Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Can you help me pick a wavetable synth?
I am looking to buy a wavetable synth this coming Black Friday. I have had my eye on Mitosynth for a while now. With Gadget grabbing my attention again this past week I have been looking at iWavestation. But then there is Nave, which I don't know much about other that it is hailed by some as the greatest. Also there are the PPG synths, each a little different, but all with a reputation for being super deep, and probably the most powerful WT synths on iOS. And then there is Synthscaper, which might be considered a WT synth, or maybe I am mistaken. I have the other 2 Scaper apps and like them, so this one is under consideration as well.
Any thoughts about these? I realize Nave and PPG stuff doesn't go on sale often, but I could afford the $20 if I had to. And I like powerful stuff, but not overly-complicated so much. Also, I probably missed some other WT synths, so that info is welcome as well. I am not stuck on the ones I listed, so feel free to suggest any.
Comments
Nave is probably the best idea. Waldorf already has a sale going on its vst stuff so I wouldn't expect a discount on what is an already amazing deal.
The ppg all sound great and are not impossible to learn. Wavegenerator is the most difficult to work with, Wavemapper is easy to make your own sounds. I don't have Infinite yet, it seems very powerful.
Nave and PPG ship with lots of great patches and you can find free banks for them online. Preset management is trickier in the ppg apps
I feel that Nave may be better for a first-timer, but is also very powerful/deep. Does that sound correct?
You can’t go wrong with Nave, PPG Infinite or iWavestation..
I love them all and have found very little overlap in them, each having very unique capabilities and ways of doing things.
My personal favorite is Infinite, followed closely by iWavestation and Nave. I’d suggest watching youtube videos of all (soundtestroom or others) and just go with what sounds and works best for you. I’m sure you’ll be blown away by whichever you get.
Nave is a sound choice for a first timer though it is limited to IAA/AB. If you want a step up
PPG Infinite is deep, approachable and has IAA/AB and AU support.
@AnimalHeadSpirit Thanks for your suggestions.
I have indeed been watching the demos on Youtube. I'm leaning towards the Korg one hoping to catch it on sale on Black Friday, but may go with Nave because it seems I can't go wrong with this one based on the universal praise. It looks and sounds amazing in the demos too. The PPG stuff looks like the craziest of the bunch, but in an awesome way. I may wait on those until after I get a little more experience. They look kind of scary at this point.
It was great to hear from you as you have used all of them, and that is exactly why I posted here before I make up my mind. I want to check that my assumptions line up with the reality experienced by people who already have these apps.
I've considered just going all in on PPG Infinite. It seems the most powerful, or at least it has the newest features. AU is good to have these days for sure. Thanks for pointing that out.
I think the PPGs and Nave are the only true ‘wavetable’ synths of those you mention. Wavetables can be a little confusing! I’m still a little confused by them, and very much open to schooling.
In my fractured understanding, a wavetable is a group of related samples. An example might be ‘64 single cycle waveforms at different points through a filter sweep’ (but they could be anything). A wavetable synth is capable of ‘sweeping’ through these different samples - different locations in the wavetable - to ‘change the oscillator’ over time and thus give your sound movement over time. WaveGenerator illustrates this rather well with a dot moving around on a 16x16 wave grid. You have filters too, and envelopes, lfos, all of that stuff, but this movement ‘through’ the wavetable is a different way of doing things. It offers more modulation options and variation in sound than you’d get with individual samples.
I suppose Animoog is a fairly idiosyncratic implementation of wavetable synthesis.
SynthScaper and Mitosynth both use samples and offer impressive sound processing and modulation options but to the best of my knowledge, neither one does things the wavetable way.
iWAVESTATION is a bit of an outlier, as a ‘wave sequencer’ synth. It’s kind of a different topic, but I love iWAVESTATION. Many don’t.
The PPGs are all different, deep, and plagued by an annoying presets system. You can get past it though. WaveGenerator was my first and remains my favourite (so far at least), although I think Infinite is Herr Palm’s favourite. I’m a bit confused by it still. I’ve used three of them (not Phonem) and they’re all quirky, annoying in part and sound fantastic. Old threads on the forum here suggest that WaveMapper is the ‘easy’ one and nobody understands Phonem (prove me wrong, people!). They’re all AU and I don’t think there’s ever been a PPG sale.
Of what I’ve seen so far, Nave is amazing (I’m new to Nave). It’s not been updated for 2 years and it’s not AU, but this doesn’t seem to be an issue. It’s deep, but then so are the PPGs, and it sounds really good, but then so do the PPGs. I’d argue that the UI is a bit more crowd-pleasing, although I love the WaveGenerator look and it’s curvy envelopes. Nave has a terrific sounding tube overdrive. I’m not sure why I’m singling that out in particular, but it sounds way better than I expected it to.
I don’t think there are any wrong answers here, good luck!
Nave is reaaly good. mitosynth does not buy in to the whole black fri sale thing usually
@tomato_juice Wow, thank you for the very detailed breakdown. It is really helpful. I think I am going with the Nave at this point, even if it isn't on sale. I may get iWavemapper as well if it goes on sale like I am expecting (hoping?). Eventually I will work up to PPG stuff, probably trying Wavegenerator first as it seems a good gateway to the PPG stuff. Thanks again for taking time to type out all that helpful info.
@RedSkyLullaby Having you weigh in on behalf of Nave has probably pushed me off the fence in its favor. Thank you for your input.
PPG apps are both ethereal and growly. I've managed to coax out of them shit I've never heard before.
Wavegenerator: if you want to dig deep (I skipped this one)
Wavemapper: if fun even if you don't create your own sounds and just adjust the presets
Infinite: I've learned (from @pantsofdeath video) can import wave generator and phonem files
I got it so I can mess with individual partials of any recorded sound, but it does a shit ton more (watch pants video!)
Nave: it seems you can't go wrong making a sound with this app.
iWavestation: it's fun and complex and VERY 80s sounding. I use it for random atmospheric and accent noises to give texture and possibly extra rhythm to a beat. Imma plug @pantsofdeath video for this one too. He really lays it out.
--> this is the only one I've seen go one sale.
Mitosynth and for that matter Grain science are wonderful and unique synths, but not wave tables.
PPG Infinite has improved the slightly infamous save procedure of the series. While still not simplicity itself, it now has a ‘list my programs’ in the structure which helps finding sounds you’ve made.
Infinite is my recommendation because it has an AU extension and the depth to keep you interested for a lifetime!
Otherwise, Nave is just superb and very easy to use. If Nave was AU, it would be king of the Wavetable synths!
WaveMapper is my most used Wavetable synth as it’s so easy to get sounds from and has an AU extension too.
I started with PPG WavaGenerator(Mainly because I like drawing my own waveforms) and ended up getting all the PPG apps since they integrate with each other quite nicely and are also available as AUv3 which to me is a BIG bonus.
Waldorf Nave is a quite complete package with a nice speech synthesiser baked in for some fun.
MitoSynth is a monster with it's 'WaveChamber'
One not to forget is Virsyns Poseidon...
Maybe Adictive Pro also qualifies in the 'wave table' category although it just has 'two waves' that one can morph between.
While iWavestation/im1 and also Animoog for that matter use sample/wavetable based oscillators, they're not "real" wavetable synthesizers. Nave is much more powerful, let's you do all kinds of things to the generation of the sound, while those ROMplers just mix/crossfade between different waveforms.
Scythe looks very promising too, and although it does not have all possible bells and whistles yet, it's probably the most actively developed one at present.
My first WTFknobs was on Nave, but only three of the knobs - the Spectr. Noisy and Brilliance knobs.
Haven't watched it, but those are the most important features for me, for extremely lush or lo-fi sounds that normally don't get associated with wavetable synthesis. Gonna check out your vid now!
Great video, you have the most educational iOS synth related YouTube content! I had a general idea (after reading the awesome manual a few times) what (tf) those knobs are doing, but you are great at visually explaining to further improve one's understanding of this. Keep it up, we should get your views up! Maybe more clickbaity titles?
Lots of great advice in this thread so far. I forgot to mention earlier that Wolfgang Palm (PPG) does have another synth called mini-mapper which has less going on than the full version (WaveMapper) regarding deep editing but sounds just as good for a lot less cash.
I don't personally consider AU support as hugely important since my iPad is starting to show it's age and running multiples of anything is not without issues. If you have a newer device then au would be great to have included.
Check the prices for the desktop versions of Nave and the PPG synths, you will feel like you're getting a bargain when you visit the AppStore!
This sounds very promising! I'm just wondering if Infinite always displays this list of user created sounds, even if you load a new bank?
Going off-topic a bit I like the idea of a slightly strange grandfather figure that is inventing new synthesis methods and announcing these to the world from a plastic chair in his back garden.. Much better than the ultra sleek marketing campaigns and videos that we are seeing more often these days!
righty right
Thanks a very lot for doing your WTF-episode!
Kamata if you're a Gadget freak.
No. Just no.
addictive pro for the sound, arpeggiator and killer effects also AU.
infinite if you’re purist
Great and informative thread!
It is seeming to me that wavetable synthesis is such a chameleon or shapeshifter, like a eurorack module is named. Is as harsh as the most aggressive dubstep, or as heavenly as Vangelis. As mentioned above, definitely consider PPG Minimapper. $4 or so, with ability to move multiple icons simultaneously. It is the gateway to Wavemapper which can lead into Wavegenerator for awesomely detailed wave editing. And Infinite and Phonem.
I'm still wrapping my head around the importing and exporting details in the PPG apps. There are alot of options present, just trying to understand them. But even just using the given sounds, it is more than a person could probably ever need. Go down the rabbit hole and through the wormhole! And the VST stuff like Avenger, Serum, Icarus, Rapid, Falcon etc are pushing the boundaries of possibilities.
The recent ipad app Scythe is looking very tempting. It seems to be a Serum-inspired affair, so the developer is really shooting for the moon which is admirable. And there have been multiple updates and bug fixes since the release. Much potential there. Am holding off from buying until i see some more demos and hear some more musical sounds. The wave import seems to be a breeze, which is critical. And lots of modulation potential to go with the great visuals. Anyone have experiences with Scythe?
Yeah I’m keeping an eye on Scythe too
I'm thinking you might want to look at Sunvox too. It's a modular tracker DAW that lets you do a lot with sampling and sound design.
Caustic falls into this category too,
Wavetable synthesis is not about sample playback.
Check out the excellent 'in a nutshell' explanation by @tomato_juice above.
Cakewalk Z3ta+ synth is not technically wavetable, but has so many waveshapping options that is can do similar sounds. Waiting for a sale on the iOS version. (BTW, the VST is $35 on Reverb.com sale: https://reverb.com/software/instruments/cakewalk-1/268-cakewalk-z3ta-2-waveshaping-synth)