History, basics and some tips

THE SYNTH PRIMER

Andrew Mavor // Myagi http://www.vespers.ca http://www.myagimusic.com 1

SYNTHESIS AND SOUND DESIGN MASTERCLASS

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HISTORY.......

To know why things are the way they are, you need to know where things came from....

It's important before beginning to look at synthesis to do quick overview of the history of the instrument. This can be divided into important "periods" and much like any technology, the evolution and capabilities of each change in its development changes the way people work with it, which in turn drives the nature of the technologies development - its a "feedback cycle" of the best kind. Important point in the history of the synth: 1 - Experimental oddities, or humble beginnings.

2 - Portability and Playability (within reason ) - the analog golden age. 3 - Downsizing everything (including sound). 4 - The summer of love (aka acid house and how it changed electronic music making. 5 - The power of the processor and the return to analog grit. 6 - The advent of the computer based studio (aka the catch 22).

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HISTORY 1

The basic building block of Synthesis The OSC section is the primary sound source in any given patch.

The Mighty Moog Modular

1 - Experimental oddities, or humble beginnings. The rst synthesizers are hard to pin point. The denition of what is and isn't a synthesizer is sometimes uid, and so I have to at least acknowledge here the the "sort of synth," which are typied by instruments like the Hurdy Gurdy, the Mellotron and, in a different way, the Theramin.

magnetic heads to create a signal. For the most part however, early synthesizers resembled physics experiments, as opposed to instruments.

Because of the high degree of customizability, this method of synthesis was (and still is) the most capable but most intimidating for a new user.

Instruments like the Moog Modular and the EMS VCS3 are great examples of the amazing instruments of this age, and they remain some of the most capable and sought These are thought of as synths after analog pieces. because they use something other than a kinetic form of Synths at this point often sound production - unlike resembled "mini studios" of drums, pianos, etc, these, like their own, with the user synthesizers, create their creating a sound by patching sound by allowing the player to (hence the term synth patch) manipulate an "interface" - in modules together to route a the case of the mellotron, as signal through various forms of an example, tuned loops of processing. analog tape would play across

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HISTORY 2

ARP 2600

The basic building block of Synthesis The OSC section is the primary sound source in any given patch.

Korg MS-20

2 - Portability and Playability (within reason)

In the majority of synth patches, there is a fairly standard architecture which is The next evolutionary step was followed, and by wiring the the rst truly giggable synth synth internally, the size and the minimoog, ARP 2600, weight of these instruments Roland System 100, and the was signicantly smaller than Korg MS 20 were all moves their processors. This is still a towards a downsized device relative term however, as a full that would be nally at home System 100 is immovable by on stage instead of just in the one person and resembles the studio. command centre of a telephone exchange more than The ARP, System 100 and an instrument. MS-20 are all "semi" modular synths which means that while The real step forward here is some of the exibility of a true the Minimoog however, which modular synth was retained, was the rst real "breakout" the instruments were also instrument. It differs from the somewhat "hard wired" into other ones mentioned up until conguration that allowed for now in that it has a fully hardease of use, and reduced the wired signal path, and this is size of the instrument. one of the reasons why it was so readily adopted by new users - it "feels" more like an

instrument, and less like an experiment. Mass produced and adopted by many of the great rock bands of the time, the Minimoog is still regarded as one of the greatest and arguably the greatest synth of all time.

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HISTORY 3

Korg Poly 800

The age of the Sony Walkman and Miami Vice did little for sound quality...

Roland JX3P with PG200 Programmer

3 - Downsizing everything (including sound)

The unstable gritty analog VCO's of the past were tamed with digital controls, and the The 1980s saw a few really dozens of knobs and sliders good synths, and many many that allowed for control were all bad ones. culled to a select few (sometimes none), and sound Gems like the Roland SH-101, editing became a process of the Jupiter Series and the adjusting numbers within Juno106, as well as the Korg banks and pages of menus. Mono/Poly are still revered, Rather than making things and probably typify the height easier, this move towards of the analog synths evolution. "futuristic" instruments in fact Like the Minimoog, these all made life a lot harder for used a hard wired architecture people who were interested in to facilitate easy playing around with the reprogramming sounds, as instead of simply dialing a few changes on a On the other hand, the 80s knob or icking some switches, also ushered in the era of the you now had to navigate cpu, or the processor chip, and through obsequious 2 digit the result of this was mixed at LCD displays for ages to do best. the same thing.

More streamlined but also totally neutered of their grit, synths like the Korg Poly-800, Moog Source and Roland Alpha Junos etc were a disappointment and are largely forgettable instruments.

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HISTORY 4

The basic building block of Synthesis The OSC section is the primary sound source in any given patch.

4 - The summer of love (aka acid house and how it changed electronic music making). The music of the 1960s is forever tied to two things drugs and the peace movement, and no matter what your view on either one of those subjects, it is impossible to argue that the course of musical evolution would have been the same without them. With electronic music the major events were in 1988, and it was the advent of warehouse parties, acid house and ecstasy that caused people to approach synths in a different way. The story of acid house is the story of the 303 - an utterly maligned little box which,

through a series of happy accidents, became probably the most revered synth of all time. Everyone knows the sound, but what is interesting is that the 303 was never intended to sound like THAT. It was, in its conception, an accompaniment instrument for guitar players, and immediately after it's launch it became apparent that it was one of the most dismal failures in Rolands history. Rolands potential loss ended up being the worlds gain, as a new focus on playability gave musicians instruments that were designed for function as well as form.

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HISTORY 5

Korg Prophecy

The rst virtual analogs began a move from the thin digital sound of the 1980s and early 90s back towards a rougher, more analog aesthetic.

Rebirth RB-338

5 - The power of the processor and the return to analog grit. The end of the 90s and the early "noughties" brought about a change in ethos - the slimed down 4-button 1 knob synths of the past fell by the wayside as it sunk in that expression was based on ease of control and ease of control required lots of knobs and sliders. The Roland Grooveboxes became household synths, claiming to be an all-in-one solution creating dance music, but sonic quality wasnt high for these early virtual analogs. On the opposite end of the quality scale, synths like the Korg Prophecy utilized upscaled processors to

recreate the subtle tones and modulations of physical instruments, plotting new territory for the synthesizers repertoire. For the rst time it was feasible to attempt to create the sound of an acoustic instrument in the virtual realm. An emphasis on recreating specic analog synth tones lead to a renaissance in design, where hands on control regained front and centre. The "exact" tuning and static sound of digital oscillators fell by the wayside and the uctuating, warm analog sound returned via cpu driven outboard units. Around the same time, DAW workstations like Cubase and Logic began packaging primitive VST synths with their

programs, and companies like Propellerheads made their foray into the software market with tools like Rebirth, a still useful emulation of two Roland 303s, and 808 and a 909.

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HISTORY 6

Native Instruments Massive

Massive processor speeds and hundreds of developers have lead to a state where a

Arturia Arp 2600

6 - The advent of the computer based studio (aka the catch 22) - The massive jump in processor power and simultaneous drop in cost that occurred between the early 2000s and now has brought about the rst real viable situation in which a music producer can run a stripped down studio on a home PC and produce quality results. External hardware is becoming integrated (as in the Access Virus TI or the Focusrite Liquid Mix) to provide the ease of use that comes with a VST, but with dedicated outboard processors to eliminate computer load. Whether this is even necessary now is a bit of a debate - the average personal computer has the ability to run

multiple instances of style depth that is hard to synthesizers which would have match in either the virtual or burdened any previous setup analog realm. beyond the point of usability. The only real downside of this Great modern VSTs of note move towards software based include Native Instruments studios is that the art of synth Massive, a huge sounding programming has fallen sadly synth which is easy to use and by the wayside. yet deep enough to allow for some incredibly complex patches. Arturia has produced some incredible spot on emulations of past instruments - their Minimoog and Arp 2600 VSTs are utterly essential to my setup. Finally the brilliant D.Cam Synth Squad by FXPansion allows for everything from simple SH-101 style patches to sultry 70s strings and organ sounds, but has a modular

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OSCILLATORS
Sawtooth Wave

Square Wave

Pulse Wave

The basic building block of Synthesis The OSC section is the primary sound source in any given patch.

The Oscillator The origin of sound

All synths have Oscillators of some sort, though which particular waveforms each synth can generate varies greatly. A plain Osc (no ltering etc) is the rawest form of sound generation - in its simplest setup, it is one waveform going straight to the output of the instrument, and if the sound being generated is of a good enough quality (rich, warm, phat) this bare-bones noise can still sound amazing without being tampered with. In fact, some of the largest tones you can hear in modern electronic music production consist of an unltered, unadjusted wave slightly overdriven and sent right to the speaker. Regardless of what you do 2. SQUARE / PULSE with it however, there are a few The Square wave is the standard Oscillator waveforms second of the two most to memorize. common waves. Noted for its hollow sound, it has a lot of 1. SAWTOOTH presence in the mix and is The Sawtooth is one of the essential for modern music two most common and useful production. A staple of 1980s waves, and is an inclusion on synth patches, the Square virtually all synths. Rich in wave can sound intense and harmonics, this is probably upfront, or ghostly and washed the most common waveform out depending on how it is for bass sounds and leads as it utilized. bites through the mix and is The Pulse wave is generally viewed as the most essentially a lopsided Square: aggressive sounding wave. rather than a simple, static The Sawtooth wave tone, the Pulse waves total benets greatly from quality can be made to detuning which makes it modulate, creating interesting great for big analog style leads vowel like tones. This is and basses. most frequently done with an LFO and / or Envelope.

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OSCILLATORS PT 2
1. Sine Wave

1. Triangle Wave

The basic building block of Synthesis The OSC section is the primary sound source in any given patch.

1. SINE The purest wave - the Sine wave is a low harmonic waveform - it is not the most useful for most forms of sound creation except as a utility, and in this role it excels. Many of the best subbasses are heavy on Sine presence, as this waveform, adequately amplied, can add a lot of bottom end girth to a bass sound without cluttering the patch up with unnecessary noise. 2. TRIANGLE Probably the least common of the standard waves, the triangle wave is sort of a mist - its got more presence than a Sine, but nowhere near the harmonic

content or bite of the saw or square waves - so why use it? As with the Sine, the Triangle wave is extremely useful at low frequency ranges where your intention is to move the speaker cones, and create big sub-bass presence. It is, however, also very useful when layered with other waveforms to create a multiwaveform lead sound, and wav heavily utilized in what can be recognized as classic prog rock lead sounds.

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ENVELOPES
Snare Drum Envelope

Piano Envelope

Probably the most common and basic modulation source, the envelope is essential to creating expressive sounds.

Violin Envelope

Envelope It makes things go WOMP

Envelopes are the most common form of modulation and are generally controlled by 4 parameters called attack, decay, sustain and release, or ADSR. Think of an envelope as something that controls a value between 1-100: attack is essentially the amount of time it takes for the parameter to reach the value of 100. In a case where there is zero attack, the envelope will instantly be at full value when a key is depressed. If the attack level is higher, it will take longer for the value to build up to 100. Decay is the amount of time that it takes for the value to drop from 100 to the level dened by Sustain, the 3rd parameter. Release is the amount of time that the envelope will keep transmitting data (fading out) after the key is released. The easiest way to learn what an envelope does is to think of one controlling volume, which is probably its most common usage. If you compare the sound of a snare drum, a violin and a piano, you get a good idea of how an envelope works. If you look at the snare drum envelope above, you can see there is no attack, and a short decay with no sustain or release. This would mimic the dynamics of striking a snare drum - the sound is instant, there is no build up (no attack) and is almost as quickly gone (low decay, no sustain / release) The Piano envelope is similar - instantly on, but by keeping the key depressed, the note will still sound with partial volume (hence the sustain being higher), and will sound to a short amount of time after releasing the key - so there is a short amount of release added. The violin however, is a bowed instrument - it takes a moment for the bow to draw across the strings for the sound to reach its full volume and that is why we have a longer decay - the envelope is slowly building up to its full value.

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ENVELOPES PT 2
Low Pass Filter with full Envelope Modulation

Envelope Setting 1
Probably the most common and basic modulation source, the envelope is essential to creating expressive sounds.

Envelope Setting 2

Envelopes have a lot of uses other than controlling volume however. Remember that we are thinking of the envelope as controlling (over time) the movement of a value between 1-100. The second most common and utterly intergral use of the envelope is in Filter control, usually of the Cutoff. In the above images, we can see that the lter is a low-pass type, and that its Cutoff is set fairly low - this means that the sound coming from the oscillator will be mufed or cut out above that range. To the lower right of the lter cutoff knob we can see a small envelope icon, turned all the way to the right, or on all the way. This means that the lters cutoff will be opened up or raised, according to the envelope settings.

In setting 1, we have something similar to the Snare Drum envelope - in this case, the envelope is telling the lter to be open to its full amount upon striking the key (no attack), and then to shut fairly quickly (short decay). This setting is often used for funk basses, acid lines and 303 style synths, and leads - since the envelope in this case is assumed to be only controlling the cutoff and not the volume, the note will still sound after the lter has open and shut, but it will be at the value specied by the cutoff knob. In setting 2 however, we have a longer attack - this means that although the note is at full volume when the the key is depressed, it will be a moment before the lter opens up all the way - this amount of time is controlled by the amount of attack. This is how to get a womp in a bass sound - a

common technique used in jungle, drum and bass, dubstep and indeed all modern electronic music styles. This modulation can be used to control hundreds of parameters, and really the sky is the limit with it. Some of the most useful uses however (and this is dependent on the synths capabilities) are using an envelope to control LFO rate, using it to control an oscillators pitch, controlling left to right panning, etc.

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FILTERS
Filters The Scalpel and the Chisel
More often than not, the Filter is the denitive tool of patch creation. Consisting of two main elements, the Cutoff and the Resonance, the lter can be used in a utilitarian sense (as in the creation of simple sub-bass), or in a manner that completely denes the sound (as in the resonant whistle of a 303). There are 3 main types: Low Pass (often called LPF), Band Pass (BPF), and High Pass (HPF), and each one does as its name implies. The Low Pass Filter allows only frequencies BELOW the lter Cutoff - the High Pass only ABOVE. The Band Pass lets a narrow range around the Cutoff pass through, cutting out both the Low and High outside that range. Resonance is a control used to boost the frequencies directly around the Cutoff. This again can be a subtle effect (as used in many slap-bass style synth patches) or a dramatic squealing effect, as used in many leads in hard dance sounds or effects. The Filter also benets from modulation - control of either the cutoff or resonance by LFO, Envelope, or other means. Modulation by LFO can produce anything from warbling tones to punchy dget house sounds, and modulation by envelope can be used to create womp sounds or expressive tones. Use the envelope examples from previous pages to learn some good settings to apply to your lter envelopes, and experiment!

The lter is used in almost all patches and is the primary sound sculpting tool in subtractive synthesis.

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LFOS
Sawtooth Wave

Square Wave

Pulse Wave

Oscillators functioning at an extremely low pitch, LFOs are used as modulation sources for most modern electro, dget and dubstep basses, etc.

LFOS The building blocks of Wonkiness

Like the envelope, the LFO is a modulation source, in that it modulates whatever it is applied to. If applied to the pitch, it will make the pitch warble or rise up and down according to the amount applied and the rate of the LFO. If applied to the lter, it will cause the lters cutoff to adjust according to the same parameters - the amount and the LFOs rate. LFOs come in the same shapes as oscillators, though again, the most common are the Saw, Sine, Square/Pulse and Triangle - in addition you may nd yourself with similar sources of modulation like Sample and Hold or Noise - these can all be used to add anything from subtle to enormous effects on the sound youre creating. In the case of most dubstep and breaks basslines, the LFO is often applied to the main output to create a stuttering or wobble-y effect, as the LFO will cause the volume to rise and fall according to the amount applied and the rate. For a lot of Fidget and Electro sounds, the LFO can be applied to the lter to great use, creating a sound that draws attention and cuts through the mix. Applied to a Square wave Pulse Width, the LFO will control the PWM of the wave creating anything from a vowel tone to a shimmering chorus like effect. Used in conjunction with an envelope, it is the key element in creating effective FX sounds, sirens, rising noises and sci- style textures that will move your tracks to the next level. There really are no rules about how to use them, but experimentation is key, and often small amounts do the trick. That said, push the limits, keep your speakers low when playing around, and see what happens when you add lots.

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TIPS
Some Quick Musts / Must Nots
1 - Use good monitors Computer speakers or a home stereo simply will not do for music production - this doesnt mean you need to spend 3000 on a pair of Adam monitors - there are plenty in the 300-500 range that will do the trick nicely for a home studio. Tannoy Reveals area great bang for the buck. 2 - Learn your programs and terms Certain synths have different names for the same components - EG in most synths, Resonance is referred to by that name - on the Minimoog it is referred to as Emphasis. Sometimes if youre looking for something it can be hiding in plain sight. 3 - Back up and back up your back up Modern hard drives fail at an alarming rate. If you get 4 years out of a drive youre lucky and if you get 4 months before it dies, you shouldnt be surprised. For every one drive you need for data storage, buy 2 and back it up. 4 - Save multiple versions of everything You never know when a le will become corrupt, or when you will do something to a track that you end up not liking - make sure you save each session or major change with a new name. 5 - Work sober It sounds silly to need to include this, but its crazy how many people do things to tracks after having a few drinks who then seriously regret it. Your ears and sensibilities are ALWAYS better when you are stone cold sober. Keep weekend life and studio life 100% separate. 6 - If you hit a brick wall, start something new Again, a serious rookie mistake is to work on a track over and over, even if there is no progress being made. Unless you are on a deadline with it (and it is impossible to make time for something else), start something new. The change of style or the fresh ideas may strike up progress in other projects. 7 - Spend time making noise Experimentation is essential to learning synthesis. Some random noises may point out techniques that will be useful in other sounds, and sometimes new and bizarre tones may end up forming the backbone of tracks in an approach which you wouldnt have come up with if you were tailoring a sound to a specic project. 8 - Dont get discouraged Some people get it overnight - but most dont. Dont worry about your material not sounding like it came out of the studio of a superstar producer - chances are they have thousands invested in equipment few home studio users will have access to, as well as a decade or so of experience. Hope to be an overnight success but expect reasonable growth. 9 - Keep your production computer ofine If at all possible, make sure your production PC is a sterile environment. This is not AS essential on a Mac, but if your production machine is a PC - keep it ofine. If you have a windows based machine you WILL get a virus. 10 - Learn your modes of creativity Every person goes through different creative phases, sometimes experiencing changes over the course of a single day. I refer to these as the raw creative mode, the intelligent or critical mode, and the experimental mode. It is important to know when the ideas are owing and when they are not. If ideas are coming a mile a minute, stat multiple new tracks. When little new material is coming out, it may be time to edit an older project. When this doesnt work, it may be time to just play with some sounds. Dont force what isnt coming.

Quick tips based on plenty of successes and even more failures.

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GLOSSARY
ADSR - Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release - the 4 properties that control an envelopes action. Cutoff - The frequency at which the lter removes the audio signal, depending on its type. CV / Gate - a now archaic system of communication between parts of instruments based on voltages and electrical signals, often referenced in modern VST software. Detuning - the process of subtly adjusting two or more waveforms so they are no longer in perfect tune, used for making a sound phatter. Envelope - a modulation source most frequently used for volume (amplitude) or lter cutoff, the envelope controls whatever it is applied to in a linear fashion. Filter - the device within a synthesizer that removes certain frequencies. Generally the lter shows up as Low Pass (LPF), High Pass (HPF), or Band Pass (BPF). Harmonics - the very basic denition is that a wave high in harmonic content sounds big and loud, one low in harmonic content has a subtler quality.

an extremely slow cycle and is used as a modulation source. Modular Synthesis - a term for a style of instrument which is composed of various modules or sections which must be connected together to make a sound. This allows for extremely complex routings and creative possibilities. Modulation - the process of using one part of a synthesizer to control another to sculpt the sound. Oscillator - the basic sound source of the synthesizer, it produces the raw waveform which is then shaped into the desired sound. Patch - a selection of settings which in conjunction make a certain sound that is saved with a name. It comes from the idea of patching parts of a synth together with cables back in the 70s and the term has stuck. Range - (in the case of Oscillators) sometimes indicated by cyclic range (4, 8, 16 etc) or by simply low/ med/high this is a means of offsetting 2 or more oscs against each other or controlling the pitch of a patch. Resonance - the boosting of the frequency directly around the lters cutoff, resonance supplies bite to many sounds.

the lter into its own oscillator, with the cutoff value controlling the pitch. Sub-Bass - this is the frequency range that pushes the cones. It is a range of bass which is often barely audible and is put in for impact and presence - virtually always layered with other bass sounds in a higher range to create a large overall sound. VST - Virtual Studio Technology - an acronym for a computer or virtualized instrument or effect.

The basic building block of Synthesis The OSC section is the primary sound source in any given patch.

LFO - acronym for Low Frequency Oscillator. Usually Self Oscillation, Self inaudible by itself, the LFO has Oscillating Filter - the use of maximum resonance to turn

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