[5][6] Wavetable synthesis is fundamentally based on periodic reproduction of multiple arbitrary, single-cycle waveforms.
Digital interpolation between adjacent waveforms allows for dynamic and smooth changes of the timbre of the tone produced.
Sweeping the wavetable in either direction can be controlled in a number of ways, for example, by use of an LFO, envelope, pressure or velocity.
In this way, when the wavetable is swept, the duty cycle of the pulse wave will appear to change over time.
Such editors often required the use of extra hardware devices like the PPG Waveterm or were only present in expensive models like the Waldorf WAVE.
On Csound, it is called f-table (function table), and used for various purposes including: wavetable-lookup synthesis, waveshaping, MIDI note mapping, and storing ordered pitch-class sets.
The length of waveforms or samples may be varied by each sound synthesis method, from a single-cycle up to several minutes.
[25] As a result, the difficulty of maintaining consistency between concepts and terminology during rapid technological development is noteworthy.