Direct from the ’80s: the most comprehensive video explainer on synthesis for beginners.
Don’t let the aesthetics fool you: this is a fantastic three-hour presentation from Dean Friedman at the N.Y. School of Synthesis from, presumably, the early 1980s. Split into three one-hour sections, each video takes you step-by-step from zero to synthesis hero (via matrixsynth).
Intro to Synthesis Part 1 – The Building Blocks of Sound & Synthesis:
Intro to Synthesis Part 2 – Types of Synthesis & Programming Examples:
Intro to Synthesis Part 3 – Additional Synth Features, Performance Controls & Wrap Up:
Ready for more?
Level up your synthesis skills from beginner to advanced, with these two-and-a-bit tutorials:
Dive into what many consider the more complicated form, with this Intro to FM Synthesis:
Intro to Modular Synthesis looks at combining different devices, or modules, to create all kinds of sounds:
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