Supersaw

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The supersaw is a special waveform originally created by Roland on their JP-8000 and JP-8080 line of analog modeling synthesizer, though it has made its way onto other synthesizers from Roland. The idea behind the supersaw is to emulate the sound of more than one sawtooth oscillator using just one oscillator. The waveform is described as a freerun oscillator and its shape is produced from 7 sawtooth oscillators detuned against each other over a period of time. This creates the known chorus effect, which can be thought of as 7 singers who are singing slightly out of tune. The reason the supersaw sounds thick is that each of the 7 oscillators are exactly the same shape, which creates a much clearer representation of the chorus effect. Also the filter on the JP-8000/8080 is particularly suitable to be used on this type of sounds.

It has been suggested that this section be split into a new article entitled Phase desync. (Discuss)

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The actual process that goes into the supersaw effect is known as phase desync. Phase desync is a synthesis technique used to achieve a chorus sound. It can be done by using a carrier wave, for example a saw oscillator and modulating its signal using a comb filter - usually modulated with an LFO. The LFO's depth (or amplitude) is equal to the saw oscillator's current frequency. It can also be done by using a copied signal ran through a delay. The delay's time is modulated again by an LFO with the LFO's depth being equal to the saw oscillator's current frequency. Most of the time though, the effect is achieved by taking two saw oscillators and detuning one away from the other's current frequency. What produces the effect is the sum of the two desynced waves.

All this results in the effect that there is more than one oscillator, and creates that shimmering and inconstant tone. The supersaw has gained much popularity in electronic dance music, and specifically trance music.

Since Roland stopped manufacturing the JP-8000, several software supersaw emulators have been developed, like Superwave P8. In 2005 Access Music released their new TI-line of synthesizers which feature the oscillator Hypersaw, consisting a maximum of 9 detuned sawtooths with optional sub oscillators (square waves an octave down). In 2006 Roland released the SH-201. This synthesizer also incorporates the Supersaw algorithm.