A progressive guide to synthesis — learn by playing
Every synth starts with an oscillator — a repeating waveform. Sine sounds pure like a flute. Sawtooth is bright and buzzy like a string. Square is hollow and woodwind-like. Triangle is softer and flute-like.
Try it: Click the keyboard below. Switch waveforms and hear how the basic tone changes. This is the raw material before any shaping.
Attack = how quickly sound reaches full volume. Decay = how fast it falls. Sustain = holding level. Release = fade out time.
Filters shape tone by removing frequencies. A lowpass lets bass through and removes high sparkle. Resonance boosts the cutoff edge.
A Low-Frequency Oscillator slowly changes a parameter over time — like a tremolo (volume wobble) or vibrato (pitch wobble).