Chapter 11: A Basic Synthesis Model
Examples and Resources
Basic Synthesis Model: Oscillator
- For video examples of basic waveforms and noise, see Chapter 2: Sound Properties and the Waveform View and Chapter 3: The Overtone Series and the Spectrum View
Basic Synthesis Model: Filter
- Low pass filter with resonance [20 sec. YouTube video] —The effect of a low-pas filter with resonance on the spectrum of a sawtooth waveform. The individual "notes" heard are the result of the resonant peak of the filter emphasizing different partials as it moves up and down the spectrum.
Basic Synthesis Model: Amplifier and Amplitude Envelope
- Amplitude Envelope [1 min. YouTube video]—The effect of a changing ADSR envelope on the articulation of a sound.
Basic Synthesis Model: Dynamic Sound
- Filter Envelope [10 sec. YouTube video]—Modulation of filter cutoff frequency with an envelope
- Pitch Envelope [20 sec. YouTube video]—Modulation of pitch with an envelope
- LFO Examples [2 min. YouTube video]—LFO applied to various elements of a synthesizer, first first with a constant LFO and then with the LFO amount controlled by the modulation wheel. There are four segments to this video: 1) when applied to pitch it creates vibrato, 2) when applied to amplitude it creates tremolo, 3) when applied to the cutoff frequency of a low pass filter it creates wah-wah, 4) when applied to the center frequency of a notch filter it changes the middle of the note's spectrum.
- Other Dynamic Sound Examples [2 min. YouTube video]—Several techniques for creating dynamic sound in a synthesizer: 1) pulse-width modulation (PWM), 2) mixing multiple waveforms—sawtooth, pulse up one octave, noise on attack, 3) the "bass fifth"—two oscillators, one transposed up a fifth, 4) detuning—three oscillators, one up 10 cents, one down 10 cents, one unchanged, 5) oscillator sync—one oscillator "restarting" another, the pitch of the second is controlled by an envelope, 6) ring modulation—oscillator modulating the amplitude of another, the modulating oscillator is transposed up a fifth. All of these examples were created with the Thor synth in Reason.