Synthesis
The name 'subtractive synthesis' is derived from the method itself, wherein you attenuate or remove harmonics from harmonically rich waveforms to create new sounds. You can do this in a static fashion to create simple tones, or you can use the facilities offered by the filters, envelope generators, and modulators in your synthesiser to make dynamic sounds that change as time passes.
Have a look at the following points…
- What is a line spectrum?
- Find the equivalent line spectra for the following waveforms…
Sine wave
Sawtooth wave
Square wave - Fire up the a-1 soft synth in Cubase and use the synth's mixer to turn down everything apart from Oscillator 1. Try the different waveforms using the waveform buttons on Osc1 and attempt to describe the way they sound.
- How does what you've found relate to Fourier analysis?
Coming up next…
- Waveforms and partials/tone
- LFO use (vibrato, tremolo)
- Filter types, slopes (poles, dB/octave)
- Resonance
- Glide
- Noise generator
- Ring Modulation
- History (Hammond, Compton, Mellotron)
© Matt Bellingham 2003 – 2006
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.5 License.
