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Wavetable Synthesizer Manual

Overview

Wavetable is a polyphonic wavetable synthesizer featuring two wavetable oscillators, a sub-oscillator, noise generator, filter, multiple modulation sources, a flexible mod matrix, and a comprehensive effects section.


Oscillators

Wavetable Oscillators (OSC1 & OSC2)

Two identical wavetable oscillators provide the main sound source.

Parameter Range Description
Enable On/Off Enable or disable the oscillator
Wavetable - Select from built-in wavetables or load custom WAV files
Tune -36 to +36 semitones Coarse pitch adjustment
Fine -100 to +100 cents Fine pitch adjustment
Level -100 to 0 dB Oscillator volume
Pos 0-100% Wavetable position - morphs through the wavetable frames
Pan -100% to +100% Stereo panning
Formant -1.0 to +1.0 Formant shifting for tonal variation
Bend -1.0 to +1.0 Pitch bend modulation amount
Voices 1-8 Number of unison voices
Detune 0-0.5 Pitch spread between unison voices (enabled when Voices > 1)
Spread -100% to +100% Stereo spread of unison voices (enabled when Voices > 1)
Retrig On/Off Retrigger oscillator phase on each new note

Tip: Drag on the wavetable display to adjust the position in real-time.

Sub-Oscillator

A simple oscillator typically used one octave below the main oscillators.

Parameter Range Description
Enable On/Off Enable or disable the sub-oscillator
Wave Sine, Triangle, Saw Up, Pulse 50%, Pulse 25%, Pulse 12% Waveform selection
Tune -36 to +36 semitones Pitch adjustment
Level -100 to 0 dB Volume
Pan -100% to +100% Stereo panning
Retrig On/Off Retrigger phase on new notes

Noise Generator

Parameter Range Description
Enable On/Off Enable or disable noise
Type White, Pink Noise color
Level -100 to 0 dB Volume
Pan -100% to +100% Stereo panning

Filter

A multi-mode filter with envelope control and key/velocity tracking.

Filter Types

  • LP 12 - Low-pass 12 dB/octave
  • LP 24 - Low-pass 24 dB/octave
  • HP 12 - High-pass 12 dB/octave
  • HP 24 - High-pass 24 dB/octave
  • BP 12 - Band-pass 12 dB/octave
  • BP 24 - Band-pass 24 dB/octave
  • NT 12 - Notch 12 dB/octave
  • NT 24 - Notch 24 dB/octave

Filter Parameters

Parameter Range Description
Enable On/Off Enable or disable the filter
Type See above Filter type selection
Frequency 20 Hz - 20 kHz Cutoff frequency
Resonance 0-100% Filter resonance/Q
Key 0-100% Keyboard tracking amount
Velocity 0-100% Velocity to filter frequency modulation
Amount -1.0 to +1.0 Filter envelope modulation depth

Filter Envelope

Parameter Range Description
Attack 0-60 seconds Attack time
Decay 0-60 seconds Decay time
Sustain 0-100% Sustain level
Release 0-60 seconds Release time
Retrig On/Off Retrigger envelope on new notes

Filter Routing

Use the routing buttons (WT1, WT2, Sub, Noise) to select which sound sources are processed by the filter.


Amplitude Envelope

The main volume envelope applied to all sound sources.

Parameter Range Description
Attack 0-60 seconds Attack time
Decay 0-60 seconds Decay time
Sustain 0-100% Sustain level
Release 0-60 seconds Release time
Velocity 0-100% Velocity sensitivity
Retrig On/Off Retrigger on new notes (mono mode with glide only)

Modulation Sources

Modulation Envelopes (ENV 1, 2, 3)

Three independent ADSR envelopes for modulation purposes.

Parameter Range Description
Enable On/Off Enable or disable the envelope
Attack 0-60 seconds Attack time
Decay 0-60 seconds Decay time
Sustain 0-100% Sustain level
Release 0-60 seconds Release time
Retrig On/Off Retrigger on new notes

LFOs (LFO 1, 2, 3)

Three independent LFOs with multiple waveforms.

LFO Waveforms

  • None, Sine, Triangle
  • Saw Up, Saw Down
  • Square, Square+
  • Sample & Hold, Noise
  • Step Up (3, 4, 8 steps)
  • Step Down (3, 4, 8 steps)
  • Pyramid (3, 5, 9 steps)

LFO Parameters

Parameter Range Description
Enable On/Off Enable or disable the LFO
Wave See above Waveform selection
Sync On/Off Sync to host tempo
Rate 0-50 Hz LFO speed (when Sync is off)
Beat Note values LFO speed (when Sync is on)
Depth -1.0 to +1.0 Modulation amount
Phase -1.0 to +1.0 Starting phase offset
Offset -1.0 to +1.0 DC offset/center bias
Fade -60 to +60 seconds Fade in (positive) or fade out (negative) time
Delay 0-60 seconds Delay before LFO starts
Retrig On/Off Retrigger phase on new notes

Step LFO

A 32-step sequencer for rhythmic modulation.

Parameter Range Description
Enable On/Off Enable or disable
Beat Note values Step clock speed (tempo-synced)
Length 2-32 steps Number of active steps
Retrig On/Off Retrigger sequence on new notes
Steps 1-32 -1.0 to +1.0 Individual step values

Modulation Matrix

The mod matrix allows routing any modulation source to any parameter with flexible depth, curve shaping, and polarity controls.

Modulation Source Icons

Modulation sources are displayed with ring icons that indicate their type:

  • Single Ring - Mono (global) modulation source. The modulation value is the same for all voices.
  • Double Ring - Poly (per-voice) modulation source. Each voice has its own independent modulation value.

Available Modulation Sources

MIDI:

  • Pitch Bend (mono)
  • Note Number (poly)
  • Velocity (poly)
  • All MIDI CC controllers CC 1-120 (mono)

MPE (when enabled):

  • MPE Pressure (poly) - per-note aftertouch
  • MPE Timbre (poly) - per-note slide/CC74
  • MPE Pitch Bend (poly) - per-note pitch bend

Internal:

  • LFO 1, 2, 3 Poly (per-voice LFO)
  • LFO 1, 2, 3 Mono (global LFO)
  • Step LFO Poly (per-voice)
  • Step LFO Mono (global)
  • Filter Envelope (poly)
  • Mod Envelopes 1, 2, 3 (poly)

Assigning Modulation

Method 1: Drag and Drop

  1. Find the modulation source in the mod source list (left panel)
  2. Click and drag the source icon (single or double ring)
  3. Drop it onto any parameter knob you want to modulate
  4. A small modulation depth indicator will appear on the knob

Method 2: Learn Mode

  1. Click on a modulation source icon to enter learn mode
  2. The source name appears in the title bar with a pulsing indicator
  3. Click on any parameter knob to assign the modulation
  4. Click elsewhere or press the source again to cancel learn mode

Adjusting Modulation

Once a modulation is assigned, a modulation depth slider appears on the parameter. This small circular indicator shows the current modulation depth:

  • Drag the depth slider to adjust modulation amount
  • The filled portion shows positive depth, extending clockwise
  • Negative depth extends counter-clockwise
  • Double-click to reset to zero
  • The popup shows the resulting parameter value range

Modulation Matrix Panel

The mod matrix panel shows all active modulation assignments in a list:

Control Description
Enable (power icon) Toggle this modulation on/off without deleting it
Depth Slider Adjust modulation depth (-1.0 to +1.0)
Bipolar Button Toggle unipolar/bipolar mapping mode
Curve Button Select modulation curve/shape
Source Name of the modulation source
Destination Name of the modulated parameter
Delete (X icon) Remove this modulation assignment

Polarity Modes

Click the bipolar button to toggle between:

  • Unipolar - Modulation ranges from 0 to 1 (positive only). Source value of 0 = no modulation, 1 = full modulation.
  • Bipolar - Modulation ranges from -1 to +1. Source value of 0 = center, negative values modulate downward.

Modulation Curves

Click the curve button to select how modulation is shaped:

Linear:

  • Linear - Direct 1:1 mapping (default)

Quadratic (smooth acceleration):

  • Quadratic In - Slow start, fast end
  • Quadratic Out - Fast start, slow end
  • Quadratic In/Out - Smooth both ends

Sine (S-curve):

  • Sine In - Slow start, fast end
  • Sine Out - Fast start, slow end
  • Sine In/Out - Smooth both ends

Exponential (rapid acceleration):

  • Exponential In - Very slow start, very fast end
  • Exponential Out - Very fast start, very slow end
  • Exponential In/Out - Smooth both ends

Inverted versions of all curves are also available (Inv Linear, Inv Quadratic In, etc.) which flip the response.

Tips for Modulation

  1. Subtle movement: Use LFO with low depth on wavetable position for evolving pads
  2. Velocity response: Map Velocity to filter cutoff and amp envelope for dynamic playing
  3. Per-voice variation: Use poly mod sources for each voice to respond independently
  4. Complex modulation: Stack multiple sources on the same parameter with different curves
  5. Disable without deleting: Use the enable button to A/B compare with/without modulation

Effects

Effects can be reordered by dragging. The signal flows through effects in the displayed order.

Gate

A rhythmic gate/tremolo effect.

Parameter Range Description
Enable On/Off Enable the gate
Beat Note values Gate clock speed
Length 2-16 steps Pattern length
Attack 0-1 second Gate opening time
Release 0-1 second Gate closing time
Steps On/Off per step L/R channel gate pattern

Chorus

A stereo chorus effect.

Parameter Range Description
Enable On/Off Enable chorus
Delay 0.1-30 ms Base delay time
Rate 0.1-10 Hz Modulation speed
Depth 0.1-20 ms Modulation depth
Width 0-100% Stereo width
Mix 0-100% Dry/wet balance

Distortion

Four distortion modes available:

Simple Distortion:

  • Amount (0-100%)

Bitcrusher (DeRez):

  • Rate - Sample rate reduction
  • Rez - Bit depth reduction
  • Hard - Drive amount
  • Mix - Dry/wet balance

Fire Amp:

  • Gain - Input drive
  • Tone - Tone shaping
  • Output - Output level
  • Mix - Dry/wet balance

Grind Amp:

  • Gain - Input drive
  • Tone - Tone control
  • Output - Output level
  • Mix - Dry/wet balance

Delay

A stereo delay with tempo sync.

Parameter Range Description
Enable On/Off Enable delay
Sync On/Off Sync to host tempo
Time 0-120 seconds Delay time (when Sync is off)
Beat Note values Delay time (when Sync is on)
Feedback -100 to 0 dB Delay repeats
Crossfeed -100 to 0 dB Channel crossfeed
Mix 0-100% Dry/wet balance

Reverb

A studio-quality reverb.

Parameter Range Description
Enable On/Off Enable reverb
Size 0-100% Room size
Decay 0-100% Reverb tail length
Lowpass 16 Hz - 20 kHz High frequency damping
Damping 16 Hz - 20 kHz Additional damping
Predelay 0-100 ms Delay before reverb
Mix 0-100% Dry/wet balance

Global Settings

Parameter Range Description
Level -100 to 0 dB Master output volume
Voices 2-40 Maximum polyphony
Mono On/Off Monophonic mode
Glide Off, Glissando, Portamento Pitch glide mode
Glide Time 0.001-20 seconds Glide duration
Legato On/Off Legato mode (mono only)
Pitch Bend 0-48 semitones MIDI pitch bend range
MPE On/Off Enable MPE support

MPE Support

When MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression) is enabled:

  • Each voice responds to its own MIDI channel
  • Per-note pitch bend is available
  • Per-note pressure (aftertouch) is available
  • Per-note timbre (slide/CC74) is available

These can be used as modulation sources in the mod matrix for expressive per-voice control.


MIDI Learn

Right-click on any parameter to access MIDI Learn:

  • Start Learning - Move a MIDI CC controller to assign it
  • Cancel Learning - Cancel the current learn operation
  • Clear CC - Remove the current CC assignment

MIDI mappings are saved globally and persist across sessions.

MIDI Map Files

From the menu:

  • Load MIDI Map... - Load a saved MIDI mapping file (.midimap)
  • Save MIDI Map... - Save current MIDI mappings to a file

Preset Management

Saving Presets

  1. Click the + button in the title bar
  2. Enter a preset name
  3. Optionally add author and tags (when using the preset browser)
  4. Click OK

Loading Presets

  • Use the dropdown menu to select a preset
  • Use the < and > buttons to step through presets
  • Click the browse button to open the full preset browser

Preset Browser

The preset browser allows:

  • Browsing presets by category/tags
  • Searching for presets
  • Managing user presets
  • Deleting presets (right-click menu)

Wavetable Import

To load custom wavetables:

  1. Click the + button on an oscillator
  2. Select a WAV file containing wavetable data
  3. The plugin will auto-detect the wavetable frame size, or you can specify it manually

Supported frame sizes: 256, 512, 1024, 2048 samples

Custom wavetables are embedded in presets when saved.


Tips & Tricks

  1. Rich Pads: Use both oscillators with different wavetables, slight detune, and long filter envelope
  2. Punchy Basses: Enable the sub-oscillator, use LP24 filter with short decay envelope
  3. Movement: Modulate wavetable position with an LFO for evolving textures
  4. Rhythmic Effects: Use the Step LFO or Gate effect for pulsing sounds
  5. Expression: Enable MPE and map pressure/timbre to filter cutoff and wavetable position
  6. Layering: Route oscillators differently through the filter for complex timbres

System Requirements

  • macOS 10.13 or later
  • Windows 10 or later
  • Linux (Ubuntu 20.04 or compatible)

Available formats: VST3, AU, Standalone


Credits

Wavetable Synthesizer by SocaLabs