Getting started with synths

[gdh]

there are a list of some great books here:

Synthesizers.com

http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/allsynthsecrets.htm

[bloodsample]

This thread has some good links.

In particular the sound on sound synth secrets series. They're quite long and go into a lot of detail, but well worth the read.

[sammytaters]

the Xp-30 has a steep learning curve with its interface. I'd learn on something else unless you already understand it.

[KingRazor]

Originally Posted by sammytaters

the Xp-30 has a steep learning curve with its interface. I'd learn on something else unless you already understand it.

I understand, it looks like there's a lot to this process. The reason I wanted to figure that one out is because no one on the band at my church really knows much about synths (the synth players are mostly piano players). So I was hoping I could figure it out for them and then show them some stuff.

BTW, does anyone know how to go about getting that sound in the video I linked?

[grimey]

I got a copy of welshs synthesizer cookbook..off of Amazon.it was really helpful and informative..ESP as a novice..also soundonsound.com has great articles

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

[draven5]

There are some good tutorials on YouTube. Try typing in the search "synthesizer basics or 101".

[Yoozer]

Originally Posted by sammytaters

the Xp-30 has a steep learning curve with its interface. I'd learn on something else unless you already understand it.

This, so much. One of the concepts that's common in synthesis tutorials - the envelope - is shown as having 4 parameters - A, D, S, and R. In the XP30, this is split up for the sake of flexibility, using Time and Level parameters. You have to basically rewrite anything showing "set ADSR like this" into "Rolandese". All tutorials assume that you have a synthesizer with an interface that's laid out before you, but on the XP30 you'll have to paint the hallway through the letterbox, so to say.

The sound in the start could be achieved by various means; if all you have is the XP30, initialize a patch. You can choose a dull saw wave as Tone A. Cut it down further with a lowpass filter. Then, assign an LFO to the amplifier of that tone, and choose an upwards saw wave, and a low LFO rate. Add reverb.

The actual sound might be made with say, sidechain compression, but for all intents and purposes using an LFO should result in something similar.

I've owned an XP30 for over a decade now, and while I understand it in terms of synthesis it's just not worth to spend lots of time on patch design. Various other synths are equally flexible and a million times easier to work with.

[KingRazor]

Alright, so after playing around in Reason, I made this: http://k006.kiwi6.com/hotlink/1kfno40n27/youaremore.mp3

Only thing I don't know how to do is make it so that when I hold the keys down it will repeat that sound until I release the keys.