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Know everything about Synthesizers

If you look at synthesizers (also known as synths), they look very much like our home keyboards. Most of them come with 61 keys and have a synth action but that’s where most of the comparison ends. Synths are technically superior instruments, are more expensive and it gives you the capability to manipulate almost any of the parameters associated with the built-in sounds.

Unlike home keyboards, they do not have built-in accompaniments and speakers; you will need external speakers to generate sounds. A home keyboard will also not let you tweak the built-in sounds but a synthesizer will let you do that to give the sounds any shape you like.




Basic features
A synthesizer includes sound generating elements which creates a basic set of audio waveforms. Now, to create a different sound you should be able to modulate or change these waveforms. This is the reason synthesizers come with so many knobs, sliders and buttons. These controls let you modulate the basic waveforms so that you can create sounds with totally different patterns. Using the knobs and sliders, you can change the waveforms pitch, frequency, amplitude and other parameters to create entirely new sounds.

The following are some of its features:

• It produces waveforms and lets you modulate (change) them to create new audio waveforms
• It doesn’t contain accompaniments nor do they have built-in speakers
• It contains loops, arpeggios and effects
• Extremely versatile
• Used to create sounds that can be used as sound effects in background scores
• Used mostly in studios
• Used by lot of keyboardists to play in a band because of their stunning sounds and effects.

ADSR – Envelope Generators
You will find this section in all the synths and this is what lets you alter the waveform to produce that "different" sound. A particular sound or timbre sounds that way because of the waveform generated and you can change it by altering these four things:

• Attack - This is the time taken for a sound to reach its maximum level after a key is pressed.
• Decay - This is the rate at which the volume decreases from that maximum level.
• Sustain – This is the level of the sound while the key remains pressed.
• Release – this is the duration of the sound after the key is released.


Synthesizers vs Home keyboards
Now you must have got an idea that a synth is basically a sound-generating machine. Unlike an Arranger keyboard, it does not contain built-in musical sequences, intros, accompaniments, and fill ins. It contains loops and arpeggios which can be modulated and stored to be played back later.

Synthesizers can produce melody as well as percussion sounds ranging from reed instruments to drums. But its true power is its possibility to create completely new and unheard of sounds.


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