Additive synthesis - how??
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- KVRian
- 640 posts since 16 Dec, 2006 from Caught Somewhere In Time
Can anyone give me a brief explanation or a link to something that can explain additive synthesis. I think that I understand it very loosely, but dont understand how to apply the knowledge of dealing with harmonics, etc... Any help would be greatly appreciated
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Bastiaan from Tone2.com Bastiaan from Tone2.com https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=66873
- KVRist
- 291 posts since 30 Apr, 2005 from Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 640 posts since 16 Dec, 2006 from Caught Somewhere In Time
Yes, Ive read over that and some other stuff, and generally understand, but it's the applications of it that I dont understand. How to predict the wave when mixing harmonics, etc...
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- KVRist
- 68 posts since 17 Oct, 2003
The whole point is that you exactly determine the harmonics, in advance, directly, explicitly.xolax wrote:Yes, Ive read over that and some other stuff, and generally understand, but it's the applications of it that I dont understand. How to predict the wave when mixing harmonics, etc...
No complicated formulas like in FM/PM, no memoryless distortion, no time-dependent nonlinearities, nothing except the linear superposition of what you put in.
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- KVRAF
- 2911 posts since 26 Jul, 2005 from dun unda
Warning: Dumb understanding, but this is how I understand additive synthesis.
The harmonics of a sound are dependent on the base pitch of the sound. Additive synthesis basically gives you the ability to amplify those harmonics. In music theory, each harmonic level halves in distance as the levels are higher on the stave, but is still relative to the base pitch. Of course, the higher harmonics start to sound drastically different, which then would be the overtones that are being amplified.
It's a very complex thing, though. I'm not sure if I even understand it properly either, but the basics are clear enough to the ear.
The harmonics of a sound are dependent on the base pitch of the sound. Additive synthesis basically gives you the ability to amplify those harmonics. In music theory, each harmonic level halves in distance as the levels are higher on the stave, but is still relative to the base pitch. Of course, the higher harmonics start to sound drastically different, which then would be the overtones that are being amplified.
It's a very complex thing, though. I'm not sure if I even understand it properly either, but the basics are clear enough to the ear.
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- KVRian
- 725 posts since 19 Jul, 2005 from Paris
Hi,
Help file
more:
the level values are in fact :
level value * (1/number of harmonic).
-1 = inversion of phase
by this way you can make a saw waveform only with few 1.
Xavier
Help file
more:
the level values are in fact :
level value * (1/number of harmonic).
-1 = inversion of phase
by this way you can make a saw waveform only with few 1.
Xavier
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Ben [Camel Audio] Ben [Camel Audio] https://www.kvraudio.com/forum/memberlist.php?mode=viewprofile&u=1122
- KVRian
- 757 posts since 18 Sep, 2001 from Edinburgh, Scotland
Here's a couple of SOS links which are worth a look:
http://www.camelaudio.com/tutorials.php?tID=8
http://www.camelaudio.com/tutorials.php?tID=8
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- KVRian
- Topic Starter
- 640 posts since 16 Dec, 2006 from Caught Somewhere In Time
Sweet! Thanks for all the links, guys. This is starting to make slightly more sense now 
.
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- KVRist
- 352 posts since 31 Mar, 2002 from Europe
A few helpfull hints to additive synthesis...
1. Don't try to work with/add singe harmonics until you hear their effect, this is fine when combining additive synthesis with FM but not good on pure additive synths. If you hear the harmonics it's to late, you create an additional fundamental and everythings tends to sounds organ like...
2. Start with creating a landscape with peaks (formants), fill all! (SAWisch) harmonics, delete groups of harmonics like every 2nd (squarisch) or other patterns(!!!), to change the waveform...
3. Use the formant filter (if avaiable) to create/move those peaks (formants) instead of adding them directly to the spectre, since this is the key to create sonicly interesting soundscapes...
4. If you gained enough experience by using those beginner hints, don't follow them anymore
1. Don't try to work with/add singe harmonics until you hear their effect, this is fine when combining additive synthesis with FM but not good on pure additive synths. If you hear the harmonics it's to late, you create an additional fundamental and everythings tends to sounds organ like...
2. Start with creating a landscape with peaks (formants), fill all! (SAWisch) harmonics, delete groups of harmonics like every 2nd (squarisch) or other patterns(!!!), to change the waveform...
3. Use the formant filter (if avaiable) to create/move those peaks (formants) instead of adding them directly to the spectre, since this is the key to create sonicly interesting soundscapes...
4. If you gained enough experience by using those beginner hints, don't follow them anymore
A formant is a preferred resonating frequency of any acoustical system.