Synth Tweakers...
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- KVRAF
- 1891 posts since 9 Oct, 2004 from Columbus,Ohio
How long did it take you to learn tweaking? For those that could pull up a synth and make a desired sound with ease, and more complicated sounds at that. This is a "war stories" type thread I guess
. Only here it is a telling of a battle with learning synths instead of invading other countries for no reason
.
"You are going to let the fear of poverty govern your life and your reward will be that you will eat, but you will not live."
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- KVRAF
- 6937 posts since 4 Jun, 2004 from Utrecht, Holland
Depends on the synth... The VCO-VCF-VCA types didn't take me very long: Roland SH101, Arp Axxe, etc. Only Korg MS-20 with the patch cords was a bit more mysterious.
At the other side of the spectrum, I still can't figure out how to program any FM type synths.
At the other side of the spectrum, I still can't figure out how to program any FM type synths.
My MusicCalc is temporary offline.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
We are the KVR collective. Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.
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- Hun #3
- 4265 posts since 25 Mar, 2002 from A quaint little village just south of Hamburg, Germany
I'm usually pretty good at getting synths of any kind to make sounds I like pretty fast, but getting "what I'm after"? Other story 
I don't claim expertise in synth tweaking – except the aforementioned ADSR substractive synths which are comparatively easy. Even some of those are treacherous sometimes, I still don't really get some ES1 functions for instance.
But then I'm a bit of a preset modifyer anyway.
Marco
I don't claim expertise in synth tweaking – except the aforementioned ADSR substractive synths which are comparatively easy. Even some of those are treacherous sometimes, I still don't really get some ES1 functions for instance.
But then I'm a bit of a preset modifyer anyway.
Marco
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- KVRAF
- 2321 posts since 23 Mar, 2004 from Two lower than LS6
still learning...
getting the hang of the basics. however, getting the actual sound that I want is nigh on impossible
getting the hang of the basics. however, getting the actual sound that I want is nigh on impossible
Phil
"The fool who persists in his folly will become wise" - William Blake
*No more band for me* | **My Host**
"The fool who persists in his folly will become wise" - William Blake
*No more band for me* | **My Host**
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- KVRist
- 133 posts since 18 Jul, 2004 from Atlanta, GA USA
I've been tweaking for the past 4 years or so and I never really knew exactly what was going on until I broke each synth or sampler into basic modules and followed the signal flow. If you really want to learn how signal flow in synths work, try building your own simple subtractive synth with synthedit or KarmaFx. If you don't want to go through all that, then start with a basic subtractive synth(synth1 may fav) and zero out as much as you can. Start with the oscillators and follow the signal flow to the amp section, the filter section, modulators, effects...You'd be suprised how much you learn just by following signal flow! 
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- KVRian
- 1244 posts since 21 Nov, 2003 from San Francisco
Took an "Introduction to electonic music" class, and pretty much had Subtractive synthesis down after that. I had been playing around with vst's before that too.
I still don't understand FM, or wavetable.
I still don't understand FM, or wavetable.
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- KVRist
- 490 posts since 8 Mar, 2005 from Helsinki, Finland
I've just messed about with everything until it makes sense - substractive's pretty easy to figure out that way. Oh, and read a book on FM, which certainly cleared up some things. I know the *principles* on how wavetable works, but getting something out of it is a different thing...
- KVRAF
- 4176 posts since 2 Feb, 2003 from lost in music
With every new synth I start learning again, only the mentioned simple subtrative synths are almost the same.
but new synths like Kubik, Cameleon5000 and so need new understanding of the signalflow and work.
So I see myself as learner all the time.
but new synths like Kubik, Cameleon5000 and so need new understanding of the signalflow and work.
So I see myself as learner all the time.
sound is vibration, vibration is life
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- KVRAF
- 2321 posts since 23 Mar, 2004 from Two lower than LS6
the SOS synth secrets series, although very deep and wordy, are a great primer for how everything fits together
Phil
"The fool who persists in his folly will become wise" - William Blake
*No more band for me* | **My Host**
"The fool who persists in his folly will become wise" - William Blake
*No more band for me* | **My Host**
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- KVRAF
- 13444 posts since 14 Nov, 2000 from Hannover / Germany
Defenitely.Bunnyboy wrote:the SOS synth secrets series, although very deep and wordy, are a great primer for how everything fits together
Also, "How to make a noise" (just google it up) is a brilliant document.
I'd also stick to some sort of "comprehensive" yet simple synth until you know it inside out (on the subtractive side of things LinPlugs FreeAlpha would get my vote).
There are 3 kinds of people:
Those who can do maths and those who can't.
Those who can do maths and those who can't.
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- KVRAF
- 2321 posts since 23 Mar, 2004 from Two lower than LS6
got the day off work tomorrow as well, and that is what I am doing in conjunction with my Z3ta+Sascha Franck wrote:Defenitely.
Also, "How to make a noise" (just google it up) is a brilliant document.
Great book/.pdf
Phil
"The fool who persists in his folly will become wise" - William Blake
*No more band for me* | **My Host**
"The fool who persists in his folly will become wise" - William Blake
*No more band for me* | **My Host**
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- KVRAF
- Topic Starter
- 1891 posts since 9 Oct, 2004 from Columbus,Ohio
I'm working on FM synthesis at the moment. It seems easy until you actually try to make something. I d/l UnoFM and when I heard his MP3 examples I was just blown away. I tried hours to get those sounds but to no avail.
"You are going to let the fear of poverty govern your life and your reward will be that you will eat, but you will not live."
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- KVRAF
- 10597 posts since 13 Jun, 2004 from Alberto Balsam
The first synth I learned to use was TS404 in Fruityloops 2. It sounds horrible, but it was considered the best soft-synth around when it came out. After that, Reason came out and had the subtractor, which I fell in love with. It was the first real synth that I got my head around. Subtractor is part of what convinced me to buy Pro-52. Now I'm looking for a good FM synth.
I think that's the best way to learn to patch synths. Start from simple ones and then use more and more complicated synths.
I think that's the best way to learn to patch synths. Start from simple ones and then use more and more complicated synths.
- KVRAF
- 4176 posts since 2 Feb, 2003 from lost in music
there has been a competition this month at patcharena with unoFM.J_Starner wrote:I'm working on FM synthesis at the moment. It seems easy until you actually try to make something. I d/l UnoFM and when I heard his MP3 examples I was just blown away. I tried hours to get those sounds but to no avail.
You can get there some bamks with nice sounds.
get them here, when you´re registered
unoFM banks
cheers
sound is vibration, vibration is life
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- KVRist
- 78 posts since 2 Jul, 2004 from France
J_Starner wrote:
unoFM is a good and fun synth but i think it's not the best synth to learn FM synthesis. OxeFM is more appropriate for beginning with FM.I'm working on FM synthesis at the moment. It seems easy until you actually try to make something. I d/l UnoFM and when I heard his MP3 examples I was just blown away. I tried hours to get those sounds but to no avail.