Links to Essential SOS Sound Design Tutorials

[Pringe]

I have been working with synths in varying degrees for a few years now as a keyboard player but would like to read up more thoroughly on the technical aspects behind synthesizers and the different types (FM especially) and possibly effects. I have had a quick look on amazon and seen a huge amount of publications - can anyone recommend any that stand out from the rest?

Cheers

[Hugh Robjohns]

Try working your way through Gordon Reid's superb Synth Secrets articles which are all available on the website here.

Hugh

[Martin Walker]

Here’s the collected list of links to the SOS 'Synth Secrets' series, written over five years by someone who REALLY knows his synths

www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm

Enjoy!

Martin

[gryfyx]

Hugh I asked a similar question, but a bit clandestine. I'm still waiting for the answer.

[gryfyx]

This thread might have the treasure. Sorry I didnt dig in to find the specific FM synth that you're looking for.

[Pringe]

Hugh / Martin - wow, looks amazing. Should keep me busy for a while! Thanks.

[alexis]

Here’s the collected list of links to the SOS 'Synth Secrets' series, written over five years by someone who REALLY knows his synths

www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm

Enjoy!

Martin

I remember plowing through (most of) these a few years ago. Recommend making this a stickie -

[Martin Walker]

Sticky it now is

Martin

[vinyl_junkie]

If you would like to know more about FM I suggest googeleing John Chowning or reading some of his books http://mixonline.com/mag/audio_talk_john_chowning_2/

[Shreddie]

I think Steve Howell's Lost art of Sampling is an essential read for anyone wanting to get into, or know more about sampling.

As a sticky, maybe this thread should be titled "essential synthesis tutorials" or some such instead?

[Martin Walker]

Now we’ve amended this thread to provide various links to SOS sound design tutorials, here are a few of mine to add to the list:

Convolution Processing with Impulse Responses

Warmer Sounds From Digital Synths

Stereo Image Trickery With PC Plug-ins

Exploring PC Spectral Multi-band Plug-ins

Hope you find them useful!

Martin

[Martin Walker]

Here are links to our SOS series entitled ‘Sequencer Effects Masterclasses’:

Software Dynamics Masterclass

Software Gating Masterclass

Sequencer EQ Masterclass

Sequencer Reverb Masterclass

Sequencer Creative Effects Masterclass

Martin

[Martin Walker]

Here’s another good one from SOS December 2005 by Simon Price:

Granular Synthesis: How It Works & Ways To Use It

And from the same author in SOS June 2004 comes this masterclass:

Beat-slicing Masterclass: What software you need and how best to do it!

Enjoy!

Martin

[busamania]

also I need some good tips and technics about sound designing and synthesis modelling.until now I have downloaded many e-documents and articles but they all are telling about mathematical or schematical structures for bowed strings and wind instruments.I throughly understood the theory but I need something more likely hardware based practical applications about modelling synthesis...I have KORG M3 with RADIAS board...

[Futureline]

Hi, I'm kind of new to the forum, so I hope this could be the place to leave a suggestion, as it is regarding the topic:

As suggested, the synth secrets are a great way to dig into sound synthesis, but I would like to know if one can suggest to get that made as a document to buy on the app that S.O.S have?

[Martin Walker]

Hi Futureline, and welcome to the SOS Forums!

It's been suggested on various occasions over the years that Synth Secrets would make a good book, but (as always) it's a matter of how many sales it would get compared with the time (and therefore money) it would take to create it.

Somehow I don't think many people would be prepared to pay for the creation of an app when all the features are already on line for everyone to read free.

Others may disagree

Martin

[zenguitar]

Yep, this isn't the first time it has been raised. Worthy of a book, and it should be required reading for all music tech courses, but regrettably unlikely to be cost effective.

I remember looking forward to SOS every month to read the next instalment, and needing a month to digest the contents of each Synth Secrets. Monthly instalments is probably the ideal way to read it too, there is an incredible amount of information in each part. With a book the temptation would always be to read 'just another chapter' and skip over a lot of the detail.

Andy

[Martin Walker]

It's about time I updated this thread to highlight some SOS design features that have been published more recently:

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul11/a ... design.htm

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/oct13/a ... gn-pt1.htm

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov13/a ... rt-two.htm

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/aug14/a ... s-0814.htm

Martin

[Kevin Nolan]

Absolutely amazing set of links / articles. Thanks for the pointer.

Might I suggest that SOS start posting these to your Facebook Wall in the same way that Mucistech do. You have an amazing archive of articles, and they could be put to excite use on Facebook and Twitter to help musicians everywhere, while generating new fans and followers for SOS.

[muzines]

You have an amazing archive of articles

...actually two...