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Synthesizer “cookbook” – useful for digital too?

SteveSSteveS
in General App Discussion

I’m looking at this (somewhat pricey) book, as it seems to be exactly what I’ve been looking for since I began fooling around with synths. But it’s billed specifically as a tutorial for analog synths. I only have software digital synths both on iOS and MacOS. But it seems to me the principles would be equally applicable to digital synths, no? I note that the companion CD contains a software synth (VSTi for Win only).

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8866852

The Amazon listing shows some of the “universal” patches that make up the bulk of the book.

Welsh's Synthesizer Cookbook: Synthesizer Programming, Sound Analysis, and Universal Patch Book https://a.co/d/dJANFzf

Whaddya think?

Comments

  • DMfanDMfan

    The principles are the same, yes. Different people learn in different ways. For some books and manuals are the way to go, for others tutorials or just plain trial and error.

    IMO you’re better off just watching some synth programming starter tutorials on Youtube and use your software synths for learning. I highly suggest picking just one of them to get the hang of it. Once you’ve made yourself familiar with how it works and how it all fits together you can apply your knowledge to any synth.

    /DMfan🇸🇪

  • SteveSSteveS

    Thanks. Agree with your recommendation. I’ve worked through an outstanding course by Jamison Nathan Jones that was very like what you suggest – watching over someone’s shoulder while they produce some patches. And he does it with multiple hardware and software synths, so you quickly generalize what you’re learning.

    But for me, the “cookbook” approach is also highly effective, with the “recipes” giving me a starting point for experimentation. Thanks for confirming my thinking that the basic techniques for substractive synthesis are the same, analog or digital!

  • jwmmakerofmusicjwmmakerofmusic

    If you really want to learn about synthesis, there's no book more comprehensive than this.

    https://a.co/d/jelnv9A

    It's f-cking expensive, but it's actually a text book, not just a regular book.

  • Wrlds2ndBstGeoshredrWrlds2ndBstGeoshredr

    I highly recommend watching Omri Cohen videos on youtube. He's the Bob Ross of sound design.

  • johnfromberkeleyjohnfromberkeley

    I have it, and I love it. It’s exactly the same concept with digital emulations of analog synths. The CD with the used version was corrupted, so I only have the text.

  • rs2000rs2000

    Some synth manuals are really good.

  • seonnthaproducerseonnthaproducer

    What are you looking for in a synth manual? Specific apps? iOS ? Hardware? Pictures?

    Asking because I have a few recommendations but I wanna help narrow that what would work.

  • pedropedro

    Both those books are good but they focus on subtractive synthesis, if I remember correctly.
    There’s always SOS synth secrets, which is free and covers a vast amount of topics https://www.soundonsound.com/series/synth-secrets-sound-sound

  • audiblevideoaudiblevideo

    @jwmmakerofmusic said:
    If you really want to learn about synthesis, there's no book more comprehensive than this.

    https://a.co/d/jelnv9A

    It's f-cking expensive, but it's actually a text book, not just a regular book.

    I mean some google fu and you get the same book (maybe not edition) for free and legal

    https://archive.org/details/soundsynthesissa0000russ

  • SlushSlush

    Here a free pdf book with drum machine patterns https://shittyrecording.studio/

  • gardengarden

    If you can find a copy of Allen Strange’s “Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques and Controls”, I highly recommend it as something of an ur-text. The original is way too expensive now, but there was a Kickstarter for a reissue. I know all the hard copies were sold, there may be PDFs around.

  • reasOnereasOne

    @garden said:
    If you can find a copy of Allen Strange’s “Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques and Controls”, I highly recommend it as something of an ur-text. The original is way too expensive now, but there was a Kickstarter for a reissue. I know all the hard copies were sold, there may be PDFs around.

    I saw the kick starter but it’s been quiet for almost a year from what i can tell. I wonder if it’s still being done

  • SteveSSteveS

    @seonnthaproducer said:
    What are you looking for in a synth manual? Specific apps? iOS ? Hardware? Pictures?

    Asking because I have a few recommendations but I wanna help narrow that what would work.

    I understand quite well how subtractive synthesis works. Just fooling around with it and discovering how the various elements interact goes a long way, but without some intention or structure to the “fooling around” it’s not very effective learning. I’m looking for something that helps with that intention or structure. The “cookbook” approach seems like a good idea, as it gives you a starting point as well as a “recipe” for how to get to that point. From there, understanding what went into creating the initial patch then provides a foundation for that “fooling around,” and morphing the patch into something different.

    Hope that makes sense.

  • SteveSSteveS

    @pedro said:
    Both those books are good but they focus on subtractive synthesis, if I remember correctly.
    There’s always SOS synth secrets, which is free and covers a vast amount of topics https://www.soundonsound.com/series/synth-secrets-sound-sound

    Thanks. Not sure if this is exactly what I’m looking for, but definitely worth spending some time with!!

  • PoppadocrockPoppadocrock

    The cookbook is free at my library digitally on an app.

  • Blipsford_BaubieBlipsford_Baubie

    I’m not sure if you already know of Syntorial 2.

    https://apps.apple.com/us/app/syntorial-2/id6448928707

    The first 22 lessons are free. It’s not on iPhone though. When I had an iPad I was using Syntorial before 2.0 came out. I enjoyed it. It is very focused and deliberate.

  • RockBottomRockBottom

    @rs2000 said:
    Some synth manuals are really good.

    especially the ARP 2600 manual — written by Howard Scarr, the synth master…

  • QmisheryQmishery
    edited August 22

    @reasOne said:

    @garden said:
    If you can find a copy of Allen Strange’s “Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques and Controls”, I highly recommend it as something of an ur-text. The original is way too expensive now, but there was a Kickstarter for a reissue. I know all the hard copies were sold, there may be PDFs around.

    I saw the kick starter but it’s been quiet for almost a year from what i can tell. I wonder if it’s still being done

    The following was posted on ModWigglers forum:

    FYI, I'm wrapping up my engagement with this thread. Just shipping out that last books of the second kickstarter. Print sales >will be available through Thonk, Synthcube, Perfect Circuit, Control, Nightlife, Scheneiderladen. PDFs will be available via >paypal for $22 CAD to [email protected] if you include your email address. No email address, I give you your money back. >:) Thanks everyone for supporting things over the past 6 years.

  • ashhashh

    Check out Roland's free "The Synthesizer" 4 volume set. Google will tell you where.

  • SteveSSteveS

    @Poppadocrock said:
    The cookbook is free at my library digitally on an app.

    Thanks. Worth checking!

  • SteveSSteveS

    @Blipsford_Baubie said:
    I’m not sure if you already know of Syntorial 2.

    The first 22 lessons are free. It’s not on iPhone though. When I had an iPad I was using Syntorial before 2.0 came out. I enjoyed it. It is very focused and deliberate.

    Thanks. Looks really interesting! A little pricey but the first 22 lessons alone would probably be worthwhile and be a good test of whether the full version is worth the investment.

  • ashhashh

    @SteveS said:

    @Blipsford_Baubie said:
    I’m not sure if you already know of Syntorial 2.

    The first 22 lessons are free. It’s not on iPhone though. When I had an iPad I was using Syntorial before 2.0 came out. I enjoyed it. It is very focused and deliberate.

    Thanks. Looks really interesting! A little pricey but the first 22 lessons alone would probably be worthwhile and be a good test of whether the full version is worth the investment.

    I bought it for £75 recently during a sale. It covers a lot of ground and is very easy to understand. It's split up into 4 parts, from beginner to expert. I'm not a huge fan of the tests at the end of each chapter and the guy teaching it has quite a monotonous delivery that's almost soporific. That said, I am learning a lot and have one eye on the extra lessons for software synths like Serum, which are around 50 lessons deep.

  • offbrandsoffbrands

    @Slush said:
    Here a free pdf book with drum machine patterns https://shittyrecording.studio/

    Appreciate the this share! This little book unlocked a portion of my brain for programming drums that I didn’t quite crack yet. Finally something clicked. Cheers!

    In the spirit of this thread I’m sharing This Youtuber who has a series on Music Theory and Sound Design.

    It was really helpful in the visual learning part for myself. Really just made a ton of things click for me. Haven’t watched any of their other videos except a bit of the Music theory one they have and it was fine. Wasn’t feeling it as much as the sound design one I linked on this post.

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