Analog Synthesis: The Newbie Guide to Synthesizers and Sound-Design

Welcome
Contents
Synthesizer Basics
What Exactly Is a Synthesizer?
Synthesizer History 101
Dynamophone
Theremin
Spherophone
Ondes Martenot
Trautonium
Hammond Organ
Mixturtrautonium
The Forerunner
The First Synthesizer
What Is an Analog Synthesizer?
How Many Species of Analog Synthesizers Are Out There?
Modular Synthesizers
Hard-wired Synthesizers
The Real Analog Vs. Virtual Analog Debate
What Analog Sound Synthesis Can and Can’t Do
Understanding Sound
How Is an Analog Sound Generated?
Is an Analog Synthesizer a Gifted Mimic?
The Basic Components of Analog Sound Generation
Oscillators
Waveforms
Sawtooth Wave
Square Wave
Pulse Wave
Triangle Wave
Sine Wave
Noise
Oscillator Settings
Combining Oscillators
Waveforms
Oscillator Synchronization (Sync)
Ring Modulation
Amplitude Modulation
Frequency Modulation
Filters
Filter Settings: Cutoff and Resonance
What Types of Filters Are There?
Low Pass
High Pass
Band Pass
Band Reject
Combining Filters
Slope
The “Sound” of a Filter
Amplifiers
Envelopes
What Does an Envelope Do?
What Type of Envelopes Can I Play With?
ADSR vs. Multistage Models
Where Can I Use Envelopes?
Amplitude Envelope
Filter Envelope
Pitch Envelope
Modulating via Envelopes
Are there “Good” and “Bad” Envelopes?
LFOS
LFO Settings
What Do the Different LFO waveforms Do?
Controlling the LFO Rate
Synchronizing an LFO to a Clock Signal
Clock Types
Delaying and Fading LFOS In
LFO Retrigger
Using Several LFOs
Which LFO Setting Generates Which Effect?
Vibrato
Tremolo
Chorus Effect with PWM
Trill
Auto Panning
What Other Tricks Are LFOs Good for?
Playing and Controlling Synthesizer Sounds
Keyboard
Controlling Pitch
What Is the Difference Between a Trigger and a Gate?
Monophonic and Polyphonic Synths
Portamento/Glide
Key Tracking
Velocity
Aftertouch
Release Velocity
Using Keyboard Data without a Keyboard
Are There Good and Bad Synthesizer Keyboards?
Controllers
Wheels
Pedals and Foot Switches
Ribbon Controllers
Lever
Joystick and X/Y Pad
Breath Controller
Advanced Synthesis Features and Gear
Using an Oscillator as a Modulator
Using Your Synthesizer as an Effects Device
Envelope Follower
Pitch-to-Voltage Converter
Sample&Hold
Formant Filter
Vocoder
Step Sequencers
Types of Effects
Delay
Tape Loops
Analog Delays
Digital Delays
Chorus
Phaser
Flanger
Distortion and Overdrive
(Wo)Man as Modulator—“Playing” Sounds
Contents of the Audio CD
Pocket Compendium of Analog Sound Synthesis
Index
Numbers
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
R
S
T
U
V
W
X