Wavetable synthesis
Wavetable synthesis is a sound synthesis technique used to create quasi-periodic waveforms often used in the production of musical tones or notes.
This article is about digital audio synthesis. For the physics demonstrator for planar waves, see Ripple tank.Development[edit]
Wavetable synthesis was invented by Max Mathews in 1958 as part of MUSIC II. MUSIC II “had four-voice polyphony and was capable of generating sixteen wave shapes via the introduction of a wavetable oscillator.”[1]
Hal Chamberlin discussed wavetable synthesis in Byte's September 1977 issue.[2] Wolfgang Palm of Palm Products GmbH (PPG) developed his version in the late 1970s[3] and published it in 1979.[4] The technique has since been used as the primary synthesis method in synthesizers built by PPG and Waldorf Music and as an auxiliary synthesis method by Ensoniq and Access. It is currently used in hardware synthesizers from Waldorf Music and in software synthesizers for PCs and tablets, including apps offered by PPG and Waldorf, among others.
It was also independently developed by Michael McNabb, who used it in his 1978 composition Dreamsong.[5][6]