The Electronic Musician: Synthesis 101

Course Description

An introduction into the principles of electronic sound synthesis, and the techniques used to create the sounds found in electronic music.

Taking you step by step through each of the basic elements of a track and demonstrating how you can create these using synthesis - drums, bass etc - so that you will be able to create a full track using only synthesised sounds.

Throughout the course topics will include:

Theory of subtractive synthesis
Practical sound creation using subtractive synthesis of drums, bass, pads, stabs, leads and special fx
Modular synthesisers
How vocoders work
Basic theory of FM & Additive synthesis.
MIDI basics

At the start of the course you will first be taken through the basics of subtractive synthesis with practical examples given throughout in order for you to get to grips with the basics parameters and sections available on all synthesisers.

Once you are happy that you know your way round the subtractive synth, you'll begin to create the basic sounds that make up our electronic tracks - starting with drums and bass and moving through the different elements like pads, stab sounds, lead lines and sound FX - whilst returning to other aspects of the practical use of synthesis like MIDI and CV, and touching on other forms of synthesis, like FM and Additive synthesis