028

|
COMPUTER MUSIC SEPTEMBER 2005 TUTORIAL
make music now Subtractive synthesis for beginners make music now
Its by far the most popular method of synthesis
there is, but what exactly is it all about?
THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO...
W
eve focused on a number of
different effects in our
Essential Guide series so far.
This month, however, were looking at
how sounds can be created from
scratch in other words, synthesis.
Many musicians shy away from the idea
of creating their own sounds and synth
patches, preferring to make use of
factory presets or patches created by
others. Others, however, enjoy the
satisfaction and artistic purity that
comes from starting from scratch.
Over the course of the next few
issues, well be looking at various
different sound generation techniques
and synthesizer technologies. Were
going to kick things off by looking at the
most ubiquitous artificial sound creation
method of all: subtractive synthesis. A
huge number of synths (both hard and
soft) produced over the past four
decades have been subtractive.
So what makes subtractive synthesis
such a popular choice? The answer lies,
in part at least, in the simplicity of the
technique. You start with a waveform
and then filter out harmonics or bands
of harmonics to produce a range of
different sounds and tonal colours. The
good news is that this simplicity
translates into very easy learning curve
for the user.
Here well educate you as to what
subtractive synthesis actually is, what
its used for and how you can make it
work for you. Well give you some
practical applications and finish things
off with a brief tutorial. cm
Subtractive
synthesis
JARGON BUSTER
3 OSCILLATOR
Produces a basic waveform of a given
type (eg, sine, sawtooth, square, etc)
3 LP FILTER
A low-pass filter attenuates all
frequencies above its cutoff frequency
3 HP FILTER
A high-pass filter attenuates
frequencies below its cutoff frequency
3 BP FILTER
A band-pass filter attenuates all
frequencies except those surrounding
its centre frequency
3 LFO
Low Frequency Oscillator. Used to
automatically control certain synth
parameters so that they change over
time in a repetitive way
3 ENVELOPE
Another control signal that can
be used to change the way a
sound responds to note-on and
note-off events
3 ADSR
Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release
the four time-based stages of a
standard envelope
On the DVD
VIDEO TUTORIAL
Weve put together a video to
accompany the walkthrough.
Its in the Video folder
NEXT MONTH
VOCODING
FILTER ENVELOPE
Similar to the amplitude envelope,
but used to control the cutoff
frequency of the filter
OSCILLATOR
Despite the fact that it only has two oscillators,
CM-101 can produce a surprising range of different
sounds. The secret is knowing how to create them!
AMPLITUDE ENVELOPE
These sliders control how the volume of the sound
changes over time. This is a standard Attack (time), Decay
(time), Sustain (level) and Release (time) configuration
FILTER CUTOFF AND RESONANCE
These define the characteristics of
the filter the frequency at which the
filter starts attenuating signals and
the amount of boost thats applied
around the cutoff frequency
LFO
The LFO doesn't create any sound
itself, but is used to control other
parameters. Different wave shapes
can be used and its speed can
also be changed
OSCILLATOR WAVEFORM
CM-101 offers four different
wave shapes: sawtooth,
square, triangle and sine.
These all have very
different sounds
CMU90.t_guide 028 20/7/05 3:21:48 pm
TUTORIAL SEPTEMBER 2005 COMPUTER MUSIC
|
029
Q&A focus make music now Subtractive synthesis for beginners
WHAT IS IT?
As weve already mentioned, subtractive synthesis
starts with a raw waveform. Most basic
subtractive synths can produce square, triangle
and sine waves, while more advanced models
also have sawtooths, square waves with different
pulse widths, and other more exotic options. A
pure sine wave contains just one frequency (the
fundamental), whereas a square wave contains
the fundamental and all odd harmonics, giving a
hollow, wind instrument-like sound. A sawtooth
wave contains both odd and even harmonics,
giving a thicker, string-like sound.
Many subtractive synths have more than one
oscillator, allowing different waveforms to be
mixed together, or similar waveforms to be de-
tuned against each other, thickening the sound.
Once the basic tone has been produced, it's
normally filtered by a low-pass filter. This lets
lower frequencies through, while attenuating
higher frequency components beyond the filters
cutoff frequency. A low-pass filter dulls the overall
sound. Some subtractive synths also have band-
pass and high-pass filters, which give
thin and crisp sounds respectively.
Almost all subtractive
synths feature some kind of
modulation capabilities in
the shape of control signals
that can be used to change
various characteristics of a
sound over time.
Despite being based on a relatively simple
synthesis technique, subtractive synths can be
extremely versatile and are used to produce
everything from lead sounds and basses to pads
and strings. Many subtractive synths can even be
used to produce electronic drum sounds or
off-the-wall sound effects. In fact, many dedicated
electronic drum machines are essentially
specialised subtractive synths.
While some models (such as Novations
BassStation) are designed to fulfil a specific
niche, others are intended to be more general
workhorse units. Novations V-Station is a good
example of such a synth. Generally speaking,
these general purpose synths tend to be more
flexible in terms of the internal signal routing and
modulation options on offer. Unfortunately, the
additional flexibility tends to quickly add
complexity, though, and a lot of extra controls
that can confuse and bewilder a beginner.
The process of creating a sound from scratch in
a subtractive synth can be quite drawn out.
Whether youre trying to reproduce a synth sound
youve heard elsewhere or emulate the sound of
a real instrument, the steps you have to follow
are essentially the same.
You need to begin by listening to the basic
tone and then decide on a waveform to start
with. If the target sound has a hollow quality
about it, for example, start with a square wave.
Over time, youll learn to associate certain types
of sounds with particular raw waveforms.
Next, try to listen to how the sound changes
over time. Does it start and end abruptly or
gradually, for example? If so, adjust the amplitude
envelope attack and release values accordingly.
Listen out for changes in the characteristic of the
sound which may give clues about how the filters
are being used.
If a sound changes in a repetitive way, then
think about how you can reproduce this using
LFOs to modify the oscillator behaviour or control
the filters.
Bear in mind that becoming a
skilled subtractive synth
programmer takes time
and patience. A good
way to start is by
unpicking some of the
patches that come with
your favourite soft synths.
WHAT'S IT USED FOR? HOW DO I USE IT?
FIVE TO TRY...
Triangle II
www.rgcaudio.com
Pentagon I
www.rgcaudio.com
Discovery
www.discodsp.com
V-Station
www.novationmusic.com
Alpha Classic
www.linplug.com
3
At the moment our patch sounds very static. Increase
the amplitude envelope Attack setting slightly to take
the hard edge off the start of each note. Increase the
Decay time to 300ms and reduce the Sustain level to 70%.
Finally, increase the Release time to 600ms.
2
Play a few notes. You should hear a bright but boring
tone. Reduce the filter Cutoff setting to about 80% to
dull the sound slightly. Increase the filter Resonance
setting to about 30% to add a little character. >>
1
Install CM-101 from the cover DVD and load it up in your
VST host. Click on the triangle wave button of
Oscillator 2 (as shown), then locate the oscillator
Detune controls. Set the first to -4% and the second to +4%
to thicken the sound. >>
STEP BY STEP Creating a classic lead with CM-101
5 Subtractive synths such as the Novation Super
BassStation were popular with dance pioneers like Orbital
CMU90.t_guide 029 20/7/05 3:21:52 pm