I would like to share this knowledge in general. This is how I play with synthesis in general in both hard and soft synth. It is quite hard to get the concept right. If you get concept right, everything is so fun to play. I not very good at sound design, but I getting to synthesis my own sound becos I need a sound that I don't have money to own one! But general concept I think will allow to see through the link of various component of a synthesis.
First- the source
The source mean the "original" sound. They is only two type. Sample(meaning wav file) or Oscillator(digitally or analogy). Oscillator mean all the waveform generated(digital or analog). Commonly you see sine,square, triangle,saw and noise. These is where you start to shape thing out. I dunno wanna go great length to explain each osc or sample. It will end up very lengthly. Some parameters you could adjust is the pitch, positive and negative cycle of a OSC......etc.
Note that changing the positive and negative cycle of OSC is call Pulse Width Modulation.
One cycle will be bigger and other will be smaller to maintain frequency of a note. This change the character of that Osc too. You will come to term call voice. It mean how many OSC or sample you could have in the synth. Normally three or four.
Then the amplitude modulation.
You will notice it come with ADSR control.
Many people call it hard-wired ADSR.
Attack,Decay,Sustain ,Release.
In hardware, this is voltage control amplifier (VCA).
If no VCA, any key you hit there is no sound.
So it control your loudness at your source over time when a key is pressed.
Play with this ADSR, you start to create hit or sustain sound of the source.
Note for sample, if it is a hit sound, nothing could sustain it in most of the time.
Next Cut off Filter.
It is whether you start to "slice" up the source.
Common one is high,low and notch filter.
It is frequency filter.
If you put your high cut too high. your low note may not be heard.
You will notice it will change character of the sound too.
Up till here you could design a piano sound,guitar sound, trance saw.
You just have to experiment.
Next ADSR again!
For many synth there are many ADSR not being used.
There is two parameter which you can link and make difference.
One is Pitch! A slow Attack and high decay will do a audio swept effect.
Other is Cut off filer. A slow Attack and high decay will do a wosh effect. Actually I do not know how to describe, but you hear this too many time. Make sure the filer is full to experience the difference
Most of the time,you will link extra ADSR at various part of source or Cut off filter.
LFO!
This is other fun part.
It also a OSC but it control many parameter of the synthesis.
When you press and hold the key, it will repeat it's cycle until you lift the key.
LFO= Low Frequency Osc.
As far as I go, I like to do "helicopter blade rotating effect"
Link one of the LFO to the pitch of the source.
Play with rate of a saw waveform LFO, you will get the effect.
If you cannot get that effect play with the VCA's ADSR to sustain longer or shorter sound
You ambient or atmosphere sound may used this very often.
Lastly output.
Nothing much as it is the volume of the whole synth. Many will give effect on this output. Of cos, you could link ADSR or LFO on this area if the synth allow you to do that.
Erm not last yet.
Matrix Modulation.
This is area when you give you many slot to do a lot of modulation.
Example you could link an ADSR or LFO to many part of source,cut off filer or output.
Normally from where you wanna link to which component of the synth.
Also some will give you X-Y pad control. To give a more modulation over time.
Ok. I briefly write it down. Hope it help. You need to experiment a lot to get the concept correct. That why people like to boost their thousand years of sound design.
First- the source
The source mean the "original" sound. They is only two type. Sample(meaning wav file) or Oscillator(digitally or analogy). Oscillator mean all the waveform generated(digital or analog). Commonly you see sine,square, triangle,saw and noise. These is where you start to shape thing out. I dunno wanna go great length to explain each osc or sample. It will end up very lengthly. Some parameters you could adjust is the pitch, positive and negative cycle of a OSC......etc.
Note that changing the positive and negative cycle of OSC is call Pulse Width Modulation.
One cycle will be bigger and other will be smaller to maintain frequency of a note. This change the character of that Osc too. You will come to term call voice. It mean how many OSC or sample you could have in the synth. Normally three or four.
Then the amplitude modulation.
You will notice it come with ADSR control.
Many people call it hard-wired ADSR.
Attack,Decay,Sustain ,Release.
In hardware, this is voltage control amplifier (VCA).
If no VCA, any key you hit there is no sound.
So it control your loudness at your source over time when a key is pressed.
Play with this ADSR, you start to create hit or sustain sound of the source.
Note for sample, if it is a hit sound, nothing could sustain it in most of the time.
Next Cut off Filter.
It is whether you start to "slice" up the source.
Common one is high,low and notch filter.
It is frequency filter.
If you put your high cut too high. your low note may not be heard.
You will notice it will change character of the sound too.
Up till here you could design a piano sound,guitar sound, trance saw.
You just have to experiment.
Next ADSR again!
For many synth there are many ADSR not being used.
There is two parameter which you can link and make difference.
One is Pitch! A slow Attack and high decay will do a audio swept effect.
Other is Cut off filer. A slow Attack and high decay will do a wosh effect. Actually I do not know how to describe, but you hear this too many time. Make sure the filer is full to experience the difference
Most of the time,you will link extra ADSR at various part of source or Cut off filter.
LFO!
This is other fun part.
It also a OSC but it control many parameter of the synthesis.
When you press and hold the key, it will repeat it's cycle until you lift the key.
LFO= Low Frequency Osc.
As far as I go, I like to do "helicopter blade rotating effect"
Link one of the LFO to the pitch of the source.
Play with rate of a saw waveform LFO, you will get the effect.
If you cannot get that effect play with the VCA's ADSR to sustain longer or shorter sound
You ambient or atmosphere sound may used this very often.
Lastly output.
Nothing much as it is the volume of the whole synth. Many will give effect on this output. Of cos, you could link ADSR or LFO on this area if the synth allow you to do that.
Erm not last yet.
Matrix Modulation.
This is area when you give you many slot to do a lot of modulation.
Example you could link an ADSR or LFO to many part of source,cut off filer or output.
Normally from where you wanna link to which component of the synth.
Also some will give you X-Y pad control. To give a more modulation over time.
Ok. I briefly write it down. Hope it help. You need to experiment a lot to get the concept correct. That why people like to boost their thousand years of sound design.
