Published
Tue, Jul 17, 2018, 11:33
- Paula Maddox's design is seeking funding on Kickstarter.
Dove Audio synth designer Paula Maddox has revealed a new Eurorack module, the Window Transform Function Oscillator.
The Window Transform Function (or WTF for short) offers a new take on wavetable synthesis, a technique developed by Wolfgang Palm that allows you create complex tones by scanning through and morphing between waveforms. Where typical wavetable oscillators crossfade between various waveshapes, Maddox's design inserts one wave into another, effectively tearing the wave apart. She's compared the technique to opening a window, where one waveform slides to the side to reveal the rear. The resulting sound is a bit like pulse-width modulation, albeit with greater tonal complexity and a wider range of waveshapes.
The module comes with 32 CV-controllable waveforms, ranging from simples sines to vocal formants and bell tones, a tuneable noise source and a "dual window" function, which splits the first waveform from two points rather than one. There's also control over the width of the window.
The WTF is currently at the prototype stage but you can help the module enter mass production by backing the project on Kickstarter.
Maddox is best-known for co-founding Modal Electronics. She has designed the Modal 001 and 002 synthesisers and products like the Monowave and GorF sequencer.
Learn more about the WTF Oscillator in Maddox's Kickstarter intro video.
Get a rundown of the module in DivKid's short demo.