How Do Synthesizers Work? Learn About Synthesizers Online

If you're planning to take your first steps into the world of electronic music, many guides recommend getting a synthesizer and experimenting with it. But if you've never touched a synthesizer before, don't worry! You just need to find instructions aimed at beginners. That's where Ableton's Learning Synths portal comes in. Use headphones!

Let's say you want to learn music, but you reject following a traditional route. If you have a close relationship with technology, it's logical that you'd prefer something more electronic, so to speak, and after seeing and hearing what many artists do on YouTube and other channels, the desire to experiment with samples and effects increases.

So where do we start? Most tutorials limit themselves to recommending beginner synthesizers.

The good news is that they aren't disturbingly expensive. Just to mention one, the Novation Mininova costs 300 euros, but there are even cheaper options. However, I think we should learn certain synthesizer concepts before making such an investment. Fortunately, the people at Ableton come to the rescue with their Learning Synths portal.

Learn About Synthesizers Online with Learning Synths

Learning Synths is based on a series of interactive boxes, sliders, and virtual keyboards. Besides explaining each concept simply, the site lets you reproduce it with a couple of mouse clicks.

I could talk endlessly about amplitude, brightness, and movement in a sound, but the real-time demos that Learning Synths offers are much more compelling.

As you progress, the site will present more elaborate actions. One thing is changing a sound, and another is extending that change over time.

That leads us to the territory of envelopes and their four main phases: Attack, Decay, Sustain, and Release. If you look at images of some synthesizers, you'll notice these phases are clearly identified.

The super tutorial of Learning Synths continues with sections dedicated to oscillators, filters, "recipes" for making sounds, and finally a sandbox where you can apply what you've learned.

Maybe more experienced musicians are laughing out loud at how basic some explanations are, but I'm convinced Ableton did an excellent job here. If you really want to learn about synthesizers, Learning Synths is a solid start.

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