I'm not quite sure how to use virtual modular synths.

I tried searching for how to use them, but hardly any search results came up.
All I found were things like "the history of modular synths"...

Are there any articles that explain how to use them in a practical way, or any good teaching materials?

 

You can't do any better than "How do I send email?"

 

Huh... I'm lost. I don't remember saying the "troll game" thing, or in what context. Was it here??

 

What synth do you use ?

 

Both portions directed to the OP. I could see how that would be confusing the way I repurposed your comment for our new Foster v400.

 

Load examples, play around with them.

Create a simple subtractive synth, start with one oscillator, one filter. Hook up the keyboard pitch to the oscillator and filter (for keytracking), hook up the envelope to the filter, create an amp module and hook up the filter to the amp to the outputs. Wire up the gate from keyboard inputs to trigger the envelope.

Read the manuals to see how this is accomplished.

Once you have a working simple synth, start expanding: use two oscillators, figure out how to mix them together before feeding into the filter.
Add one extra envelope just for the filter, and remove the amp env from the filter. Start adding LFOs and figure out how to distribute them to what you want to modulate (usual destinations: osc pitch for vibrato, osc pulsewidth modulation, filter frequency, etc etc etc).

With this simple setup you can start experimenting with various feedback loops, filter feedback modulation, osc sync/crossmod and so on. Use provided tools to see what you come up with and how X affects Y, thinks like oscilloscopes, spectrometers and such.

There's only one (1) rule: everytime you run across something interesting or get something working, SAVE TO A NEW FILE. Back up the files.

This way if you mess up or go off track (which happens regularly, trust me), you can return to a previous checkpoint, but also to build a library of handy shit for yourselves.

A slightly more advanced thing, but one well worth learning, is that some softmodulars allow you to create containers and other self-contained things. These are a must for keeping larger patches containerized.

Again, read the manual, then apply, repeat as necessary. Don't watch youtube tutorials too much, they're either by people who don't know shit, or they're way more advanced and you need to understand what the primitive functions do first.

Once you're on familiar ground with your modular, then start reading about fun things to do with it, say read about waveguide synthesis and then figure out how to implement one in your chosen environment.

Don't get stuck with just synths, start feeding external audio and control signals into it and create unique FX. Also some environments are beasts for mangling MIDI data (Reaktor, Max/MSP, Bitwig's Grid).

 

And remember!!! Do Not Press The Red Button!


BTW, You can find Modular Synthesis Beginner’s Guide on the sister site.

 

May I ask, do you know already (basics of) subtractive synthesis?

 

@=6SÁÅK>

You just create your own synth from available blocks and use it as usual, non-moduar one. Explore what blocks you have at your disposal and how you can connect them together.

 

Try guitar you might get an exercise this way. As for the op, so you are sure about how to use synths but it's the modular ones that make it difficult for you.
I got some news. Selecting presets is not using a synth. Btw, why am i taking this half seriously i dunno. Byebye Foster#179

 

get ahold of SPark2 from Arturia, there's a demo on their website (time limited)

watch and learn

 

Search Patch & Tweak on sister site

 

Search for VCV tutorials on YouTube and you should find good beginner tutorials to learn how to build modular synths and discover new modules to play with, VCV is free standalone and comes with hundreds of modules but you’ll eventually pick out a bunch that you’ll use consistently before expanding your scope to more complex modular systems

 

https://omricohen.gumroad.com/

Everything you need and more.