Wavetable synthesis stores a series of single cycle waveforms in a table. The oscillator plays one at a time, and a control moves through the table, smoothly morphing the sound from one waveform to the next.
Modulating the position with an LFO or envelope creates evolving timbres. Wavetable oscillators are common in digital modules and software, and they can hold anything from simple shapes to samples of real instruments.
