Oscillators

The five fundamental oscillator types (variants not shown).

A Woovebox voice is generated by combining up to two oscillators and - in some cases - white noise. Oscillators range from basic waveforms such as sine, saw, pulse and triangle waves, to more complex waveforms such as 5ths, supersaws, user-imported samples 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 pages configure oscillator behavior.

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.
  

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.
  
• on' will cause the LFO to restart

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
  
• 'dGtL'; Digital - playback allows for aliasing oscillators as found in older digital synthesizers and workstations
  
• '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