Doepfer A-110 Standard VCO - Manual (Page 4)

A-110 VCO System A - 100 doepfer
4
A symmetrical Pulse wave (i.e. an exact square
wave, with a pulse width of 50 %), has only odd
harmonics of its fundamental (see Fig. 3) and produ-
ces a typically hollow sound.
Fig. 3: Harmonic spectrum of a true square wave
The further the pulse width deviates from 50% (see
Fig. 2, b and c), the weaker the lower harmonics
become, and the more the sound gets thin and nasal.
Square waves are often used as a sound source in
subtractive (filtered) synthesis, because of their rich
overtones, and are good at producing woodwind-like
timbres.
Triangle wave
A triangle wave (VCO Output () is poor in upper
harmonics, and sounds softer and more mellow. It only
contains odd harmonics, whose strength decreases
exponentially - the third harmonic is a ninth as strong,
the fifth 1/25, and so on.
Fig. 4: Harmonic spectrum of a triangle wave
Because of their soft, rounded timbre, triangle waves
are ideal for synthesizing timbres like flute, organ and
vibes.
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