Waldorf Nave - Manual (Page 58)

Sound Synthesis Basics
Nave User Manual 58
The Pulse Wave
The Pulse wave is the most versatile wave in a classic
synthesizer because its shape and therefore its harmonic
content can be changed in real time. This is done by
changing the width of the upper and lower portion of the
waveform cycle. These portions are called pulses, hence
the name pulse width. The width of the first pulse is used
to distinguish between different pulse waves and it is
measured in percent. The following picture shows sever-
al pulse waves with different pulse widths:
Additive components of Pulse wave with different pulse
widths
The first fact you can probably observe is that the lower
part of the wave has a narrower excursion. This is becau-
se the energy of the wider pulse is higher than the one of
the narrower pulse. If this were not compensated, the
overall signal would have an unwanted DC offset.
As you have read in the previous chapter, the harmonic
content of a 50% pulse wave is a special case. It has a
very symmetrical harmonic content, while all other pulse
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
1 3 5 7 9 11 13 15
50% Pulse
(Square Wave)
25% Pulse
<1% Pulse
(Impulse)
33% Pulse