How to learn any synthesizer

In this video I show you:
- A quick overview of how ALL synthesizers work
- A simple workout on how to familiarize yourself with with any synth you get
- Some simple synth recipes
- An example of this process using the Roland SH-101
- A sound design technique called "self-oscillating" filters, to create sounds like Jamie XX - Gosh.

Instagram: @underdogmusicschool

At Underdog Electronic Music School we run interactive online classrooms for all levels of music producers. We do "bootcamps" for beginners (no prior knowledge required!) and "deep dives" for intermediate producers. We are also available for private coaching and advice.

Contents:
0:00 Introduction
1:07 Subtractive synthesis concept
3:20 The synthesis diagram
3:39 The synth workout
5:44 Synth fomulas
6:16 The value of a limited synth
8:09 The synth workout on an SH101
13:01 Doing the synth fomulas on the SH101
15:32 The advantages of more advanced synths
17:42 Sound design technique: Self-oscillating filters

[djtall]

This is how "How To" videos should be made. Straight and to the point, no BS

[Meknassih]

If this is the quality of your "free courses", I can’t imagine the value that is in your paid courses. Exceptional teaching skills !

[eljeffrinho]

I feel like I've learned more in an hour from watching a couple of your videos than I did in a decade of tinkering around with synths! What an absolutely amazing teacher

[bauhausoffice]

If he was my teacher in every class in school I’d be an effing genius today running the world.

[spidericemidasiosmusicprod]

My Synthesizer obsession started with a Korg MS10 at 11 years old in middle school music classes (1981).

Amazingly by an interesting turn of events and coincidences 24 years later in 2005 I actually became the owner of that very same Synth from my old school. It was just about to be thrown away in a skip, still in fair working order, but in need of a good cleanout, new CMOS Chip and re-calibration. I got it for no money at all! I stripped it down for cleaning and then sent it to Korg UK for the technical repairs. Still looking and working good as new now in 2021.

I cannot describe how wonderful it felt to be reunited and the owner of my first love after all those years ❤️

These days I’m a synth sound designer for the iOS platform but still love to tinker with my old MS10 and a few other remaining hardware synths.

[rosateresacastro-vargas]

Finally, I understand synthesizer. I’m a musician, classically trained, and I’ve been wanting to understand synths forever. Thank you. Please, talk about the fm ones soon. I have one!

[sebastianshuster]

When I started watching your channel I think you had a smidge over 1k subscribers. Now you’re over 36k in such a short time. The reason is quality content and anticipation of your next quality content. I even hit the bell 😬 and I hardly ever do that! Congrats and thank you very much for bringing us interesting quality videos filled to the brim with awesome musical knowledge.

[MashterMusic]

you are killer . Covering concepts with so much clarity. hats off to u.

[Vimana]

Thanks for the video. I've been creating synthesizer patches for many years. I might as well add some more information here. This might be useful if you're just starting out with a synth.

First a couple of recommendations: "Yamaha Reface CS" is a great little synth and very suitable for a beginner. It's very easy to use but you can still create large amounts of unique sounds with it. The same can be said about "Novation Bass Station II" but it can be more complicated when you're just starting out. Now here's some more explanations and a few more tips:

1. As we've seen and heard from this video, The filter's cutoff frequency selector cuts off the frequencies above the selected point (if you're using a standard "Low Pass Filter"). (The "low pass filter" is the default and it's the only option on many synths.) When you add some resonance then it creates a volume peak on that selected cutoff point. You can create some very specific timbres by selecting a frequency with the cutoff and adding resonance. If the cutoff is at full amount, then the filter is fully open and the resonance adds a volume peak to a frequency, which is very often way beyond our hearing range. If the filter is indeed fully open, then be aware that it can get very loud when you start lowering the cutoff and the resonance is at full amount or almost at full.

2. If you're going to modulate the filter (default is always the filter's cutoff frequency) with an LFO (Low Frequency Oscillator) or with an envelope, then it's good to know that the selected cutoff point from the filter is the lowest frequency that the modulation can go. When the filter is fully open the modulations don't really have an effect at all.

3. Using an envelope to modulate the filter's cutoff is one of the best ways to make a sound that's more alive and even responds to your playing. Just remember to add some "envelope amount" at the filter controls. In this video you can see that control just named as "ENV" in the emulated version of the Roland SH-101. If the "envelope amount" is at zero then there's no effect at all to the sound. I've seen people being confused about that. One more confusing thing is that some synths have a positive and negative value, just like the "ENV" controls seen on this video. The middle is the zero point in this case. Using negative amounts is the same as using inverted envelopes and it might be too complicated for a beginner. Just use a positive amount until you're really used to the behavior of envelopes.

4. The Attack (time), Decay (time), Sustain (level), Release (time) of the ADSR envelope can be a bit confusing. Just remember that all of them except the sustain behave as "time". Sustain is a level where the sound volume drops after the decay stage when you're using the amplifier (VCA) envelope. Using zero amount of sustain on the amp (VCA) envelope means that the volume goes to zero even if you keep pressing the key(s) for a long time.

If you use an ADSR envelope to control the filter's cutoff, then the sustain level is the filter's cutoff frequency level where the sound stays after the decay stage. Zero amount of sustain is where the cutoff frequency has been set on the filter. Remember that when you're quickly pressing the keys then all the ADSR stages of the envelope aren't always going to complete. You can use that to your advantage and create sounds that respond to your playing style. (Some synths are also velocity sensitive and have an aftertouch option. Most vintage synths don't have those options.)

5. If you want to use the envelope for the filter and keep experimenting with it, then it's definitely recommended to use a longer release time in the amp envelope (VCA envelope). Then you can hear all the ADSR stages of the filter envelope without the sound stopping too early. Adding more release time to sounds is recommended anyway. Then the sound still keeps playing a bit when you stop pressing the key(s). Many instruments sound like that. You could almost think that adding more release time is like adding some reverb to the sound. You just need to use a polyphonic synth like the Yamaha Reface CS for example. Try playing a slow arpeggio using a longer release time. If you aren't familiar with chords then just play the first, third, fifth and sometimes also the seventh white note one by one to play a chord as an arpeggio. (Select a high pitch like the 4 or 2 from the "VCO" of the Roland SH-101, then start at the lowest white key from the left and go from there...) The longer release time is "blending the notes together" creating some beautiful harmonies. Just remember that you need to have a polyphonic synth to hear that. (Most polyphonic synths can also be set to a monophonic mode.)

6. Using an LFO to slightly modulate the pitch of an oscillator in a moderately fast speed is the same as vibrato. You often hear vibrato on many other musical instruments and especially on vocals. Adding some vibrato to a lead sound for example is a great way to make the sound more alive and to stand out in a mix.

7. One more thing... if you have an arpeggiator (or a looper or a sequencer) and it also has a "latch" option I definitely recommend to use that. You can select or play some notes and the synth then keeps repeating them while your both hands are free to experiment with the controls. Use a slow speed at first with the arpeggiator. That way you can hear the changes made by an envelope and other changes to the sound more clearly. Getting used to the filter and the envelopes and experimenting a bit with an LFO will get you started.

Those were just some quick explanations and tips. I hope it was useful. Enjoy your synth and have a fantastic day.

[axedoctor]

You have just blown me away with how you just broke down synths in a way that I actually understand. Thank you.

[SynergistN]

3:20 I love that you always show a diagram with every lesson (that's I've seen so far). For visual learners like me it's invaluable. I'm not new to music making or audio engineering and I have lots of hardware synths, but I've never seen a synth explained like in this diagram and it will help me a lot in the future when making patches.

[DanielStepp]

Incredibly concise and easy to follow. If you had a full course on synthesis, I'd buy it for sure

[TomaszRykala]

The best music content on youtube currently.

[andrew-pc]

Massive respect for how careful and clear these videos are. Thank you.

[stoptwo]

Your videos are like learning from a friend and not from a "teacher" ... well done and congrats to the well earned 30k !

[kaylaportugalmusic]

Just started to experiment with synth plugins at home, this video was very helpful and encouraging ☺️

[loganp]

bro you just get write down to business and explain things simply and its easy to understand. I appreciate you.

[repasiv]

I know synths very well and was only curious about this tutorial. Very good job man. I wish I had somebody to tell me these things back in the day. This makes it so easy to understand for a beginner. I used to read manuals of gear to know that they were doing. There was a user manual of the yamaha cs-5 or something with diagrams and explanation. That was my schoolbook, but not everybody starts to read manuals, and there are better and worse manuals of course. Really well done, very good tutorial.

[Johnnythree]

THANK YOU! From a guitarist's stand point the controls never made sense to me. Now I can actually visualize what is happening. I cant thank you enough!

[vishnusekhara]

Yours is one of the best you tube channel for production learning...everything so well explained in simple and detailed manner...Plz keep up the good work...Its really helpful for us producers all across the globe...thank you