# Best way to learn synth programming?



## Andrajas (Feb 22, 2016)

Hello, 
As title describes, how did you learn it? By books? Trying out yourself ? I really want to get better at this so any tip on resources I can look at etc would be great! 

cheers,


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## germancomponist (Feb 22, 2016)

Andrajas said:


> Trying out yourself ?


This!
Learn to think how your synth thinks! Experiment and experiment!


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## JC_ (Feb 22, 2016)

Syntorial is a pretty awesome way to learn. http://www.syntorial.com/


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## Gabriel Oliveira (Feb 22, 2016)

JC_ said:


> Syntorial is a pretty awesome way to learn. http://www.syntorial.com/



+1


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## JohnG (Feb 22, 2016)

As time-consuming as it may be, one way is to buy a synth (any one, really) that has been widely used and look on Youtube for tutorials. Or, maybe look on Youtube to be sure there are lots of them before you buy.

IT can be tedious since there is so much rubbish on the Internet, but if you find a few tutorials there you can learn the basics. I also have a book but that is even more boring.


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## Prockamanisc (Feb 22, 2016)

SSSyyyynnnnttttoooorrrriiiiaaaalllll!!!


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## wst3 (Feb 22, 2016)

I think Syntorial can provide a bit of a jump start, but the key - at least the key for me - is to listen to the world around you and then play with a synthesizer. It may no longer be the case, but it seems to me that learning on a basic subtractive synthesizer is a really good way to start. I learned on an ARP 2600 (that sat, mostly ignored and lonely, in the back of a shopping mall music store) and later a Korg MS-20 that I snagged in a going-out-of-business sale. I've been able to apply what I learned on these two beasts to most of the other synthesizers I've used.

FM or PM synthesis is not as intuitive as subtractive, but you can still do a lot by taking any combination of operators and then messing with all the other controls.

Additive synthesis is, or was to me, very intuitive, but the hardware to accomplish it is either very expensive, or somewhat limited.

Most of the rest of the techniques appear to be - or can be treated as - derivatives of the "big three" above.

Rob Papen published a book on synthesis that I found to be a great read, and I learned a few new tricks too. If you are going to do some reading I'd strongly suggest the owner's manual for the ARP 2600. Jim Michmerhuizen wrote that manual, and legend suggests he also had quite a bit to do with the manual for the TimewARP 2600 - which by the way is a really good learning tool.

Two other authors I really like are Sam Ecoff and Simon Cann - both of whom have a number of great books on the internet.

Even with all those books, you still need to make noise!! Get a synth - preferably a subtractive synth, and make noise!


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## Chandler (Feb 22, 2016)

There is a free book online called make a noise I believe. I'd recommend that along with watching YouTube tutorials. Get your synth out and just copy what they're doing on screen. After you do this a few times you'll learn that different oscillators and filters sound like. After doing this for a while you'll be able to hear things and copy them yourself more easily. I'd start with subtractive synthesis as it's the easiest and has the most info available.


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## Andrajas (Feb 23, 2016)

thanks for the replies! Great tips!  Will go through everything you said and see what works best for me.

thanks, 
/A


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## sinkd (Feb 23, 2016)

You might first try PD (Pure Digital) a free, object based programming environment where you actually create oscillators, filters, etc. and patch them together. Below are some other suggestions for software synth learning:

Syntorial
U-He Podalski & Zebralette
ADSR tutorials
FM8
Massive
Arturia V Collection

DS


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## KEnK (Feb 23, 2016)

wst3 said:


> FM or PM synthesis is not as intuitive as subtractive


All the advice given is good- but the above is probably the most important statement made.
There are many kinds of synthesis now, including hybrids of various types.

But nothing will give you a better handle on what's happening than learning "subtractive synthesis" first.
This is "old school" synth sounds- moogs, arps, oberheims, anything from the 70's.
(before the DX7- that's an FM synth)

Start w/ a simple oscillator and see what the filter does, see what the ADSR does.
See how modulating those w/ an lfo effects the tone.
From there you can get into modulation routing.

The fact is all the other synth styles use subtractive synth principles as tone shaping tools.
It's ubiquitous- so that's the best place to start.

k


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