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Table Of Contents
Chapter 22 ES2 231
Oscillator 1 Waveforms
Oscillator 1 outputs standard waveforms—pulse, rectangular, sawtooth, and triangular
waves—or, alternately, any of the 155 available DigiWaves. It can also output a pure sine
wave.
The sine wave can be modulated in frequency by Oscillator 2 in the audio frequency
range. This kind of linear frequency modulation is the basis on which FM synthesis
works. FM synthesis was popularized by synthesizers such as Yamahas DX7 (the
architecture of which is much more complex, when it comes to FM synthesis).
A click on the Oscillator number disables the output of Oscillator 1.
Note: Even when Oscillator 1 is turned off, it is still available for use as a modulation
and synchronization source for Oscillators 2 and 3.
We will now take a closer look at the different waveforms available to Oscillator 1.
Screenshot of ES2’s Oscillator 1, sine wave selected. The sample was created with
Logic’s Bounce function and is displayed in the Sample Editor. The sine wave shown is
in its basic oscillation form. It contains no harmonics. According to the theorem of Jean
Baptiste Fourier, all regular waveforms can be interpreted as the sum of sine oscillations
with defined frequency, amplitude, and phase position, with their frequencies being
“harmonic”—having integer frequency ratios, in other words.