Have you always wanted to approach a hardware synth like a Moog or a software synth like Massive and understand how to program it? Well this course is for you.

The goal of this course is to provide students with a fundamental understanding of how synthesizers work and how to manipulate them to create the sounds they've always wanted to make.

Learn essential synth elements such as oscillators, filters, and envelopes: what they do, how they work together, and how to go about creating sounds beyond the manufacturer’s pre-set patches.

UPON FINISHING THIS COURSE YOU WILL KNOW:

• How to identify just about any synthesizer by type, old or new, and how to use it

• How to create any sound of your own concept using a hardware or software synthesizer

• How to incorporate synthesizers and synth-style processing techniques into DAW programs like Ableton Live

• How to distinguish where your favourite “retro” synth sounds come from along with other classic sounds like those made by Moog, ARP and Oberheim

TOPICS COVERED

• Signal Generators and Signal Modifiers

• Types of Synthesis (subtractive, additive, FM, wavetable etc.)

• Synthesizer modules – (VCO, VCF, VCA, CV processors, LFO, Wave Shapers)

• Common synthesizer layouts

• Incorporating synth elements into audio production

• Hardware vs. software - finding the right synth for you

WHAT YOU WILL NEED

• We cover all the Ableton Live Synths so Ableton Live would be helpful but not mandatory.

• We cover Native Instruments FM8 and Massive. Again not mandatory but helpful.