Synthesis 101

Almost every synthesizer follows the same simple path. A sound is created, shaped and then turned up or down. Learn these four building blocks and any synth will start to make sense.

The signal path

01

Oscillator

Creates the raw tone. Its waveform sets the basic character of the sound.

02

Filter

Removes frequencies to make the tone darker, brighter or more nasal.

03

Amplifier

Controls how loud the sound is, and how that volume changes over time.

04

Modulation

Envelopes and LFOs move the other controls automatically so the sound feels alive.

A glowing wave of light in red, green and purple on a black background.

Waveforms

The oscillator's waveform is your starting colour. Each one has a recognisable sound.

  • Sine is pure and soft, with no extra harmonics.
  • Triangle is gentle, like a flute.
  • Sawtooth is bright and buzzy, great for strings and brass.
  • Square is hollow, like a clarinet or an old video game.
Close-up of a synthesizer's filter and envelope knobs.

The envelope

An envelope shapes a sound from the moment you press a key until it fades away. It has four stages.

Attack

How fast the sound fades in.

Decay

How fast it drops after the peak.

Sustain

The level held while the key is down.

Release

How long it lingers after you let go.

Your first patch

  1. Start from an initialised patch, or turn every knob to its middle.
  2. Choose a sawtooth wave on the oscillator.
  3. Lower the filter cutoff until the sound turns dark and round.
  4. Raise the filter envelope amount so each note opens up brightly.
  5. Add a short release, play a low note and enjoy your first bass sound.

Common questions

No. Designing sounds is about listening, not reading music. Theory helps later when you write songs, but you can start shaping sounds today.

A monophonic synth plays one note at a time, which suits bass and leads. A polyphonic synth plays several notes at once, so it can play chords.

An LFO, or low frequency oscillator, is a slow wave you cannot hear. It moves another control back and forth, creating vibrato, wobbles or a slow sweep.

Neither is better, they are different. Analog is often described as warmer, digital as more precise and flexible. Great music has been made with both.