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Within the “Wavetable” tab of the instrument editor, Furnace allows you to modulate or combine 1 or 2 waves to create unique “animated” sounds. Think of it like a VST or a plugin, as it’s basically an extension of regular wavetable soundchips that still allows it to run on real hardware. This is accomplished by selecting a wave or two, a mode, and adjusting the settings as needed until you come up with a sound that you like, without taking up a load of space. This allows you to create unique sound effects or instruments that, when used well, almost sound like they’re Amiga samples. Instrument Wavetable Tab
On some chips like the HuC6280, you cannot use the wavetable synth to animate waveforms and have them sound smooth, as the chip resets the channel’s phase when a waveform is changed while the channel is playing. On certain frequencies, this can be avoided, but not on most, unfortunately.

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Getting Started

Input waveforms should match the size of the wavetable or unexpected results may occur.

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Basic Setup

  1. Enable synthesizer: Must be on for the rest of this to work
  2. Select your synthesizer type to choose the synthesis algorithm
  3. Choose your input waveform(s)
  4. Adjust parameters to taste

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Interface Elements

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Waveform Selection

  • Wave 1: Selects input waveform
    • This will turn yellow and display a warning sign to indicate that a Waveform macro is set, which will override the wavesynth
  • Wave 2: Selects second input waveform. Only appears when a dual-waveform synthesizer is selected

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Preview Controls

  • Pause preview: Toggles live waveform preview
  • Restart preview: Restarts preview from initial state
  • Copy to new wavetable: Copies the currently displayed output waveform into the wavetable as a new entry

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Waveform Display

The synthesizer shows visual representations of:
  • Input waveform(s)
  • Current output waveform
  • (width×height): Size of wavetable

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Parameters

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Timing

  • Update Rate: Time in ticks between waveform changes
    • Lower values = faster animation
    • Higher values = slower, more subtle changes
  • Speed: Rate of change with each update
    • Controls how quickly the synthesis algorithm progresses

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Synthesis Control

  • Amount: Strength of synthesizer function
    • Controls the intensity of the synthesis effect
    • Range and effect depends on the selected synthesis type
  • Power: Only appears when synthesizer type is “Phase Modulation”
    • Controls the modulation intensity

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Global Mode

  • Global (checkbox):
    • Disabled: Each note resets the synthesizer to the start
      • Good for percussive sounds or when you want consistent attack
    • Enabled: Synthesis continues unbroken from note to note
      • Good for pads, drones, or evolving textures

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Synthesis Types

Furnace offers several synthesis algorithms. Each type processes the input waveform(s) differently:

None

No synthesis - uses the input waveform directly. Useful as a starting point.

Phase Modulation

Uses one waveform to modulate the phase of another. The Power parameter controls modulation depth. Creates metallic, bell-like timbres.

Amplitude Modulation

Multiplies two waveforms together. Creates ring modulation effects and complex harmonic content.

Pulse Width

Varies the duty cycle of a pulse wave over time. Classic synthesizer effect.

Waveform Blend

Crossfades between two waveforms. Amount controls the blend ratio.

Waveform Morph

Smoothly morphs between waveforms in sequence. Great for evolving pads.

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Tips and Techniques

  • Use slower Update Rate (8-16 ticks)
  • Enable Global mode
  • Try Phase Modulation or Waveform Blend
  • Use low to medium Amount values
  • Use Phase Modulation
  • Fast Update Rate (1-2 ticks)
  • High Power values
  • Disable Global mode
  • Use Pulse Width synthesis
  • Medium Update Rate (4-8 ticks)
  • Moderate Amount
  • Can enable or disable Global depending on desired character
  • Use fast Update Rate with high Speed
  • Try extreme Amount values
  • Amplitude Modulation creates interesting noise textures
  • Disable Global for consistent triggering
  • The wavetable synth generates waveforms in real-time
  • Use Copy to new wavetable to “freeze” a good result
  • You can then use the frozen wavetable with a simple Waveform macro
  • This saves processing but loses the animation
Experiment! The wavetable synthesizer is great for happy accidents. Try random combinations of parameters and synthesis types to discover unique sounds.
Be mindful of Update Rate values. Very fast rates (1 tick) on every channel can cause performance issues on real hardware. Test on your target platform.

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