Beginners Guide to Synthesis

In this guide we will discuss the basics of synthesis, how a synthesizer works and what makes up a synthesizer. Images to illustrate points will use Sylenth1, though this is not a tutorial on how to use Sylenth1. It is not necessary to have Sylenth1 in order to learn what is discussed there as everything discussed should translate to all synthesizers.

How a Synthesizer Works
On a very basic level there are three stages that make up the process of synthesis. Firstly there is a sound generator, or oscilator, that generates a waveform. Then, that waveform is sent though a filter, then an envelope, which controls the volume of the synth over a period of time.

This section will discuss this process in greater detail, firstly we will discuss tone generation.

Waveforms
As mentioned previously, the first stage of synthesis is the generation of a sound or tone. This is done through use of an oscillitor, which most synths have more than one of, our example synth sylenth1 has four.thumb|right|270px|Video illustrating the differences between the four key waveforms: Sine, Sawtooth, Triangle and Square.

There are four key waveforms in synthesized music that you will come across on most, if not all synthesizers, they are sine waves, sawtooth waves, triangle waves and square waves. Any other waveform is usually a combination of two of these wave forms, eg. TriSaw, a combination Triangle and Square, or a variation eg. Half Square.

The video to the right illustrates the difference in each of these waveforms both in how they sound and how they look. Each waveform plays the note C at octave 1 right through to octive 4. Note that the waveforms are much more frequent the higher the octave.

Most synths in finished productions do not consist of just the one oscilator. A technique of layering is used where multiple sounds are layered to create one synth. This process is entirely down to playing around with different combinations of waves. Just try and bear in mind the sound of each waveform, for example Sine and Triangle Waves are quite smooth whereas the Sawtooth and Square Waves are not. If you are combining different waveforms and your synth sound isnt rough enough, add a Square or Sawtooth Wave, or change one of the oscilators in use to a Square or Sawtooth. Also use combinations of different octaves, be it with the same or another kind of Waveform, as this gives the synth more depth. Here are some examples of combinations.

Filters
Once you have your synths basic tone, this can be further shaped with some filtering. You can make your synth brighter or moodier with some basic filtering. Here is a comparison of our waveform with different filtering applied. We will be comparing the synths sound with no filtering, high pass filtering, low pass filtering and notch filtering applied.

Envelopes
Envelopes