Wavetable Sampling Synthesis

Abstract

Sampling Wavetable Synthesis (“sampling”) is possibly the most commercially popular music synthesis technique in use today (1997). The techniques used in sampling include the traditional playback of digitized audio waveforms from RAM wavetables, combined with sample rate conversion to provide pitch shifting. Sampling evolved from traditional computer music wavetable synthesis techniques, where the wavetable size simply grew to include an entire musical note. Extensions to simple wavetable playback include looping of waveforms, enveloping of waveforms, and filtering of waveforms to provide for improved expressivity, i.e., spectral and time structure variation of the perfomed notes. A simple comparison is given between band limited sample rate conversion for pitch shifting, linear interpolation, and traditional computer music phase increment oscillator design.