SocaLabs releases Wavetable, a FREE virtual synth plugin for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
SocaLabs is a developer we last discussed in 2018 when we looked at Maths, a freeware stereo signal processor that replaces knobs and sliders with math formulas.
If, like me, you previously worked as a janitor at a famous Boston university, often solving math problems on blackboards that no one else could solve while still mopping the floors, Maths will be right up your street.
Admittedly, I may have borrowed anywhere up to 100% of that story from the plot of Good Will Hunting, but if you like math, you’ll like the plugin.
Before Maths, SocaLabs released PAPU, a free Nintendo Gameboy emulation, and SN76489, a free Sega Master system emulation. Both plugins are worth checking out for some classic gaming nostalgia.
Now, SocaLabs is back with Wavetable, a versatile freeware synth featuring two wavetable oscillators, one noise, and one sub-oscillator.
The ambitious release utilizes a nice-looking modular interface, making engaging or bypassing any particular section easy.
Wavetable provides one filter, six LFOs (three mono/three poly – seventeen LFO shapes), three envelopes, modulation, and built-in effects.
The built-in effects are basic, but they sound good and offer plenty of legroom for enhancing the raw oscillator sounds. SocaLabs included Gate, Chorus, Distortion, Delay, and Reverb modules.
Regarding the Mod section, double circles are per voice modulation sources, and single circles are global. You can assign modulation by dragging a Mod source to a knob; a dot appears next to any knob when modulation is assigned.
Wavetable also offers 100 factory presets and 100 wavetables, more than some similar freebies.
As expected, with 100 presets, some are more instantly impressive than others, although they all serve as a good starting point. A couple that I liked early on are Decisive and HavenSteps.
Another feature listed by SocaLabs is MPE (MIDI Polyphonic Expression), a specification championed by manufacturers like Roli, Linn, Expressive E, and Haken Audio. MPE allows virtual instruments to behave more like acoustic instruments in terms of the performer’s use of expression.
What we are seeing right now is Wavetable version 1.0.0, the initial release. I think it shows a lot of promise, and I’m sure it will develop into something even better.
While it can’t rival high-end wavetable synthesizers like Vital and Serum, Wavetable is still an excellent synthesizer. You can use it as an alternative tool for wavetable synthesis if you get bored of your go-to synthesis plugins.
You can download Wavetable for free from the SocaLabs website, and it is available in AU and VST3 formats for macOS, Windows, and Linux.
Download: Wavetable (FREE)
More:
- Matt Tytel Releases FREE Vital Wavetable Synthesizer
- Davisynth Audio Offers FREE Spiral Delay Plugin
Last Updated on September 25, 2023 by Tomislav Zlatic.
