BangZilla has launched Wave Theory, a £49 MIDI plug-in that turns wavetable shapes into melodies for synths. It's the first release from The Audio Programmer's new software brand, built with help from UK instrument maker Boxed Ear. The main idea is simple. A waveform sets the notes, while the user picks how the music plays.
Getting it going takes little setup. A producer loads a wave, picks a musical scale and key, then sends the MIDI output to a synth. Wave Theory handles the note choices and stays in sync with the track's beat. It can even react to chords played on a keyboard, which helps keep the pattern in tune with a song.
There's quite a bit of room to play with patterns. Four sequencer lanes can run at their own pace and length, with controls for note chance and rhythm. Each pass can bring a fresh twist, rather than play the same notes on repeat. Yet the user still gets to set how much each part can change.
The plug-in comes with over 100 wavetables, and users can load files from tools such as Serum and Vital as well. That opens up a lot of ways to test how different wave shapes affect the notes that come out. No need to stick with the built-in set.
Another handy bit is the bank of 16 memory slots. These let producers save a pattern they like and call it back with a MIDI controller. That could be useful during a live set, where swapping between ideas on the fly matters more than digging through menus.
And since Wave Theory sends MIDI data rather than audio, it can drive both software synths and physical gear. BangZilla says the plug-in puts very little strain on the CPU, which may appeal to users who run a lot of instruments in one session.
Founder Joshua Hodge sees the release as a chance to try a fresh way of making music, rather than rework the same old tools. The team wants Wave Theory to make sound design and writing notes part of one creative process, with the waveform itself guiding the result.
As for system support, Wave Theory runs on Windows 10 or newer and macOS 11 or later. It comes in VST3, AU, and AAX formats, with a price of £49 with VAT or €49.
Getting it going takes little setup. A producer loads a wave, picks a musical scale and key, then sends the MIDI output to a synth. Wave Theory handles the note choices and stays in sync with the track's beat. It can even react to chords played on a keyboard, which helps keep the pattern in tune with a song.
There's quite a bit of room to play with patterns. Four sequencer lanes can run at their own pace and length, with controls for note chance and rhythm. Each pass can bring a fresh twist, rather than play the same notes on repeat. Yet the user still gets to set how much each part can change.
The plug-in comes with over 100 wavetables, and users can load files from tools such as Serum and Vital as well. That opens up a lot of ways to test how different wave shapes affect the notes that come out. No need to stick with the built-in set.
Another handy bit is the bank of 16 memory slots. These let producers save a pattern they like and call it back with a MIDI controller. That could be useful during a live set, where swapping between ideas on the fly matters more than digging through menus.
And since Wave Theory sends MIDI data rather than audio, it can drive both software synths and physical gear. BangZilla says the plug-in puts very little strain on the CPU, which may appeal to users who run a lot of instruments in one session.
Founder Joshua Hodge sees the release as a chance to try a fresh way of making music, rather than rework the same old tools. The team wants Wave Theory to make sound design and writing notes part of one creative process, with the waveform itself guiding the result.
As for system support, Wave Theory runs on Windows 10 or newer and macOS 11 or later. It comes in VST3, AU, and AAX formats, with a price of £49 with VAT or €49.
