Waldorf microWAVE Wavetables

This is a listing, with short descriptions, of the 65 ROM wavetables in the Microwave, Microwave II and XT(k) synthesizers. These include the wavetables from the PPG Wave 2.2 synthesizer, except for the Upper Waves. Wavetables 2852 and 65 are algorithmically generated, i.e. they do not play ROM waves directly, but generate waveforms by algorithmic calculations, possibly based on a ROM wave as a starting point. Wavetables 31 64 were added to the original Microwave with OS version 2.0. Wavetable 65 True PWM is not available there. The descriptions are intended to give a flavour of the harmonic progression of each wavetable when heard with a single oscillator and the filter fully open. In use, individual portions of each table can yield a wide variety of timbres.

No. Name
001 Resonant 002 Resonant 2 003 MalletSyn 004 Sqr-Sweep 005 Bellish 006 Pul-Sweep 007 Saw-Sweep 008 MellowSaw 009 Feedback

Description
Harmonics 1-8 very strong, simulation of a resonant filter,wave number 00 is a sine wave. Similar to wavetable 001, but with additional higher harmonics, dual VCF simulation. Similar to the two previous wavetables, but also good for vibes, bells, tubular bells, and so on. Sine-to-rectangular sweep, low-resonance VCF simulation, clarinette and flute sounds. Waves 00-47 feature very high harmonics in progressively greater amplitudes. Waves 47-59 continue to add high harmonics but at a faster rate. Also useful for delay effects and church bells. Very high harmonics are emphasized, effects similar to wavetable 016, but more mixture-like. Sine-to-ramp sweep, low-resonance-VCF effects, also good for woodwinds. VCF sweep without resonance, also useful for woodwind sounds. Highpass VCF simulation without resonance. Wave 00 has little or no fundamental. Wave 25 has fundamental at maximum amplitude. Useful for dark percussive strings, bass with click-like attack. Formants are strong middle-range harmonics, useful for ring-modulation and vocal sounds. Similar to wavetable 010. Low formants. Wave 00 is dark, 32 is bright, 59 is dark. High formants that sweep. Very strong high-order harmonics, the fundamental is weak. Useful for bright percussive stringed keyboard instrument sounds like clavichord, harpsichord, and so on. When swept, you get an amplitude modulation effect. Wave 00 is maximum amplitude, 24 is minimum amplitude, 59 is maximum. Use great detuning and dissonant low chords for noise effects. Several organ registers. Sine, Hammond, Lowery, Church organs. Harmonics 2 + 3 to sawtooth sweep. Useful for harmonium, accordian, harmonica sounds. Wild amplitude modulation effects when swept. Several peaks and dips in amplitude. Wave 00 features the fundamental and second harmonic. Wave 14 is the fundamental alone. Wave 40 has high harmonics. Wave 59 is the fundamental alone. When swept produces high-low-high harmonic sweep effect. Waves 00-32 are stationary waveforms with string upper harmonics and a few lower harmonics. Wave 59 has no fundamental. Fast discrete changes of low and high harmonics for sample and hold effects. Wave 00 is a sine wave. Sine wave to high frequency formants.

010 Add Harm 011 Reso 3 HP 012 Wind Syn 013 High Harm 014 Clipper

015 Organ Syn 016 SquareSaw 017 Formant 1 018 Polated 019 Transient 020 ElectricP 021 Robotic 022 StrongHrm

Waldorf microWAVE Wavetables

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No. Name
023 PercOrgan 024 ClipSweep 025 ResoHarms 026 2 Echoes 027 Formant 2 028 FmntVocal 029 MicroSync 030 Micro PWM 031 Glassy 032 Square HP 033 SawSync 1 034 SawSync 2 035 SawSync 3 036 PulSync 1 037 PulSync 2 038 PulSync 3 039 SinSync 1 040 SinSync 2 041 SinSync 3 042 PWM Pulse 043 PWM Saw 044 Fuzz Wave 045 Distorted 046 HeavyFuzz 047 Fuzz Sync 048 K+Strong1 049 K+Strong2 050 K+Strong3 051 1-2-3-4-5 052 19/twenty 053 Wavetrip1 Page 2 of 3

Description
This wavetable is particularly suited for echoing effects. Waveforms vary from original attack plus one delay, to two colored delays. Wave 00 is a sine wave. Strong high harmonics. Stationary organs. If swept produces ascending high harmonic sweeps. Waves 59 to 49 go from bright to sine wave. 48 to 33 have a colored delay. 33 to 18 are sinewaves. 17 to 00 have a colored delay echo. Variations on sawtooth waves with strong, bright formants. Good for brass sounds. Formant sweeps. When keyboard is used to control the waves vocal and choir sounds can be produced. Phasing sawtooth waves. Useful for ensemble string sounds. Generated algorithmically. Square to rectangular to narrow pulse waves. Sweeps produce pulse-width modulation effects. Generated algorithmically. Hollow triangle-like wave with different harmonic content. Good for subtle pad sounds. Generated algorithmically. Square-like waves from hollow to bright. Generated algorithmically. Sawtooth wave table with oscillator sync 1. Generated algorithmically. Sawtooth wave tables with oscillator sync 2. Wider slave detuning range. Generated algorithmically. Sawtooth wave tables with oscillator sync 3. Even wider slave detuning range. Generated algorithmically. Pulse wave tables with oscillator sync 1. Generated algorithmically. Pulse wave tables with oscillator sync 2. Wider slave detuning range. Generated algorithmically. Pulse wave tables with oscillator sync 3. Even wider slave detuning range. Generated algorithmically. 3 Sine wave tables with oscillator sync 1. Generated algorithmically. 3 Sine wave tables with oscillator sync 2. Wider slave detuning range. Generated algorithmically. 3 Sine wave tables with oscillator sync 3. Even wider slave detuning range. Generated algorithmically. Pulse waves whose width is modulated. 50% duty cycle at upper end. Generated algorithmically. Sawtooth waves whose width is modulated. Normal saw wave at upper end. Generated algorithmically. Light metallic fuzz waves. Generated algorithmically. Powerful distortion waves. Higher harmonics progressively less pronounced towards upper waves. Generated algorithmically. More powerful distortion waves. Generated algorithmically. Synced fuzz waves. Generated algorithmically. Karplus Strong series 1 ideal for plucked string type sounds. Generated algorithmically. Karplus Strong series 2 ideal for plucked string type sounds. Generated algorithmically. Karplus Strong series 3 ideal for plucked string type sounds. Generated algorithmically. Robot voice counting to 5. Best intelligibility around MIDI note 36. Generated algorithmically. Robot voice saying "19 20". Best intelligibility around MIDI note 36. Generated algorithmically. Rich and varied selection of waves. Waldorf microWAVE Wavetables

No. Name
054 Wavetrip2 055 Wavetrip3 056 Wavetrip4 057 MaleVoice 058 Low Piano 059 ResoSweep 060 Xmas Bell 061 FM Piano 062 Fat Organ 063 Vibes 064 Chorus 2

Description
Rich and varied selection of waves. Rich and varied selection of waves. Rich and varied selection of waves. Metallic male vocal sound sweeping through the vowels aeiou. Best suited for the octave around MIDI note 48. Like the bottom end of a piano. Resonant (below self-oscillation) filter sweep. Filter closes towards upper end. Ring-mod-like harmonic series. Convincing DX7 piano waves. Even harmonic series the name says it all. Hollow metallic vibes. A bit like bowed glass. Rich phasing chorus the best of the lot! Description by Wolfram Franke (Dec. 1999): "The wavetable is an analysis of a male choir sample I did 5 years ago for the Wave. The original choir pitch was F1 and the Wave transformed it so that it generates an equal formant spectrum through the whole keyboard range."

065 True PWM

Pulse-width modulation. 50% duty cycle is at lower end. Upper end is a very narrow pulse. Generated algorithmically. Microwave II/XT(k) only.

Sources
The microWAVE II/XT(k) manual. http://www.xs4all.nl/~hkwad/waldorf/wavetables.html http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1995_articles/aug95/waldorfmicrowave.html

and my own observations. Compiled by Christopher Arndt, March 2, 2011.

Waldorf microWAVE Wavetables

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