"In the early 1960s, synthesizers did not exist. Instead the Radiophonic Workshop begged and borrowed as many test oscillators as possible from other BBC departments.
The versatile "wobbulator" was a sine-wave oscillator that could be frequency modulated. It consisted of a metal box with a few switches and one very large knob that could sweep the entire frequency range..."
Check it out here.
"The "Wobbulator" was one example of a recycled or salvaged piece of equipment put to creative use in the Radiophonic Workshop. The Wobbulator was in fact a oscillator (looking at archive pictures quite likely a Brüel & Kjær Beat Frequency Oscillator 1022 used by sound engineers to measure the acoustic properties of studios or by electrical engineers to test equipment.The large centre knob sets the frequency of a primary oscillator. This frequency is then modulated (or "wobbled") a small amount by a secondary oscillator. The depth of the wobble is controlled by the amplitude of the secondary oscillator, and the frequency of the wobble by its frequency.
When the frequencies are in the audible range, the wobbulator can produce a wide variety of space-y sounds.
To simulate the wobbulator we use the OscillatorNode from the Web Audio API. We've taken a historical liberty by including a switch to control the waveshape of the primary oscillator. While probably not true to the original device, the OscillatorNode makes this too easy to resist!"
Hey here's my wobbulator, who needs software??, a 1934 CloughBrengle beat frequency oscillator , that sweeps continuously from 50hz to about 20k hz - it too generates audio by the differential oscillation of two tube oscllators running around 40k hz - hence the name beat frequency, it's the same principle as the old tube theremins - btw it's 78 years old and still going strong - see http://m.matrixsynth.com/2006/04/1934-clough-brengle-beat-frequency.html
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