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Motion control in wavetable synthesis refers to the capability to change the wavetable index’s position over time to produce movement or evolution in the sound. A low-frequency oscillator (LFO), an envelope, or even a keyboard controller can be used to modulate the index to accomplish this.

For instance, changing the index position over time using an envelope can result in a sound that varies from state to state. The sound can be made to cycle by modulating the index with an LFO at a slower rate. The player can create expressive and dynamic performances by changing the index position in real time with a keyboard controller.

Motion control also enables the real-time fusion of various wavetables with a unique index position to produce more complex sounds. Wavetable interpolation, a method that allows seamless changes between different wavetables, creates a more dynamic and varied sound.

The ability to change the wavetable index’s position over time to produce movement or sonic evolution is known as motion control in wavetable synthesis. It can be accomplished by modulating the index with various control signals, like an envelope, an LFO, or a keyboard controller. It also enables the creation of more complex sounds by combining multiple wavetables.

An amplitude modulation synthesizer uses the principle of amplitude modulation to generate sound. Using amplitude modulation, two signals—a carrier signal and a modulating signal—are combined to create a new signal with elements of both the carrier and modulating signals’ frequencies.

The modulating signal is typically a more complex waveform with variable amplitude, whereas the carrier signal is usually a sine wave or other simple waveform with a fixed frequency. The modulating signal’s amplitude is used to modify the carrier signal’s amplitude, which alters the final signal’s overall loudness.

AM synthesis can produce various sounds, from subtle timbral variations to intricate, evolving textures. It is frequently used in electronic music and sound design to create sounds that are challenging to achieve with conventional subtractive synthesis or are not possible.

To control the amplitude of the carrier signal, an LFO (low-frequency oscillator) is frequently used as the modulating signal in AM synthesis. Although this is a straightforward application of AM synthesis, there are numerous other ways to create and modify the modulating signal to create various sounds.

There are countless ways to use AM synthesis, one of which is using a different sound source as the modulating signal.

The key is that the modulating signal’s amplitude controls the carrier signal’s amplitude, which changes the overall loudness of the resultant signal and produces a different sound.

Examples

1. Csound: Csound is an open-source software synthesizer that uses additive synthesis to generate a wide range of sounds. It is widely used in academic and research settings and by electronic music composers and sound designers.
2. Serum: Serum is a popular commercial software synthesizer that uses additive synthesis to create complex, detailed sounds. It is known for its high-quality sound and user-friendly interface.
3. Reaktor: Reaktor is a software synthesizer and modular synth platform by Native Instruments. It allows users to create their own additive synthesizer using the software’s building blocks.
4. Waldorf Blofeld: The Waldorf Blofeld is a hardware synthesizer that uses additive synthesis to create a wide range of sounds. It is known for its high-quality sound and ability to create complex, evolving textures.
5. Yamaha FS1R: The Yamaha FS1R is a hardware synthesizer that uses additive synthesis to create a wide range of sounds. It is known for its unique formant synthesis, which allows for creating vocal-like sounds.