Hyperwave vs. Serum 2
Serum 2 includes a frame editor inside its commercial synth. Hyperwave builds wavetables in a free browser node graph for export to a synth. Below: price, platform, export formats, hardware layouts, and who should pick which.
The full comparison
| Tool | Platform | License / price | Interface | Export formats | Hardware layout support | Browser / no install | Batch export |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| HyperwaveHyperwave | Web browser; no installation required | Free; no account required for local work | Node-graph generator | Packed mono WAV (IEEE 32-bit float by default, or 16-bit PCM for the classic hardware banks; frames laid end-to-end); live tables span 8–8,192 samples × 8–1,024 frames; collection exports bundle WAVs into a zip (8–16,384 samples × 1–256 frames). | LimitedWrites IEEE float32 WAV by default and offers direct 16-bit PCM export for selected targets, including E352/E370, Piston Honda MK3, modwave's 256-sample mode, and Pro 3. Device presets size each table. Waldorf M raw 8-bit files and Blofeld SysEx packages still require the vendor's tools. | Yes | Yes |
| Serum 2Xfer Records | Windows 10+ / macOS (64-bit VST3, AU, AAX) | $249; lifetime free updates and free upgrade from Serum 1 | Frame editor built into a synth | Wavetables are created, imported, edited, and morphed inside the synth; the product page documents no standalone export file layout. | Not documentedShips as a VST3/AU/AAX plugin; no hardware wavetable layouts are documented on the product page. | No | Not verified |
Which one should you use?
Choose Serum 2 if
You already own Serum 2, or you want one environment where sound design and wavetable editing are the same workflow and are happy to buy a full commercial synth to get it.
Choose Hyperwave if
You want a free, no-install way to design tables you will load into Serum and elsewhere, and you prefer generating them on a node graph to editing frame by frame.
Serum 2 in detail
Strengths
- The editor is built into the synth, so table design and patch programming happen in one place with real-time playback.
- Its wavetable, multisample, sample, granular, and spectral oscillator engines share warping and morphing tools.
- Lifetime free updates, and Serum 2 is a free upgrade for Serum 1 owners.
Limitations
- Paid up front at $249; the demo is limited to 15-minute sessions.
- The documented desktop plugin needs a 64-bit VST3, AU, or AAX host on Windows 10+ or macOS.
- No standalone export pipeline or hardware layouts are documented on the product page.
Serum 2 source checked 2026-08-16: https://xferrecords.com/products/serum-2 . Hyperwave source checked 2026-08-16: Hyperwave export documentation .