Soundwave is a portable Micro cassette recorder/player who is very similar in size and shape to the early Sony Walkman. The design was first used in 1983 in Japan's Microchange toy line, a descendant of Microman which was released in the west as Micronauts. Microchange features a number of household & real life objects that turn into robots, several of which would be recycled in Transformers. In fact the Mini Autobots are Micro Change toys, not modelled on real cars but a popular line of penny racer toys available at the time. Soundwave is there known as Microchange toy MC-10 Cassette Man. This toy is then imported into the Transformers line *relatively* unchanged - the western version looses the headphones and microphone that the Microchange and subsequent Japanese transformers toys had. The majority of the toy is dark blue in colour with the sides of the toy being coloured silver. On the right of the toy as you're looking at it is a volume or tuning dial that turns while on the left there's a two position switch (AM/FM like a radio tuner ? Or a normal/metal cassette selector ?) There's a number of control moulded in chromed plastic in the middle at the bottom of the front of the player: Play, record, rewind, fast forward & stop. A chromed eject button is mounted on the top right of the player: pressing it causes the clear smoked plastic tape drawer to open. The tape compartment can be used to store one of the Transformer micro cassettes. I don't have a real micro (dictation) cassette at hand to see if that fits too. There's a counter moulded into the top left - this is usually covered by a sticker reading 010 - a nod towards the toy's Microman numbering. The rear of the player has a belt clip moulded into the battery hatch. This slides off to reveal a pair of blue plastic moulded batteries.
Transformation: Fold the silver sides of the tape player down under the player to form the legs. Rotate each of them in 90 degrees and fold out the metal feet. Fold the sides of the back of the player forwards to form the arms. Slide the notch on each forearm forward to push the hands out the end of the arms. Flip the head up and rotate 180 degrees so he faces forward. Remove the battery hatch cover, remove the batteries and replace the cover. One of the batteries extends: peg this one into a 5mm hole in the middle of either hand and push a missile into the end of the launcher (The Microchange version calls his the "Battery Gun"). The other battery mounts on Soundwave's right shoulder as cannon (which Microchange call his "Energy Cell Laser")
Soundwave's robot mode is dominated by his chest which is formed from the tape compartment of his cassette player. The door still opens in this mode allowing Soundwave to dispense tapes that turn into robots, robot birds and other robot animals in battle against his foes. The robot mode is mainly blue like the tape mode, with silver forearms, upper legs & inner lower legs. His head is blue as well, with a silver face plate, yellow eyes and a moulded crest. The head itself turns and this action alone pushes Soundwave into a strong showing in the "best articulated robot 1984" stakes. His arms bend at the elbows, turn and swing back at his shoulders so he's doing well here too. His legs fold forward and turn at the hips: yes he can sit down which is a feature unique to 1984 Transformers. Sadly his knees bend the wrong way as a result of the transformation but a modern remould would easily solve that, and similarly add a bicep joint. For a Transformer toy that old he's doing brilliantly if those are the only articulation complaints I have. Of the other first year toys only Optimus Prime can beat him for points of articulation and Prime can't sit down properly due to the grill on the front of the truck ! As we've said before he's got 5mm holes in his hands and on his shoulder. The 5mm peg and hole system was a standard for the Microman line so Soundwave's inherited it from there. This means that he can hold weapons made for toys 26 years after his initial release!
It's Soundwave, it's a design classic, you know you're going to love it. If you haven't got one already then buy one !
Soundwave was sold in the west in 1984 & 1985 where he was packed with Buzzsaw.
Soundwave was sold in Japan as Transformers toy 17 where he was packed with Rumble. He was re-issued as toy number 10 in the Transformers collection where he was packed with Laserbeak, and then again as toy number 3 in the Transformers Encore line where he was packed with Laserbeak again.
And for completeness sake the Microchange version was packed with a repaint of MC-01 Micross toy (later known as Transformers Frenzy) in red (IE: Transformers Rumble.
Yup It's Soundwave, in Black which replaces all the plastic that was previously blue. He's not a straight repaint as he has an an enlarged tape door moulded in clear red plastic. This enables you to fit a second tape inside him, which goes inside the door rather than having an enlarged chest cavity. This means you have to take one tape out before you can get at the other.
Soundblaster comes with one cassette, and this time it's Buzzsaw, like the western version. Buzzsaw has a New sticker on him which shows weak points on Fortress Maximus, who was the Cybertron (Autobot) leader that year. A similar gimmick is employed on the Steeljaw who's sold with Twincast a likewise dual tape holding recolour of Blaster.
Soundblaster was released in Japan as D-101 Soundblaster. He was not released in the west.
Sounblaster was re-issued as toy number 18 in the Transformers Collection. This release comes with 2 tapes: Buzzsaw (who was with the original) and Ravage (who wasn't). Both come with the "Fort Max weakness sticker" on them (Here's a picture of Ravage's). Reissue Soundblaster has a couple of great picture galleries at http://tfkenkon.com/collection/act331/ & http://tfkenkon.com/collection/act331/.
Soundwave is packed with both Ravage & Laserbeak
Classics Soundwave was an exclusive to Toys R Us in 2007.
Universe Soundwave was a San Diego Comic-con exclusive in 2009 that was later sold on www.hasbrotoyshop.com. In 2010 the SDCC got Blaster with Eject, Ramhorn & Steeljaw to act as an adversary to the previous year's toy !
So what are we looking at from Soundwave ? Something that can hold troops in both modes. Something that looks a little like the original, preferably with an opening chest to dispense the troops. Solution: Make him an APC for and packed with Minicons. It's the best way I can see to give him Minions that you could also pack separately and a reasonable alternate mode that could incorporate them.
| Toy | Colour | Tape Capacity | Rumble | Buzzsaw | Laserbeak | Ravage | Ratbat |
| MC-10 Cassette Man | Blue | 1 | X | ||||
| Soundwave | Blue | 1 | X | ||||
| 17 Soundwave | Blue | 1 | X | ||||
| D-101 Soundblaster | Black | 2 | X | ||||
| TFC 10 Soundwave | Blue | 1 | X | ||||
| TFC 18 Soundblaster | Black | 2 | X | X | |||
| Classics Soundwave | Blue | 2 | X | X | |||
| Universe Soundwave | Blue | 1 | X | X | X | X |
