Learning environment and resources?

[sellyoursoul]

Which modular system would you recommend as a tool for deeper learning of synthesis, sampling, and effects? What I mean by deeper is, down to the fundamental building blocks, and perhaps with the potential to get even further down to the math, of synthesis, sampling, and effects, from the current position of using non-modular plugins and only having tinkered around here and there with various modular environments. A few examples are, Pure Data, Reaktor, Synth Edit. Are any of the modular environments stronger for some given reasons as a learning tool? Do any of the modular environments have better available learning resources?

[Winstontaneous]

Demo as many as you can and see which feels the best to you.

Pure Data has some great resources - creator Miller Puckette's Theory & Techniques of Electronic Music, and Andy Farnell's Designing Sound come to mind.

Reaktor manuals give a good intro to the basics of Primary and Core levels, and the NI forum is very helpful. Then you could dive deeper into Reaktor mastermind Vadim Z's filter book.

The Nord Modular G2 is discontinued, but there are some phenomenal resources including the McGill site and electromusic.com forum.

Beyond product-specific resources, Curtis Roads' Computer Music Tutorial and Microsound, plus Steven Smith's The Scientist and Engineer's Guide to Digital Signal Processing are great for understanding the theory and principles underlying modern audio DSP.

Beware that modulars (hard and soft) can become an obsession of their own, siphoning time/energy you could be using for songwriting, production, etc. into building your very own masturbating robot simulator.

[pljones]

MuTools' MuLab and MuX have very comfortable modular environments - not total control of something like Pure Data but down to filters, LFOs, EGs, etc. I always found the old "Synth Secrets" Sound On Sound articles fascinating in gaining an understanding of how synthesis works.

[sellyoursoul]

Beyond product-specific resources, [url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Th ... -TetwzVcIC]Curtis Roads' Computer Music Tutorial

That looks like an interesting beginner book, as a compliment to the documentation of a modular environment. But it's hard to tell what it really covers and to what depth. I did find a table of contents, but it is very general in it's listing of topics: http://www.audiologos.pl/ksiegarnia/the ... ecafcdf289

If you have read through that book, how well do you think that it moves from a beginner higher level on to where the reader can transition to a lower level? What kind of background knowledge would you say is required for reading it? Thanks.

[Winstontaneous]

Beyond product-specific resources, [url=https://books.google.com/books/about/Th ... -TetwzVcIC]Curtis Roads' Computer Music Tutorial

That looks like an interesting beginner book, as a compliment to the documentation of a modular environment. But it's hard to tell what it really covers and to what depth. I did find a table of contents, but it is very general in it's listing of topics: http://www.audiologos.pl/ksiegarnia/the ... ecafcdf289

If you have read through that book, how well do you think that it moves from a beginner higher level on to where the reader can transition to a lower level? What kind of background knowledge would you say is required for reading it? Thanks.

No special background is required - typically the figures and diagrams help you visualize the underlying math. You'd need familiarity in a given environment in order to actually implement these ideas, but for me, it (and Microsound) are great maps for the territory.

I find this book useful as an overview of different synthesis methods and signal processing techniques. Beyond the purely technical elements, Roads focuses on how humans actually perceive these algorithms.