How to Use Custom Waves in a WaveTracker Song

Updated

You have two ways to get a drawn wave into a song: point a channel at it with the Vxx effect, or build a Wave envelope into a wave instrument so the wave (or a sequence of waves) is applied automatically as the instrument plays. Use Vxx when you want per-note control over which wave sounds; use a Wave envelope when an instrument should always carry its own wave or morph through several over time.

Method 1: Select a wave per channel with the Vxx effect

This is the direct route — you tell a channel which wave from the wave bank to use.

  1. Draw your waves first so they exist in the wave bank.
  2. Enter editing mode. If notes won't place at all, press space or click the red record button in the toolbar — WaveTracker only accepts note input while editing mode is active.
  3. On the channel you want, enter the Vxx effect, where xx is the index of the wave in the bank.
  4. Play back: that channel now uses the selected wave.

The Vxx effect is the mechanism the FAQ points to for "I made some waves, but how do I use them in the song?" — it tells a channel which wave from the bank to use.

Method 2: Automate waves inside a wave instrument with a Wave envelope

If you want an instrument to always use a specific wave, or to move through a sequence of waves while it plays, don't place Vxx on every note — create a Wave envelope on the instrument instead.

  • A Wave envelope automates which waves the instrument uses over the course of a note.
  • This is the answer to "How do I assign a wave to a wave instrument?" — you assign it through a Wave envelope rather than a fixed slot.
  • It's the better choice when the wave choice is a property of the sound design, not of an individual note.

Which method to pick

Goal Use
Change wave per note or per section on a channel Vxx effect
Instrument should always sound with one specific wave Wave envelope
Instrument should sweep/blend through several waves over time Wave envelope
Quick manual override while composing Vxx effect

Where the details live

WaveTracker's own documentation covers the wave bank and the full effects list. The FAQ explicitly directs you to the wave bank documentation for wave-bank details and to the effects list for what every effect does — check those for the exact index range and any effect-specific behavior before you rely on a value.

Common snags

  • Notes won't place: you're not in editing mode. Press space or click the red record button.
  • Wave drawn but silent: you haven't referenced it — add Vxx on the channel or a Wave envelope on the instrument.
  • Expecting hardware chip behavior: WaveTracker does not emulate any hardware chips. It uses its own internal audio engine and samples, so a wave won't behave like a specific console's channel.

WaveTracker is free and open source music-making software for Windows, using wavetable synthesis and sampling; it supports up to 100 custom waves and 100 custom instrument macros, and can import .wav or .mp3 samples.