0. Introduction

It does more than bend one waveform or move between waveforms: the aim is to let you design the movement itself. Its main features are:

• Six wavetable oscillators. Each oscillator holds four waves, Wave A to D, and can morph between them.
• Harmonic EQ and formant control. Raise or lower individual harmonics by number, or move the pitch while keeping the "mouth shape" of a voice.
• Wave Effects (16 types). Fold, Warp, SelfSync and more reshape the waveform itself.
• More sources. NOISE, STRING (a physical model of strings and winds), METAL (metallic sounds) and WAVE SEQ (a sequencer that switches between oscillators).
• Two multimode filters with 19 types, in series or in parallel.
• 26 effects that you can reorder and run in parallel.
• Arpeggiator and chord functions, with per-step values (velocity, length, ratchet, slide, accent and more) and 303 style knobs.
• AI SOUND. Describe a sound in words and your own AI (your API key, or a local LLM) builds the patch.

WAV3+CORE is donationware: every feature is free and there is no license key. If you like it, a donation is very welcome.

1. Extract the downloaded zip file.
2. Copy the WAV3PLUSCORE.vst3 folder, as a whole, to C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3 (click "Continue" if Windows asks for administrator permission).
3. Rescan plug-ins in your DAW.
4. Load "WAV3+CORE" (manufacturer W3PC Audio) as an instrument.

If your DAW does not find it: right-click the zip file → "Properties". If there is an "Unblock" checkbox near the bottom, tick it, click OK, then extract and copy again (this removes the mark Windows adds to files downloaded from the internet).

To uninstall, delete the folder C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\WAV3PLUSCORE.vst3. Your presets and settings (chapter 2) stay.

On the first start, Documents\WAV3PLUSCORE\Presets is created and the factory presets are written there (chapter 2).

Donations and contact

• Website: https://wav3pluscore.com
• Donate: https://ko-fi.com/wav3pluscore
• Contact: info@wav3pluscore.com

Click the WAV3+CORE logo in the header to see the version number and buttons for the website and Ko-fi.

When reporting a problem, please include your DAW, what you did and what happened, and a screenshot if possible.

1. Basics

The top of the window (the header) is the same on every page. From left to right:

The bottom of the window has an on-screen keyboard. Click a key to play it.

• The two wheels on the left are Pitch Bend (springs back to the centre) and Mod Wheel (CC#1; double-click to reset).
• Right-click a key to latch (hold) it. Right-click or click it again to release.
• The small buttons VEL / NOTE / AT at the right end of the keyboard are the Mod Matrix sources Velocity (how hard a key is played) / Note (pitch) / Aftertouch (1.6). Click or right-click one for the menu that assigns it to knobs (chapter 6). VIEW Hide hides them together with the keyboard.
• Light blue keys are the keys being pressed (playing). The range with a coloured band and chord names is the chord pad zone (chapter 8).
• Grey keys are notes outside the current scale while Lock (Scale Lock) on the ARP page is on. This is only a display: they still play as usual (with Keys on, they snap to the scale; chapter 8).

Display settings. They are stored on this computer and become the default for every instance (the zoom is also saved with each song). They are not part of presets, RESET or Undo.

• If a new version is available, a small UPDATE appears at the top right of the preset display (LCD). Click it to open the download page in your browser. Nothing is downloaded or installed automatically.
• If the check fails (offline, for example), nothing is shown.
• Turn off Updates on the VIEW page and no connection is made at all.

• Remember Page: when you close and reopen the window, it opens on the page you left. In Song (default) also saves the page with the song, so it opens there when you reload the project. This Session Only only restores it when you reopen the window (not saved with the song).
• Frame Rate: how many times per second moving displays (meters, LCDs, waveforms) are redrawn. 30 fps (default) or 60 fps (smoother, more drawing work).
• GPU Rendering (Direct2D): draws the window with the GPU on Windows (on by default). If the window flickers or turns black on your computer or DAW, turn it off to draw with the CPU instead.

Use Zoom in VIEW to set the window size from 50% to 150%. You can also drag the bottom-right corner of the window, or the edges and corners of the DAW's plug-in window.

• While you drag, the screen is shown as a stretched still picture (slightly soft). When you stop, it is redrawn sharply at the new size.
• The DAW's window can take any shape. The interface is scaled to the largest size that fits while keeping its proportions, centred, and the rest is filled with the panel colour.
• When you stop, if the window's shape does not match the interface, WAV3+CORE asks the DAW for a size that fits, following the direction you dragged (width or height). Some DAWs keep the window as it is. Sizes below 50% or above 150% are brought back into that range.
• Only while you drag the triangle at the bottom-right corner does the window keep its proportions.
• The zoom is saved with each song (project) and comes back when you reopen it. A new instance opens at the zoom you chose last.

There are two skins:

• Graphite: dark panel (used for the pictures in this manual)
• Snow: white panel

• Mod Matrix SOURCE / CONTROL / DESTINATION
• Destinations of the ARP MOD lanes
• FX CHAIN order and parallel (‖)
• FX In of each source
• OSC Trigger / Env (TRIGGER)
• Filter 2 Own ENV

This keeps the automation in your songs from shifting when more choices (destinations, effects…) are added in later versions.

The full parameter list is in the last chapter (chapter 14).

2. Presets

The BROWSE tab lists and searches the presets. When it opens you can type into the search field right away.

• ALL / FACTORY / USER: show all presets / only the factory presets / only your own presets.
• Search field: finds presets by name, category, genre, folder, and by tags made automatically from the sound (mono, arp, unison, reverb and so on). Words separated by spaces must all match (e.g. pad lofi). Upper and lower case are the same. The numbers on the right are "shown / total".
• Left list (categories): the number of presets in each category (for the current ALL / FACTORY / USER and search words). All shows every category.
• Right list (presets): the preset loaded now is highlighted with a mark on the left. The line below shows the folder and tags of the selected preset.
• Click / ↑↓: load that sound. The window stays open so you can compare.
• Double-click / Enter: load and close.
• The mouse wheel scrolls the lists.
• Esc, the × at the top right, or a click on the dark area outside the window closes it.
• ALL / FACTORY / USER, the category and the last tab are remembered for next time (a per-user setting on your computer, not saved in songs).

Enter saves, Esc closes.

• If you load one of your presets and save without changing the name, the file is overwritten.
• If you load a factory preset and save, the factory file is not overwritten; the sound is saved as a new user preset (USR, directly in the Presets folder) (v1.5).
• If a different file with the same name exists, you are asked before it is replaced.
• A sound made by AI SOUND is saved with the AI's name and category already filled in, into the AI folder (chapter 11).

Presets numbered after 256 use the newer features: arpeggiator lanes, the 303 knobs, OSC TRIGGER, FREE MOD, the Filter 2 envelope and the chord pads.

Where files are kept

• If your Documents folder has been moved (for example to OneDrive), the folder is created there.
• The factory presets are written from the plug-in to the Factory folder on the first start. After that they are ordinary files: you can overwrite, rename or delete them.
• Deleted factory presets do not come back by themselves. To restore all of them, use Restore Factory Presets... in the menu or Restore Factory... in BROWSE (your own presets are not touched).
• If the folder cannot be written (no permission, read-only, missing drive), the built-in factory presets still appear in the list and work. Only SAVE is unavailable.
• If writing stops halfway (for example the disk is full), only the presets written so far appear. Free some space and restart; the rest is written then.

3. Signal flow

Before the details, here is the overall picture of how sound travels through WAV3+CORE. Each part is explained from chapter 4 on.

Audio

1. Sources: nine of them: OSC1-6 (wavetable), NOISE, STRING and METAL. WAVE SEQ switches which of OSC1-6 plays (chapter 4).
2. Filters: for each source, the F1<>F2 knob sets how much goes to Filter 1 and Filter 2. With Bypass on, the source skips the filters.
   • On the FILTER page, F1 Out set to To Filter 2 puts the filters in series (Filter 1 → Filter 2); Output runs them in parallel.
   • Link makes Filter 2's cutoff follow Filter 1 (Offset shifts it in semitones).
3. AMP: the AMP envelope shapes the volume over time (chapter 6). Set Order on the FILTER page to Amp > Filter to put the AMP before the filters (v1.6, chapter 5).
4. FX CHAIN: 26 effects in any order; neighbours can run in parallel (chapter 7). Each source can choose where it enters the chain (FX In). Direct Out skips the effects.
5. FINAL EQ → MASTER → LIMITER: a 6-band EQ after all effects, the overall volume (MASTER) and the final limiter. To limit before the MASTER volume, use Pre Limiter inside the FX CHAIN (v1.5, chapter 7).

MIDI from the keys

Notes pass through the chord functions (CHORD) and the arpeggiator (ARP) before they reach the synth. With both off, the notes you play sound as they are. Chord/Arp Mode on the ARP page sets whether chords are passed to the arpeggiator (Chord -> Arp) or the two run separately (Independent) (chapter 8).

Modulation

All of them can move the parameters listed as Mod Matrix destinations. The easiest way is to right-click a knob and choose Modulate with (chapter 1).

4. OSC page

The OSC page is where the raw sound is made. Pick a source in SOURCES on the left and the right side shows its settings.

Fmt Shift / Fmt Track (formant lock) work on User / Add / Resynth waves (not on built-in waves). The reference pitch is the analysed original pitch for Resynth and C4 for User / Add; playing at that pitch sounds like the original.

There are also slots for your own waves:

When a Resynth wave is selected, the Wave B-D row turns into playback settings and Width / Round turn into Speed / Start / End.

Only the analysis is saved in songs and presets; the original WAV file is not.

Harm (in PHASE / ZONE) randomises the phase of each harmonic: the same harmonic levels, but a different wave shape and drive response.

The small screen at the bottom right shows the position and level of each voice as bars.

Tip for Mix: lowering Mix hollows out the centre voice and makes the detune stand out. For a normal thick unison, start around 50%.

What Shape means with a chord selected:

With Chord Off, Converge works exactly as in v1.1 (from the Range offsets back to the played note). Arp with Chord Off plays the detuned voices one at a time.

How voices are spread: the tones are filled from the lowest up, with the voices divided evenly (any remainder goes to the lower tones first). Voices on the same tone detune against each other (a tone with a single voice has no detune). For example 7 voices with Maj gives root x3, third x2, fifth x2.

Range: the basic chord (Maj = 0 / 4 / 7 semitones) always sounds. When Range is wider than that, the chord tones an octave up are added as far as Range allows (24 = up to two octaves; Scale keeps stacking thirds). At the default Range 7, Octave gives the root plus one octave up, and Maj gives just the basic chord.

The wavetable band is chosen from the highest chord tone, so stacking upwards does not alias.

Chord = Played (paraphonic): the unison voices are spread over the keys you are holding. While any oscillator is set to Played, the whole synth runs one voice only, however many keys you press, and the filter and envelopes are shared by the whole chord (like a vintage paraphonic synth).

• The first key starts the voice (that key is the root and sets the velocity).
• Adding keys adds their notes. With Retrigger on (POLYPHONY), each added key restarts the envelopes (pitch and velocity stay those of the first key); with it off, the envelopes do not restart (legato). Releasing a key redistributes the voices over the remaining keys. Even if you release the root key, only the keys still held sound.
• Releasing all keys starts the release (the last chord is kept during the release).
• Mono / voice count in POLYPHONY and Range are not used. Oscillators that are not set to Played play the root key only.
• Notes from the ARP, the chord pads and Chord Memory count as held keys, so a chord pad can play on a single voice.

With anything other than Key, the Env restarts on every hit while a key is held. Nothing sounds until the first hit. Mod Matrix routings that use the same Free ENV restart too, so you can use it for things like a kick's pitch drop.

5. FILTER page

From top to bottom the FILTER page shows SIGNAL FLOW (routing), the envelopes and the filters. The left column is Filter 1, the right column Filter 2.

• The bar under each SOURCES box shows how much of that source goes to Filter 1 and Filter 2 (F1<>F2). Clicking a box takes you to that source on the OSC page.
• F1 Out: Output = the two filters run in parallel. To Filter 2 = Filter 1 feeds Filter 2 (series).
• Order (under F1 Out): the order of the FILTER and the AMP (v1.6). Filter > Amp (default) = as before, the AMP (amp envelope and level) comes after the filters. Amp > Filter = the AMP comes first, then the filters. The Drive distortion follows the rise and fall of the amp envelope, and resonance ringing is not cut when the amp envelope ends after you release the key; it dies away by itself (if it never dies away, e.g. self-oscillation, it is faded out after at most 8 seconds). Clicking the AMP box in the picture also swaps the order. Not automatable.
• Link: Filter 2's cutoff follows Filter 1's cutoff.
• Offset: with Link on, how many semitones Filter 2's cutoff is shifted from Filter 1.

How far the envelope moves the cutoff is set with ENV→Cutoff in the filter section.

Own ENV (right of the Filter 2 title): on = Filter 2 uses its own envelope. Off = it shares Filter 1's envelope (the own envelope is shown dimmed). The first time you turn it on, Filter 1's envelope values are copied. The Filter 2 envelope is also available as the Mod Matrix source ENV Filter 2.

Filter 1's envelope is the same as the FILTER tab on the MOD page (editing either changes both).

Filter types

With Formant / Vowel selected, a Voice slider appears in place of Stages. It sets the voice size (left = child, about 1/4 = woman, middle = man, right = large).

6. MOD page

The MOD page holds everything that adds movement: envelopes, LFOs, the Mod Matrix and macros.

The controls are Delay / Attack / Hold / Decay / Sustain / Release (DAHDSR) plus a Curve for Attack / Decay / Release. The AMP tab also has Level right of Sustain (the volume of each voice, 0-100%, default 100% = the sound as before; 1.6). The Mod Matrix destination Voice Level is added to this knob. Turn on Sync for a stage to set its time in note values (1/4 etc.). An Attack turned fully left rises in 0.1 ms (with 0.1ms Attack On on the GLOBAL page; 1 ms when Off). Whether a retriggered note restarts from zero or continues from the current level is set with Env Start on the GLOBAL page (chapter 9). You can also edit on the screen:

• Drag a point horizontally to change that stage's time (Delay / Attack / Hold / Decay / Release).
• Drag the Sustain point vertically to change the Sustain level.
• Drag a line (Attack / Decay / Release) up or down to change that segment's curve (pull up to bulge upward).
• Synced stages do not move horizontally, because their time is set by the note value.

With Sync on, the time axis is in beats, you can pick the length (1/16 to 8 Bars) and points snap to the beat grid (hold Shift to move freely). Without Sync, hold Shift to snap to the grid.

With Custom you can draw one LFO cycle on the screen.

• Double-click an empty spot to add a point; double-click a point to delete it.
• Drag a point to move it; drag a line up or down to change its curve.
• Two points at the same position make a jump (a square-wave-like step).
• Right-click for Load Shape (Triangle / Sine / Saw Down / Ramp Up / Square / Pulse 1/4 / Steps / Decay), Grid (snap), Flip Vertical and Reverse (Mirror).

Slots 21-40 were added in 1.6. Songs and presets from 1.5 and earlier load with slots 21-40 all Off (the sound does not change). AI SOUND can use all slots 1-40 when PARAMS is Full or higher (chapter 11).

Choosing a CURVE: for sources that go from 0 to 1 (envelopes, Velocity, Mod Wheel, Aftertouch, Macros), use Uni-Linear +: nothing moves at 0, and the destination moves by up to Range. With BI-LINEAR the destination stays shifted by −Range while the source is 0 (on pitch, the note stays out of tune). Sources that swing up and down, such as LFOs, stay on Bi-Linear + and move ±Range around the knob value.

The ◀ ▶ that appear at the edges of a drop-down while hovering, and the mouse wheel over it, step to the previous / next item. The SOURCE and CONTROL menus are grouped by type (LFO ▸, ENV ▸, MIDI ▸ …).

The DESTINATION picker (1.6): there are more than 380 destinations, so a click on DESTINATION opens a small window with a search field next to the row instead of a long menu.

• Left = the groups (OSC 1–6, OSC 1-6 (All), LFO, Filter 1 / 2, Noise, String, Metal, ENV, Voice, FX, Master, in the same order as the old menu). Right = the items of the selected group.
• You can type into the search field right away (e.g. cut, osc 2 pitch, delay). It searches all groups and shows the group name next to each hit. While the search field is empty, ← → switch groups.
• The current destination is filled and marked on the left. Destinations that other slots already use get a small dot and the slot numbers (#2 #5); their groups get a dot too.
• Click an item, or select it with ↑↓ and press Enter (or OK), to set it and close the window. The Off button clears the destination.
• Esc, ×, Cancel or a click outside the window change nothing. Undo takes one step back, the same as choosing from the menu.

• Destinations: the LFO Rate of OSC 1–6 (also OSC1-6 LFO Rate (All)), the Rate of Chorus / Hyper / Flanger / Phaser / Pan, Delay 1–3 Time, Reverb / Reverb 2 Decay and the FX Filter LFO Rate.
• With Sync off (Hz or ms knobs) the knob moves as before, whatever is chosen here.
• With Step on an envelope Attack / Decay / Release, the length is decided when the stage starts and does not change during the stage (a change made mid-stage applies from the next stage, so there is no click). The LFO Delay is decided when the key is pressed and the Fade when the fade starts; both stay for the rest of the note. Smooth changes them smoothly at any time, as before. When a Free ENV uses a Custom shape, which has no note lengths, Step works as the same multiplier as Smooth.
• On a Delay, Step switches with a short crossfade (20 ms), so there is no click (Smooth glides like the Time knob, so the pitch bends).
• LFOs that follow the song position (LFO Mode Host, Pan, the FX Filter LFO) stay on the bar with Step; Smooth drifts off the beat.
• For these LFOs, Step: Instant (right of Division, per LFO; 1.6) sets what happens when the division changes, whether by a Mod Matrix Step, the Division knob or automation. Off (Wait, default) keeps the old division until a point where both cycles start on the bar grid, so the movement joins smoothly. On (Instant) switches at once; the phase is recalculated from the song position, so it may jump, but this is the one for wobble basses where the switch itself makes the rhythm ("faster from this beat"). Songs and presets from before 1.6 (and factory 001–340) load with Instant, so they switch at once as before.

Songs and presets from before 1.6 load with every Sync set to Smooth. OSC LFO Rates sound as before. FX Rates / Times used to ignore the Mod Matrix while Sync was on; songs with such a slot start moving (as Smooth) in 1.6.

Since 1.6 the other sources shown on screen have the same menu:

A right-click on the keys themselves still latches (holds) that key as before (Velocity / Note / Aftertouch are on the three buttons to the right).

The LFO tab menu continues with copy / paste / swap / reset for the LFO.

• Shift+click a per-OSC knob (Level, Pan, Pitch, Unison, Wt-Pos, LFO→Pitch …) to connect it to the OSC1-6 (All) destination instead of only that knob's OSC (e.g. OSC1-6 Level (All)). A plain click always uses only that knob's OSC (it works even when an All slot already exists).
• In a knob's right-click Modulate with, Apply to chooses This OSC (the knob's OSC) or All OSCs (OSC1-6 together); it is remembered until the window is closed. Knobs without an All destination do not show it.
• The points in the PARAMETRIC EQ graph on the FX page are destinations too. Right-click a point and choose Freq / Gain / Q to get that band knob's right-click menu (Modulate with etc.). In assign mode the points light up as well; click a point and choose Freq / Gain / Q to connect it (clicking the band's Freq / Gain / Q knob does the same).
• Since 1.6 every Mod Matrix destination can be made with a knob's (or EQ point's) right-click and the assign mode (new knobs: OSC Pitch, LFO LFO→Pitch, AMP Level; GLOBAL Analog and the EQ knobs are now connected).

A slot with 0% amount (connected, but not changing the sound yet) is shown as a thin dashed cable and a dashed ring around the knob. When all cables are shown, labels appear only on the cable near the mouse so that many cables stay readable. "Cables of the current page" are those with at least one end visible on that page (cables with both ends on other pages are not shown).

MOD LIST (header button, right-click on a macro knob, or right-click on an LFO / ENV tab) is a window with one row per Mod Matrix slot in use (SOURCE and DESTINATION both not Off), in slot order. It scrolls when there are many rows.

Hovering a row shows that slot's cable even when CABLES is off. Slots whose ON is off are shown dimmed. Drag the title to move the window; × at the top right closes it.

7. FX page

• Click a row to show that effect's panel on the right (the rack scrolls to it, see below).
• The dot at the left of a row turns the effect on or off.
• Drag a row to change the order.
• (v1.6) On on top, off below: the effects that are on are listed first, in the order the sound passes through them. Below a thin OFF line come the effects that are off (dimmed, in their chain order). Turning an effect on moves it to the end of the on group (the last effect before FINAL EQ); turning it off moves it to the top of the off group. Dragging an off effect up into the on group turns it on at that place; dragging an on effect below the OFF line turns it off. Off effects pass no sound, so this regrouping never changes the sound. The number at the left of a row is its position in the chain (the same number as "From #N" in an oscillator's FX In; sources that enter the chain in the middle are moved along so that they still pass the same effects).
• (v1.6) Opening an older song or preset does not reorder anything. If its chain mixes on and off effects, the list only shows them grouped; the stored order changes the first time you turn an effect on or off or drag a row.
• (v1.6) The list is 25 rows tall and scrolls when there are more rows (mouse wheel, or the slim bar at the right edge). While dragging a row, move it near the top or bottom edge of the list to scroll automatically. When an effect is selected from somewhere else, the list scrolls so that its row is visible. The FINAL EQ / MASTER / LIMITER box at the bottom does not scroll.
• "‖" at the right of a row puts that effect in parallel with the one above it. Parallel effects receive the same signal and their outputs are added (the dry signal is mixed in only once). (v1.6) A parallel block moves as one: dragging any of its rows, or turning it on or off, moves the whole block. A block counts as on while at least one of its effects is on. The first row of the off group has no "‖" (on and off effects are not joined).
• The % at the right end of a row is an estimate of that effect's CPU use. The title shows the load of the whole synth and of all effects.
• The box at the bottom is the fixed final stage after all effects (it cannot be moved). From top to bottom it follows the signal: FINAL EQ → MASTER (volume) → LIMITER (v1.5). Click a row to show its panel, and use the dot to turn it on or off.

• Scroll with the mouse wheel or the slim bar at the right edge.
• Click a row in the FX CHAIN and the rack scrolls to that panel, which lights up briefly. If the effect is off, its panel appears dimmed at its place in the chain, so you can look at it and switch it on. It goes away when you select another effect; if you turn it on, it stays as a normal panel.
• Each panel has an on/off dot at the right of its title. It works like the dot in the list (turning on moves the effect to the end of the on group).
• Mouse wheel over knobs: once the rack is scrolling, knobs and drop-down lists under the mouse are not changed for about 0.5 seconds after the last wheel movement, so you can scroll past them. After you have stopped for 0.5 seconds, the wheel over a knob or drop-down changes it as usual.
• Jumping to an FX knob (clicking a destination in MOD LIST, the Mod Matrix, a cable) opens the FX page and scrolls the rack to that knob. Modulation cables to a knob that is scrolled out of view point to a tag at the top or bottom edge of the rack (for example "▲ DELAY 1"); cables to an effect that is off and not in the rack point to its row in the FX CHAIN.

Effects that are off use almost no CPU. Most effects have a Mix control (blend with the dry sound).

Heavy effects: Conv Reverb, Key Bloom and Multiband use a lot of CPU. If things get heavy, use fewer effects or lower Quality (Live) or FX Quality in GLOBAL (SOURCES on the OSC page).

Drag the numbered points on the screen to change frequency and gain. Below, choose each band's type (Off / Low Pass / Band Pass / High Pass / Notch / Low Shelf / Peaking / High Shelf), slope (−12 / −24 / −48 dB/oct) and on/off.

The EQ panel shows the EQ inside the FX CHAIN (CHAIN EQ). (v1.6) Like the other effects, the EQ has an on/off switch (the dot in the FX CHAIN row and at the right of its panel title); when it is off, the sound passes the EQ unchanged. Each band's own On works as before. Songs and presets made before v1.6 open with the EQ on. The FINAL EQ at the end has its own panel in the END section of the rack; click the FINAL EQ row at the bottom of the FX CHAIN to go there (v1.6).

On the screen, click a step to turn it on/off and drag up/down to change its level. Right-click for patterns (Default / All On / Clear / 1/8 Pulse / Offbeat / Invert / Random). The step pattern is saved with the sound.

The Mod Matrix has the destinations FX Filter Cutoff / Resonance / Drive / Morph / Mix / LFO Rate / LFO Depth / ENV Amount / Input (FX ▸ Filter).

FINAL EQ / LIMITER

8. ARP page

The ARP page brings together the chord functions (CHORD) and the arpeggiator (ARP) that process the notes you play.

With Lock on, while a chord is sounding from the chord pads or Chord Memory, a scale that fits that chord is used instead (for both the arpeggiator snapping and the greyed-out keys). If all of the chord's notes are in the Key / Scale, nothing changes. If not (a borrowed chord, for example), it uses the scale starting on the chord's root that contains all of its notes and shares the most notes with the song's scale (for example, E in A minor → E Phrygian Dominant, B♭ in C major → B♭ Lydian). When you release the chord, it goes back to the Key / Scale.

Turn on Keys (with Lock on) and the notes you play on the keyboard that do not go through the pads, Chord Memory or the arpeggiator also snap to the current scale (to the chord's scale while a pad is held). Notes outside the scale move to the nearest scale note (down when equally close). Off by default.

There are 33 scales: the basics (Major, Minor, Dorian…) plus Japanese (In), Hirajoshi, Ryukyu, Pelog, Iwato, Kumoi, Epic, Romantic and more. The list is in the appendix.

When a scale is selected (and Lock is on), the arpeggiator's notes (after the OCT / PITCH lanes) snap to it. Notes shifted up snap up, notes shifted down snap down, and unshifted notes go to the nearest scale note. Notes you play with the arpeggiator off sound as played (greyed-out keys still play).

1. Choose a slot with Slot.
2. Press LEARN CHORD, then play the chord on the keyboard.
3. Turn Memory on: one key now plays that chord.

The stored chord appears on the MEMORY tab of the CHORD MEMORY screen on the right.

Turn on Legato Chords (right of Slot) and pressing another key stops the previous key's chord and replaces it with the new one (notes that belong to both chords keep ringing). Releasing the key whose chord was replaced does not stop the chord that is sounding. Off (the default): chords stack until each key is released. The chord pads always replace the previous chord, whatever this switch is set to.

• Pressing the next pad stops the previous chord (shared notes are not restarted).
• The PADS tab of the CHORD MEMORY screen shows the chords on the 12 pads. Click to audition, right-click to choose a different chord (Auto / Scale Chords / 20 types per root / Reset All). Re-chosen chords are stored as semitones from the key, so they transpose when you change Key.

• Click / drag to draw. Right-click for the menu (Steps 1-32 / Reset / Randomize / Shift / Copy Steps 1-4 to All / Reset All).
• Each lane can have its own length (1-32). Lanes of different lengths drift against each other (polymeter).
• STEPS ON/OFF at the top right turns all lanes off. When off, the lanes have no effect (the sound is the same as the defaults) and only NOTES is shown.
• Lane values are saved with the sound.

Set Filter 1 to Diode or Ladder and turn on Mono in GLOBAL (SOURCES on the OSC page) for a classic 303 sound.

1. Choose a slot with Slot.
2. LOAD MIDI FILE loads a MIDI file (.mid).
3. CLEAR empties the slot.

The pattern is transposed so that the lowest note in the MIDI file lands on the lowest key you hold. Patterns are saved with the sound.

9. GLOBAL

GLOBAL opens on the right of the OSC page when you click GLOBAL at the bottom of SOURCES (below the divider; since 1.6, before it was the GLOBAL page). MIDI MONITOR and CUT GROUP moved to MIDI (chapter 10). GLOBAL holds settings for the whole sound and the tools for making your own waves (import, additive and resynthesis).

• Norm = always glides. Fing = glides only when you play the next key while still holding the previous one (legato).
• Fix = the same time whatever the interval. Var = longer for larger intervals.

The screen shows harmonics 1-128; drag with the mouse to draw.

The screen on the right shows how harmonics 1-64 and the level change over time.

When you use a recording, please make sure you have the right to use it.

10. MIDI

MIDI opens on the right of the OSC page when you click MIDI at the bottom of SOURCES (since 1.6, before it was the MIDI page). It holds MIDI LEARN, EXTERNAL INPUT, MIDI MONITOR (shows incoming MIDI) and CUT GROUP (moved from chapter 9). MIDI LEARN assigns the knobs and faders (CCs) of your MIDI controller to WAV3+CORE's knobs (MIDI Learn).

How to use it: in the Mod Matrix on the MOD page, set SOURCE to External, DESTINATION to e.g. Filter1 Cutoff, CURVE to Uni-Linear + and set the RANGE.

• How to connect a sidechain depends on the DAW (some DAWs do not support sidechain inputs on instruments).
• Not available in FL Studio. FL Studio does not pass audio input to instrument plugins (not even through Patcher). The same applies to External in the SIDECHAIN effect.
• While nothing is connected External is 0, so existing songs sound the same as before.
• While no voice is sounding, External cannot move FX knobs (the voices carry the value, like Macros).

With Cut and Cut By set to the same number, an instance stops its own previous note (choke). It does not work if the DAW runs the plug-in in a separate process (bridged).

11. AI SOUND

AI SOUND lets you describe a sound in words; an AI then chooses the parameters and builds the patch. It can also make arpeggiator steps, chord progressions and MIDI phrases.

No AI is built into WAV3+CORE. You connect it to your own AI: a cloud AI used with your own API key, or a local LLM running on your computer (BYOK = Bring Your Own Key).

AI SOUND is a tab of the preset window: click the preset display (LCD) in the header and choose AI SOUND (or use AI Sound... in the LCD right-click menu, chapter 2). If you used the AI SOUND tab last time, the next click on the LCD opens it again. Esc, the × at the top right, or a click on the dark area outside closes the window. While the AI is working, a click outside or on another tab does not close it (use Stop, or Esc / × to stop and close).

• The text of your request.
• A description of WAV3+CORE and the list of parameters the AI may change (the range is set with PARAMS).
• The values of the current sound's parameters (only those that differ from the defaults).
• With Listen & refine on, the results of measuring the sound (numbers such as brightness and length; no audio is sent).

Depending on the provider, sent data may be stored or used to improve their services. Please check each provider's terms.

SAVE SETTINGS saves them.

• The API key is stored encrypted, readable only by your Windows user, in %APPDATA%\WAV3PLUSCORE. It is never written into presets or project files.
• The key is never sent over http:// (unencrypted) to anything other than your own computer (you get an error). Use https:// for cloud AIs.
• Never show your API key to anyone or paste it into chats or social media.

Screens, names, free-tier terms and model names of these services can change. This section reflects October 2026.

1. Open Google AI Studio (https://aistudio.google.com) in your browser and sign in with your Google account. Accept the terms the first time.
2. Click Get API key at the bottom left, then Create API key.
3. Copy the new key.

1. Click the preset display (LCD) and open the AI SOUND tab.
2. Choose Google Gemini under PROVIDER (the API URL is filled in).
3. Enter gemini-3.8-flash under MODEL. Adding a backup after a comma helps when the first is busy (e.g. gemini-3.8-flash, gemini-3.6-flash).
4. Paste the key under API KEY.
5. Click SAVE SETTINGS. PARAMS can stay at Auto (Full for cloud AIs).
6. Describe a sound in the box at the top and click GENERATE (e.g. bright supersaw trance lead).

About the free tier

• The free tier needs no card. Requests per minute and per day are limited; see the limits in AI Studio.
• Content sent on the free tier may be used to improve Google's products (per Google's pricing page). If that matters to you, use the paid tier (set up Billing) or a local LLM.
• If you get "503" or similar busy errors, wait a little or add a backup model in MODEL.

1. Prepare LM Studio

1. Download and install LM Studio from https://lmstudio.ai.
2. Find and download a model on the Discover screen. Start with a small one (e.g. Gemma 4 E4B = google/gemma-4-e4b) that fits in your computer's memory (VRAM).
3. Open the Developer screen (Local Server in older versions), load the model and start the server. Keep the default port 1234.
4. In the load settings, set Context Length (how much the AI can read at once) to about 16384. If it is too short you get "The AI ran out of room…".
5. For models with a thinking / reasoning feature, turning it off makes them more reliable.

1. Choose LM Studio (local) under PROVIDER (the API URL becomes http://localhost:1234/v1).
2. Enter the model identifier exactly as LM Studio shows it under MODEL (e.g. google/gemma-4-e4b). Copy and paste it to avoid typos.
3. Leave API KEY empty.
4. Click SAVE SETTINGS. Leaving PARAMS at Auto (Basic for local models) is recommended.
5. With the LM Studio server running, click GENERATE.

If it does not work

• "Set the model id.": MODEL is empty.
• "HTTP 400", "HTTP 404" and so on: check that MODEL matches the identifier shown in LM Studio, and that the model is loaded and the server is running.
• "The AI ran out of room…": increase Context Length.
• No reply / very slow: the model may be too large. Use a smaller model, or set PARAMS to Basic.

MIDI files made by the AI are saved in Documents\WAV3PLUSCORE\MIDI\AI. The MIDI FOLDER button (shown for Chord Progression / MIDI Pattern) opens the folder so you can drag the files into your DAW.

The AI is instructed not to copy existing songs.

• The AI draws a single-cycle wave by listing harmonic strengths. More harmonics give more detailed, brighter waves, but a longer reply that uses more tokens (cost).
• Up to 4 waves per reply, placed in Wave A-D of the oscillators (OSC1-6 when PARAMS is Full or above, otherwise OSC1-4).
• Each wave is stored, with a name, in an Add slot of ADDITIVE OSCILLATORS (chapter 9). Empty Add slots are used first; when none are free, a slot is overwritten.
• When a built-in wave is good enough, the AI picks it instead of drawing one.
• UNDO goes back to the sound before the AI changed it, drawn waves included.

• It can draw the LFOs whose shape PARAMS lets it choose: the OSC LFOs (OSC1-6 at Full and above, otherwise OSC1-4) and, from Standard, the Shape of Chorus / Flanger / Phaser / Hyper.
• The AI draws one cycle as points (position, height and the bend to the next point). The LFO it draws is set to Custom, and the shape is saved with the preset.
• When a built-in shape is enough, the AI picks it instead of drawing.
• If the points are unusable (too few, or flat with no movement), a sine-like shape is used.
• UNDO goes back to the sound before the AI changed it, drawn shapes included.

• For the measurement the arpeggiator and chord functions are switched off; C3 is held for 1.5 s, then a C major chord at C4 for 1.5 s.
• "Listened and checked: the AI is happy…" in the status line means the AI accepted the sound.
• It uses more requests, so it uses more tokens (cost).

More parameters make it easier for the AI to get lost, so Auto (Full) is recommended for everyday use. Choose Everything when Full is not enough.

Whatever the range:

• The MASTER volume is never raised above its current value. The FX LIMITER is always switched on (Ceiling −1 dB or lower). Separately, the last-stage safety limiter that protects ears and speakers (SAFE, chapter 1) is always active.
• When the AI does not set a mod matrix CURVE, it is chosen from the source (Uni-Linear + for envelopes, Velocity, Macros and so on; Bi-Linear + for LFOs and the like; chapter 6).
• A mod matrix slot the AI creates (in an empty slot, or by giving a slot a new source or destination) gets the same default Sync as ASSIGN (Step (All); chapter 6) unless the AI sets one. Slots where the AI only adjusts Range and the like, and slots it leaves alone, keep their Sync.
• Empty (reserved) choices and choices that load your own files (Conv Reverb's User File, Simulator's User IR) are never chosen.
• Every value the AI writes is checked first: numbers outside the range are clamped to the range, and unknown choice names or unreadable values are ignored (that control keeps its current value).

Tokens 21,505 in (88% cached) / 1,056 out · Session 85,038 / 1,402

Prices depend on the provider and model. Please check their price lists.

Troubleshooting

A log of the communication is kept in %APPDATA%\WAV3PLUSCORE\AI.log (plain text; the API key and anything after "?" in URLs are not written). It helps when something goes wrong.

12. Sound design examples

Here are three walk-throughs that start from the initial state. The numbers are only starting points; adjust them by ear.

To return to the initial state: press ALL in the header. Every parameter goes back to its default (only OSC1's Saw is playing).

1. Press ALL to start from the initial state.
2. On the OSC page, select OSC1 (Saw) and turn on Unison in UNISON.
   • Start with Voices 9, Detune around 30 ct, Spread 80%, Mix 50%.
3. In SOURCES, turn on OSC2, set Wave A to Saw and PITCH Oct to +1. Set its OUTPUT Level to about 0.5.
4. On the FILTER page, check that Filter 1's Type is Lowpass 24dB and lower Cutoff a little (around 6-8 kHz).
5. In the AMP envelope on the MOD page, set Release to about 0.4 s.
6. On the FX page, turn on Delay 1, turn on Sync, set the time to 1/8. (dotted eighth) and Mix to about 20%.
7. Turn on Reverb with Mix at 20-25%.

For more width, add Hyper or Dimension in the FX. If the centre feels thin, raise the UNISON Mix.

1. Press ALL to start from the initial state.
2. In GLOBAL (SOURCES on the OSC page), turn on Mono in POLYPHONY / MONO.
3. On the FILTER page, set Filter 1's Type to Diode.
4. On the ARP page, turn on ARP On in SIGNAL FLOW.
   • Pattern Up, Sync on, Division 1/16, Octaves 1.
5. In ARP PATTERN on the right, click a few steps in the ACC lane for accents, and add two or three steps in the SLIDE lane.
6. Move the 303 knobs at the bottom:
   • Cutoff around 300 Hz, Resonance high, Env Mod 50%, Decay 0.2 s, Accent about 80%.
   • Add a little grit with Drive.
7. Hold a low key (around C2) and the phrase keeps playing.

For a fatter sound, add Distortion (Tube, for example) or Saturator in the FX.

1. Press ALL to start from the initial state.
2. In WAVETABLE on the OSC page, set Wave A to Saw, Wave B to Vox A, Wave C to Choir Ah and Wave D to Organ (any waves you like will do).
3. Turn on UNISON with Voices 5 and Detune around 15 ct.
4. In the AMP envelope on the MOD page, set Attack to about 1 s and Release to about 2 s.
5. On the LFO 1 tab, slow the Rate down to about 0.1-0.2 Hz.
6. Right-click the OSC1 Wt-Pos knob and choose Modulate with ▸ LFO ▸ LFO1. LFO1 → OSC1 Wt-Position goes into the Mod Matrix; set its Range to about 50%.
7. On the FX page, turn on Reverb 2 or Conv Reverb (Hall) with Mix around 35%.

For more movement, add the Harmonic EQ or Wave Effects on the SHAPE tab and vary how much they apply per frame with Shape Amt A-D.

1. Describe the sound you want in AI SOUND (e.g. dark, slowly evolving pad).
2. If you like it, save it with SAVE PRESET.
3. Add movement with Modulate with from the knob menus, swap effects and so on.
4. When you are done, save again with SAVE in the header.

13. Appendix

Key Bloom (FX) has its own list: Major / Minor / Harmonic Minor / Melodic Minor / Dorian / Phrygian / Lydian / Mixolydian / Locrian / Major Penta / Minor Penta / Blues / Whole Tone / Chromatic

• Per OSC: Pitch / Level / Pan / Uni Detune / Uni Spread / Uni Mix / Filter Blend / Link1 and Link2 Amt / Wt-Position / Intensity and more
• OSC1-6 together (All): Pitch / Level / Pan / Uni Detune / Uni Spread / Uni Mix / Filter Blend
• LFO: LFO > Pitch Amt / LFO > Cutoff Amt (1-6, and all together)
• Filters: Cutoff / Reso / ENV Amt / Drive / Pan / Morph
• Envelopes: times and Sustain
• EQ1-6: Freq / Gain / Q
• Effect controls, NOISE / STRING / METAL, Voice Level

Troubleshooting

File locations

Terms of use and disclaimer

• Using your sounds: sounds made with WAV3+CORE and its factory presets may be used freely in your music and other works, commercial or not. No credit or notice is required.
• Redistribution: please do not redistribute or sell WAV3+CORE itself without permission. It is distributed only through the official website (wav3pluscore.com).
• AI SOUND: the AI services used with AI SOUND (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others) are subject to their own terms of use and pricing.
• Disclaimer: WAV3+CORE is provided as is. W3PC Audio accepts no liability for any damage arising from its use.

Watch your volume WAV3+CORE gives you a lot of freedom, so some settings can produce very loud sounds, strong bass, frequencies too high or too low to hear, or strong resonance. These can damage speakers, amplifiers, headphones, audio interfaces and other equipment, and your hearing. Start sound design at a low volume. Keeping the final LIMITER (chapter 7) on is recommended.

Licenses and credits

• WAV3+CORE © W3PC Audio
• Made with JUCE.
• VST is a registered trademark of Steinberg Media Technologies GmbH.
• Other company and product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.

Version history

14. Parameter list