About Synthesizers (overview)
1. General Parameters
a) Oscillators
- any type of musical instrument can be emulated by a synthesizer through waveforms SINE, SAW, SQUARE, TRIANGLE,
PULSE, NOISE.
- oscillators are synthesizers components which are producing waveforms
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/7/77/Waveforms.svg/525px-Waveforms.svg.png)
b) Filters
- with the help of filters we add, subtract, amplify or reduce a frequencie:
(https://macprovid.vo.llnwd.net/o43/hub/media/1157/12936/cp_768_filtertypes.jpg)
c) Envelopes
- defines the way we percep the sound (long sound, short sound etc.)
- Attack Decay Sustain Release ( in the image we observe how the envelope is shaping the sound and the way we percep it)
(https://theproaudiofiles.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Screen-Shot-2017-07-05-at-3.50.34-PM.png)
- with envelopes we can control filters (Filter Envelope), the amp (Amp Envelopes) etc.
d) LFOs (Low Frequency Oscillators)
- LFOs, can be linked depends of the synth, to any other parameter (Pitch, Pan, Filter, Volume etc.)
- vibrato is one of the effects that can be produced with LFOs
e) Effects
- delay, reverb, chorus etc. we can find this effects integrated almost in any kind of synths.
(http://www.surfacedstudio.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Super-Mario-Sound-Effects-06-Sawtooth-Synth-Massive.jpg)
2. Classification
(http://digitalsoundandmusic.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/Figure-6.17-Types-of-synthesizers-1024x289.png)
a) Samples Synthesize (Samplers)
- instead of waveforms (sine, saw, square, triangle) this type of synthesises use samples (short piece of digital audio - recorded mp3, wav etc.)
(https://static.kvraudio.com/i/b/kontakt4.jpg)
b) Additive Synthesizers
- they use waveforms (Sine, Saw, Square, Pulse, Noise) in blocks for creating sounds
(https://static.kvraudio.com/i/b/ca5000.jpg)
c) Subtractive Synths
- a simple scheme of this type of synthesize - the oscillator generates a tone (saw, sine, triangle etc.) which goes through a filter which will amplify, reduce, cut frequencies depends of the filter type (low pass LP, High pass Hp, Band Pass BP etc.). We can apply Envelopes (ADSR - Attack Decay Sustain Release) and LFOs.
(http://www.cchrispeters.com/Images/SubtractiveSynthesisModel.gif)
d) FM Synthesizers
- the Matrix is the main characteristic we find at this type of synths
(https://6e80timjxr-flywheel.netdna-ssl.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/12-631x372.png)
- The matrix allows us to establish connexions( also called algorithms ) easily, between synths oscillators, oscillators which in FM synthesizes are also called operators.