Techniques for improving Synthesis

[DotMatrix]

O.k. So I have read more How too's/turtorials/history's of Synthesis technique than I'd care to admit. Yet I still can't program a synth to save my life.

Does anyone have any suggestions on ways to practice what I've learnt.

I have tried two techniques. and neither has got me anywhere. The first was to open a synth and just **** around with shit. then I would end up with some shit sound get bored and stop.


So then I thought maybe I need a purpose so I would lay down some drums. Write a track and then try and program whatever sound I thought it needed. But I could never make the sound I wanted so I would get shitty and quit.


I have since taken to mangling/layering presets in a combinator which is alot of fun and alot more rewarding than just using straight presets. But I need to learn how to make my own sounds. Or else I'll be a failure and then people will realise and no one will want to be my friend and my girlfriend will leave me. And then I'll have to move in with Mum. And then I'll live there the rest of my life until I finally die a lonely old man.


Pleeeeeease help me!!!!

[findthesolution]

the way i'm getting my head around synthesis is to simply just take note of how certain characteristics of a sound are made.

its best to learn the ropes with a very basic synth, such as the Pro-53 or a simple subtractive hardware synth. Virtual synths are good for this because you can see the knob positions change when you change presets. Dig around the presets, and find one you like. Fiddle with each parameter to get an idea of how it affects the resulting sound. Take a screenshot of the synth you are working with, save it, and open it up in a new window. Now move every knob, button, and fader to the 0 or lowest position. Now, starting with the oscilator section, rebuild the preset you took the screenshot of. This way, you will hear how things like modulation can sculpt the sound. Do this for a week, then try to build your own patch. I'll bet you a million bux that your synthesis abilities and creativity will increase.

[RDR]

Try opening up two synths, intialize the atch one one and load up a preset you like on the other, then manualy input all the settings from the preset one onto the intialized one.

It sounds like a silly thing to do, after all - why not just use the preset? What it does do is give you and insight into the mind of sound designer.

Also - before you sythesize someting, think about what it is you want to synthesize... is it abass sound? a lead? set you osciallator octaves properly... does the sound want to be clean or dirty? distortion? oscialltor spread?

Does the sound want to be long or short? set your amp env... move on to filtering... do you want the filter to move.. rhythmically or according to velocity?

the biggest tip i can give you is to make sure you have your velocity modulation and LFOs going to the right place, modulation really is the key to bringing synth parts alive. remember that human fingers, lips, breath, hits all go to form the human element of a traditional instrument and if you arent setting your synth to respond to these things (o.k. so maybe NOT breath unles you have a controller) then you're synth parts wont spring to life.

HTH

[rounser]

Here's a patch designer's take on the topic, and is the most practical advice I've found on the web:
http://www.tweakheadz.com/programmer.html
IMO, though, anything more complicated than a 303 sound calls for use of a sampler. Synthesizer GUIs are simply overloaded with controls, so I'm of the opinion that if you make friends with your sampler you can quite happily use synths as sample fodder and ignore their interfaces.

To explain my thinking, the 303 and it's clones are a special case because it's quite possibly the only synth that sees so much realtime automation. If you're not automating your synth, it can be sampled after you've made the patch. If you're automating something more complex, hats off to you - I find automating a fully featured ADSR synth intimidating. :paranoid:

[acidsaturation]

If yr feeling brave, get hold of a *demo* of reaktor and have a look at how the synths are actually made. It'll warp yr brain big time at first, but gives you a pretty good idea looking from the inside out.

[rhythmtech]

get hold of void modular... i find it much more intuitive for synth design than reaktor... then move on to reaktor.

theres no right or wrong way to design synthesis... just whatever sounds good.

[DotMatrix]

thanks everyone all your suggestions have been very useful.

rounser that was a great link thanks. His writing style alone was inspiring.


o.k. off to practice now. thankyall.

[TechMouse]

Keep turning knobs until it sounds good.

You'll get it eventually.

[RDR]

And well worth getting it is too..

[RDR]

BTW mark, the more i see that rabbit, the funnier it gets.. BTW i think someone photoshoped a flash of light into that ballon burst didnt they, dont recall ballons ever doing that? hahaha!

[TechMouse]

BTW i think someone photoshoped a flash of light into that ballon burst didnt they

I think it might just be light reflected on the floor.