How to Imitate Your Favorite Synthesizer

7/30/2019 How to Imitate Your Favorite Synthesizer

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How to imitateHow to imitate

your favoriteyour favoritesynthesizersynthesizer

Written by: Aaron RosanskyWritten by: Aaron Rosansky


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Things you'll need:1. a specifc sound you want to replicate2. headphones3. a synthesizer with analog programming4. amp with speaker

Environment:Ideally, a quiet room. Avoid spaces with trafc noise,HVAC ans, noisy appliances, etc.

Other notes:You will need to commit one hour per each sound you

intend to replicate. Don't start work when obligations willcause distraction.

Every time you lose ocus, you are likely to orget what youhave done! Keeping track o numerous unctions o asynthesizer requires being in the zone.

IntroductionIntroduction


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Close ListeningClose ListeningThe frst part o the process involves auditory analysis othe sound you have selected.

1. Turn on synthesizer and amp.Ensure they are connected and working properly. I there's aconnection problem, address it beore you go any urther.

2. Conduct an initial screening o source track.Use headphones or this. Listen to the entire track rom beginningto end. Write down the time within the track (mm:ss) at which thesound occurs. I the synth is played multiple times, write the timeso all instances.

3. Listen to one instance on repeat.Listening to the sound over and over will help you visualize thequalities o the sound. I using a CD or computer fle, loop thesection o the audio track where the sound occurs.


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Close ListeningClose Listening4. Pay close attention to several aspects o the 'shape':

Pitch determine the exact note by humming throughdierent requencies until the right one 'locks in', then huminto an instrument tuner and write down the note

How percussive is each note? Does the sound utter? How quickly does each note ade away? Does the sound have any vowels or 'wah-wah'? That is,

could you imitate the sound by changing the shape oyour mouth?

How big is the sound? How bright or dull is the sound? Is the sound thin? Does it sound like it's coming through a

telephone receiver?

5. Physically write a description or each parameter.

Now that you have fnished close listening, it's timeto start actually programming the synthesizer. Theoscillator will be the frst component to program.


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OscillatorOscillator1. Select a wave shape.The core waveorm can difcult to identiy correctly right away, sopick sine wave, triangle wave, or square wave to start. We willrevisit this step later on.

2. Select a pitch range.The range is usually denoted either with stop notation (32', 16', 8',etc) or semitones (+/- 12). Select the range so that the pitch youound during close listening is in the center o the keyboard.

Roland Juno-6. DCO stands forDigitally Controlled Oscillator. Moog Minimoog.

Wave shapePitch range


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Amp EnvelopeAmp Envelope1. Attack.Amount o time rom when key is pressed to when sound reachesmaximum volume. Recall how percussive the sound was during closelistening. Short attack will be like a piano, while longer will slowly ade-in.

2. Decay.

Amount o time rom whenmaximum volume is reachedto when sustained volumelevel is reached. Analogousto how long the hammersound o a piano lasts.

3. Sustain.Relative volume during sustain period (i.e. ater attack and beorenote has been released). Analogous to volume o the resonant parto a held piano note.

4. Release.Amount o time rom when key is released to when soundcompletely ades. Reer to how quickly each note aded duringclose listening. Comparable to reverb, though undamentallydierent parameter.

Roland Juno-6; notethe simple ADSRcontrol scheme.

Moog Minimoog. Not all 4parameters are always present.


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FilterFilter

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1. Low-Pass Filter (or High-Cut Filter).

This type attenuates all high requencies beyond a user-specifedcuto. Using an LPF dulls the sound. Most common flter type.

2. High-Pass Filter (or Low-Cut Filter).This type cuts all low requencies beyond a user-specifed cuto.The HPF creates choked or 'thin' sound, similar to a voice through a

telephone receiver. Not always present in a synth.

3. Resonance.This unction boosts the requency slightly beore the cuto. Givesthe sound vowel-like properties. I any 'wah-wah' was noted duringclose listening, consider increasing resonance.

4. Filter Envelope.Allows user control over dynamics o the flter. In other words, theflter parameters will change in the duration o the note. Uses'ADSR' controls similar to those in the Amp Envelope section.

Filter envelope

Resonance

High-pass flter

Low-pass flter


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EffectsEffects1. Low Frequency Oscillator.

This is an oscillator whose requency is below audible levels. It canbe used control volume (tremolo eect) or flter envelope (wah-waheect). Practically ubiquitous on analog synths.

2. Chorus.This eect is included on many synths. Accomplishes this by

duplicating sound and modulating phase o the copy by a ewmilliseconds. Gives a brilliant, shimmering quality to sound, as wellas creating a sense o stereo width.

3. Reverb.Digital reverberation is included on some newer synths. Similar toincreasing Release time in the Amp Envelope. Most times,

increasing Release will do the same job. Primary use is to increasestereo width in a melodramatic manner.

4. Arpeggiator.Each individual note being held is played sequentially. I thearpeggiator is on and notes o a C major scale are held down, the

synth will play up and down the scale.

5. Noise Generator.This mixes white or pink noise into the signal at the oscillator stage.All envelopes, flters, and eects apply to the noise. Oten workswell or creating electronic drums.

Examples of several common effects.


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Closing TipsClosing Tips

When creating the attack part o the sound, playaround with the ADSR controls simultaneously. Eachorms a part o the overall attack.

Don't worry about picking the wave shapeimmediately. Pick one randomly to start, decide therest o the parameters, then i it still doesn't soundquite right, try a dierent shape.

Revisit the sound you're imitating at the end o theproject. You may decide a slightly dierent version isbetter than the exact sound you started with.

I you have preset banks in your synth, save yourwork requently. There is no auto-save to help you iyou trip over the power cable.

I you do not have preset banks, write down theapproximate settings on a sheet o paper. There's

no reason preset-less synths can't do everythingthose with presets can do!

Give every sound your own signature. A synthesizeris an instrument meant to be used artistically; mereimitation is un but lacking in creativity. Both the keys

and the analog settings are meant to be played on asynthesizer!

How to Imitate Your Favorite Synthesizer

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