Live’s new device puts the power and palette of wavetable synthesizers into a software instrument that’s accessible and playful. It brings the deeper levels of sounds design within reach, without sacrificing the profound possibilities brought by this classic form of synthesis.

Behind Wavetable’s lavish sound are two main oscillators (plus a third sub oscillator) with which you can shape and morph hundreds of wavetables derived from classic, synthetic or real-instrument waveforms. Further richness comes from two morphable, flexible analog-modelled filters and a selection of unique unison modes.

But it’s the accessible controls that really open up Wavetable’s possibilities. Click on almost any parameter and it will be added to the matrix as a modulation target, which you can then modulate with assignable envelopes and LFOs. What’s more, a full-screen breakout view means you can see all of Wavetable’s controls at once; so there’s no digging around in complex sub-menus – you can access everything immediately.

Oscillators and oscillator effects

The oscillators offer more than 100 wavetables: classic synths, a range of acoustic instruments, harmonic tables, various types of noise and many more. Each oscillator has independent controls for pan, volume, and tuning, and a control to sweep through the position in the wavetable.

A selection of oscillator effects, such as frequency modulation, phase distortion, pulse width, and oscillator sync, let you shape, stretch and morph each wavetable. Plus a sub oscillator offers a sine wave – with selectable octave and adjustable additional harmonics – for adding low-end presence.

Filters

The filters that process the raw output of the oscillators offer analog warmth and flexibility for shaping and layering sounds. You can configure them in series, parallel, or in "split" mode – whereby each oscillator is sent through its own filter. Each filter can be switched between 12 and 24 dB slopes as well as a selection of analog-modeled circuit behaviors that emulate hardware filters found on some classic analog synthesizers.

Modulation matrix

The heart of Wavetable's sound design power is its responsive modulation matrix. Clicking on almost any control in Wavetable will add it to the matrix as a modulation target, where it can be modulated by three envelopes, two LFOs, and a variety of MIDI sources.

Global section

The global section offers control over volume, toggling between monophonic and polyphonic playback and adjusting glide. And six different types of unison behavior provide some unique sound design possibilities for stereo widening, phasing and other chorus effects.

Designed for use with Push

Wavetable is the first synth that’s designed for deep sound sculpting from Push. You can easily assign sounds to the modulation matrix, letting you go in-depth right from Push’s controls. Plus you can see detailed wavetable visualisations so you can see what’s happening to your sounds right from Push’s display.  

Find out more about the history of wavetable synthesis and take an in-depth look at Wavetable on our blog.