Harmonics
Stacks multiple sine waves at harmonic intervals — like how musical instruments create rich tones from overtones. The result is complex, layered surface patterns that go beyond simple sine waves.
A single sine wave produces smooth, uniform ripples. Adding harmonics layers in waves at 2x, 3x, 4x (and so on) the base frequency, creating interference patterns that range from coral-like organic textures to sharp, complex waveforms.
Parameters
Amplitude- Peak displacement in mm (0–20). Controls the overall strength of the combined wave stack.
Frequency- Base wave frequency around the circumference (1–30). This is the fundamental — all harmonics are multiples of this value.
Harmonics- Number of overtone layers added on top of the fundamental (1–8). Each harmonic has decreasing amplitude, like natural resonance.
Detune- Spreads harmonic frequencies slightly away from perfect integer multiples (0–1). At 0, harmonics are perfectly tuned. Higher values create a richer, more chaotic pattern.
Phase- Phase offset in radians (0–2\u03C0). Rotates the pattern around the circumference.
How It Works
The effect computes a sum of sine waves at the base frequency and its integer multiples (2nd, 3rd, 4th harmonic, etc.). Each successive harmonic has a smaller amplitude, following a natural decay curve. The Detune parameter offsets each harmonic frequency by a small amount, breaking the perfect alignment and creating more complex interference patterns.
This is the same principle behind audio synthesis — a sawtooth wave, for example, is the sum of all harmonics. By controlling how many harmonics you include and how they are detuned, you can sculpt the waveform from simple to highly complex.