Processor Wave Geometry

s3g Processor Wave Geometry 8ch is a topology-shaped wave processor for fixed-width multichannel tracks. It is non-FFT and processes incoming audio directly: folding, rectification, clipping, sample-step motion, bit collapse, polarity patterns, and a dual tape-head loop layer are combined per lane. Its Wave Mesh can then send that shaped material through short, resonant paths between topology nodes.

It produces fractured, bent, repeated, and hard-edged waveform changes while keeping the eight lanes coordinated through topology. Choose a Macro effect when a gentler process or smaller control set is more appropriate.

Workflow

1. Insert Processor Wave Geometry on a REAPER track with at least eight channels, then use the FX pins and internal patch matrix to feed its eight processing lanes.
2. Route the result to the main speakers, a direct panner, or a stereo or quad fold-down, then begin playback. Another effect may precede that destination when its build matches the current bus width.
3. Set the main fold, drive, rectification, clipping, and mix controls to establish the local lane processing.
4. Raise COUP, then shape the topology, tension, decay, and damping to move energy through the Wave Mesh.
5. Introduce the dual tape heads and animate the point field after the core waveform and mesh behavior are clear.

Signal Flow

1. REAPER audio enters the internal patch matrix.
2. The matrix selects which inputs excite the eight topology nodes. Unpatched nodes remain available as Wave Mesh receivers.
3. The topology map derives per-lane wave-shaping and tape-head variation.
4. When COUP is raised, processed lanes excite the Wave Mesh. Neighbor edges carry delayed, damped waves between nodes and the junctions scatter part of that energy back through the network.
5. The local wet signal and mesh return are combined through a bounded stage before MIX, output gain, and safety. The processed lane output is shown in the SCOPE page.

Engine Controls

• FOLD: continuous fold amount. Low values are soft bending; high values move toward harder repeated folds.
• DRIV: pre-shaper drive into the fold, clip, and saturation stages.
• HOLD and STEP: sample-hold and stepped motion layers.
• CLIP, RECT, and POL: clipping, rectification, and polarity-pattern layers.
• EDGE: emphasizes sample-to-sample changes before the main shaper.
• ZERO: gated dropout cells with smoothing.
• BITS: bit-depth collapse.
• TRNS: transforms rectification behavior from negative to positive polarity emphasis.
• TAPE: blends in the dual tape-head loop layer.
• SPED: spreads the two tape read-head speeds so they drift against each other.
• MIX: dry/wet mix for the processor.
• OUT: final output gain.

Wave Mesh

The Wave Mesh turns the topology graph into a short sample-domain propagation network. Unlike the longer dual tape-head layer, it exchanges energy between lanes over millisecond-scale paths. Transients can strike neighboring nodes, circulate through several routes, and form membrane- or wire-like resonances.

• COUP: sends the local processed lanes into the mesh and blends the returned field into the result. Set it to zero to bypass the mesh and hear only the local Wave Geometry processing.
• TENS: controls propagation velocity. Higher tension shortens travel time and raises the network modes; lower tension produces slower, lower movement.
• DECY: controls junction reflection and therefore how long energy recirculates.
• DAMP: increases high-frequency and distance-dependent absorption on each route.

Topology

The topology panel uses the same shared controls as other topology processors. Point position and radius influence lane-specific fold, drive, hold, clip, rectification, edge, zero, polarity, bits, step, transform, tape amount, and tape speed. With the Wave Mesh active, nearest-neighbor connections become signal paths, point distance controls travel time, radius controls connection reach, and centroid adds a shared central relationship.

The topology window has two pages:

• TOPO: point network plus heatmap view. Active routes brighten with mesh energy and propagation markers show waves moving between nodes.
• SCOPE: post-processing oscilloscope display for the eight lane outputs.

Patch Matrix

The patch matrix selects which REAPER inputs feed the processed lanes. Use it when the track is wider than the material or when one input should feed several lanes. With COUP active, an unpatched node receives no direct excitation but can still receive a wave from its neighbors or the centroid hub. For a simple eight-channel insert, leave the matrix in its default full-lane routing.

Dual Tape Heads

The tape layer is a short rolling-buffer playback stage with two per-lane read heads. TAPE controls how much of this layer is heard. SPED controls how far the heads diverge from normal playback speed. At lower values it adds unstable doubling; at higher values it moves toward loop-head drift and skip-like repetition.

TAPE defaults to zero, so the plugin opens as a wave processor first. Bring it up gradually when using continuous material.