Subtractive Synthesis - The lowdown, advice, best way to learn

TranceAddict Forums (www.tranceaddict.com/forums)
- Production Studio
-- Subtractive Synthesis - The lowdown, advice, best way to learn

Posted by StephenWiley on Mar-23-2009 04:35:

Subtractive Synthesis - The lowdown, advice, best way to learn

So I've read the stuff in the "master guide" on the sticky and seen a video or two, but I'd really like to dive deeper into this. I don't think I need to state the importance of substractive synthesis in music theory for creating music that uses, well, SYNTHS.

Advice, opinions, do's and don'ts, and suggested learning resources are much appreciated!

Thank you in advance.

Posted by Zombie0729 on Mar-23-2009 05:20:

by far the best tutorial i've ever read on synthesis is the moog voyager manaul. it's only like 30 pages but its fantastic and insanely practical. it will apply to nearly every synth on the market (mainly because almost every subtractive synth ever built is somehow modeled after the moog)

Posted by nicknack on Mar-23-2009 09:11:

read the novation v-station manual

regardless of whether you use vstation or not, it does shed some light on the subject, and most subtractive vst's have alot of similar parameters

Posted by kitphillips on Mar-23-2009 10:04:

Re: Subtractive Synthesis - The lowdown, advice, best way to learn

Subtractive synthesis is really not hard to grasp. Its very hard to master though, so I'd recommend you just sit down and start trying to get some decent bread and butter sounds like pads, basses, plucks etc.

Posted by Subtle on Mar-23-2009 14:58:

Read the manual on the synth you intend to learn.

The rest is trial and error, sit down and program some from time to time, you are bound to learn something new every time.

Posted by PlasticSoul on Mar-23-2009 15:36:

synth manuals
recreating presets checking what each knob does

Posted by Theran on Mar-23-2009 15:41:

quote:
Originally posted by PlasticSoul
recreating presets checking what each knob does

+1

The theory behind it is easy, mastering it is difficult!

Posted by JmanNZ on Mar-24-2009 01:52:

how to make a noise is a good free e-book that I would recommend.

I like to open two midi tracks with the vst synth open on each, find a preset i like on one synth then try and programme it on the other synth. When you get stuck go back to the preset and LEARN what you did wrong or missed.

Lately I have been keeping my synth training sessions seperate from my music arrangement sessions, seems to be helping a bit. Every now and then I think I need a sound, then realise that I taught myself how to make that the other day, that's a cool feeling! As appose to the times when you need a specific sound and try and make something that you have no idea about - that usually doesn't end well (although I have surprised myself on occasion).