Creating sounds from scratch : a practical guide to music synthesis for producers and composers

353 Pages·2017·13.863 MB·English

by  Metcalfe, Scott B., Pejrolo, Andrea

Creating Sounds from Scratch

Creating Sounds from Scratch
A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO MUSIC SYNTHESIS
FOR PRODUCERS AND COMPOSERS
Andrea Pejrolo
Scott B. Metcalfe
1
1
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Library of Congress Cataloging- in-P ublication Data
Names: Pejrolo, Andrea. | Metcalfe, Scott B.
Title: Creating sounds from scratch : a practical guide to music synthesis for producers and composers /
Andrea Pejrolo, Scott B. Metcalfe.
Description: New York, NY : Oxford University Press, [2017] | Includes index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016019139 | ISBN 9780199921874 (cloth : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9780199921898 (pbk. : alk. paper) | ISBN 9780199921904 (companion website)
Subjects: LCSH: Synthesizer (Musical instrument)—Instruction and study. |Software synthesizers.
Classification: LCC MT724 .P47 2017 | DDC 786.7/1 3—dc23
LC record available at https:// lccn.loc.gov/ 2016019139
9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Paperback printed by WebCom, Inc., Canada
Hardback printed by Bridgeport National Bindery, Inc., United States of America
To my dearest wife Irache and beautiful daughter Alessandra.
—Andrea Pejrolo
To my sons, Nathaniel and Andrew, and my beautiful wife Sara.
—Scott B. Metcalfe

CONTENTS vii
Acknowledgments • xv
Introduction • xvii
About the Companion Website • xix
1 How Did We Get Here? • 1
Introduction • 1
Electronic Music in the Twentieth Century • 3
Musique Concrète • 3
Tape- Based Composition • 5
Electronic Music Synthesis • 6
Instruments • 6
Theremin • 6
Hammond Organ • 8
RCA Electronic Music Synthesizer • 10
The Rise of the Modern Synthesizer • 11
Moog • 11
Buchla • 13
Mellotron • 14
The Road to Polyphony • 15
Duophonic/ Duophony • 16
Paraphony/ Paraphonic • 17
Arrival of True Polyphony • 18
Musical Instrument Digital Interface • 19
Digitally Controlled Oscillator • 21
Synclavier • 21
Chowning and the FM Synthesizer • 22
Digital Sampling • 23
Wavetable Synthesis • 25
Korg M1 Workstation • 27
Conclusion • 28
Acknowledgments • 29
Bibliography • 29
2 Understanding Sound and Hearing • 31
Introduction • 31
What Is Sound? • 31
Timbre— Harmonic Structure • 32
Harmonics, Partials, and Overtones • 34
Natural Harmonic Series in Music • 36
Contents
Complex Waveforms • 36
Phase • 36
viii
Pitch • 38
Doppler Shift • 41
Amplitude • 42
Timbral Shape Over Time • 43
Human Hearing • 43
Phantom Image • 43
Critical Bands • 44
Frequency Masking • 45
Loudness • 46
Loudness Relative to Harmonic Content • 46
Loudness vs. Duration • 48
Loudness Relative to Frequency • 48
Loudness Perception (RMS/ Peak) • 49
Missing Fundamental • 50
Conclusion • 51
3 The Tools of the Trade • 53
Introduction • 53
Sound Generators • 53
Oscillator (VCO) • 53
Sine Wave • 55
Sawtooth Wave • 56
Noise • 57
Digital Playback • 59
Wavetable Synthesis • 59
Sample Replay/ Sampling • 60
Sound Modifiers • 60
Frequency- Based Modifiers • 61
Low- Pass Filter • 61
Sound Design 3.1— Exploring Resonance and Self- Oscillation Using Pink Noise • 64
High- Pass Filter • 64
Bandpass Filter • 64
Notch Filter • 65
Shelving Filters • 66
Allpass Filter • 66
Time- Based Effects • 68
Low- Frequency Oscillator • 68
Sample- and- Hold • 68
Sync/ Free/ Retrigger • 69
Delay • 70
Keyboard Tracking • 71
Multiple LFOs? • 71
Envelope Generators • 71
Other LFO and EG Applications • 73
Contents
Voltage- Controlled Amplifier • 74
Control Voltage • 75
ix
Modifiers: Special Effects • 76
Distortion • 76
Delay- Based Effects • 77
Echo • 78
Reverberation • 78
Acoustic Reverb: Halls, Studios, Cathedrals/C hurches, Chambers • 78
Mechanical: Plates and Springs • 79
Digital Reverbs: Algorithmic and Convolution • 81
Phaser • 83
Chorus and Flanger • 83
Ring Modulation • 84
Tuning— Fine vs. Coarse • 85
Unison/ Voice Stacking • 86
Portamento/ Glissando • 86
Modulation Matrix • 87
Arpeggiator • 88
Pattern Sequencer • 88
Oscillator Sync • 88
Pitch Bend/ Modulation Wheel • 89
Instruments • 90
The Digital Hardware- Based Synthesizer • 90
The Keyboard Controller • 91
The Sound Module • 91
Software Synthesizers • 92
Hybrid Synthesizers • 94
The MIDI Standard • 95
Structure of MIDI Data • 96
A Binary World • 97
The MIDI Channels • 97
Type of MIDI Messages • 97
Data Bytes • 98
Description of MIDI Messages • 98
MIDI Connections • 103
Beyond MIDI: Open Sound Control • 103
The Electronic Digital Studio for the Contemporary Composer and Producer • 104
The Computer • 104
The Audio Interface • 105
The Controller • 105
Monitoring System • 110
Microphones and Preamplifiers • 110
Microphone Types • 112
Synthesizers • 112
Portable vs. Home Studios • 114