A method for producing non-equidistant pump waves for Raman amplification of a signal which is passed via an optical waveguide, as well as a pump wave producing apparatus for producing pump waves for Raman amplification of a signal which is passed via an optical waveguide, which apparatus has at least one pump source and is set up such that it can produce pump waves at a first, a second, a third and a fourth mutually equidistant pump wavelength, having a control device which is set up such that it causes, in each case, the production of a pump wave u, v, w at the first, second and fourth pump wavelengths, with the control device being set up such that no pump wave is produced at the third pump wavelength, so that a non-equidistant pump channel pattern is achieved overall.