Waveshaping Synthesis

• In waveshaping, it is possible to change the spectrum with the amplitude of the sound (i.e. changing the time-domain waveform by a controlled distortion of the amplitude).

• Since this is also a characteristic of acoustic instruments, waveshaping has been used effectively for synthesizing traditional musical instruments, and in particular, brass tones.

• Like FM, waveshaping synthesis enables us to vary the bandwidth and spectrum of a tone in a way that is more computationally efficient than additive synthesis.

• Also like FM, waveshaping provides a continuous control of the spectrum over time by means of an index.

• Unlike FM, waveshaping allows you to create a band-limited spectrum with a specified maximum harmonic number (i.e. making it easier to prevent aliasing!).