Learning Synths

For this blog post I had to make my way through a website that was all about learning the ins and outs of synthesizers. Though, all digital, I found this website guide even more lovely and informative than the Learning Music website. I really appreciated the in depth descriptions of the different segments of synthesizer sounds. I was able to quite easily understand the differences between Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release (ADSR). The hands on examples (just like in the LM site) were fantastic and really help give an immediate sense of understanding (though there’s obviously plenty left to learn).

I think it is amazing the the “envelope” of the synth and that of the actual drum can look so similar and produce what is almost a clone of the sound.

I really found this quite fascinating so I stuck with it for a while and this section alone kind of inspired me to begin looking at some physical modular synths so I might purchase one to get to know at home for my own production.

The way in which they displayed the speaker on the carousel to explain oscillation in modulation was so creative and really scratched a certain part of my brain I think anyone who’s been around speakers has probably moved around them in a way that changes and effects the amplitude at which we hear the sound so I thought this was such a neat way to give people a real world connection to the information being given.

Quick Definitions (from Learning Synths)

An envelope’s Attack control determines how long it takes for the envelope to reach its peak at the start of a note.

An envelope’s Decay control determines how long it takes for the envelope to decrease from its peak to the Sustain level. The envelope will then stay at the sustain level as long as the note is held.

An envelope’s release control determines how long it takes for the envelope to decrease to its minimum level after the note is released.

The music world’s sine, cosine, tangent hahaha. this was really easy to understand and immediately had me think of a couple song segments I recognized as having sound patterns like these.. Sine has kind of a bouncy high to low end think goin for it while Saw sounds how it looks goes from one end and sharply reaches the other then loops. Square gives kind of a flat and lengthier sound on both ends of its loop. (I hope that makes sense but it does to me so hopefully that’s what matters haha)