Synthesizer Terminology Explained®
Chapter 1 : Synth Basics
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2:03 Oscillators
Learn the definition of what an oscillator on a synthesizer is and the basics of how it functions.
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1:44 Filters
This video covers the definition of the filter section on a synthesizer, as well as how it is used to sculpt the synth's sound.
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1:34 Resonance
In this video, Thomas gives the definition of the resonance controls on a synthesizer.
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1:45 Mixer & Amplifier
Learn what the mixer and amplifier sections of a synthesizer are, and how they're used to control the audio levels of a synth.
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1:23 LFO
This video gives the definition of what a low-frequency oscillator is, as well as its function on a synthesizer.
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2:35 ADSR
Learn what ADSR envelopes are, and how they're used to sculpt and control various parts on a synthesizer.
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1:24 Modulation Routing
This video covers the definition of modulation routing on a synthesizer and shows how it is used to alter basic synth patches.
Chapter 2 : Synthesizer Controls
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1:05 Pan
See how the pan controls on a synth are used to adjust where a sound is placed in the stereo field.
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1:46 Octave & Tune
Learn what the octave and tune controls on a synth do and how they are used to adjust the overall pitch of a sound.
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1:01 Arpeggiator
Learn what an arpeggiator is and how it's used to automatically generate melodic patterns and sequences.
Chapter 3 : Types Of Synthesis
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1:08 Subtractive Synthesis
Learn the definition of a basics subtractive synthesizer and how it creates sound.
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1:22 Wavetable Synthesis
Learn the definition of a wavetable synthesizer, how it creates sound, and why it is different from other methods of synthesis.
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1:21 FM Synthesis
Learn the definition of frequency modulation synthesis and how it uses waveform modulation to produce a wide variety of tones.
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1:34 Additive Synthesis
Learn the definition of additive synthesis and how it uses sine waveforms as the building blocks for more advanced sounds.
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1:42 Modular Synthesis
Learn the definition of a basic modular synthesizer and how it produces sound.
Chapter 4 : Advanced Synth Features
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1:05 Mono Synths & Mono Legato
Learn the definition of a monophonic synthesizer and how its associated mono legato modes are used.
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0:55 Polyphonic Synths & Polyphony
Learn the definition of a polyphonic synthesizer and when to use it.
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0:39 White Noise
Learn the definition of what white noise in synthesis is and how it sounds.
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0:38 Pink Noise
Learn the definition of what pink noise in synthesis is and how it is used to make patches.
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1:34 Ring Modulation
Learn the definition of ring modulation, how it is used, and the types of sounds it is good for.
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1:21 Pulse Width & Pulse Width Modulation
Learn the definition of pulse width and how it's used to create a chorus style effect.
Product Overview
Synthesizer Terminology Explained™ is your definition based resource for quickly finding the meaning of common synth terms, features and functions! This growing collection of terminology definitions are short and sweet, and are designed for the beginner, to make sure you understand the basics and foundations of synthesizer technology.
Thomas Cochran takes you through all the basic terms you need to recognize and understand so you have the foundation to then operate and program any synthesizer, from old school analog hardware, to today's amazingly complex virtual synth plug-ins.
See the individual tutorial descriptions for more info. If you’re new to synthesizers and programming them, you need to know what these basic controls and functions do, so checkout and reference “Synthesizer Terminology Explained®” today.
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Reviews
Submitted 1 month ago
Simple and Effective Explanation
Simple and Effective Explanation of how synthesizer works
Submitted 4 months ago
Clarifying
This was simple and very clarifying, good job!
Ease of Use Quality of Videos Value of Training Access to Videos
Submitted 5 months ago
Nice intro for synth noobs like me
Simple and to the point, great quick intro
I am a: Hobbyist, Reaper
Submitted 9 months ago
Learned a lot.
Learned a lot.
Ease of Use Quality of Videos Value of Training Access to Videos
Submitted 11 months ago
Helpful as a Refresher
Does explain core concepts concisely, but does skip a lot of important information. It is VERY brief and thus more served as a refresher rather than a beginner's guide.
I am a: Hobbyist, Musician, Producer, Beat Maker, Sound Designer, Game Designer, FL Studio
Ease of Use Quality of Videos Value of Training Access to Videos
Submitted 1 year ago
Succinct, logical
Really succinctly and logically explained. Good work dude!
Ease of Use Quality of Videos Value of Training Access to Videos
Submitted 1 year ago
Fine walkthrough of concepts.
Should have been talking more slowly. More examples (there are a lot already) would also have been appreciated.
Ease of Use Quality of Videos Value of Training Access to Videos
Submitted 1 year ago
Very useful.
As a hobbyist i found this explanation of basics of synthesis to be very useful & interesting.
I am a: Hobbyist
Ease of Use Quality of Videos Value of Training Access to Videos
Submitted 1 year ago
Very good but simple and easy to understand tutorial!
Very good but simple and easy to understand tutorial on the basics of Sythesizer Terminology, and exactly what I needed to help me understand Synthesizers before I delve into more involved and complex tutorials and synths. Thanks for the clear explanations and examples. Coming from outside of the synth world, this was a very helpful introduction to what can be an overwhelming subject. Great job!
Ease of Use Quality of Videos Value of Training Access to Videos
Submitted 1 year ago
Synthesizer Basics.
If you are after a very basic explanation of Synthesizers, this is the one to get.
Ease of Use Quality of Videos Value of Training Access to Videos
Reviews
Submitted 1 month ago
Simple and Effective Explanation
Simple and Effective Explanation of how synthesizer works
Submitted 4 months ago
Clarifying
This was simple and very clarifying, good job!
Submitted 5 months ago
Nice intro for synth noobs like me
Simple and to the point, great quick intro
I am a: Hobbyist, Reaper
Submitted 9 months ago
Learned a lot.
Learned a lot.
Submitted 11 months ago
Helpful as a Refresher
Does explain core concepts concisely, but does skip a lot of important information. It is VERY brief and thus more served as a refresher rather than a beginner's guide.
I am a: Hobbyist, Musician, Producer, Beat Maker, Sound Designer, Game Designer, FL Studio
Submitted 1 year ago
Succinct, logical
Really succinctly and logically explained. Good work dude!
Submitted 1 year ago
Fine walkthrough of concepts.
Should have been talking more slowly. More examples (there are a lot already) would also have been appreciated.
Submitted 1 year ago
Very useful.
As a hobbyist i found this explanation of basics of synthesis to be very useful & interesting.
I am a: Hobbyist
Submitted 1 year ago
Very good but simple and easy to understand tutorial!
Very good but simple and easy to understand tutorial on the basics of Sythesizer Terminology, and exactly what I needed to help me understand Synthesizers before I delve into more involved and complex tutorials and synths. Thanks for the clear explanations and examples. Coming from outside of the synth world, this was a very helpful introduction to what can be an overwhelming subject. Great job!
Submitted 1 year ago
Synthesizer Basics.
If you are after a very basic explanation of Synthesizers, this is the one to get.
Thomas Cochran electronic musician and multi instrumentalist from Austin Texas, who now lives in Los Angeles. He focuses on creating electronic music that features both ambient and classical influences.
1. When did you start dabbling in music?
I started playing music at a young age, starting with classical guitar. This started my love for music and eventually expanded into learning other instruments as well. To date, I have had over ten years of classical experience and training as well as additional instrumental experience.
2. What training have you had?
I grew up studying classical guitar and composition and eventually started applying my classical knowledge to learning other instruments as well, ranging from violin, cello, keys, and drums.
3. When did you get intro recording?
I got into recording out of necessity when me and some friends started a band back in high school and couldn't afford studio time. Through this, I learned about music production and recording and haven't looked back since.
4. Why are you so good at training people?
I love learning about the technical aspects of music production, this helps me understand the how music production works under the hood. I have also worked for several years creating music production tutorials online.
Products by Thomas
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tutorial videoAbleton Live: Beginner's Guide to Beat Making
Thomas Cochran shows you how to make your very first beat with Ableton Live! See how to produce your first beat from scratch, using nothing but Ableton Live, including software installation and understanding Live's layout, all the way to exporting your finished beat and more. This series is designed for the absolute newcomer to Ableton Live.
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tutorial videoAbleton Live: Things You Need to Know
Thomas Cochran presents essential Ableton Live video tutorials! Discover the things you need to know when using Ableton Live, such as cool tip & tricks, workflows, helpful and creative ways to Sequence MIDI, use effects, mix and more! These videos are for those who already have experience with Ableton Live, but want to learn more and improve their skillset.
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tutorial videoANA 2: Sound Design Vol. 1
Synth guru Thomas Cochran presents an in-depth ANA 2 video tutorial series! Follow along with Thomas and see how to create awesome, powerful sounds and presets for the ANA 2 virtual synth. These videos are great for those who know their way around ANA 2 and some basic synth terminology.
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tutorial videoBeat Making with MASCHINE
Thomas Cochran brings you beat making videos using Native Instruments MASCHINE! Learn to make a cool beat from scratch using nothing but MASCHINE. These MASCHINE tutorials are for those just starting out with MASCHINE as well as intermediate MASCHINE beat makers. You also get the MASCHINE project file so you can follow along and experiment.
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tutorial videoDark Synthwave Sound Design Explained
Synthesizer wiz Thomas Cochran brings detailed you dark synthwave sound design video tutorials! See step by step how to make sounds from scratch that define this popular genre. In these videos Thomas uses some great 3rd party virtual instruments like TAL-U-No-LX, Serum, Korg Mono/Poly and u-he Diva, but you can apply the info to any comparable virtual or hardware synth. This series is for those who have a basic understanding of synth sound design and want to focus on understanding and creating the sounds found in dark synthwave music.
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The All-Access Pass gives you just that, instant online access to every single video tutorial currently on the site and any ones that get added during your membership.
Studio production pro Thomas Cochran teleports you back to the '80s with in-depth Synthwave production video tutorials that show how to create the sounds and produce the tracks that make this popular genre so powerful. These videos are perfect for beginner Synthwave producers or anyone looking for more insight on how this genre is made.
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Keyboard wiz Sami Rabia brings you a cool video series on layering synths to make better, bigger and more interesting synth sounds for your songs and production. The info can be applied to any hardware or software synth!
Synthesizer wiz Thomas Cochran brings you in-depth sound design videos on crafting powerful, modern sounding drums for your tracks and productions. See how to make foundational sounds perfect for different popular genres, plus get the presets made throughout the videos for reference. These videos are for those who already have an understanding of synthesis and the terminology used when working with synths.
Synth wiz Michael Morrise presents in-depth Psychic Modulation Phonec video tutorials! Learn all about this amazing virtual synth plug-in, the genres it's best suited for, and how to make an assortment of classic synth patches from scratch. These videos are designed for new Phonec users and those with a basic understanding of synth terminology and sound design.
Logic Pro X expert Eli Krantzberg delivers the most comprehensive collection of Logic Pro X videos designed for the beginner user. This in-depth video manual is completely shot from the ground up in Logic Pro X 10.5. If you are just starting out with Logic, or just want to go over the basics and/or more advanced features, this video collection is where you want to start!
Synth pro Tyler Coffin delivers in-depth Arturia Mini V tutorials! Learn all about Arturia's virtual recreation of the legendary Moog Minimoog synthesizer from the '70s. Explore all of the Mini V's features and functions, as well as how to make awesome Bass, Pad and Lead sounds from scratch. These videos are designed for new Arturia Mini V users.
Synth pro Tyler Coffin delivers in-depth Arturia CS-80 V tutorials! See and hear how Arturia has recreated the legendary Yamaha CS-80 synthesizer originally released in 1977. Learn all of the CS-80 V's features and functions as well as how to make cool sounds with this powerhouse virtual recreation. These videos are designed for new Arturia CS-80 V users.
Josh Bess presents melodic techno production video tutorials designed for the absolute beginner! See step by step how to make your very first melodic techno track in Ableton Live and start your journey into producing this epic electronic music genre. You also get the samples, audio effects, MIDI files, and Serum presets used in the tutorial so you can follow along.
Synth wiz Larry Holcombe delivers detailed KV331 Audio SynthMaster One tutorials! Explore this in-depth video manual for KV331's awesome SynthMaster One virtual synth plug-in, and learn all of its features and functions, including how to use them to create killer synth sounds. These videos are designed for new SynthMaster One users.
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