Synthesis Quickstart Guide: The Basics Of Synthesizers

In this tutorial I simply want to talk about some of the basic concepts and elements of synthesis. This tutorial is aimed at beginners who have none or very little knowledge about synthesis and how synthesizers work. The goal is to give you a general idea of some of the terms that are commonly used and the typical sections and functionalities you will find in a lot of synthesizers.

After watching this video you hopefully have a better understanding of synthesis and can start experimenting with your own sounds or at least have an easier time following along tutorials.

It's a bit longer than the 5 minutes I initially planned but there were some explanations and demonstrations I didn't want to cut out.

I'm using the free soft synth Vital but the functionalities I talk about should be available in most other synths as well.

Sound Design Discord:

Free Cinematic Sound Effects:

Vital Tutorials:

0:00 - Intro
0:24 - Noise Generators
1:46 - Master Envelope
2:49 - Modulators
3:53 - Filters
4:54 - Routing & FX
5:34 - Global Settings

[cryptotrader]

Excellent short explanation. Thanks man. I knew all of this but always enjoy your content. I'm no synth guru and always learning, and I find Vital is really great for beginners like me to mess around with.

[keithmatthews]

Which synthesizer are you using for the demos in the video?