Synthesizer Realities No One Ever Tells You
- Vaemi
- 14 hours ago
- 4 min read
1) SYNTHESIZER SOUND POTENTIAL AND UNIVERSALITY
• The extremely wide sound spectrum that synthesizers can produce is not widely known
• It is not known that very similar sounds can be achieved on different synths using the same synthesis technique
• The idea of building sound structurally instead of relying on presets is not understood
2) LACK OF FUNDAMENTAL SYNTHESIS KNOWLEDGE
• Basic synthesis methods (subtractive, FM, wavetable, additive, etc.) are not understood
• The concept of “synthesizing sound” is not clearly understood
• The Oscillator → Filter → Amplifier chain is not understood
3) TALKING SYNTH / SPEECH & FORMANT SYNTHESIS
• It is not known that “talking” sounds can be created without a microphone, vocoder, or talkbox
• Formant and speech synthesis techniques are not known
• It is not known that vocal-like sounds can be fully synthesized
4) PHYSICAL MODELING & RESONANCE SYSTEMS
• Resonator-based synthesis is not known
• Physical modeling for acoustic-like sounds is not known
• Resonance as an instrument is not understood
5) TRIGGERING SYNTHS WITH AUDIO (EXTERNAL PROCESSING)
• It is not known that synths can be triggered by audio input
• Envelope follower and pitch tracking are not known
• Audio-to-CV conversion is not known
6) MULTI-PURPOSE USE OF FILTERS
• Filters are only perceived as EQ
• It is not known that filters can create:
• Compressor-like behavior
• Limiting / soft clipping
• Phaser structures
• Resonators
• Vocoder
• Oscillation (self-oscillation as oscillator)
• Filters as processors are not understood
7) MODULAR LOGIC & DIGITAL SYSTEM CONSTRUCTION
• It is not known that musical systems can be built with logic gates
• It is not known that time and frequency can be organized mathematically
• Algorithmic music production is not understood
8) MATHEMATICAL SOUND PROCESSING & ALGORITHMIC APPROACH
• It is not known that sound signals can be processed mathematically
• It is not known that modulation is a mathematical process
• It is not known that structures can be built using frequency, phase, and amplitude
9) UNLIMITED PROCESSABILITY OF ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENTS
• It is not known that acoustic instruments can be completely redesigned
• It is not known that new processing methods can be created beyond standard effects
• It is not known that entirely new types of processes can be invented
10) EFFECTS ARE ACTUALLY MODULAR STRUCTURES
• Effects like compressor, EQ, delay, and reverb are perceived as fixed devices
• It is not known that these can be built from scratch
• It is not known that one effect can be part of another
11) NOISE, RANDOM AND GENERATIVE SYSTEMS
• Noise is only perceived as unwanted sound
• It is not known that random control signals can be generated from noise
• It is not known that generative systems can be built from these signals
• It is not understood that randomness is controllable
12) SOUND – ELECTRICITY RELATIONSHIP (FOUNDATION)
• It is not understood that sound is an electrical signal
• The relationship between voltage, frequency, and amplitude is not understood
• The difference between audio and control signal is not understood
• Without understanding sound physics, synthesis cannot be understood
13) UNLIMITED CONTROL SOURCES
• It is assumed that synths are controlled only by keyboards
• It is not known that they can be controlled by:
• Microphone • Light
• Electromagnetic field
• Sensors
• It is not understood that performance is a control system design
14) SYNTHESIZER AS SYSTEM DESIGN
• Synthesizers are perceived as fixed instruments
• It is not known that they are designable systems
• It is not understood that sound design and device design are connected
• It is not known that instrument behavior can be programmed
15) FULLY SYNTHETIC REALISTIC SOUND PRODUCTION
• It is not known that realistic sounds can be created entirely with synthesis
• The realism of soft synths and generators is underestimated
• The idea of “synthesis instead of samples” is not understood
16) THE POWER OF GENERATOR LOGIC
• It is not known that simple generators can create complex sounds
• It is not known that harmonic structures can be built from scratch
• It is not understood that complex sounds are combinations of simple structures
17) THE TRUE DEPTH OF MODULATION
• Modulation is thought to be limited to LFO
• It is not known that any parameter can modulate another
• Audio-rate modulation (FM, AM) is not understood
• Modulation being central to sound design is not understood
18) PHASE AND TIME RELATIONSHIP
• Phase is only seen as a problem
• It is not known that phase can be used creatively
• Phase cancellation and alignment are not understood musically
• Micro timing changes are not understood
19) GAIN STAGING AND DYNAMICS
• Gain staging is seen only as technical
• Its effect on tone and harmonics is not understood
• Distortion, saturation, and headroom are not fully understood
20) MISUNDERSTANDING ANALOG VS DIGITAL
• Analog and digital are compared only by “quality”
• Behavioral differences are not understood
• Digital systems’ complexity is underestimated
21) CONTROL VOLTAGE (CV) LOGIC
• CV is thought to belong only to modular systems
• It is not understood that all systems are control systems
• Parameter control is not understood as central
22) ROUTING (SIGNAL FLOW)
• Routing is seen as a technical detail
• Its role in shaping sound is not understood
• Parallel, serial, and feedback routing are underused
23) POWER OF FEEDBACK SYSTEMS
• Feedback is avoided
• Controlled feedback is not understood
• Self-evolving systems are not understood
24) TIME SYSTEMS (CLOCK / GROOVE)
• Clock is seen only as tempo
• Complex rhythm creation is not understood
• Microtiming and groove are not understood
25) SCALABILITY AND SYSTEM THINKING
• Small patches are not expanded into systems
• Modular thinking is not understood as system design
26) LISTENING AND ANALYSIS LACK
• Sound is consumed, not analyzed
• Reverse engineering is not practiced
• Understanding vs preset choosing is not distinguished
Comments