- For most producers, the iPad is in limbo. It's undoubtedly becoming a staple in the studio, but port changes, compatibility issues and the unpredictable nature of updates have limited it somewhat. Simple is often where iOS is at its best, though. Apps that act like plug-ins with touchscreen interfaces can be incredibly powerful. One such standout is the PPG WaveGenerator, a complex and deep app that resurrects the revolutionary sound of Wolfgang Palm's PPG Wave synths. But if you found yourself getting lost in its deep menus and wishing for a plug-in version, then you'll find the WaveGenerator VST an intriguing option.
A bit of history: PPG's founder Wolfgang Palm invented wavetable synthesis in 1978. The concept allowed the user to step through waveforms of various harmonic content. This flexible and unique approach differed from static analogue waveforms and resulted in evolving, gritty and buzzing sounds as well as bell-like tones and crisp pads. It also led the way for digital waveform sampling technology still in use today.
WaveGenerator VST is based on a 16x16 Wave Grid, where each point on the grid represents a new wave shape that can be modified from the Wave Editor panel to the left. The sound morphs between these waveforms along a designated path that can be loaded as part of a preset or created and modified by the user. You can even draw your own waveforms for each step, though it's not possible to sample incoming audio.
The top bar of the plug-in splits it into three sections: the Wave page, the Para page and the Aux page. Simply put, Wave is the place for all your wave editing; Para looks after the parameters of the envelopes, LFOs, etc; and Aux is for global controls like the delay effect, tuning and pitch wheel range. The Aux page is also home to the Arptor, a 16-step sequencer that can run in multiple directions, synced or unsynced to the host DAW.
From the Wave page, you can craft unique tones in seconds by editing the bars, which represent samples, to change the selected wave shape. The editor itself is very flexible, but once you take into account the 13 envelopes, four LFOs and expressive keyboard, the potential for sound design becomes huge. The depth of this plug-in means you will initially need to have the manual at hand for everything but trial-and-error, especially if you're used to subtractive synthesis. Bear in mind, though, that this mimics the original machine, which by nature was low-res, sharp and gritty. There's nothing smooth about the sound of the WaveGenerator, and if you're looking for some deep, rounded low-end, you won't find it here.
In its porting from the iPad, there are some touch-screen hangovers that could have been addressed. The app is based around drop-down menus, which suits editing with fingers but makes browsing with the mouse slightly tedious. No two oscillators, envelopes or LFOs can be viewed at the same time, making it very easy to lose your way when sound-designing or trying to find out what's affecting what. Porting the app to the desktop made a lot of sense considering the quality and power of the synth, but without adapting the GUI, too, the usability suffers.
The obvious benefit of the iPad was X/Y control of the app's keyboard via the touchscreen. Unless you're using a ROLI Seaboard, the direct X/Y control is gone on the VST. But you can use the mouse, or assign it to aftertouch if your keyboard supports it. This is done via the C/X and C/Y modulation sources and offers in-depth sound control from a single key. Another similar feature is the Image Transformer, another survivor from the iPad version. By loading in any BMP, PNG or JPEG file, the plug will generate a wavetable based on the spectra of the image. The result is fairly unpredictable, but it's worth trying for interesting results. And much like the rest of this synth, you're rewarded for your experimentation. This function did crash Ableton Live more than once on my system, though.
One of the major benefits of moving from iPad to DAW should be automation. Despite the cryptic names of the parameters this is pretty straightforward. If you want to assign CCs to control the plug-in from external hardware, you’ll need to edit a txt file included with the install.
Presets are a good way to gauge the developer's intentions, and WaveGenerator's pre-loaded sounds are incredibly varied, from disharmonic arp sequences to classic bell-style tones and evolving sci-fi soundscapes, with the original Wave 2.3 Factory presets also included. As you'd expect, it's possible to save your own sounds and edits via the slightly convoluted Bank Manager. A nice touch is the ability to only load separate elements of the preset, such as loading the oscillators and keeping the wavetables and arp settings.
All in the all, the WaveGenerator is as complex as you want and need it to be. For anyone looking for the classic bright, gritty and resonant sound of early '80s records (and if you already have a DX7), this is 99 Euro well spent. You'll get your money's worth simply editing parameters and presets at will, and chances are you'll end up with an inspiring sound few other synths could create. For those who like to get their hands dirty with complex synthesis and sound design, this plug-in is a no-brainer purchase. Make sure you've got a powerful machine, though, as once you start to use four or five voices, CPU meters will light up. The GUI could be better and the learning curve less steep, but the key word is potential, and for 100 bucks, there's more than you could have bargained for.
Ratings:
Cost: 5/5
Versatility: 4.5/5
Sound: 4/5
Ease of use: 3.5/5