Noise
Oscillator waveform · noise
Random samples — no pitch, no fundamental, no periodicity. White noise contains energy at every frequency in roughly equal proportions, which sounds like hiss or rushing air. Used briefly at the front of a note, noise simulates breath on flute-like patches or the click of a percussion attack; held longer, it becomes wind, surf, or the noise component of a snare. Noise is also useful as a modulation source — random sample-and-hold values driving filter cutoff or pitch create skittering, glitchy textures.
▸Typical uses
- Breath layer at the start of flute and pad notes
- Snare body and percussion attacks
- Wind, surf, and ambience textures
- Sample-and-hold modulation source
▸In the curriculum
Lessons that explicitly use, or naturally lean on, the noise waveform:
▸Other waveforms
Compare noise against the other oscillator shapes:
Hear noise alone, then watch the filter eat its harmonics. The PatchPond studio loads any oscillator waveform with one click.
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