Syntorial is also popular and posted here many times. https://www.syntorial.com/
Syntorial was how I first learned and I was pretty happy with it.
Learning Synths
41–50 of 128 posts
Re: Learning Synths
#42If you want to understand (Subtractive) synthesis. The best way is to get copy of VCV rack and follow a few tutorials. If you patch one subtractive mono synth voice once, you understand 80% of all subtractive synth architecture moving forward. https://vcvrack.com (open source and wonderful) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V35OhojjqDs Happy patching :) There's a bunch of other really interesting types of synthesis and…
unpopular hot take: subtractive synthesis isn't synthesis. It's a transformation.
Pretty much everything in audio processing is a filter, whether it's called a filter or not, but that's overly reductive. Synthesis is just creating audio from parts.
Re: Learning Synths
#43Earlier quoted context omitted.
Don't. Computer keyboards are inexpressive. You'll be giving up the ability to modulate note velocity/volume, for starters. Get a cheap MIDI keyboard for a few hundred bucks. If instead of playing you're more interested in making cool sounds, I'd skip the keyboard completely and download a free DAW like Reaper, Ableton, or FL Studio. Whichever route you take, the secret is practice. It always is...
> Don't. Computer keyboards are inexpressive. Constraints can be a great thing.
It can be a great thing.
But it can't help you learn piano, which is what the top-level comment asked for.
Re: Learning Synths
#44For those so inclined, that want to play with synth in some more programmatic way, there is a lisp dialect ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist_(programming_language) ) for it.
There are many, many more languages for playing around with audio (and video) synthesis than that. The domain is typically called livecoding. Here's a good list of languages for that:
Re: Learning Synths
#45I recommend the re-issue of Allen Strange's Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls.
It was successfully launched on Kickstarter a while ago, and is now available through a few retailers.
Re: Learning Synths
#46Earlier quoted context omitted.
Don't. Computer keyboards are inexpressive. You'll be giving up the ability to modulate note velocity/volume, for starters. Get a cheap MIDI keyboard for a few hundred bucks. If instead of playing you're more interested in making cool sounds, I'd skip the keyboard completely and download a free DAW like Reaper, Ableton, or FL Studio. Whichever route you take, the secret is practice. It always is...
> Don't. Computer keyboards are inexpressive. Constraints can be a great thing.
Sure, but they can also be a hindrance, and that's been my experience playing music with my computer keyboard. If intervals are all you care about (and it's all you can care about) then I've found it easier to just enter notes with the mouse.
Alternatively, an Akai MPK Mini MK3 costs $100 and gives you twice the range, no limit on simultaneous keypresses, velocity sensitivity, a mod wheel, analog knobs, and velocity sensitive drum pads.
Re: Learning Synths
#47I've been playing synths and piano for a while, but I've been struggling to get some solid intuitions about what is going on when I tweak the synths. One thing that really helped on this site, is the «dot» that is bouncing back and forth on https://learningsynths.ableton.com/en/playground . Try tweaking the nobs and see how the dots movement changes. It helped me visualize something that I wasn't able to grasp before…
The best way I found to understand a bit more about how synths work, was to give VCVRack a try. Basically "build your own synth" in a box, AKA " Modular synthesizer", which lets you build what a mainstream synth comes with, from scratch.
I tend to thing that non-modular is a better place to start. Modular is great, I've wasted untold shameful consumerist dollars on Eurorack, but I think it's better to get the core concepts from a well-known fixed-architecture synth (like a Minimoog clone/VST) before moving on to modular. Modular can be very overwhelming when you're new.
Re: Learning Synths
#48I like synths with movements instead of keys a lot better. They give me that old sci-fi vibe. It's something that should be nice with the Quest VR handtracking. (but no, really not like this; https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/synthvr/3748465338566... ; then I would just get a real synth)
These days there are several tools that map hand tracking to MIDI CCs and notes, you might enjoy something like that. It's on my list to try sometime in 2025. :-)
Here's an example, although I'm not sure if it's good or not because I haven't tried it yet. https://www.uwyn.com/geco/
Re: Learning Synths
#49Earlier quoted context omitted.
Don't. Computer keyboards are inexpressive. You'll be giving up the ability to modulate note velocity/volume, for starters. Get a cheap MIDI keyboard for a few hundred bucks. If instead of playing you're more interested in making cool sounds, I'd skip the keyboard completely and download a free DAW like Reaper, Ableton, or FL Studio. Whichever route you take, the secret is practice. It always is...
> Don't. Computer keyboards are inexpressive. Constraints can be a great thing.
In this case it would likely be frustrating.
Many synthesizers (especially softsynths) map changes in sound to velocity, that is, how hard you hit the key. Hitting the key harder makes a different sound (e.g. layers more samples) than hitting it softly.
Re: Learning Synths
#50Earlier quoted context omitted.
The best way I found to understand a bit more about how synths work, was to give VCVRack a try. Basically "build your own synth" in a box, AKA " Modular synthesizer", which lets you build what a mainstream synth comes with, from scratch.
I tend to thing that non-modular is a better place to start. Modular is great, I've wasted untold shameful consumerist dollars on Eurorack, but I think it's better to get the core concepts from a well-known fixed-architecture synth (like a Minimoog clone/VST) before moving on to modular. Modular can be very overwhelming when you're new.
To this point, are there any free/cheap apps/browser apps that clone simple/older/well known synths you'd (or others here) would recommend for skilling up a bit? Doesn't need to be anywhere near pro quality sound-wise, not what I'm after.
A million years ago I had some analogue korg model and have been interested in playing around again. But I know myself well enough to know that my interest may very well be fleeting and I don't want to invest much in the way of $$ to go that route.