balance control for blending its two sections, mod wheel vibrato and configurable MIDI channels.

Crema expands that flexibility with independent note ranges, split points, transposition, velocity response and MIDI channel settings for its two engines. Lines also provides selectable polyphonic, monophonic and legato operation, plus configurable glide behavior.

Another notable addition is MPE support. Compatible expressive controllers can provide per-note pitch and modulation control, opening up more nuanced performances than conventional/global pitch-bend behavior. Crema also includes a MIDI monitor and more detailed control over which incoming messages affect each engine.

For players integrating the instrument into a modern hardware rig, a DAW-based setup or an expressive controller workflow, these additions offer considerably more control.

More capable preset and sound management

Streichfett keeps things simple with 12 physical memory slots arranged in three banks of four. That arrangement is excellent for quick access to a small collection of favorite sounds.

Crema replaces this fixed-button approach with display-based preset management. Its functions include sound naming, categorization, filtering, copying, deleting and transferring individual sounds or ranges of presets through SysEx. Waldorf also recommends its free Chutney librarian/companion software for macOS or Windows.

The result is a more practical workflow for musicians who build large sound libraries, maintain different live sets or regularly refine and archive their own patches. Streichfett remains appealing for immediate recall of a compact set of sounds; Crema is better equipped for extensive sound management.

What remains from the original Streichfett?

Despite its expanded capabilities, Crema retains several important ideas from its predecessor:

• Registration-based string sounds: The characteristic movement through string, brass, organ and choir-like timbres remains central to the instrument's identity.
• Ensemble width: Rich ensemble processing continues to help create broad, animated string textures.
• Complementary sound engines: The original pairs Strings with Solo; Crema develops that concept through its Texture and Lines engines/timbres.
• Layered sound creation: Both instruments let you blend their two sound sources to build more complete sounds.
• Hands-on control: Crema retains physical controls for core sound shaping, even as its display and menus provide access to deeper parameters.

This continuity matters. Crema's additional synthesis methods and performance tools expand the original concept rather than simply replacing it with an unrelated instrument.

Overall, Crema is a marked improvement

For musicians who want more synthesis options, detailed modulation, flexible effects, onboard sequencing and advanced MIDI control, Crema represents a substantial expansion. It can cover the original's string-machine territory while also venturing into wavetable, FM and virtual analog sounds.

The comparison is arguably moot for someone considering a new purchase with a warranty inasmuch as Crema looks to be outright replacing Streichfett in Waldorf's currently-shipping synth lineup, but really only someone who greatly values Streichfett's 'v1' simplicity and immediacy would want to keep considering it as option.

For everyone else, Crema is the way to go not only for the aforementioned expansions and enhancements to the sound engine but also for mod cons like MPE support, USB-C connectivity/power and even its more refined industrial design, which again comes courtesy of synth design wunderkind Axel Hartmann. It's maybe worth mentioning here that Crema is the next/second synth in a new-ish series from Waldorf that started with last year's Protein wavetable synth and shares its design language and exact physical size/footprint. 

Ready to explore the next generation of string-machine synthesis?

Waldorf Streichfett established its appeal through a distinctive sound and a refreshingly direct interface. Crema preserves that foundation while adding new ways to generate, animate, process, perform and manage sounds.

For players who want the familiar richness of string-machine synthesis alongside a much broader creative toolkit, Crema represents a substantial evolution of the original concept — not merely a cosmetic update.