Synthesizers#

I got reconnect properly with computers […] I didn’t have to use someone else’s idea of what a delay, or a reverb, or a sequencer shoud do, or should sound like; I could start from the ground, and think in terms of sound and maths. It was like coming off the rails. – Jonny Greenwood

A synthesizer is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers create new sounds through various forms of signal generation, manipulation, and modulation. They are used in many different genres, from pop and rock to electronic and experimental music.

Synthesizers are often built by connecting more basic computational units such as oscillators, filters, and envelopes, which incrementally manipulate a stream or flow of numbers. This flow isn’t necessarily acyclic but can consist of feedback loops. Each basic component, referred to as a unit generator in SuperCollider, has parameters that can be modulated, or changed, over time.

The interface of both hardware and software synthesizers allows for the manipulation of parameters, which can be adjusted on the fly during a performance. Additionally, the interconnectivity of a synthesizer is often customizable. For example, if you wish to make your synthesizer’s cutoff frequency oscillate between 200 and 1000 Hz, you can typically connect the output of a low frequency oscillator (LFO) to the input that determines the filter’s cutoff frequency in the synth.

The basic building blocks of a synthesizer are:

  1. Oscillator: The sound production of a synthesizer starts with an oscillator, which produces a basic waveform. This can be a simple shape like a sine, triangle, square, or sawtooth wave, or it could be a more complex waveform. The waveform is the raw material from which all other sounds are crafted.

  2. Filter: The filter shapes the sound generated by the oscillator by boosting or cutting specific frequencies. For example, a low-pass filter allows frequencies below a certain cutoff point to pass through, while attenuating those above the cutoff point. Filters allow you to craft a broad range of tonal characteristics from the basic waveform.

  3. Amplifier: The amplifier determines the volume envelope of the sound. It controls how the sound starts, sustains, and ends. It’s often controlled by an ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release) envelope, which determines how the volume changes over time.

  4. Modulators: Modulators, like LFOs (low frequency oscillators) and envelope followers, can affect other parts of the synthesizer. For example, an LFO might modulate the pitch of the oscillator to create a vibrato effect. Modulators are a key part of making the sound evolve and move over time, which can make a synth sound more interesting and dynamic.

  5. Effects: Many synthesizers include built-in effects units, like reverb, delay, chorus, and distortion. These can add space, depth, character, and other qualities to the sound.

  6. Control Interface: The control interface of a synthesizer is the part you interact with. It can include a traditional keyboard, but also knobs, sliders, buttons, touchscreens, and more. The control interface allows you to manipulate the sound in real time.

  7. MIDI: MIDI (musical instrument digital interface) is a communication protocol that allows synthesizers, computers, and other electronic music devices to communicate with each other. This allows you to, for example, play a synthesizer using a separate keyboard, or sequence a synthesizer part using a computer.

In essence, a synthesizer is a powerful tool for crafting sounds. By manipulating oscillators, filters, amplifiers, modulators, effects, and the control interface, you can generate an almost infinite variety of sounds.

In sclang, you can construct your own software synthesizers. Moreover, you have the capability to modulate most parameters or arguments of your synth. Rather than utilizing knobs, control wheels, cables, buttons, or other graphical or haptic elements, we employ code to build synths, play sound and patterns, and integrate all components.