Idiot's guide to Subtractive Synthesis Pt 1

Shanannigan

jtsuited wrote: »

anyone know anything free and easy that lets you draw little schematics or circuit diagrams??

edit: all the schematics i'm finding on the internet complicate the whole thing far too much with their proper layout and correct labelling.

i have a little program called vwaves that my college lecturer gave us. lets you assemble all the components of a synth, for schematic purposes you could use this and do a screen grab. it also has a phase vovoder and fft that you can render and take screen grabs of. its only a demo version, as in, you can make up your modules but can't save them, but it works for getting screen grabs of schematics

jtsuited

I'm bumping this as I had to search for it earlier. Honestly, the synth bit, basic theory, and then chord bit are probably the most detailed yet concise vital bits of reading for anyone starting production. I know this because I've taught a lot of people production and absolutely feck all of them had a clue of these fundamentals and it was the SOLE reason they were struggling.

VinylJunkie

Just read this over again, cheers Jeff. There are a couple of things I don't quite understand, I'll have a go at your demo later an come back with a few questions.

VinylJunkie

jtsuited wrote: »

was gonna do that in part 2

Any sign of part 2?

jtsuited

Don't mind doing another one. Gives me a nice break from the medical study. I'll do bass sounds/drums Percs etc?any other suggestions?

Neurojazz

jtsuited wrote: »

Don't mind doing another one. Gives me a nice break from the medical study. I'll do bass sounds/drums Percs etc?any other suggestions?

FM Synthesis - That's a tricky one for some!

MidSide mixing might be cool also as that's a biggy.

VinylJunkie

electrogrimey wrote: »

To get this back to subtractive synthesis, does anyone feel like putting up a few formulae for standard sounds as a basis for messing around with? (i.e. 'sine wave + small decay and no sustain = stab sound' kind of thing)

This would be very usefull, I find it hard to imagine how the sounds I make in a synth can be used in a track. I obviously haven't got my head around synthesis yet.

jtsuited

Neurojazz wrote: »

FM Synthesis - That's a tricky one for some!

MidSide mixing might be cool also as that's a biggy.

I use FM but it's way too difficult to explain in a boards post. And tbh, most people would do well to steer clear of it until they really have subtractive down pat.

And midside is fairly irrelevant imo, unless you're recording violins/choirs (can't imagine too many people doing that here) or doing specific mastering (which most people shouldn't be doing) with the brainworx limiter etc.

It is a fun concept though, so I'll do a quick explanation of the theory of it if people are interested. A lot of people are baffled by it.

VinylJunkie

electrogrimey wrote: »

When using roman numerals to describe chords, capitals are major, small letters are minor. Without a letter it is the root of the chord, so I, in C Major., is just a C chord. You use letters to describe the inversion of the chord. Ib will be a C chord with an E as the base of the chord, and Ic will be a C with a G as the base of the chord. Inversions change the sound of a progression a huge amount.

V7 is a dominant 7th chord, so in C major, V7 will be a G7. V7d will be a G7 with an F in the bass.

Major:

ii - V - I (basically the most common sequence in Western music)

iv - ii -V - I (little extension of that)

I - iv - ii - V - I (again)

vi - IV (any chord progression dropping a third is great)

I - vi - IV - ii (with above logic)

I - vi - IV - ii - V - I (adding point 1 and point 2 together)

Basically any combination of I, IV, and V. You can't go wrong.

V - vi (you'll recognize the sound, interrupted cadence)

V7d - Ib (personal favourite of mine)

I don't really understand this, I understand chords but not the progression part so a C Major chord is C, E & G yea? How do I apply that to the ii - V - I progression for instance?

I know I'm missing something small here.

kunst nugget

VinylJunkie wrote: »

I don't really understand this, I understand chords but not the progression part so a C Major chord is C, E & G yea? How do I apply that to the ii - V - I progression for instance?

I know I'm missing something small here.

Here's a simple explanation, Sean, albeit for guitar. But it gives you an idea of how it works.

http://chananhanspal.com/the-major-ii-v-i-progression

kunst nugget

Actually, any chance of this being stickied. It'll be a good resource for people.

VinylJunkie

kunst nugget wrote: »

Here's a simple explanation, Sean, albeit for guitar. But it gives you an idea of how it works.

http://chananhanspal.com/the-major-ii-v-i-progression

Cheers, sounds like thats the bit I was missing, thanks Ill try this when I get iin from work.

jtsuited

VinylJunkie wrote: »

This would be very usefull, I find it hard to imagine how the sounds I make in a synth can be used in a track. I obviously haven't got my head around synthesis yet.

I've been promising for years to make a document that details all this stuff from kick drums to acid bass to subs to pads/polys etc. hopefully will get round to it soon.

I find the best thing to do is really get your head round synthesis, then try reverse engineering sounds you like in other records.

It's very daunting in the beginning but you get the hang of it eventually.

VinylJunkie

jtsuited wrote: »

It's very daunting in the beginning but you get the hang of it eventually.

Yeah I know it's weird the tracks I'm making at the minute sound nothing like what I would buy simply because I'm struggling to make the sounds I want to make. I will work on it over the weekend to see can I get something going.

Your tip about using reverb in the send return rather than putting a reverb on individual tracks has helped. The track I knocked together last night is much cleaner and deeper, it sounds so much better.

However in ableton can I modulate the decay time of a reverb that in send/return? It looks like I can only modulate the amount of signal I send to the reverb.

flyswatter

There was an FM synthesis thread posted earlier this year I think or maybe late last year, an explanation.

VinylJunkie

Would really like to understand how the airy atmospheric parts of some of the Sandwell tracks were made. I can't get my head around it at all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXAPhrYaNVI

VinylJunkie

Spent hours last night at trying to create a similar atmospheric sound, pretty happy with my efforts but if anyone has any advise that would be great.

jtsuited

VinylJunkie wrote: »

Would really like to understand how the airy atmospheric parts of some of the Sandwell tracks were made. I can't get my head around it at all. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXAPhrYaNVI

the airy atmospheres there in that track come from two things...

1. very very very liberal use of reverb on everything, creating a huge wet space and ambience.
2. sort of ambient field recordings with lots of clicks and crackles processed through huge amounts of reverb again.

Not really synthesis but i'll give a go at a sort of parody later, and if i'm close to what you're looking for, i'll let you know how i did it?

VinylJunkie

jtsuited wrote: »

the airy atmospheres there in that track come from two things...

1. very very very liberal use of reverb on everything, creating a huge wet space and ambience.
2. sort of ambient field recordings with lots of clicks and crackles processed through huge amounts of reverb again.

Not really synthesis but i'll give a go at a sort of parody later, and if i'm close to what you're looking for, i'll let you know how i did it?

Yeah that would be good, I'll send you a link to a sample of what I was at last night.

splitrmx

The Sandwell guys also use lots of field recordings of various things which they treat, stick through lots of reverb and delays, pitch shift down or up and generally mess around with.

VinylJunkie

This is addictive

kunst nugget

VinylJunkie wrote: »

This is addictive

I think you'll find it's subtractive