Synthesizers

Effects, particularly spatial effects, constitute a relatively modern facet of modular synthesis, but this need not mean they should only be used as enhancement for existing sounds created on other modules.

Quick round-up of What's New in the Modular world, plus External Instruments tips.

For the Dune movies, Hans Zimmer and his team of extraordinary musicians didn’t just create a score. They created an entire world.

Do you find yourself reverting to the same familiar chords? Technology can help...

Reason’s new Objekt synth takes physical modelling in a new direction.

Here are some of our favourite function generators that will capably augment your patches, all weighing in at well under £200.

Paul White takes us on a sonic journey as he explores the endless possibilities of sound design using a guitar as your sound source.

Grammy-winning Samuel Dixon picks his favourite sound from the records he’s made, focusing on Australian singer‑songwriter Meg Washington’s track ‘Switches’.

We tend instinctively to think of audio‑rate oscillators as sound‑generating circuits and low‑frequency oscillators (...

Paul White takes us through the history and evolution of guitar synths, from early attempts at creating onboard sounds and audio-to-MIDI pickups, through to using pedals and plug-ins to emulate synth effects.

Going DAWless presents many challenges — not least keeping all your gear in sync...

Create retro sci‑fi soundtracks with Cubase’s Retrologue 2.

Sound On Sound December 2022

Cubase Workshop: Stranger Things Synths With Retrologue 2

Audio Examples...

Once the preserve of academic and experimental music, granular synthesis is more accessible than ever and has a lot to offer in all sorts of genres.

MIDI is the universal language of the studio — and if you use hardware instruments, you need to understand it!

We engage in some audio archaeology to discover how a pioneer of electronic music created one of her most important works.

Is there a way to specify, to a DAW such as Pro Tools, how a note will glide to another note and over what duration of time?

We’re used to playing and sequencing synth parts in our productions, but why not sing them as well?

Pads are the glue that holds entire genres of music together. We look at how you can improve yours.

Everything you need to know to get your DAW talking to your modular system via your audio interface.

Any synth can be coaxed into producing vintage-sounding patches...