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Learning Synths

learningsynths.ableton.com

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Re: Learning Synths

#111

Post by pault »

robenkleene wrote: post #85
dmix wrote: post #84

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Did you built that with some sort of IDE-ish interface? Or do you hand-code Max? The .max files look a bit more like configuration files than code. First time seeing the Max language: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Max_(software)

Max is a visual programming language[1] (arguably the most popular/relevant one?). There are some good screenshots of what it looks like here https://cycling74.com/products/max/ It requires using the Max app, an IDE-like environment, to use. The `.maxpat` files are JSON but not meant to be edited by hand (although I do it all the time). Reaktor is also a visual programming language. Both cost money, a lot actually, I…

I think sound design is one of the few domains that really really benefits from visual programming languages. You really can't work effectively without 1. instant feedback and 2. the ability to quickly alter the signal path. I know there are live sound textual programming environments, but anything more complicated than changing individual values is going to break the creative flow if you have to create new files, modify imports, etc. Doing this by dragging around nodes and edges in a graph is intuitive enough to allow you to stay focused on the act of creation instead of the implementation details. This, and the fact that DSP is fundamentally a data flow problem, make visual programming environments the ideal UI for advanced sound design.

Re: Learning Synths

#112

Post by anigbrowl »

NikolaNovak wrote: post #17

Question: All of "learn synths" tutorials I've managed to dig up are really "sound creation" tutorials. I have not found a good tutorial or paid online class on how to _play_ synths. Is taking a traditional piano course the best way to do so? Observationally, the play style seems quite different, even if some basics are the same. Most practically, I see synths typically played with right hand, left hand is on the mod…

It depends. What sort of music are you into? If you like funk and want to play weedly weedly bass sounds, you buy a Moog monosynth and you're set. If you want to play trance or dance styles then you figure out arpeggiators and sequencers and get to know the synth architecture so well that you can program it on the fly, because many styles of music are about taking a simple repeating motif and redoing it in different tonal colors. If you want to play synths as backing instruments in a rock or pop combo buy a workstation keyboard from Korg or Yamaha.

Tell me what you like to listen to and I'll recommend you something.

Re: Learning Synths

#113

Post by zimbu668 »

esistgut wrote: post #99
comboy wrote: post #13

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's a different thing but I've had some fun with https://tonedear.com/ training my imperfect pitch.

I'm trying to learn guitar in my 30s and I'm really struggling with the ear training parts. Can you point other resources like this one?

You should check out GNU Solfege.

https://www.gnu.org/software/solfege/solfege.html

Re: Learning Synths

#114

Post by munificent »

mackrevinack wrote: post #102
munificent wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Non-snarky question: how much music do you finish ? Every time I think about getting more into synths, I worry that I'll just end up endlessly noodling and never actually complete any songs. Years ago, I bought a copy of Reason and had tons of fun playing with it, but eventually I realized that after every session, I was rarely any closer to having a completed work I could share with others.

i was only thinking about this a few days ago. ive been using reason on and off since version 4 and i have never finished a song! it was the same when i played guitar. i was never really interested in making music for other people and i got a lot more enjoyment out of just noodling around

> it was the same when i played guitar.

I really noticed the difference when I started a band and played bass. With each of us having a single dedicated instrument and feedback from each other, it was a lot easier to make progress and get things done.

Re: Learning Synths

#115

Post by esistgut »

zimbu668 wrote: post #113
esistgut wrote: post #99

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm trying to learn guitar in my 30s and I'm really struggling with the ear training parts. Can you point other resources like this one?

You should check out GNU Solfege. https://www.gnu.org/software/solfege/solfege.html

I will, thank you.

Re: Learning Synths

#116

Post by jacquesm »

This is very impressive. A ton of work went into it with all the interactivity and the explanation of what makes the sound sound like it does. Very impressive work and one of those things that really make me like the internet.

By the way, this thread is a goldmine of interesting links.

Re: Learning Synths

#118

Post by tibbon »

louthy wrote: post #15
realshowbiz wrote: post #4

Possibly unpopular opinion, but IMO to learn a synth it’s best to start with a simple physical subtractive monosynth. Software synths are often built to model popular hardware instruments in both sound and interface. So learning the basic concepts on a “real” subtractive synth builds a foundation to learn more. Plus a physical synth is far less distracting than a multitasking device. I find it much easier to create,…

Or go modular. Just be prepared to remortgage your house a year later. Seriously addictive [1] https://imgur.com/a/chegsO5 (my setup)

Heh; the rather nice gear in the racks below isn't helping costs either :) Nice setup!

Re: Learning Synths

#119

Post by ben7799 »

NikolaNovak wrote: post #17

Question: All of "learn synths" tutorials I've managed to dig up are really "sound creation" tutorials. I have not found a good tutorial or paid online class on how to _play_ synths. Is taking a traditional piano course the best way to do so? Observationally, the play style seems quite different, even if some basics are the same. Most practically, I see synths typically played with right hand, left hand is on the mod…

Nothing beats a teacher but there are some problematic things with piano teachers IME. (I've had 2 over the past 20 years)

- Piano is super super super biased towards classical music

- Huge emphasis on reading music and playing it back even if you're not understanding it

- Weakness on developing a sense of rhythm and playing by ear

- Weakness on learning to play with others

- The weakness on understanding leads to a difficulty in memorization AFAICT

All this stuff gets ironed out in piano lessons I'm sure but it seems to happen at a pretty late stage that isn't great for an adult beginner. It takes away some of the fun.

I have never taken classical guitar but in contrast to piano your typical guitar lessons are near 100% the other way around. Way more emphasis on using your ears, developing rhythm, playing with others, etc..

The only reason I mention this is a lot of synth music is pop music that has a lot more in common with guitar centric music.

The ridiculous thing is I haven't taken a piano lesson since 2015, I've been taking guitar. My sense of rhythm if I sit down at a keyboard/piano is way better now than when I was playing piano every day and taking classical style lessons. If I went back to some piano now I expect I would improve dramatically from where I was in short order.

Re: Learning Synths

#120

Post by louthy »

munificent wrote: post #95
louthy wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Or go modular. Just be prepared to remortgage your house a year later. Seriously addictive [1] https://imgur.com/a/chegsO5 (my setup)

Non-snarky question: how much music do you finish ? Every time I think about getting more into synths, I worry that I'll just end up endlessly noodling and never actually complete any songs. Years ago, I bought a copy of Reason and had tons of fun playing with it, but eventually I realized that after every session, I was rarely any closer to having a completed work I could share with others.

I finish a lot. Although there are degrees of finished. There's having the song recorded where the track is basically complete. Then a version which is basically pollish (accents, fills, tweaks here and there, putting stems through various hardware to make it harmonically more interesting, etc). Then final mix down version. And then mastered.

I have several albums worth of the first stage, doing the pollishing is my weakest stage, the rest is easy.

The hardware actually makes it easier for me to finish tracks because I can usually jam out a whole track on the modular and do a lot of modulation manually or with CV that I would normally find tedious in-the-box. I will sometimes jam out for an hour or so and then find interesting sections to lay out. It's remarkably creative.

Modular is especially good for programmers I think, it's a very systematic way of thinking and it's quite easy to lose yourself in the process of what-if. As soon as something starts sounding repetetive it's trivial to patch in something that modulates it away. Creating self generating patches is especially rewarding, where the system is self modulating and creating controlled randomness.

The sound design aspect of it is fun for its own sake. So, I don't always fire it up just to make music. It will often lead onto me making a track, but it's just fun to see what happens.

For what it's worth I have a few bits (in various stages of completeness) on soundcloud [1]

[1] https://soundcloud.com/paullouth

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