Summary
Summary
An analogue synthesizer can be broken down into five main sound generating or sound
modifying (modulating) blocks.
1
Oscillators that generate waveforms at a certain pitches and a noise generator that
generates a noise signal for unpitched sounds and special effects.
2
A Mixer that combines the outputs from the oscillators and noise generator together.
3
A filter that removes certain harmonics and which changes the tone or timbre of the sound.
4
An amplifier that is controlled by an Envelope generator that alters the volume of a sound
over time when a note is played.
5
LFOs and envelopes that can be used to modulate and control any of the above.
6
The combination of all the above can be stored in memories for later recall.
Much of the enjoyment to be had with a synthesizer is with experimenting with the factory
preset sounds and creating new ones. There is no substitute for ‘hands on‘ experience.
Experiments with altering knobs and buttons will eventually lead to a fuller understanding of
how the various controls interact and alter and help create new sounds.
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Synthesis Tutorial
