The synth voice
The voice and its path
A synth voice makes a tone, shapes it, then starts and stops it.
Three blocks and a bit of movement
Switch a block off to hear its job.
Try it
- Play a note
- Switch the filter off and play again
- Switch the amp envelope off and play again
Every synth sound starts the same way: something makes a tone, something shapes it, something makes it start and stop.
The oscillator makes the raw tone. The filter takes some of it away. The amplifier decides how loud it is, moment to moment. Modulation moves all three.
This chain is called subtractive synthesis: start with a tone rich in harmonics, then take some away. Music Technology basics (The filter, Envelopes and LFOs) introduce each block; this course goes deeper into each.
A real synth often has two or three oscillators and a noise source feeding the filter together, and several envelopes and LFOs. The order stays the same.
Modulation is what makes it alive
Hear the same note with and without movement.
Try it
- Hear the note with the filter envelope
- Hear it without
A tone that never changes sounds like a test signal. An envelope that opens the filter on each note, or a slow LFO on pitch, makes it sound played.
Practice and check: 7 questions
Answer from memory. It is what makes it stick.