I want to start to learn synth sound design, looking for a synth recommendation
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- KVRAF
- 2955 posts since 31 Jan, 2020
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- KVRer
- 1 posts since 23 Feb, 2020
My top choices (all are FREE)
Kamioooka - free modular synth vst useful for anything really
MinimogueVA - a free Moog clone with extra features. I almost exclusively used this til I found Kamioooka
Dominator (TA Programming) - This free synth can be used to make some extremely harsh FM or dubstep sounds
Once you know how they work, you shouldn't really need more
Kamioooka - free modular synth vst useful for anything really
MinimogueVA - a free Moog clone with extra features. I almost exclusively used this til I found Kamioooka
Dominator (TA Programming) - This free synth can be used to make some extremely harsh FM or dubstep sounds
Once you know how they work, you shouldn't really need more
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- KVRist
- 40 posts since 4 Apr, 2019
Waves Element 2 is perfect for starting sound design. All you need in one window and renowned for its analog feel and it sounds great.
On top of that, super cheap. Only downside In my book is its cpu intensive.
On top of that, super cheap. Only downside In my book is its cpu intensive.
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- KVRist
- 428 posts since 23 Jun, 2012
hag01: You'll get more and more answers here that will only confuse you more.
My tip: search youtube for basic knowledge, test the synths they show and learn on it. Read the manuals and it all comes out.
Just start, that's what counts. Of course, such synth monsters overstrain you, but every synth also consists of an oscillator, envelope, filter and LFO. It's just in another spot.
My tip: search youtube for basic knowledge, test the synths they show and learn on it. Read the manuals and it all comes out.
Just start, that's what counts. Of course, such synth monsters overstrain you, but every synth also consists of an oscillator, envelope, filter and LFO. It's just in another spot.
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- KVRist
- 428 posts since 23 Jun, 2012
Yeah, didn't we all start with it?
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- KVRist
- 95 posts since 7 Sep, 2014 from Spain
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- KVRAF
- 2955 posts since 31 Jan, 2020
I think Thorn would be very good for a beginner. First you'll be tweaking the harmonic filter and loading different presets into the harmonic filter, and tweaking the filter, making a sound that's different from the presets. Then you'll be playing with the fx. Then you'll be tweaking the envelopes and maybe automating the envelopes for example the release. It's easy to find everything you need.
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- KVRAF
- 3539 posts since 12 Jan, 2019
A lot of the synths recommended so far are not analog emulations at all, but yes they would be good for learning synthesis. You really should just stick with what you have and dive into it. If analog emulation is important to you, then Diva can get you damn close to several famous analog synths.
U-he has tons (maybe 50 or so) of short videos for Zebra and Zebra 2 (both not analog emulations) that teach about various features--and about sound design, really. I learned a lot from them.
You should also look into types of synthesis and figure out what is most important for you (additive, subtractive, wave table, FM, physical modeling--also do you have an interest in modular (Zebra is semi-modular)?).
One tack to take for learning sound design would be to see which synthesizers have the most tutorials available (from the company, from users on Youtube or other formats).
I started with TAL Noisemaker and some other free synths (from TAL and u-he), moved on to Serum, then really learned synthesis on Zebra 2. But if I had to do it all over again, I'd start with Harmor (additive synth, but not an analogue emulation), and watch all the SeamlessR videos. I learned a lot about synthesis watching him, even before buying Harmor (note, this can be time consuming, as his videos aren't edited to be efficient--at least the ones I have seen). In contrast, early on I had watched a lot of Youtube videos on Serum, but I got a lot of--what I didn't know at the time was--bad information, like, "just start modulating as many parameters as you can"--ha.
Tip: use an oscilloscope as you learn a synth. Yes, your ear should be most important, but the visual information helped me grasp better what each parameter can do (like those oscillator effects in Zebra).
Oh, and read the manual cover to cover, for whatever synth you are learning. It will save you so much time.
U-he has tons (maybe 50 or so) of short videos for Zebra and Zebra 2 (both not analog emulations) that teach about various features--and about sound design, really. I learned a lot from them.
You should also look into types of synthesis and figure out what is most important for you (additive, subtractive, wave table, FM, physical modeling--also do you have an interest in modular (Zebra is semi-modular)?).
One tack to take for learning sound design would be to see which synthesizers have the most tutorials available (from the company, from users on Youtube or other formats).
I started with TAL Noisemaker and some other free synths (from TAL and u-he), moved on to Serum, then really learned synthesis on Zebra 2. But if I had to do it all over again, I'd start with Harmor (additive synth, but not an analogue emulation), and watch all the SeamlessR videos. I learned a lot about synthesis watching him, even before buying Harmor (note, this can be time consuming, as his videos aren't edited to be efficient--at least the ones I have seen). In contrast, early on I had watched a lot of Youtube videos on Serum, but I got a lot of--what I didn't know at the time was--bad information, like, "just start modulating as many parameters as you can"--ha.
Tip: use an oscilloscope as you learn a synth. Yes, your ear should be most important, but the visual information helped me grasp better what each parameter can do (like those oscillator effects in Zebra).
Oh, and read the manual cover to cover, for whatever synth you are learning. It will save you so much time.
Last edited by Dirtgrain on Sun Mar 01, 2020 4:59 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Doing nothing is only fun when you have something you are supposed to do.
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- KVRAF
- 2955 posts since 31 Jan, 2020
I missed that. I just thought he was looking for an easy synth to learn with.
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- KVRAF
- 2955 posts since 31 Jan, 2020
I've heard it said that Serum is very easy to learn with, but I haven't got Serum.
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el-bo (formerly ebow) el-bo (formerly ebow) https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=208007 - KVRAF
- 16369 posts since 24 May, 2009 from A galaxy, far far away
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- KVRAF
- 2955 posts since 31 Jan, 2020
I hate videos but that's just me
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el-bo (formerly ebow) el-bo (formerly ebow) https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=208007
- KVRAF
- 16369 posts since 24 May, 2009 from A galaxy, far far away
Are you referring to my post?
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- KVRAF
- 2955 posts since 31 Jan, 2020
yes
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el-bo (formerly ebow) el-bo (formerly ebow) https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=208007
- KVRAF
- 16369 posts since 24 May, 2009 from A galaxy, far far away
Oh, sorry! I hadn’t realised when I posted that you weren’t the op (That’ll teach me to read further back than the last posted comment).Spring Goose wrote: ↑Sun Mar 01, 2020 5:32 pmyes
Either way, Syntorial has a USP that goes a long way to addressing the biggest failings (for some) of solely using tutorial videos.
There’s a demo with which one can get a better idea of whether it would be of benefit
