KVR Audio

e-crooner · Post by **e-crooner** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:33 pm

It seems to me that most modern synths sport wavetables, some from the very start, others retrofitted...

Is wavetable the new analog?

What is the appeal? To me it is still a bit nerdy, frankly. Some people seem to spend a lot of time making, converting, importing and exporting wavetables across different synths. Sounds more like a tech thing than a musical thing...

enCiphered · Post by **enCiphered** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:34 pm

The magic in using wavetables to me is that you can never run out of sound sources

acYm · Post by **acYm** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:35 pm

purely an effect of trend following the release of the wildly popular Serum.

Halonmusic · Post by **Halonmusic** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:39 pm

Its a niche

pdxindy · Post by **pdxindy** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:44 pm

e-crooner wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:33 pm It seems to me that most modern synths sport wavetables, some from the very start, others retrofitted...

Is wavetable the new analog?

What is the appeal? To me it is still a bit nerdy, frankly. Some people seem to spend a lot of time making, importing or exporting wavetables across different synths. Sounds more like a tech thing than a musical thing...

I can record a sample, resynthesize it in Icarus, and turn it into a morphable preset.

It has some advantage from both samples and synthesis. That is why I like working with wavetables.

Introspective · Post by **Introspective** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:06 pm

I love WT synths, and I have since I first started getting into "real" synths at all (I came from the world of tracking, so this was back in the late 90s).

For me the answer is pretty simple, though perhaps not easy to express:

A sense of exploration.

It feels, to me, like WT synths offer a ... landscape of sounds to explore. Picking different parts of a table to play (or even a static waveform from a table, and different "lengths" of each table) provide interesting new "places" to explore, each with their own sweet-spots for filtering and effects.

...Combined with the fact that they (usually) have a nice digital sound that plays well with analog undercurrents... I love 'em.

Smapti · Post by **Smapti** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:11 pm

I like wavetable synths a lot (one of my first hardware synths was a Microwave XT) but it does seem like almost all of the softsynths coming out now are wavetable-based -- the market is flooded. I agree that this seems to be due to the success of Serum; wavetable is now associated with EDM, I guess, to the point where novel new synths (eg Lion) get flak for not having wavetables. I'm hoping the market shifts to something new.

thecontrolcentre · Post by **thecontrolcentre** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:17 pm

I like WT synths ... I like subtractive, fm, additive and granular synths too. What's the problem?

BONES · Post by **BONES** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:18 pm

enCiphered wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:34 pmThe magic in using wavetables to me is that you can never run out of sound sources

I'd say the same about a sawtooth wave. It's not a compelling argument IMO.

To answer the OP's question - yes, wavetables are the new analogue, the latest fad for all the sheeple to clamour for..

metaside · Post by **metaside** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:45 pm

pdxindy wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 10:44 pm
I can record a sample, resynthesize it in Icarus, and turn it into a morphable preset.

It has some advantage from both samples and synthesis. That is why I like working with wavetables.

+1

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:46 pm

Why even have a Sawtooth ? Because it makes a particular sound.

Wavetables can make particular sounds that some people like perhaps because they are bored of tired old sawtooths or squares.

It's no more a trend or fad than analog synthesis........

Teksonik · Post by **Teksonik** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:49 pm

thecontrolcentre wrote: Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:17 pm I like WT synths ... I like subtractive, fm, additive and granular synths too. What's the problem?

This.

telecode · Post by **telecode** » Mon Dec 16, 2019 11:53 pm

My guess is it's the various music software companies response to market demand of current electronic musicians. The new breed of musicians are looking for and finding new ways to express themselves artistically through innovation and exploration of sounds. Perhaps lyrics and vocals have fallen farther down the priority ladder for new electronic music.

Ohlson_M · Post by **Ohlson_M** » Tue Dec 17, 2019 12:14 am

Because customers apparently want it. Why? Endless sound design possibilities. Mastering a wavetable synth which comes shipped with some 100+ wavetables can take a life time. And that is before, if possible, you start adding 3rd party wavetables or creating your own.

The question is for how much longer this trend will persist. The market is a bit saturated now but it is complicated since different programmers have different preferences and skills regarding synth programming, so even if two synths have the same wavetables, they can have a different sound because of different FX, filters, modulation possibilties and so on.

Sinisterbr · Post by **Sinisterbr** » Tue Dec 17, 2019 12:17 am

I doubt it'll become as mainstream (it's not as versatile as WT), but granular seems to be getting some momentum now.

Why that wavetable-mania?