The Spectral Star. Sound without a fixed shape.
A new dimension in wavetable synthesis. The Spectral Star is Xionia Audio’s next-generation waveform synthesis instrument, designed to transform the way sound is created, sculpted and brought to life.
From crystalline purity and luminous, evolving textures to powerful basses and dramatic sonic transformations, The Spectral Star opens a world where waveforms are no longer fixed structures, but living landscapes of harmonic possibility.
Create a sound. Transform its character. Set every detail in motion.
Coming soon to
- macOS
- Windows
The spectral frontier
Shape the spectrum. Set it in motion.
Every waveform contains a world of harmonics. Every harmonic relationship gives sound its character. Change those relationships, and the possibilities multiply.
Traditional wavetable synthesis moves through sequences of waveforms, revealing new timbres as their harmonic structure changes. The Spectral Star takes that concept much further.
Rather than simply scanning through a wavetable, explore entire landscapes of sound. Navigate between waveform structures, transform their harmonic character and discover new timbres through fluid, multidimensional movement.
Begin with a simple waveform. Sculpt its shape. Transform its spectrum. Introduce folding, warping, phase manipulation and complex harmonic movement. Draw new waveforms, explore generated structures or transform recorded audio into new waveform material.
Then bring everything to life.
At the heart of The Spectral Star are Xionia’s Motion Waves, giving every supported parameter its own independent movement, rhythm and expression. Let one movement reshape a waveform while another changes its harmonic character. Allow modulation patterns to influence one another, evolve at different speeds or synchronise into complex, expressive relationships.
Individual notes within a chord can explore different paths through the same waveform landscape, creating rich polyphonic textures that continuously change as you play. From the smallest harmonic detail to sweeping transformations, every movement becomes part of the instrument’s character.
It’s designed to make the extraordinary depth of waveform synthesis feel immediate, intuitive and profoundly musical.
Sound that never stops becoming something new.
Create
Discover a world of waveform possibilities.
Sculpt original waveforms, explore complex harmonic structures and transform existing sonic material into new timbres. From pure, delicate tones to rich, intricate spectra, shape the fundamental character of sound with exceptional precision.
Transform
Move beyond conventional wavetable scanning.
Explore multidimensional waveform morphing, harmonic transformation and evolving spectral relationships. Travel between radically different sound structures while keeping expressive control over every transition. A single note can become an entire journey.
Evolve
Give every sound its own life.
Use interconnected Motion Waves to create independent movement across waveform position, harmonic structure, oscillator behaviour, filtering and expression. Let each voice respond differently to performance, rhythm and modulation, creating sounds that continuously evolve without losing their musical identity.
Every waveform is a beginning.
Motion Waves
Every parameter. A world of movement.
- Waveform position
- Harmonic structure
- Warp
- Fold
- Filter
At the heart of every Xionia instrument are Motion Waves, our way of giving parameters their own movement, rhythm and expression. Let movements influence one another, evolve independently or synchronise into something greater.
In The Spectral Star, a sound’s waveform position, harmonic structure, warp, fold and filter can each have a Motion Wave of its own, and each note of a chord can take its own path through the same waveform landscape.
Effects work the same way. Every star is designed around a complete effects system of its own, with dedicated controls, routing and Motion Waves on its parameters, so a delay’s feedback can evolve in its own time and a reverb’s size can follow the phrase.
Motion Waves are part of Xionia Core, so every star comes complete, engineered for exceptional sound generation, sound processing and Motion Wave modulation. StarShaper adds the ability to interconnect everything, so whole instruments, Motion Waves and all, can shape one another.
Extraordinary sound doesn’t have to stand still.
One of seven
A complete instrument in its own right.
The Spectral Star is Xionia Audio’s dedicated wavetable and waveform transformation synthesizer, developed around a deep synthesis engine and a focused, intuitive approach to sound design. It’s designed to make advanced waveform synthesis feel as natural as shaping a sound with a familiar oscillator and filter, while opening possibilities far beyond conventional synthesis.
At its foundation is Xionia Core, with precision-engineered filtering, analog-modelled processing, expressive envelopes, effects, modulation and musical control. Every supported parameter is designed to take part in Motion Waves, so the instrument’s sonic behaviour can become as sophisticated as the waveforms themselves, and built-in arpeggiation, harmonic tools and performance expression bring sound design and musical creation into one connected experience.
The Spectral Star is engineered with particular attention to sonic clarity, smooth waveform transitions, high-frequency detail and controlled behaviour under demanding modulation, because bold transformation should never come at the expense of exceptional sound.
Its identity is inspired by the shifting light and spectral complexity of distant stars, with their luminous energy, intricate harmonic structures and colours that change as their underlying relationships evolve.
The visual language is one of brilliant spectral light, flowing waveforms and precise geometric structures. Cool crystalline surfaces meet luminous turquoise, electric cyan and shifting fields of colour. Not a static image of a star, but a sense of energy continually changing form.
Xionia’s cold precision provides the structure. The sound is yours to transform.
Built on Xionia Core
Today’s waveform. Tomorrow’s universe.
The Spectral Star is built on Xionia Core, the shared synthesis and musical-behaviour architecture behind the Xionia instrument family. Its wavetable engine, sound-shaping technology and Motion Waves run natively in StarShaper, Xionia Audio’s complete instrument-creation environment.
A sound developed in The Spectral Star opens in StarShaper with its synthesis, effects, Motion Waves and expression intact and editable, ready to become part of something much greater.
Let an analog oscillator influence the harmonic movement of a wavetable, a percussion pattern drive spectral transformation or a mathematical Motion Wave reshape the behaviour of individual voices. Let a wavetable sound become the source for granular processing, or use its evolving harmonic structure to influence another synthesis engine.
Inside StarShaper, waveform synthesis becomes part of a larger interconnected musical system, where sound, movement, harmony and expression can influence one another. Build a sound. Give it movement. Connect it to another instrument. Shape their relationship. Then turn everything you’ve created into a new, expressive instrument of your own.
Shape a waveform today. Build an entire world with it tomorrow.
Existing Xionia customers will be offered a crossgrade into StarShaper, with the details announced alongside its pricing.
Made by Xionia Audio
Extraordinary depth. Intuitive creation.
The Spectral Star comes from Xionia Audio, the pro audio division of Xionia Ltd, whose small team has more than 30 years of experience in deep software and technical development and a commitment to exceptional sound quality, sophisticated DSP and beautifully considered creative workflows.
Our philosophy is simple. Advanced technology should expand musical possibilities without standing in the way of creativity.
The Spectral Star is designed to bring deep waveform complexity under immediate, expressive control. Discover intricate harmonics. Create evolving textures. Shape completely new sonic structures. And do it all without losing the spontaneity of making music.
Friendly licensing
One-off payment, no subscription and no dongle, so licensing stays out of your way and your time goes into music rather than admin.
Fast, expert support
Help from a small team that knows every instrument inside out, because we built them. Urgent issues are answered within one working day, and everything else within 2 to 3 working days.
Frequent updates
We keep improving our instruments after release, with frequent updates that refine them and keep them working with new operating systems and hosts.
Built for the long run
Xionia is here for the long term. We make instruments to learn deeply and rely on for years, and design them so the sounds you make today keep opening in future versions and across the Xionia family.
Every sound has a spectrum. Every spectrum has somewhere to go.
Development status
In development. Coming soon.
- Engine
- Wavetable
- Platforms and formats
- Coming to macOS and Windows, as VST3, AU, AAX and CLAP plug-ins and a standalone app
- DAWs
- Designed for all the major DAWs, including Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio, Cubase, Fender Studio Pro, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Pro Tools and REAPER
- Release date, price and launch features
- Announced before release
First Light
Be first to hear sound transform.
Join First Light for sound previews, first looks at the instruments in action and release news from Xionia Audio, including The Spectral Star.
First Light members will get an introductory offer on each instrument at its release, with the details announced alongside its pricing.
Once you’re in, tell us what you make and what you’re reaching for. We read every reply, and what you tell us helps shape our instruments.
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Frequently asked questions
About The Spectral Star, how it fits with StarShaper, and what comes with it.
What is The Spectral Star?
A wavetable synthesizer from Xionia Audio, in development and coming soon. It’s designed to turn waveforms into living landscapes of harmonic possibility, so you can sculpt them, transform their spectrum and set every detail in motion. It’s one of the seven Xionia stars, standalone synthesizers each built around one synthesis engine, with its own name, sound, visual personality and interface.
What is wavetable synthesis?
It’s synthesis from a sequence of waveforms, and moving through them reveals new timbres as their harmonic structure changes. The Spectral Star takes it further, with multidimensional morphing between waveform structures, harmonic transformation and Motion Waves on every supported parameter.
Can I make my own waveforms?
Yes. Draw new waveforms, explore generated structures or transform recorded audio into new waveform material, then sculpt, fold and warp it and set it in motion.
Do I need StarShaper for Motion Waves?
No. Motion Waves are part of Xionia Core, so every star comes complete with them. In The Spectral Star, each supported parameter can have a Motion Wave of its own, with its own speed, rhythm and phase, and the waves can influence one another within the instrument. StarShaper adds the ability to interconnect whole instruments, Motion Waves and all.
Will it have effects?
Yes. Effects are part of Xionia Core, so The Spectral Star includes Xionia’s shared effects library, from EQ, dynamics and saturation to modulation, delay, reverb and formant shaping, with dedicated controls, routing and Motion Waves on their parameters. Every star has the same library, so you won’t need one star to use another’s effects. The full library will be confirmed before release.
Does it use AI?
Only where it helps. Intelligence is part of Xionia Core, so The Spectral Star can draw on it within its own instrument, with tools that analyse a sound and suggest changes you can see, adjust or reject. They’re optional, and designed to run on your own computer with no cloud connection required. The intelligence changes the parameters. The instrument’s own engine still makes every sound. StarShaper brings the same intelligence to the relationships between instruments. Which tools The Spectral Star launches with will be confirmed before release.
When will it be available?
The Spectral Star is coming soon. Release timing, pricing and the launch feature set will be announced before availability. Join First Light to hear first.
How does it relate to StarShaper?
StarShaper is Xionia Audio’s instrument creator, and it brings all seven stars together, The Spectral Star among them. The Spectral Star shapes everything within itself; StarShaper shapes the relationships between complete instruments, so they can move, trigger and transform one another. The Spectral Star is built on the same technology, Xionia Core, so the sounds you make with it open in StarShaper with their synthesis, effects, Motion Waves and expression still editable. Existing Xionia customers will be offered a crossgrade into StarShaper, with the details announced alongside its pricing.
Which platforms and plug-in formats will it support?
The Spectral Star is coming to macOS (Apple silicon and Intel) and Windows (64-bit). It will run as a plug-in on macOS (VST3, AU, AAX or CLAP) and Windows (VST3, AAX or CLAP), and as a standalone app on both. Minimum system requirements will be published before release.
Will it work in my DAW?
The Spectral Star is designed to work in all the major DAWs, including Ableton Live, Bitwig Studio, Cubase, Fender Studio Pro, FL Studio, Logic Pro, Pro Tools and REAPER, and in other hosts that load VST3, AU, AAX or CLAP plug-ins.
Who is making The Spectral Star?
Xionia Audio, the pro audio division of Xionia Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales. Xionia’s founder, Stephen Ankelen, is a hands-on technical director and senior developer with more than 30 years’ experience building production software, and he designs and codes The Spectral Star himself, as part of a team of experienced senior developers. His background includes enterprise software engineering for aerospace, extensive work integrating AI into real-world systems, and a long history in music technology and audio engineering.
How will licensing work?
One-off payment, no subscription and no dongle. Pricing and the full licence terms will be published before release.
What support and updates will there be?
Support comes from the team that builds The Spectral Star. We answer urgent issues, such as a problem that stops you working, within one working day, and everything else within 2 to 3 working days. After release, frequent updates will refine the instrument and keep it working with new operating systems and hosts.
Can I hear it yet?
Not yet. Sound previews come to First Light first, and every recording we publish will say what it was made with.