Synth / plugin file

mo0kid wave

Dave Whiting (mo0kid) / Free (open source, GPL-3.0)

mo0kid wave is a free, open-source emulation of the 1993 Waldorf Wave that runs the original firmware on an emulated 68000 CPU, with 48 voices, for macOS.

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mo0kid wave emulates the 1993 Waldorf Wave at firmware level, running the original operating system and voice-board code on an emulated 68000 CPU, and it is free and open source.

Ideale per Waldorf devotees and vintage-digital synth enthusiasts who want the real Waldorf Wave running in their DAW, and who can supply the original firmware.

Pros

  • Firmware-level emulation, running the Wave's real OS and voice-board code
  • 48 voices across three modeled 16-voice cards, multi-threaded
  • Free and open source under the GPL-3.0 license
  • Standalone, AU, VST3, and AAX formats on macOS
  • Made by the developer behind the respected MD and MM emulator

Cons

  • You must legally supply your own Waldorf Wave firmware files
  • Early release (0.1.6), macOS only, not bit-perfect yet

Field notes

Panoramica

mo0kid wave is a free, open-source emulation of the Waldorf Wave, the German company's flagship hybrid wavetable synthesizer from 1993. Rather than approximate the Wave with modern DSP, it emulates the machine itself: an emulated 68000 CPU runs the original operating system, and a second runtime executes the genuine WDV voice-board program, modeling the ES2 oscillator ASIC and CEM3387 filters along the way.

It offers 48 voices across three modeled cards and builds as a standalone app and AU, VST3, and AAX plugins on macOS. It is developed by Dave Whiting, also behind the MD and MM emulator, and it requires you to supply the original Waldorf firmware. For the full breakdown, see the mo0kid wave first look.

Technical matrix

Specifiche

Type
Firmware-level emulation of the Waldorf Wave (hybrid wavetable)
Method
Emulated 68000 CPU running the original OS plus the WDV voice-board runtime
Modeled hardware
ES2 oscillator ASIC, CEM3387 filters, 480 by 64 display
Voices
48 (three 16-voice cards), multi-threaded rendering
License
GPL-3.0-or-later
Formats
Standalone, AU, VST3, AAX
System
macOS Ventura 13.0 or later (Apple Silicon and Intel)

Ultima verifica 2026-09-28

Quick reference

FAQ

Is mo0kid wave free?

Yes. It is free and open source under the GPL-3.0-or-later license. You must legally supply the original Waldorf Wave firmware files to run the full emulation.

Why does it need firmware files?

It is a firmware-level emulator that runs the Wave's actual operating system and voice-board code, which are copyrighted. The project ships only its own GPL code and a wavetable fallback, so you supply the Wave OS 1.700 files yourself.

What platforms does it support?

macOS Ventura 13.0 or later, universal for Apple Silicon and Intel, as a standalone app and AU, VST3, and AAX plugins.

Comparison matrix

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Adjacent signals

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