Virtual Waves is a program for sound synthesis, processing and analysis. With it you can create virtual sound generating machines, called synthesizers, by connecting the program's various modules together in an intuitive and ergonomic fashion. The modules form a vast collection of basic synthesizers, effects, modulators, filters, etc....

Click here to see the complete List of Modules.

To create a synthesizer, you just have to place the necessary modules in the workspace and connect them together. Once the modules' parameters have been adequately adjusted, the resulting sound may be calculated using the control panel. The sound can then be saved in a .WAV format file and later used in any musical or multimedia application, or sent to an external sampler or card and played as a musical instrument.

Virtual Waves' modular approach lets you bypass the fixed commands usually found in sound processing software, and create your own tools based on your personal musical needs. With Virtual Waves you can synthesize a howling owl, let someone speak underwater, or create an analog bass riff. The large and diverse selection of modules, and in particular a set of high quality analysis and synthesis modules, lets you manipulate sound in ways which have, until now, not been possible using other programs. Its modular architecture makes Virtual Waves a constantly evolving product, which is able to integrate new types of synthesis and effects as advances in these fields are made. A number of unique types of synthesis (Waveform Sequencer, Spectral Sketch Pad, etc...) have already been integrated to enrich the program's nearly endless possibilities.

Virtual Waves is an ideal tool for all those who are sound designers:

• amateur or professional musician
  You can build your own synthesizers and digital audio effects by intuitively assembling modules representing a wide range of technologies: oscillators, noise generators, additive and FM synthesis, physical models, samples, etc.... You can transfer the result of your sound calculations to an external sampler or the memory of a sound card, or save your samples in .WAV format.

• multimedia artist or game designer
  You can create megabytes of original sounds to enhance your 3-D animations, multimedia applications (sonic interfaces for your CD-ROMs, noises for your buttons, etc...), or video games (lasers, explosions, and other sound effects). You can stretch or compress sounds, change their pitch, or add an echo or reverb to voices.

• student or teacher
  You can study the spectrum of a sound in three dimensions using a phase vocoder or inspect the shape of a sound wave using an oscilloscope. You can analyze a sound both before and after a particular effect to see exactly how it influences the sound. With Virtual Waves' contextual help, you can familiarize yourself with different kinds of digital sound processing and synthesis; a glossary explaining a hundred-or-so sound-related terms, and a large number of examples and presets will make learning about sound synthesis an easy and enjoyable experience.