Oscillators

The five fundamental oscillator types (variants not shown).

A Woovebox voice is generated by combining up to two standard oscillators, one sine wave oscillator and - in some cases - white noise. The standard oscillators range from basic waveforms such as sine, saw, pulse and triangle waves, to more complex waveforms such as 5ths, supersaws, user-imported samples, delay taps and even live external audio.

Oscillators may be configured to be free running, re-syncing, randomly phasing, note-based phasing, and may even be allowed to subtly drift from another for a more analog/organic sound.

Osc1 and Osc2 oscillator page

These oscillator 1/2 pages control settings for oscillator 1 and 2, such as waveform selection, output levels, tuning, LFO retriggering behavior, and more.

1. WaVE waveform selection

The waveform that should be used as a sound source for the oscillator. Choose from;

• 'NOIS'; white noise
  
• 'Sin1'; sine wave
  
• 'Sin2'; dual sine wave with one sine wave playing at double frequency (e.g. one octave higher)
  
• 'Sin7'; dual sine wave, with perfect fifth ratio (e.g. one sine wave 7 semitones transposed)
  
• 'SiP1, 'SiP2'; see paraphonic parts documentation
• 'Tri1'; triangle wave
  
• 'Tri2'; dual triangle wave with one triangle wave playing at double frequency (e.g. one octave higher)
• 'Tri7'; dual triangle wave, with perfect fifth ratio (e.g. one triangle wave 7 semitones transposed)
• 'TrP1', 'TrP2'; see paraphonic parts documentation
• 'Saw1'; saw wave
  
• 'Saw2'; dual saw wave with one saw wave playing at double frequency (e.g. one octave higher)
• 'Saw7'; dual saw wave, with perfect fifth ratio (e.g. one saw wave 7 semitones transposed)
• 'SwP1', 'SwP2'; see paraphonic parts documentation
• 'Sqr1'; square wave
  
• 'Sqr2'; dual square wave with one square wave playing at double frequency (e.g. one octave higher)
• 'Sqr7'; dual square wave, with perfect fifth ratio (e.g. one square wave 7 semitones transposed)
• 'SqP1', 'SqP2'; see paraphonic parts documentation
• 'SSw1'; seven saw waves, heavily detuned
  
• 'SSw2'; seven saw waves, moderately detuned
  
• 'SSw3'; seven saw waves, lightly detuned
  
• 'SSw4'; seven saw waves, very lightly detuned
  
• 'FS01'; factory sample kit
  
• 'US01' - 'US16'; user sample kit - use the 'SL.SL' (slice select) parameter to further specify a specific sample slice if required
  
• 'In12'; audio in (3.5mm jack), summed into mono signal
  
• 'In1 '; audio in (3.5mm jack), left channel only as mono signal
  
• 'In 2; audio in (3.5mm jack), right channel only as mono signal
  
• 'Dly1'; delay unit 1 output
  
• 'Dly2'; delay unit 2 output

2. LEvL oscillator output level

Defines the output level (amplitude) of the oscillator

3. dEt.C Pitch detune (coarse)

Coarse pitch detune defined in octaves.

4. dEt.F Pitch detune (fine)

Fine pitch detune, defined in semitones (12 semitones in one octave).

5. AEG.d Amplitude Envelope Generator depth

Defines the strength and nature of the effect of the Amplitude Envelope Generator (AEG). 0 causes the AEG to have no effect at all on the oscillator's amplitude, while 127 causes full effect. A negative value defines an exponential response (power of two), while a non-negative value defines a linear response.

6. A.L.tr Amplitude LFO trigger

Defines what should happen to the oscillator's amplitude LFO ("Low Frequency Oscillator") when a new note is triggered;

• 'FrEE' will not cause the LFO to restart
• 'Retr' will cause the LFO to restart
• 'Cond' will only cause the LFO to engage if the step that triggered the note has a valid ('when') 'ALFO' condition ('do') set
• 'rand' will start the LFO at a random phase (location in the chosen waveform)

7. P.L.tr Pitch LFO retrigger

Defines what should happen to the oscillator's pitch LFO ("Low Frequency Oscillator") when a new note is triggered;

• 'FrEE' will not cause the LFO to restart
• 'Retr' will cause the LFO to restart
• 'Cond' will only cause the LFO to engage if the step that triggered the note has a valid ('when') 'PLFO' condition ('do') set.
  
• 'rand' will start the LFO at a random phase (location in the chosen waveform)
  

8. A.Ky.t Amplitude AMP K.trK

Amplitude key tracking; specifies how much (and in which direction) the pitch of a played note should correspond to an increase or decrease in amplitude for this oscillator.

9. PL.Md Oscillator Play Mode

Defines how the selected waveform should be played.

• 'Loop'; play the waveform looped
  
• 'LooR'; play the waveform looped, however in revers
  
• 'OneS'; play the waveform once, then stop
  
• 'OneR'; play the waveform once in reverse, then stop
• 'FxLn'; adapt the pitch of the waveform so that it plays exactly for the duration specified
  
• 'FxLR'; adapt the pitch of the waveform so that it plays exactly for the duration specified, however in reverse
  
• 'FwRv'; play the the waveform looped, alternating between forward and reverse (aka "ping-pong")
  
• 'FwRR'; play the the waveform looped, alternating between forward and reverse (aka "ping-pong"), start playing in reverse first

Note that any behavior specified here is overridden in the case of sample slice playback; each sample slices has its own configurable oscillator play mode.

10. Ph.Md Phase Mode

Phase mode allows for the starting position of a the waveform to be dependent on the note pitch being played. For example, if you have a sample (waveform) that plays "bigger, better, faster, stronger", you can make the sample start further into the waveform depending on the note being played. E.g. starting at an A-4 note, the waveform may start at "better", while at A-6 note, the sample may start at "stronger", etc.

Phase control is mostly useful sound designing patches that sound subtly (or not so subtly) different depending on the pitch being played.

The following two settings are available;

• 'nrML'; no phase modification
  
• 'notE'; phase is dependent on the note being played

11. Ph.St Phase Start

Start position (in percentage, where 0 is start of waveform and 100 is end of waveform) for the the waveform. The start position can be used for subtle things like transient shaping of a looped waveform (creating "attack clicks"), or for more dramatic effects like precise waveform modulation via FM or AM synthesis.

12. Ph.rn Phase Range

Phase range defines a range between Phase Start (Ph.St) and the end of the waveform, between which the waveform may start.

Leaving Phase Start at 0 and Phase Range at 100 will effectively cause the oscillator behave like a classic "free running" oscillator found in many classic analog synthesizers; an oscillator that is always running, but is simply made audible and inaudible rather than turned off and on. This type of oscillator will never quite sound the same and can help your sound subtly distinguish itself from static sampled instruments. It is one of a number of virtual analog emulation features than will set apart your Woovebox' sound from basic sampled instruments.

13. Ky.FW Key Follow

Key follow defines how a note maps to the pitch of the oscillators.

A value of 100 will map a note's pitch to the oscillator's pitch 1:1. A value of 200 will map a note's pitch to the oscillator's pitch 2:1, and so on.

This parameter is useful for generating different timbres for AM and FM synthesis, depending on the note struck. It can also "lock in" a fixed oscillator pitch for an oscillator by setting it to 0, which is, for example, useful when using one oscillator as a fixed frequency or amplitude source.

14. StyL Oscillator Style

Oscillators can be played back in subtly different styles, to emulate various quirks from specific gear from past decades;

Available are;

• 'Mdrn'; Modern - playback incorporates modern standards and techniques, including interpolation and multi-sampled waveforms
• 'Mdn.v'; Digital / variable rate - playback emulates modern standards and techniques while prorating EGs and LFOs speeds according to pitch, mimicking how EG and LFO times would get "baked into" a sampled instrument and thus mimicking how samplers and later 90s/00s ROMplers would behave
• 'dGtL'; Digital - playback allows for aliasing oscillators as found in older digital synthesizers and workstations
• 'dGt.v'; Digital / variable rate - playback allows for aliasing oscillators as found in older digital synthesizers and workstations while prorating EGs and LFOs speeds according to pitch, mimicking how EG and LFO times get "baked into" a sampled instrument
  
• 'AnL1'; Analog 1 - playback introduces a very subtle drift in pitch to emulate imperfect but high quality analog pitch circuitry, suitable for emulating analog patches that rely on inherently imperfect oscillator interaction for their timbres such as "analog" french horns
  
• 'AnL2'; Analog 2 - playback introduces a subtle drift in pitch to emulate lower-cost imperfect analog pitch circuitry, imparting a warmness and analog authenticity to certain waveforms, suitable for 303 emulations and emulating well-used, aged analog gear
  
• 'AnL3'; Analog 3 - playback introduces a drift in pitch to emulate intentionally imperfect analog pitch circuitry, imparting a "controlled chaos" onto the pitch of an oscillator, suitable for creating naturally chaotic timbres such as choirs
  
• 'AnL4'; Analog 4 - playback introduces a substantial drift in pitch to emulate low-quality or broken analog pitch circuitry, suitable for recreating VHS tape audio warble
  

15. SL.SL Slice Select

Slice select specifies which sample slice should be selected when a note is played.

• '1-16'; slice is determined by the 'SLcE' parameter specified by a step. Slices 1-16 are auditioned by pressing key 1-16.
  
• '1-16.'; slice is determined by the 'SLcE' parameter specified by a step. Slices 1-16 are auditioned by pressing key 1-16. Slice 1-8 and 9-16 have swapped locations.
  
• 'MSM1'; multi-sample slice select mode 1. This mode chooses the slice whose pitch is closest to the target pitch. This mode will result in the most natural sounding multi-sampled instrument playback. See also using a multi-sampled instrument.
• 'MSM2'; multi-sample slice select mode 2. This mode chooses the slice whose pitch is closest to the target pitch, but only if that sample was recorded at a higher pitch. This mode will result in multi-sampled instrument that is mostly free of aliasing. See also using a multi-sampled instrument.
  
• 'Sl 1'-'Sl16'; use a fixed slice (1 through 16) for every note.
  

16. SM.Ho Sample-and-hold

Sample and-hold allows you to prepare a new oscillator sample every nth master sample. This allows for an oscillator to be played back at a lower sample rate than the master sample rate (fixed at 44.1kHz / "CD-quality"). This allows for emulating the sound of early samplers of the late 80s and early 90s, as heard on, for example, early hip-hop tracks.

The resulting sample rate can be calculated as 44100/(n+1), so;

• n = 0 yields normal quality (44.1kHz)
• n = 1 yields 22.05kHz
• n = 2 yields 14.7kHz (useful for emulating hip-hop and jungle/drum-n-bass from the late 80s and early 90s, particularly on percussion and drumloops)
  
• n = 3 yields 11.025kHz (useful for emulating hip-hop and jungle/drum-n-bass from the late 80s and early 90s, particularly on percussion and drumloops)
• n = 4 and beyond can be useful for emulating early 16-bit and 8-bit video game effects

Oscillator 3: versatile sound shaping & sub/super-oscillator

A third sine wave-only oscillator is available on the pitch ('Pich') page. This third oscillator can be configured to either follow oscillator 1 or oscillator 2. When enabled, it will adopt the specified "parent" oscillator's amplitude and pitch. Using O3.Oc ("Osc3 Octv") parameter under 4/Ar, the third oscillator's pitch can be lowered (for a sub-oscillator) or raised by an number of octaves, or can alternatively kept at the same pitch as the parent oscillator.

To make the third oscillator audible, increase or decrease the O3.Lv ("Osc3 LevL") parameter under 3/Ld. Increasing it from 0 will see the third oscillator follow oscillator 1. Decreasing it from 0 will see the third oscillator follow oscillator 2.

The oscillator being a pure sine wave is useful in a number of ways, not just for adding an extra tone to your voice. A sine wave was chosen, because it only contains one harmonic ("the fundamental") at its exact specified frequency. Its addition to your mix will, for starters, therefore be extremely predictable and never muddy your mix. However, this surgical addition (or subtraction!) of one specific frequency is useful for a number of mix and sound shaping techniques.

To take advantage of the third oscillator beyond adding a simple tone at a specific octave detune (indicated by the number) vs the parent pitch, the 4/Ar options further provide the following mode selection;

• 'dry'; the third oscillator is added to the final voice output post send effects. This is useful for sub oscillators or beefing up the parent oscillator.
• 'wet'; the third oscillator is added to the final voice output, and is processed by the send effects
• 'shr'; the third oscillator is not added to the final voice output, but is still processed by the send effects. This effectively adds a "ghostly" tone/note ("shimmer") to your voice. Particularly at higher octaves (for example +2) than the parent oscillator this can create pleasant dreamy shimmers when combined with reverb. This type of shimmer has the added benefit of not muddying your mix over regular shimmer reverbs and delays; only one harmonic is added into the signal chain.
• 'clk'; the third oscillator's phase starts at 90 degrees, causing a "click" due to the oscillator starting at the maximum amplitude of the sine wave, rather than at rest
• 'inv'; the third oscillator's phase is shifted 180 degrees vs the parent oscillator (also taking into its phase start setting as specified on the Osc1/Osc2 pages under 11/A3/Ph.St), cancelling out a parent oscillator's harmonic. The harmonic is specified by the octave number; 0 cancels out the fundamental, positive numbers cancel out progressive harmonics, while negative detune octaves will not cancel out anything but will rather add an inversed sine wave. See also the explanation of harmonics in the mastering section.

Just like oscillator 1 and 2, the sub-oscillator's signal is sent to the dynamics block and counts towards any side-chaining, gating or ducking inputs.

Use cases

The specific attributes of the third oscillator makes it a useful tool to further enhance your synthesized sounds, all without impacting the clarity of your mix.

Sub-Bass Enhancement

Create a deeper and richer bass sound by lowering the third oscillator's pitch in relation to oscillator 1 and 2. This generates a sub-bass layer that reinforces the fundamental frequency of the bass sound, adding depth and warmth without overwhelming the mix.

Harmonic Layering

Add subtle harmonic content by raising the third oscillator's pitch by one or more octaves relative to its parent oscillator. This can add a harmonic layer that enhances the overall sound without introducing additional harmonics, keeping the sound clean and pure.

Frequency Doubling

Thickening leads or pads by keeping the third oscillator at the same pitch as its parent oscillator, blending it in subtly (or not so subtly). This can add a sense of fullness and body to lead sounds or pads without cluttering the harmonic spectrum.

Percussive Elements

Designing unique percussive sounds by using the third oscillator to create a clean and punchy low-end element that complements the percussive attack. An example is the non-noise component of a synthesized (for example 909-like) snare drum.

Shimmer and Ghost Tones

Set the mode to 'shr' and raise O3.Oc by one or two octaves to feed a pure high sine into the send effects without it appearing in the dry signal. With a long reverb or a feedback delay this produces an octave-up tail that seems to hang above the voice rather than in front of it. Because only a single harmonic enters the effect, the tail stays transparent even at high send levels, whereas a conventional shimmer reverb would smear the entire harmonic spectrum and lose definition.

Harmonic Subtraction and Timbre Sculpting

The 'inv' mode turns the third oscillator into a surgical tool for removing content rather than adding it. Set O3.Oc to 0 to cancel the parent oscillator's fundamental, or to a positive value to cancel a progressively higher harmonic. Thinning a saw wave in this way hollows out its character towards a more reedy, clarinet-like tone, and is a quick route to timbres that would otherwise need a resonant notch filter. Remember that the phase start setting of the parent oscillator (11/A3/Ph.St) is taken into account, so a parent whose phase start is anything other than the default will need that offset accounted for before cancellation is complete.

Freeing Up the Low End

A busy arrangement often suffers from two or three sounds all claiming the same fundamental. Rather than filtering the offending voice (which colours everything above the cutoff as well) use 'inv' with O3.Oc at 0 to cancel the fundamental of a pad or lead entirely, leaving its upper harmonics intact and giving the bass part unobstructed room underneath. The result retains far more of the original brightness than a high-pass filter set to the same frequency.

Playback Translation and the Missing Fundamental

Small speakers, phones and laptop drivers cannot reproduce a deep bass fundamental, yet the ear will infer it from the harmonics that remain. Layering the third oscillator one octave above a low bass fundamental provides exactly the harmonic needed for this psychoacoustic effect, so the bass line remains audible on small systems while the true fundamental continues to carry the weight on a full-range system. Because the added tone is a single harmonic, it does not fatten the low-mids in the way that saturation-based bass enhancers do.

Transient and Click Design

The 'clk' mode starts the sine at 90 degrees, at maximum amplitude, producing a discontinuity at note-on that is heard as a click. This can serve as the attack transient of a kick drum, the initial knock of a plucked string, the hammer noise of an electric piano, or the beater of a synthesized wood block. Layered under a soft pad it adds articulation to note onsets that would otherwise disappear in a dense mix. The lower the octave, the more the click reads as a thump rather than a tick.

Wet and Dry Routing for Clean Low End

Reverbs and delays applied to sub-bass content are a common source of muddiness, since the low end is smeared across the tail. Placing the third oscillator in 'dry' mode adds the sub after the send effects, so the low end stays tight and centred while oscillators 1 and 2 continue to be processed. Conversely, 'wet' mode places the third oscillator into the effects chain, which is the better choice when the goal is to have the added tone occupy the same space as the rest of the voice - a pad, for instance, where a separated dry sub would sound disconnected.

Rumble and Cinematic Floor Tones

Set O3.Oc to a large negative value in 'dry' mode and raise O3.Lv only slightly. The resulting tone sits below the range of pitch perception and is felt more than heard, adding weight to impacts, risers and drones. Keeping it dry ensures the send effects do not build up energy at frequencies that offer no musical information but consume a great deal of headroom.

Tuning and Calibration Reference

A pure sine at the fundamental is the easiest signal to tune against. Temporarily raising O3.Lv gives an unambiguous pitch reference for tuning a heavily detuned or noise-laden patch by ear, and for confirming that a patch's perceived pitch matches its notated pitch- the two often diverge once heavy waveshaping is involved. It is also a convenient signal for checking the low-frequency response of a monitoring system before committing to a bass sound.