Bringing synths to life

As we’ve said, modulation is essential for moving soundscapes… and we’ve also looked at how repetition can be the enemy! For example, if we modulate a filter cutoff with a sine wave LFO, the knob flows up and down smoothly. To combat this, try using a second, more unpredictable LFO at the same time. Change the LFO shape to Random and map the LFO to the same filter cutoff. This can give the impression of a shaky hand moving the filter cutoff up and down, removing that monotony from the sweep.

Another way to make your patch seem alive and evolving is to vary the amplitude envelopes of each oscillator by large amounts. In doing so, the oscillators will fade in and out at different rates, creating a soundscape which constantly changes over time.

If you want to delve deeper, FM synthesis is a much more complex means of creating sounds. At its simplest level, FM synthesis uses an oscillator to modulate another oscillator. If that sounds complicated, don’t worry… it is! Although a complex concept, FM can produce everchanging and interesting textures. Try experimenting with different oscillators and envelope shapes in Native Instruments FM8 or Ableton’s Operator to get some really unique results.