Overview
The modwave is Korg’s wavetable synthesizer, available as the original keyboard, the modwave mkII and the modwave module, with modwave native as a fully compatible plug-in. Korg’s manuals give maximum polyphony as 32 stereo voices on the original and 60 on the mkII and module. Each Program has two oscillators, and each can play a single wavetable, a blend of two (A/B mode), or a multisample. Because the two tables in A/B mode are phase-synchronous, Korg describes the result as a true blend of the shapes rather than a layer.
Over 200 wavetables ship with it, each holding up to 64 waveforms. Wavetable Modifiers change how a table is generated when it loads, and Morph Types such as Sync, Flip and Narrow change how it’s played, with a Morph Amount you can modulate. Position sweeps through all the waveforms, and Kaoss Physics and Motion Sequencing give it plenty to sweep with.
The modwave crossfades between neighboring waveforms in real time, which shapes how it treats imported tables. Korg points out that some software builds smooth movement by storing many in-between frames instead, and that the modwave only needs the 64 originals to move smoothly between them.
Wavetables on the Korg modwave
Korg documents exactly two import formats, both WAV files with up to 64 waves laid end to end, each wave the same length: 32-bit floating point with waves of exactly 2048 samples (the Serum format), or 16-bit linear with waves of exactly 256 samples (the format many modular tools use). The bit depth is what tells the two apart. Korg notes the 2048 version gives three more octaves of high harmonics, which mostly matters for bright bass notes. Ordinary recordings aren’t converted into tables.
If a 32-bit/2048 table has more than 64 waves, the modwave assumes it’s a generated crossfade and drops intermediate waves to get to 64. Korg doesn’t describe what happens to a 16-bit/256 table with more than 64.
WaveStack’s Korg modwave target covers both cases. A table with 256-sample frames is written as 16-bit; anything else is written at 2048 samples as 32-bit float, resampling the frames if needed. Tables with more than 64 frames are reduced to 64 in WaveStack, picking frames evenly across the table so the first and last stay put, which means you hear the result before it reaches the synth. If you want to choose the 64 yourself, a table built from a few hand-made frames with WaveStack’s morph between them is a good fit for the way the modwave crossfades.
Imported tables go through Korg’s software, not a card, so there’s nothing to link: save the WAV wherever you keep your sources. The Editor/Librarian and modwave native both import the WAV straight away. To update a table you’ve already imported, export again under the same name and choose to replace it when asked; Korg says sounds that use it update automatically.
Specifications
| File type | WAV, imported into the modwave database |
|---|---|
| Samples per frame | Exactly 2048 (32-bit float) or exactly 256 (16-bit) |
| Frame size detection | Bit depth: 32-bit float means 2048, 16-bit means 256 |
| Max frames | 64 (32-bit/2048 tables with more are reduced by the synth) |
| Transfer | modwave Editor/Librarian over USB, or modwave native’s Import |
| Editor/Librarian requirement | modwave software 2.1.5 or later, USB Network set to NCM |
From WaveStack to the Korg modwave
- In WaveStack, open Export (⌘E), choose Korg modwave, and save the WAV somewhere you’ll find it. Use the name you want to see on the synth.
- For the hardware, connect the modwave to your computer over USB and make sure its USB Network setting is NCM (on the MIDI & USB page).
- Open the modwave Editor/Librarian, or modwave native for the plug-in.
- Choose Import… from the File menu and select the WAV. It’s added to the wavetable database.
- In a Program, set an oscillator to A or A/B mode and pick the new wavetable, then modulate Position.
Frequently asked questions
What wavetable format does the modwave need?
A WAV with up to 64 waves laid end to end, in one of two exact formats: 32-bit floating point with 2048 samples per wave, or 16-bit linear with 256 samples per wave. Every wave in the file must be the same length. The bit depth goes with the size, so a 16-bit file with 2048-sample waves doesn’t match either format. WaveStack’s Korg modwave target writes whichever of the two matches your table.
How do I import wavetables into the modwave?
With Korg’s modwave Editor/Librarian on a Mac or Windows computer. Connect the synth over USB, set its USB Network parameter to NCM (the Editor/Librarian talks to the modwave by networking over USB rather than MIDI), and the synth needs software 2.1.5 or later. Then choose Import… and select the WAV. In modwave native, the plug-in’s own Import… command does the same job, and the two share file formats, so tables move between hardware and software.
What happens to wavetables with more than 64 frames on the modwave?
For 32-bit tables with 2048-sample waves, the modwave assumes the extra frames are generated crossfades and drops intermediate waves to make a 64-wave version. Korg explains that the synth crossfades in real time, so it only needs the original shapes. For 16-bit tables Korg doesn’t say. WaveStack reduces any table to 64 itself, picking frames evenly, so what you export is what the synth plays.
How do I update a wavetable I already imported on the modwave?
Imported wavetables can’t be edited on the modwave, and exporting one from the Editor/Librarian gives a modwave file, not an editable WAV. Edit the original instead, save it as a WAV with exactly the same name as the table in the modwave’s database, and import it again. When asked, choose to replace the existing wavetable. Korg says every sound using it is updated automatically. Keep your WaveStack source files for this.