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How to Make Your Own Synthesizer Noise

Make your own synthesizer noise by changing the instrument's parameters in order to create tones and soundscapes that can be used within your musical productions. Synthesizers come equipped with standard controls over the filter, ASDR envelope, and the oscillators' characteristics. ASDR refers to "Attack," "Sustain," "Decay" and "Release," which are used to control how the sound develops over time. Filters are used to control the brightness of a sound, whereas the oscillator controls determine the shape and complexity of the tone you are designing. Design your own hardware or software synthesizer noise in less than 10 minutes.

Instructions

    • 1

      Determine the brightness of your synthesizer noise by adjusting the filter's "Cutoff" and "Resonance" knobs or sliders to taste. The higher your cutoff setting, the more clearly the noise will be perceived. whereas with lower settings the sound will become muffled. increasing the "Resonance" knob will amplify vibration to the filter, causing it to resonate.

    • 2

      Adjust the synthesizer noise's ASDR parameters to taste. Increase the "Attack" setting to delay the highest point of the sound's peak, and the "Sustain" to determine how long the sound will be held before fading away. Increase the "Decay" setting to determine when the noise is to fade away and the "Release" to set the duration of the noise after releasing the note or chord. Reduce these settings to create shorter noises that end without trailing away.

    • 3

      Choose the oscillator shape. Pick from the basic shapes, such as square, pulse, wave, triangle or a combination of any four. Some digital synthesizers provide digital waveforms as oscillators to choose from as well. Repeat for a second or third oscillator, depending on the hardware or software synthesizer you are using.

    • 4

      Adjust the oscillator's other characteristics. Reduce the oscillator's "Pitch" knob to create a noise with lower frequencies and increase it to create noises that can be used for higher-pitched purposes, such as strings and leads. Detune one oscillator a couple semitones by reducing the "Tune" knob or slider in order to create warmth and vibration between multiple oscillators.

Recording Music

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