Sound Synthesis Tutorials - Computer Music: Vanderbilt University

What Is Sound?
Additive Synthesis
Spectra of Various Waveforms
FM Synthesis
Creataing a Square Wave using Additive Synthesis
Creataing a Simple Bell using Additive Synthesis
Creataing a Simple FM Bell Patch
Deconstructing Natural Sounds
Creating Your Own Electronic Music Composition

Source: /www.computermusicresource.com/tutorials.html

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jun 13, 2022

Intro To Synthesis Part 1: Oscillators | Reverb Learn To Play

Intro To Synthesis Part 2: Shaping Multiple Oscillators | Reverb Learn To Play

Synthesizer Basics: Amplitude, Oscillators, Timbre | Music Production | Berklee Online

 

I'll never fail to mention the Synth Secrets series from Sound on Sound.

In my mind perhaps the best for learning synthesis, with a practical mind.

There's also Advanced Programming Techniques for Modular Synthesizers, which though is using Nord Modular works for all synths (esp. modulars!), which covers a lot of ground as well.

You can get the demo to try the patches out if you don't want to adapt the examples to your setup (if you do, the free Reaktor Blocks should be good for that).

A sidenote: as they've already have the Nord Modular code running natively, Clavia, please make it a VST plugin...?

*edit:* A more technical book is the (free, again) "The Theory and Technique of Electronic Music" by Miller S. Puckette (the "MSP" in Max/MSP), the author of Pure Data. It teaches you a hell of a lot about sound in general, synthesis techniques and all that. Also, the examples are using the aforementioned Pure Data so it's worth just for that, goes doubly so if you want to learn Max (standalone or in Ableton).

 

Last edited by a moderator: Jun 11, 2022

Here is my list that I use, also sometimes it pays to read the enclosed manual of the respective synthesizer.

• Drum Programming A Complete Guide to Program and Think Like a Drummer - PDF
• How to Make a Noise - a Comprehensive Guide to Synthesizer Programming - PDF
• Electronic Music Machines - The New Musical Instruments - English - PDF
• David Friend - Pearlman - Learn Music with Synths [1974] English - PDF
• Michael Hewitt - Music Theory for Computer Musicians - English - PDF
• Jim Aikin - Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming - English - PDF
• David Crombie - The Complete Synthesizer (1984) English - PDF
• Fred Welsh - Welsh Synthesizer Cookbook - English - PDF
• Cakewalk Synthesizers by Simon Cann - English - PDF
• Simon Cann - How to Make a Noise - English - PDF
• SY Programming by Herbert Janen - English - PDF
• Learn Music with Synths [1974] English - PDF
• The Complete Synthesizer - English - PDF

 

Last edited: Jun 11, 2022

Hi, thanks for the tutorial! It's very helpful. I love making electronic music. I really want to make my own music. In my college, we are learning how to write music. You can read more about the university here https://iunajaf.edu.iq
I would like to pay more attention to music, but education is also important. If you don't have a formal music education but musical knowledge and skills, you are already a musician. If you don't have the knowledge or skills to play music, you can't be a musician. But there are a lot of tutorials like this on the Internet. Do you think they can really teach and replace education?

 

The difference from back then, before 1999, is the invention of the PC and the corresponding Digital Audio Workstations, with which anyone can make their own music since 1999. As we can see, the computer and the Internet have completely changed the world.

Today you can play a complete orchestra on your PC alone.
Today, everyone can educate themselves online worldwide. Making music is no longer a question of money.

 

@BEAT16 “Here is my list that I use..,“
Do you own them?

 

Where is the list? Have you forgotten something?

 

I haven’t forgotten anything. It is the beginning of your post.
Here you are:


“Here is my list that I use, also sometimes it pays to read the enclosed manual of the respective synthesizer.

• Drum Programming A Complete Guide to Program and Think Like a Drummer - PDF
• … “

 

Sorry sometimes it is hard to translate, my DeepL translator does his best.
Yes I have read them all and keep them, sometimes I look something up.
Everything I have not understood. Do you need anything from the list?
I do sound design in my spare time, here is my work:

Sonic Sirius - 200 Synthesizer Soundsets from 2010 to 2022 - Free
https://audiosex.pro/threads/welcome-to-the-vsti-soundset-zone.5663/

Sonic Sirius - Synthesizer Soundsets
Freeware Soundsets for Software and Hardware Synthesizer:
http://ohlenbostelhelge.magix.net/public/index.htm

 

Great list. I see these are mostly PDFs however. For those of us who need visual, as well... I just downloaded a video series on synthesis that looks good, I believe the instructor uses Vital in his examples.