How to Make the Quadwave Sound Good (and Feel Fun to Play)

If you’ve just unboxed your Misa Quadwave, plugged it into your synth, and started playing, you might be underwhelmed. Maybe you're triggering a pure triangle wave from your default synth patch - technically it's working, but musically... it’s missing something.

That’s totally normal.

The Quadwave isn’t a “plug it in and magic happens” kind of device. It’s a MIDI controller. That means it’s as expressive and musical as you make it. The good news? With just a few smart tweaks, you can go from “meh” to “magic” - and it all comes down to configuring your synth settings and harnessing the Quadwave’s unique expressive controls.

Here’s how to make the Quadwave not only sound great, but feel like a real instrument you want to explore every time you pick it up.

1. Don't Just Trigger Notes - Shape Sound

Out of the box, most synths just treat MIDI note input like an on/off switch. But the Quadwave isn’t about tapping keys - it’s about expressive performance. And the key to unlocking that is the X/Y touchpad.

The touchpad gives you two dimensions of continuous control. That means you can assign any MIDI-controllable synth parameter to the horizontal (X) or vertical (Y) axis. The magic really happens when you assign multiple parameters to each axis.

Try This Setup (in Serum):

X-axis: WT Pos and Warp (OSC A)
Y-axis: Filter Cutoff and Filter Drive

Sculpting the sound in real-time is like a guitarist bending a note or using a whammy bar. It’s fun, and coupled with the neck it makes the Quadwave feel like an instrument of exploration instead of just a note launcher.

2. Dial In That Envelope for Expressive Punch

The next secret? Your synth’s amplitude envelope - specifically the decay, sustain, and release stages.

🎧 What’s Decay & Sustain?

Decay is how quickly the volume drops after the initial attack.
Sustain is the level it holds at while the note is held.

To make the Quadwave feel responsive and punchy, set decay to be short but noticeable, and sustain to be lower than the initial attack level. This creates a strong, percussive “hit” every time a note is triggered - especially important since the Quadwave lets you retrigger notes by tapping the pad multiple times. Without this volume drop after the attack, retriggering a note might sound like nothing is happening.

Envelope Tip:

Decay: 100–300 ms
Sustain: around 30–50% of the attack peak

This gives each new note a distinct pop - even if it’s the same pitch - making fast tapping and rhythmic playing feel tight and intentional.

3. Get the Release Right for Smooth Playability

Finally, let’s talk release - the time it takes for the sound to fade out after you let go of the note.

If your release is too short, your notes will stop instantly. That might sound “clean” on paper, but in practice it makes the Quadwave feel jittery and unforgiving - especially when moving between pads or playing legato-style lines.

A bit of release gives each note a soft fade out. It smooths over tiny timing inconsistencies, letting notes overlap just enough to feel musical.

Try:

Release time: 300–800 ms

This adds grace to your phrasing and makes the instrument more forgiving and expressive.

4. Set Your Synth to Monophonic with Legato On

One of the best ways to get that fluid, guitar-like playability out of the Quadwave is to make sure your synth is set to monophonic mode with legato enabled.

Why Monophonic?

When set to monophonic, your synth will only play one note at a time. This is perfect for the Quadwave’s expressive glides, hammer-ons, and pull-offs. It makes slides between notes sound smooth and connected instead of abrupt and choppy.

What Does Legato Do?

With legato on, when you play a new note without lifting the previous one, the synth skips the attack portion of the envelope - making transitions between notes buttery smooth. That’s the sound of classic mono synth lines and fretless-style phrasing.

Once you’ve mastered the above, you won’t just be “triggering notes” - you’ll be playing music!