Classic Waveforms

Classic Waveforms

Classic Waveforms is FWG's most predictable Generator Family and the best reference point for learning the rest of the instrument. Choose Classic Waveforms under Core Generator → Generator Family in Playground or either Morph endpoint.

Controls

• Topology — sine → triangle/saw → trapezoid → square/pulse.
• Symmetry / Width — skews curved/straight waves below the midpoint; controls pulse width above it.
• Character — neutral at centre; lower values round; higher values brighten or digitise.

Landmarks

Shape	Topology	Symmetry / Width	Character
Sine	0	2048	2048
Triangle	2048	2048	2048
Saw down	2048	0	2048
Saw up	2048	4095	2048
Trapezoid	3072	2048	2048
Square 50%	4095	2048	2048
Pulse 25%	4095	about 991	2048
Pulse 12.5%	4095	about 462	2048

Use the built-in preset buttons unless you need an exact test value.

What preset buttons reset

A Classic preset loads the endpoint with:

• Classic Waveforms Smooth;
• Wavetable Type 0 – Input 1;
• neutral modulation;
• Pitch Offset 0.00;
• full Source and Result Windows;
• filter Off.

Stored Drawn data is preserved even though the preset routes away from Drawn.

Edge geometry

🔧 Technical: In the 512-internal-cycle-sample table, a nominally vertical saw/ramp edge is represented by adjacent samples on opposite rails. Square and pulse edges approach the same one-sample geometry as Topology reaches maximum. Oscillator/window interpolation still traverses between stored samples during playback.

Windows and level

🔧 Technical: Ordinary Classic Waveforms use the same full-range finalisation for fully open and truncated Source/Result Windows. After the selected geometry is constructed, its current minimum maps to −1 and its current maximum to +1.

This is not arithmetic-mean DC removal. A narrow pulse that already spans both rails remains −1…+1 even though its duty cycle gives it a non-zero mean. User-selected DC Removal is a separate later stage.

A genuinely flat selected region has no range to expand. Table Safety treats it as collapsed rather than turning numerical residue into a constant full-scale rail.

Uses

🎹 Classic Waveforms is particularly useful for:

• reference listening;
• clean oscillator banks;
• wavetable-frame testing;
• window and cleanup tests;
• controlled Morph-mode comparisons;
• templates for later filtering, modulation, or resampling.