SYNTH SECRETS

Unlock your favourite synths’ untapped potential and design pro sounds,

Does the thought of wasted talent leave you feeling frustrated? Well, if you own at least one software synthesiser, it’s likely you’re sitting on a goldmine of untapped musical potential. As a producer working in today’s digital world, we all take these powerful virtual instruments for granted, only using them for specific tasks or their bundled sounds.

That said, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with ‘preset surfing’ – after all, your synth comes with plenty of expertlycrafted patches, so use them! If you’re a musician who prefers composing with ready-rolled sounds, find out how to personalise the process in our Customising Presets and

Loops feature on p65. Before that, though, we’re going to use some of the world’s most popular softsynths – including Serum, Bazille CM, Sylenth1, Diva, Spire and more – to walk you through common (and some not-so-common) synthesis features you’ll find within the majority of electronic instruments: from self-modulation and polyphonic glide to DIY synth creation, filter tricks and much more.

Seeing as this is a tutorial feature all about building sounds, it makes sense to hear what we’re explaining, which is why you should download this issue’s step-by-step Tutorial

Files and videos from FileSilo. If you’re a newcomer to synthesis concepts, you’ll be able to follow along at your own pace; but if you’re a more experienced sound designer, our practical examples should inspire you to fire up your favourite synthesiser and get twiddlin’!