Wavetable Synth Poll 2020

[Ploki]

There's Wiggle as well, I just don't remember if it is a wavetable synth per se

i don't think it is, it's "dynamic waveshaping"... i.e. it creates wavetables on the fly i guess?

[WasteLand]

i had to choose 3, so it always depends on the moment.
i own 10 of them (if you count halion 6 se, as one...). not the big names, yes pigments 2. is quite popular (i am suprised, and i like pigments 2, perfect for my style of music). (and the old massive..)

MSoundFactory has quite a powerfull wavetable module, you can have as many modules if you want, only limited by cpu... and it is not only a wavetable synth...

vast dynamics vaporizer 2, is wavetable synth that develops into a real, fully capable wavetable synth, and when i bought it, it was already a great synth. but now.. and there will be updates. special mention, because, one developer (as serum), that listens to his user base, and lifetime updates.. and the latest one is a big one...

waves codex, it sound is great. use it too little.

ableton wavetable, i have used many times. sometimes you don't need more. and it ain't a bad wavetable synth...

[recursive one]

I don't think all wavetable synths may be classified as belonging to one specific group, they are very different it terms of workflow and sound, also some synths are focused on making the most of wavetable manipulation and editing, otehrs have wavetables as a kind of bonus. It's like making a list of all synths with a blue GUI and choosing the best of them.

Anyways, my 4 favourites are:
- Serum - probably the most comprehensive WT synth ever, it terms of what you can do with the wavetables. It has a very clean and neutral sound and lacks any inherent character but has very high quality processing. For making all kinds of weird trippy SFX stuff, metallic and robotic textures it's just the ticket.
- Viper - totally opposite to that, doesn't have much wavetable modifying options but the whole engine (FM, filters, effects) coulours the sound in a very nice way, like in the hardware prototype which I have owned for long time and used a lot.
- Rapid - something bewteen Serum and Viper, lots of wavetable options, not as clean and precise sounding ad Serum but has a very nice "warmth" and character in the sound.
- Massive X - very, very pleasant sound character, I'd say it's a real step up for software synths in terms of "subjective" sound quality. The interface is esotheric and somewhat counter-intuitive but this invites for experimetation once you get past the basic concepts.

[v1o]

No Reveal Sound Spire.

[killmaster]

ableton wavetable sound up there with Icarus imo!

+1 on Wavemapper 2 (though it no longer works in Catalina )
+1 Factory

[Ingonator]

I did already mention my TOP 3 which are DUNE 3, Icarus and PPG Wave 3.V.

Here is a full list of wavetable synths i currently own and which is a reason why i do not get each new wavetable synth even if it might be really good (like e.g. Arturia Pigments 2):

- Synapse Audio DUNE 3
- Tone2 Icarus
- Xfer Serum
- VPS Avenger
- UVÍ Falcon 2
- Walddorf PPG Wave 3.V
- Waldorf Nave
- Waldorf Largo
- Waldorf PPG Wave 2.V (from Waldorf Edition 2)
- PPG WaveGenerator
- PPG WaveMapper 2
- Ableton Wavetable (in Live 10 Suite)
- Waves Codex
- KV331 Synthmaster 2.9
- KV331 Synthmaster One
- NI Massive (original version)
- Vember Audio Surge (now freeware)

[AnX]

I only have D3, but rarely use the WT osc. I'm pretty much over the whole WT fascination

Wavefusion (in Orion) still gets a run out now and then

[DJ Warmonger]

I only have D3, but rarely use the WT osc. I'm pretty much over the whole WT fascination

+1.
Honestly I never pick Dune 3 for wavetable duties. To me it's just a little extra addition. Sometimes one-shot transients from wavetable help to make sounds cut through mix. Also, some vocal pads / synths are based on wavetables and there's no other way to do that in Dune. But it was never a core functionality to me.

[recursive one]

No Reveal Sound Spire.

It's not a wavetable synth.

What they call wavetables are just static complex waveforms that are crossfaded with a basic waveform

[v1o]

No Reveal Sound Spire.

It's not a wavetable synth.

What they call wavetables are just static complex waveforms that are crossfaded with a basic waveform

Static Wavetable? Do you mean a sampled waveform.

[v1o]

I did already mention my TOP 3 which are DUNE 3, Icarus and PPG Wave 3.V.

I like PPG Wave 3 but I wish they didn't try to imitate the hardware. I find the tiny interface with its system of different pages quit limiting.

[recursive one]

No Reveal Sound Spire.

It's not a wavetable synth.

What they call wavetables are just static complex waveforms that are crossfaded with a basic waveform

Static Wavetable? Do you mean a sampled waveform.

I think wavetable in a traditional sense is a pack of waveforms, where you can "mutate" one waveform to another then to yet another etc. You can do crorssfade between "bayan" or "piano" waveform and a saw in Spire but you can't crossfade bewteen piano and bayan. So Spire is not a "real" wavetable synth imo.

Spire's classic oscillator is similar to Access Virus classic oscillator, Access later added a "proper" wavetable osc.

[Ingonator]

nvm

[aMUSEd]

My top 3 would be Pigments, Massive X and Ableton Wavetable - also love Largo, Nave and Surge

[Gamma-UT]

Btw Spencer, I don't think Circle2 is a WT synth (I just checked, they describe it as a VPS synth)

Circle is a wavetable synth. They added the VPS mode later.