PreSonus Studio One FREE??!

[koolkeys]

Of course you can learn synthesis from a sample player. Why the heck not? An oscillator is just a sound source. A sample is a sound source. Synthesis isn't only in how the sound is created. In fact, most of what people learn about synthesis is how that sound is tweaked. And a sample player can absolutely teach that.

There are a thousand ways to learn most things. S1 Free would also give the students a good and powerful free host as well, VST or no VST won't matter to them at first. Then they can learn MIDI, basic audio editing, mixing, etc. Try that with a simple 3 osc synth, eh?

Brent

[Tricky-Loops]

Of course you can learn synthesis from a sample player. Why the heck not? An oscillator is just a sound source. A sample is a sound source. Synthesis isn't only in how the sound is created. In fact, most of what people learn about synthesis is how that sound is tweaked. And a sample player can absolutely teach that.

There are a thousand ways to learn most things. S1 Free would also give the students a good and powerful free host as well, VST or no VST won't matter to them at first. Then they can learn MIDI, basic audio editing, mixing, etc. Try that with a simple 3 osc synth, eh?

Brent

There is a big difference between sample-based synthesizers (or romplers), samplers with subtractive modulation possibilities and real analog synthesizers (which work with algorithms to create an oscillator sound wave). Subtractive synthesis is only one of several synthesis forms, and students should learn the others, too.

Of course, students can learn with everything they can get - there are at least 10 big-boy DAW's out there available even in light or school or educational versions. PreSonus Studio One is only one of them.