Wie entwirfst du deine eigenen Synthesizer-Patches von Grund auf?

I have been using the Vital Synth lately, and I love it because of its easy-to-use interface. Every knob, fader, and control, seemed accessible. To me, this is important since I want to convey ideas quickly. I like that I can deepen modulations with the modulation matrix. This allows more control over modulation and expands on a meticulous sound design.

This is a very important step. Not long ago I was asked to write and record some music in an 80s style, so the first thing I had to do was to choose synths that were built in the 80s of course. At least synths with 80s technology like Wavetable or FM synthesis. a quick search online will give you an idea of what synths to use for an 80s style of soundtrack. That's what will add the texture to a specific genre or style.

That question depends on the software or hardware synth involved.However, creating patches requires you to know the fundamentals of L.F.O,ADSR,Filters,EFX,Unison and other time shaping mechanisms to craft the sound that you desire.Its kind of a experimental approach when designing sound patches.You have to apply your knowledge and musical sense until you arrive at a solution..If you don't know the fundamentals ,My best advice is to break things until you discover an emerging sound. Thats what creativity is about in Audio-Engineering.

1. Choose a synthesizer: Start by selecting either analog or digital synthesizers based on their unique sonic characteristics and your budget. Analog synthesizers offer warmth and organic tones, while digital ones provide versatility and precision. 2. Understand basic components: Learn the fundamentals of oscillators, filters, and envelopes within your chosen synthesizer. Oscillators generate waveforms, filters shape the frequency spectrum, and envelopes control how parameters change over time. 3. Experiment with modulation: Utilize modulation sources like LFOs and envelopes to add movement and texture to your patches. Experimentation with modulation depth and rate can drastically alter the sound's character and dynamics.

I think every synth has it's own bottom line - " the way this synth sounds" This becomes more obvious when you have a specific sound in mind and try to implement it. I lost all of my vintage synths in the "campfire" and decided to start over with a digital sample based synth, into which I could port my own wave forms to re-design that "vintage" warm analogue synth sound I had before. The result: to get the sound 100% exact you need the real thing, but one can create sounds that come in varying degrees close to what you want. Amazing that it is possible to make a completely digital synth sound like analog. Play a synth long enough to get a clear feeling for what it can do for the sound you want and that is the road to success.

Making your patch is a very interesting process. You are going to need to understand a few concepts. 1. Waveforms: you need to understand the basis of what exactly a waveform sounds like, whether you are using a sine/triangle/saw/sawtooth, and when you dive deeper you can make your waveforms as well. 2. ADSR: This is the most important aspect of making a sound, which is an acronym for Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release. Based on these 4 parameters you can design your sound whether you want to make a pluck to a pad or a drone. Once you know these 2 concepts you can pick up any synth and experiment. E.g Serum -It's one of the most powerful wavetable synthesizers on the market which lets you break audio files into waveforms

Understanding the basics of how the wave will sound inside an oscillator can inform you about the final result. Some waves have an aggressive quality to them, and others have smoother qualities. The amplitude envelope determines how much of the sound the synth will produce over time. It can have a slow Attack so the amplitude will slowly raise to the desired level, then Decay in volume into a desired Sustained level of amplitude, and Release the level of amplitude. An LFO is an oscillator that cycles at a rate that won't produce sound but will affect the movement of a desired parameter. A filter will lower or raise the volume of frequencies. It shapes the sound into a smooth pad or a resonant pluck.

This is probably the most important aspect when working with synths, specially analog synths. Knowing what every single knob or fader does is what will give you the tools to get the most of a synthesiser. Although I have to admit that is extremely fun to play around and get something crazy from one of these instruments, when you have a deadline for a delivery you need to do what's needed first, and then maybe experiment around it. Of course, this is just the way it works for me.

When I'm creating synth patches in Serum, I love to start from scratch. First, I'll pick a basic waveform like a saw or square and tweak it using the wavetable editor. Then I'll mess with the oscillators, maybe adding some FM or ring mod for extra flavor. Filters are next – I'll experiment with different types and cutoffs to shape the tone. The fun really starts with modulation: I'll set up some LFOs or envelopes to make the sound move and breathe. Effects are the cherry on top. I might add some reverb or delay, or get crazy with distortion. It's all about playing around and finding happy accidents. The key is to keep tweaking until it sounds dope to my ears.

This is a practice I have integrated into my workflow. Even if I start working on a patch and don't finish, I will save the progress into an ideas folder. I organize my patches into folders in terms of usability. For example, I have a folder for impact sound effects called transitions, and then a subfolder called impacts. This makes it easier to find a desired patch because I can search my drives and have the patch ready to be opened.

This is very important too. I save every single patch I make on software synths, all of them, organised by style or type of sound (bass, pad, plucked, etc). I also use patch sheets for my analog synths and these are organised in physical folders just like I'd do in the computer. These method makes it very easy for me to get a sound without expending too much time trying to replicate it by memory.

When I discovered Native Instruments TRK 01, I had no idea how it worked. So I opened a second instance of TRK 01 with an initialized patch and had the other instance with the patch I was interested in creating. I first worked on recreating the patch. This led me to find all the hidden parameters within the synth and helped me understand how to shape sounds in it. I discovered the workflow of the synth and it helped me create patches that reflected the vibe and sonic aesthetic of TRK 01.

This is something I do often as practice. I'm a huge fan of Depeche Mode, so every now and then I tend to play their music and try to replicate their synth sounds, I try to learn the melodies or synth parts and do my best to replicate their sounds as close as I can. This practice improves my skills when it comes to making sounds on a synth and I'd recommend it to everyone. First I listen to the parts and think about what would the signal chain be, then I start playing around on the synth to make it happen.

This relates to the part about analysing the sounds from other artists. The more you create sounds that would be different from what you usually do is what will make you better at it. The moment you feel or think that you know it all is the moment when you'll get stuck and won't be able to advance in your craft. There's always something new to try or learn.