Sampling & Synthesis

[philbagg]

I'm getting into doing a lot more electronic music these days, using a lot of synths and stuff. I want to start making my own sounds, as opposed to the presets however. From scratch even.

I know the basics such as ADSR, cutoff etc., but is there anywhere I can learn about making patches from scratch?

Cheers.

 

[kcearl]

Ive read a few articles in magazines, in fact Musictech just had a one issue special on synthesis... if you understand the basics of ADSR you are halfway there

I make patches in Analogue, but its pretty easy, I can make a mallet or string patch etc with the ADSR then just add effects to it..

but much of my stuff is done outboard now

Im not sure what tutorials there are as Ive never came across them

sorry not much help

 

[kentheriot]

philbagg,

I'm no expert in the electronic music realm, but I use midi and synths a fair amount. I think the answer to your question will largely depend on what synths you're using. Most synths, hardware and software alike, have their own way to create user-generated patches. With a sampler, like the now-defunct GigaStudio, you mainly use wave files you record and import, then you can filter and change the sound(s) as you wish and save it as an "instrument."

With an actual synthesizer, you generate your own own sounds from the synth's engine, and tweak/smash/mangle the sound from there and save it as a patch.

What programs/modules are you using?

Jake Weston

 

[kcearl]

I use midi quest to make patches on my JV...it can be a bit laborious but Rolands filters are very good..


Jake I think philbaggs mainly using Ableton for this...

 

[philbagg]

philbagg,

I'm no expert in the electronic music realm, but I use midi and synths a fair amount. I think the answer to your question will largely depend on what synths you're using. Most synths, hardware and software alike, have their own way to create user-generated patches. With a sampler, like the now-defunct GigaStudio, you mainly use wave files you record and import, then you can filter and change the sound(s) as you wish and save it as an "instrument."

With an actual synthesizer, you generate your own own sounds from the synth's engine, and tweak/smash/mangle the sound from there and save it as a patch.

What programs/modules are you using?

Jake Weston

I use midi quest to make patches on my JV...it can be a bit laborious but Rolands filters are very good..


Jake I think philbaggs mainly using Ableton for this...

KC's right, I'm using Ableton. I'm also messing around in Reason 4. My question, I guess, is more aimed at synthesis than sampling. I know from experience that when it comes to audio, there's rarely formulae, but if you have an idea in mind for let's say, a dirty bass sound, or an icy crunchy pluck, where do you begin?

 

[Seidy]

i'd say just take a simple synth, ableton has Operator for example. And just start tweaking and learning which button does what and how different waveforms sound. then add some effects like chorus, delay and distortion (ohmforce ohmicide is my favorite right now) and there you go.