This definitely pays homage to the original look.  I've tried to preserve it but I've had to make several concessions because I want his parts to have some semblance of function (still it's not really setup well).

Other concessions were taken just to get more depth into the model.  For example, the detail on the front of his shoulders wasn't in the show at all.  I added it based on other renditions of Soundwave I found during research and it gives the model a little more spice.

I think Laserbeak will definitely be involved in my final image.  I also really liked Ratbat too.  Ravage was pretty awesome but he could be trickier to model (but still very cool).

Bottom line for me personally, the G1 version of the show is my personal favorite and so I've focused on that.

-Kix