Hello,

Recently I've been following some tutorials, one of them, was a remake of Kadinsky - Nightcall, made by sonic Academy.

They go over in the synths and just only to program a single synth is very foreign to me how they know all those details. I know sound of sound has tutorials going over Synths but they';re just explaining the basics and it's too much knowledge of what is what.

I'm looking for that knowledge that for example companies like Roland have, the real stuff about how to make such sounds like for example on orchestra in a synth, or strings etc. I guess I could search for this stuff myself but I was wondering also where do these companies get that knowledge from. it's hard to find good knowledge.

For example roland came out again with a new synth. Jp 8080 or something. They got all those stock sounds they made by theirselfs. I'm wondering are there any youtube channels or websites you guys wanna share. I'm asking to save myself from the search, hopefully somebody is already there and wants to share.

Cheers,

 

Synth Secrets series from Sound On Sound.

Goes through the anatomy of synths and synthesis, then theory of various instruments leading to practical applications.

 

How to Make a Noise Taschenbuch – 17. Juli 2007
von Simon Cann (Author)

How To Make A Noise-perhaps the most widely read book about synthesizer programming-is a comprehensive, practical guide to sound design and synthesizer programming techniques using subtractive (analog) synthesis, frequency modulation synthesis, additive synthesis, wave-sequencing, and sample-based synthesis.

The book looks at programming using examples from six software synthesizers: Cameleon 5000 from Camel Audio, Rhino 2 from BigTick, Surge from Vember Audio, Vanguard from reFX, Wusikstation from Wusik dot com, and Z3TA+ from Cakewalk. Simon Cann is a musician and writer based in London.

He is author of Cakewalk Synthesizers: From Presets to Power User, Building a Successful 21st Century Music Career, and Sample This!! (with Klaus P Rausch). You can contact Simon through his website: www.noisesculpture.com.

https://www.amazon.com/How-Make-Noise-Simon-Cann/dp/0955495504

 

Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming: The Ultimate Reference for Sound Design Taschenbuch – 1. Februar 2015

(Power Tools). If you make any type of electronic music dance mixes, hip-hop, jazz fusion, country pop, film soundtracks, or experimental avant-garde Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming is the book for you. All too often, owner's manuals tell you what button to press, but fail to explain what's actually going on in the instrument or what it means musically and technically.

This is the only book that gives you the big picture while at the same time providing you with insightful details. Even if you're just grabbing presets to play on the keyboard, you'll get to the music faster thanks to the tips in this book. And when you start editing the presets or designing your own sounds, Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming becomes an essential resource. Chapters on oscillators, filters, envelope generators, LFOs, effects, and digital audio reveal how to get the most out of your instruments.

To supplement the text, dozens of new illustrations have been added, and more than 30 streaming online videos, narrated by the author, walk you through the operational details of numerous software instruments. If you've ever wanted to spend quality time with a synthesizer expert, you'll never have a better opportunity!

https://www.amazon.de/Power-Tools-Synthesizer-Programming-Reference/dp/1480397946

 

"Synthesizer Cookbook" by Scott R. Wilkinson
- Clear explanation of subtractive synthesis and patch creation.

"Welsh’s Synthesizer Cookbook" by Fred Welsh
- Very hands-on, focused on reverse-engineering sounds.
https://futureaudioworkshop.com/product/synthesizer-cookbook/

AudioSexPro Tip:
Audible Genius - Primer synthesizer 2 VSTi - Now Free
www.syntorial.com/primer/

How To Use Primer: Free Synthesizer VST

Software Synths (for experimentation)
- VCV Rack (Free modular synth simulator) – Learn modular synthesis without hardware.
- Vital (Free wavetable synth) – Great visual feedback while patching.
- Surge XT (Free & powerful synth) – Complex routing options, good for experimentation.

 

Syntorial v1 changed my life. I highly recommend it. I have not used Syntorial 2, but I’d guess it’s even better.

 

I recently went through almost all of Syntorial 2 (on the final challenges now), which is a synthesizer learning software, and while it's not completely foolproof, I think it's probably one of the best ways to learn synthesis. When I started it I thought I'd be able to breeze through it in a day or two, but my ears got so fatigued that I kept it at more or less 1 lesson a day (there are 33 in total). I still can't make every single sound that I can imagine or hear, but it definitely helped a ton. Basic subtractive stuff like Kadinsky's Nightcall will definitely be a breeze for you after that.

 

For trance, I still think the best option is the one built around Zebra — luckily the legacy version is cheap — and based on Adam Szabo’s sound design. https://www.youtube.com/@ThePereveslo/videos from bottom to up

ah the good old times ( https://u-he.com/products/zebra-legacy/ )