Wavetable Synthesis
A synthesis method that reads precalculated waveforms sequentially, where playback speed determines pitch, offering cheap real-time sound generation.
Wavetable synthesis pre-stores sampled or computed waveforms in a small array. A pointer steps through the table at a rate set by the desired pitch. This is far cheaper than computing a waveform every sample, so a tracker could play dozens of simultaneous voices without choking. Impulse Tracker, FastTracker II, and Ultimate Soundtracker all built their chiptune engines around wavetable playback, often with envelope and filter shaping applied afterward to sculpt the final sound.