I made a post the other day asking about sound design for older style trance (viewtopic.php?f=100&t=551297) and while I've had some great advice from people, the actual creating of sounds is still the biggest problem for me. Usually I end up putting just some saw oscillators together and not doing anything else to it aside from filter/res/effects and such because I just don't know how else to manipulate the sound. (edit: I do know about filter+amp envelopes and do use them)
A couple of people in the thread told me about trying to recreate specific synths from existing tracks, which is something I've tried before but had no idea where to go after putting some oscillators together. For example, with the lead from this track at 8:07 (youtube.com/watch?v=x3FiRCV7hHg) I wouldn't even know which oscillators to start with, let alone how to get the rest of the way to the sound.
How do people learn to make synths further than just 'putting two oscillators/waves together'? Or perhaps even specifically how was it done in the actual time period I'm looking at (1998-2004), with physical hardware? This is the biggest roadblock I have in that I find it difficult to make sounds (especially unique basses further than the typical '101 bass') and I would very much like to learn.
Any advice would be appreciated.
Learning sound design
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- KVRian
- 736 posts since 19 Sep, 2007 from Germany
I wrote a free book about the basics of programming sounds, but it's only in german, because my english is still to bad ... 
You should start with an easy to use synth and the Subtractive Synthesis. The best way to learn programming sounds is to dismantle preset sounds you like step by step, because you hear the fine differences. And then you can try to rebuild them. The more often you do this, you'll train your ears and understand the typical components of sounds. If you can do this with single sounds, you can start to mix different OSCs and then layer full sounds. Many Trance and other sounds are often "simple" to program, but sounding great, if you play a good harmony with arps and chords. Or you can use several OSCs with different semitones ("pitch"), to get "big sounds".
Sound design is learning by doing and also depends on the synth you use, not every synth sounds the same, because different filters, character of the envelopes and so on.
And every sound designer want's to program great "unique" sounds, but meanwhile that's not easy, because of billions available presets and soundbanks ...
You should start with an easy to use synth and the Subtractive Synthesis. The best way to learn programming sounds is to dismantle preset sounds you like step by step, because you hear the fine differences. And then you can try to rebuild them. The more often you do this, you'll train your ears and understand the typical components of sounds. If you can do this with single sounds, you can start to mix different OSCs and then layer full sounds. Many Trance and other sounds are often "simple" to program, but sounding great, if you play a good harmony with arps and chords. Or you can use several OSCs with different semitones ("pitch"), to get "big sounds".
Sound design is learning by doing and also depends on the synth you use, not every synth sounds the same, because different filters, character of the envelopes and so on.
And every sound designer want's to program great "unique" sounds, but meanwhile that's not easy, because of billions available presets and soundbanks ...
www.musicformer.de
(one of the new online projects)
(one of the new online projects)
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- KVRist
- 43 posts since 7 Dec, 2019
If you want to understand the basic principles of synthesis, check out the legendary Synth Secrets series by Gordon Reid:
https://www.soundonsound.com/series/synth-secrets
Then take what you learn and apply it to making the kind of sounds you're after. Era/genre doesn't matter; all subtractive, virtual analogue synths operate more or less on the same principles. Once you've got your hands around that, it'll be easier to venture into more exotic territory: FM, wavetable, etc.
https://www.soundonsound.com/series/synth-secrets
Then take what you learn and apply it to making the kind of sounds you're after. Era/genre doesn't matter; all subtractive, virtual analogue synths operate more or less on the same principles. Once you've got your hands around that, it'll be easier to venture into more exotic territory: FM, wavetable, etc.
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- KVRist
- 280 posts since 8 Apr, 2020
Is that book available anywhere? I would like to check it out...clipnotic wrote: Mon Aug 24, 2020 7:22 pm I wrote a free book about the basics of programming sounds, but it's only in german, because my english is still to bad ...
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- KVRian
- 736 posts since 19 Sep, 2007 from Germany
Yes, you can download the PDFs for free on my old tutorial website and you also find a book about music theory and harmony there!
book about basics of sounddesign, subtractive synthesis:
https://www.musicformer.de/Sounddesign.htm
book about music theory and harmony (without grades!):
https://www.musicformer.de/Harmonie.htm
Do download them, simply click on the 3 boxes to get all files and everything is free and no marketing. My music is not there, because that are other projects!
EDIT:
And the Sylenth soundbank there is very old, but good for classic stuff ...
www.musicformer.de
(one of the new online projects)
(one of the new online projects)
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VELLTONE MUSIC VELLTONE MUSIC https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=404834 - KVRAF
- 2441 posts since 19 Sep, 2017 from The Future
I'll do some short video with sound design tips for beginner producers,cause when i start i miss this the most - simple,practical explained with few words tutorial, how to make my mix better on sound design level,cause all mixing engineers say the same -
the source material is 70-80 % of the mix.
Sound design is endless journey so it's not necessary to start from scratch to be able to modify nice preset into great one or at least better sounding and fitting in complex mixture of instruments and sounds.
Basically what you need is to learn to listen and understanding the sound as part of bigger picture.Cheers
the source material is 70-80 % of the mix.
Sound design is endless journey so it's not necessary to start from scratch to be able to modify nice preset into great one or at least better sounding and fitting in complex mixture of instruments and sounds.
Basically what you need is to learn to listen and understanding the sound as part of bigger picture.Cheers
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- KVRian
- 1189 posts since 11 Jun, 2019
"no Wind is right If there is no Destination" (some Roman).
It's weird.
Looking at Presets is good, but only Experiments will give you a Feeling for the Effects of the Parameters - and studying the Presets of a VA won't help you if they don't match your ears Expectations.
Suggestion from my Side: discover!!! Listen to Demos. Demo Synths. Get a Feeling for the Direction you want to go to as first (...). You'll maybe learn that the Sounds you like are not just Synths but rather processed or even Samples.
Knowlede about substractive Synthesis won't help you much if you want to make FM in the End - so feel free and don't get stuck in the spectral mud of 2 primitive OSC.
I'm still learning after decades btw. You'll Always get new Insights If you're Always open for new Impressions - and Impressions can change quickly if you look closer
It's weird.
Looking at Presets is good, but only Experiments will give you a Feeling for the Effects of the Parameters - and studying the Presets of a VA won't help you if they don't match your ears Expectations.
Suggestion from my Side: discover!!! Listen to Demos. Demo Synths. Get a Feeling for the Direction you want to go to as first (...). You'll maybe learn that the Sounds you like are not just Synths but rather processed or even Samples.
Knowlede about substractive Synthesis won't help you much if you want to make FM in the End - so feel free and don't get stuck in the spectral mud of 2 primitive OSC.
I'm still learning after decades btw. You'll Always get new Insights If you're Always open for new Impressions - and Impressions can change quickly if you look closer
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- KVRist
- 430 posts since 4 Jun, 2018 from The UK
If you want to learn synthesis, I think a more hands-on approach where you learn with your ears and hands is the best way. I highly recommend Syntorial because it's not about reading theory, it's about learning by making sounds, and getting a feel for how to make them. It's takes around 3 months to get through the main content if you work on it for an hour or so in the evenings - it's a great crash course. If you're patient there has been some Black Friday deals for it, but I got it full price and think it was worth every penny.
The other thing is - don't wait till you're 'ready' to start making your own sounds and music, I would recommend you join the One-Synth-Challenge here on KVR. We have a friendly Slack channel where we help each other out. Every month get given a new (95% of the time free) synth to make a track with and then we listen to each other's tracks and give feedback! There's a wide range of ability from complete beginners to experienced musicians - we all learn from each other!
Link to the latest challenge - on that page there's links there to the main web-page with past challenges and the slack channel etc.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=551774
The other thing is - don't wait till you're 'ready' to start making your own sounds and music, I would recommend you join the One-Synth-Challenge here on KVR. We have a friendly Slack channel where we help each other out. Every month get given a new (95% of the time free) synth to make a track with and then we listen to each other's tracks and give feedback! There's a wide range of ability from complete beginners to experienced musicians - we all learn from each other!
Link to the latest challenge - on that page there's links there to the main web-page with past challenges and the slack channel etc.
viewtopic.php?f=1&t=551774
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- KVRist
- 251 posts since 18 Mar, 2007 from London
Rob Papen's "The secrets of subtractive synthesis - The 4 Element Synth" book is really great. Link:
https://www.robpapen.com/dvd-sound-design.html
Also, I highly suggest reverse engineering: you pick a sound (that you like) and than one by one analyze the different parameter settings. I practiced "reverse engineering" by setting parameters back to neutral one by one and I listened to the differences these changes made to the sound. Eg. start with the effects, turn them down one by one, parameter by parameter. Than stop the modulations one by one, than the filter cutoffs... finally you will be left with a single oscillator. After all this is done, you can try to recreate the same sound by memory. It is a great method to learn about sound design.
My 2 cents
https://www.robpapen.com/dvd-sound-design.html
Also, I highly suggest reverse engineering: you pick a sound (that you like) and than one by one analyze the different parameter settings. I practiced "reverse engineering" by setting parameters back to neutral one by one and I listened to the differences these changes made to the sound. Eg. start with the effects, turn them down one by one, parameter by parameter. Than stop the modulations one by one, than the filter cutoffs... finally you will be left with a single oscillator. After all this is done, you can try to recreate the same sound by memory. It is a great method to learn about sound design.
My 2 cents