13 ms·

Learning Synths

382 points by holdit 2y ago

an_aparallel 2y ago
I'd recommend a simple subtractive synth as a first: >Behringer Model D >Novation Bass Station 2 Recommending VCV is horrible advice - unless your idea of learning synthesis is getting RSI...I think VCV is a great testing bed for trying modular ideas...once you understand synthesis...i think a huge draw back of VCV is the plethora of choice - it's just way way too much. I learnt modular on a real life Doepfer modular...it was frustrating as hell until things starting clicking - i cant imagine the feedback loop on software being that good.
- IAmGraydon 2y ago
  I would challenge what you’re saying. An integrated synthesizer like the Model D doesn’t make the normalled signal path apparent. On the other hand, modular forces you to see exactly what’s happening. You wire an oscillator to a filter. You wire the filter to the VCA. You trigger the VCA with a voltage envelope. You need a good teacher or tutorial, but if you have that, modular or virtual modular is a far better teaching tool IMO.
IAmGraydon 2y ago
The presentation is cool but the order here is pretty bad. When teaching subtractive synthesis, you really should start with the oscillators and their waveforms (sine, tri, saw, square), then talk about filter, then amplitude. That’s really all there is to it - create a fundamental and a series of harmonics, carve it away with a filter and then give it an amplitude envelope. I love Ableton, but I think they may have been a bit too focused on making this look nice.
aecorredor 2y ago
Ableton is awesome for putting this type of stuff out. The learning music section is also great. And, it's a perfect post for a shameless plug: I built a u-he Diva (my favorite VST synth) tool for generating presets with AI. It's called Diva Copilot and it can be accessed at https://divacopilot.com https://divacopilot.com - I started out by offering a free trial with 10 free presets and then a monthly $20 plan with 50 presets. You can also buy on-demand credits. It works on top of a custom built RAG system that then uses GPT-4o for actually generating .h2p files. I'm mainly working on improving the knowledge base so that results get better and better. Still, you can already get some super good results. I put some examples in the landing page. Would love to get some feedback!
gdsdfe 2y ago
that's a nice wasm use case
kennyloginz 2y ago
They are trying to distract you from supercollider.
dang 2y ago
Related. Others? Getting Started Making Sounds - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31434208 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31434208 - May 2022 (3 comments) Abletone Learning Synth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31279526 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31279526 - May 2022 (63 comments) Synth Playground - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26429207 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26429207 - March 2021 (21 comments) Learning Synths - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20272346 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20272346 - June 2019 (172 comments)
- richrichardsson 2y ago
  I'm glad I'm not going mad thinking I've seen this link 5 times before here; I had an off-by-one error by including this example in the tally.
f1shy 2y ago
For those so inclined, that want to play with synth in some more programmatic way, there is a lisp dialect (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist_(programming_language) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist_(programming_language)) for it.
- harvodex 2y ago
  Nyquist is super ancient. The links don't even work anymore on CMU. Common Music might still work but I can't imagine bothering with Nyquist. https://ccrma.stanford.edu/software/clm/ https://ccrma.stanford.edu/software/clm/ There is just not much reason to not use SuperCollider or Csound instead of these though. Edit: I did just find Nyquist has been rolled into Audacity scripting that sounds pretty cool https://audionyq.com/ https://audionyq.com/
  - f1shy 2y ago
    Fun. Fact: that is how I learned about nyquist not long ago. I posted that one, and not others, because it is a lisp dialect, and this community is typically inclined to lisp in a more than average %.
- tosmatos 2y ago
  There's also stuff like Sonic Pi (https://sonic-pi.net/ https://sonic-pi.net/) and most things live coding related, but I found that I don't really like that approach even though I love synths and programming. For some reason I don't think they go together well. But some people are really good with that and it's fascinating
  - diggan 2y ago
    Yes, I feel the same way, but then I started making music to get away from the computer, rather than finding even more things to spend time on with the computer, maybe that's why.
- kaoD 2y ago
  Similar to this, a while ago I made this online playground (Lambda Musika) where you can program sound realtime in your browser (using JS) in a functional-ish way: https://lambda.cuesta.dev/ https://lambda.cuesta.dev/ (repo: https://github.com/alvaro-cuesta/lambda-musika https://github.com/alvaro-cuesta/lambda-musika) -- check out the examples on the bottom toolbar's blue button. The basic idea is you write a function `t => [l, r]` where `t` is time and `l`, `r` are output samples for the left and right channels in `[-1, 1]` range. You can think of it like ShaderToy but for sound synthesis. It includes a small utility library but it's meant to be just a few helper functions instead of a full-fledged framework like SuperCollider, Sonic Pi, et al. I.e. it's still sample-oriented instead of module-oriented. E.g. in Sonic Pi you script modules, their parameters, and how they connect with each other, while Lambda Musika is all about outputting samples of a waveform. It's very barebones -- I'd love to get some time to upgrade this to Monaco editor and add TS, intellisense, etc. -- and possibly buggy, but I still find myself coming from time to have some fun with it.
revskill 2y ago
What's the best way to learn piano via keyboard like a professional ?
- rhizome31 2y ago
  Take lessons with a piano teacher and practice a lot on your own.
  - liotier 2y ago
    As a lazy synthdad, father of a piano virtuoso who makes fun of my musical clumsiness, I concur: listen to music, watch music being played and read about music all you want... It won't get you very far: music requires practice, practice and practice daily, even if just a little - and memorizing some scales and chords goes a long way too.
    - f1shy 2y ago
      Doing scales, chords and arpeggios can get you far enough, that people who do both know enough think you are a virtuoso. You can make a piano sound great (at least for no experts). But at the end practice is all cannot emphasize enough. Take simple music you really like and want to play to start and have motivation. Finding a good teacher is hard (at least it was for me) (s)he should be interested in the music you want to play, be ok with what you want to learn (some think everybody must be an orchestral pianist) and have a good repertoire of techniques for helping you.
      - liotier 2y ago
        > be ok with what you want to learn (some think everybody must be an orchestral pianist) I relate to that: I was inflicted a couple years of piano lessons as a kid, and hated every minute of it - because I detested the music that my teacher and my family considered appropriate. 40 years later, I stumble on electronic musics and realize I would enjoy making some - and I joyfully (and incompetently) began on that path, lately becoming ripe for some dry theory because I now value it. Each person is different though: my daughter always enjoyed the technical exercises for their own sake !
chrisvalleybay 2y ago
I've been playing synths and piano for a while, but I've been struggling to get some solid intuitions about what is going on when I tweak the synths. One thing that really helped on this site, is the «dot» that is bouncing back and forth on https://learningsynths.ableton.com/en/playground https://learningsynths.ableton.com/en/playground . Try tweaking the nobs and see how the dots movement changes. It helped me visualize something that I wasn't able to grasp before. Nice link!
- poulpy123 2y ago
  I can't say for sure but there is surely a VST that allows to visualise the signal and understand what changes do what
- diggan 2y ago
  The best way I found to understand a bit more about how synths work, was to give VCVRack a try. Basically "build your own synth" in a box, AKA " Modular synthesizer", which lets you build what a mainstream synth comes with, from scratch.
  - actsasbuffoon 2y ago
    It’s also pretty easy to create your own VCV Rack modules, assuming you don’t mind doing a little math.
  - colkassad 2y ago
    There is also Cardinal, a GPL fork that you can run as a plugin directly in your DAW of choice (I believe you need the paid VCV Rack to do that): https://github.com/DISTRHO/Cardinal https://github.com/DISTRHO/Cardinal
  - jnovek 2y ago
    I tend to thing that non-modular is a better place to start. Modular is great, I've wasted untold shameful consumerist dollars on Eurorack, but I think it's better to get the core concepts from a well-known fixed-architecture synth (like a Minimoog clone/VST) before moving on to modular. Modular can be very overwhelming when you're new.
anonzzzies 2y ago
I like synths with movements instead of keys a lot better. They give me that old sci-fi vibe. It's something that should be nice with the Quest VR handtracking. (but no, really not like this; https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/synthvr/3748465338566486/ https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/synthvr/3748465338566... ; then I would just get a real synth)
- deleted 2y ago
  [deleted]
- piltdownman 2y ago
  That's mainly just the 'sweep' or portamento between notes that's indicative of things like the Theremin or 50s Sci-Fi sound. Check out the Ondes Martenot for a compromise between the two paradigms. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ondes_Martenot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ondes_Martenot
- jnovek 2y ago
  These days there are several tools that map hand tracking to MIDI CCs and notes, you might enjoy something like that. It's on my list to try sometime in 2025. :-) Here's an example, although I'm not sure if it's good or not because I haven't tried it yet. https://www.uwyn.com/geco/ https://www.uwyn.com/geco/
leetrout 2y ago
Syntorial is also popular and posted here many times. https://www.syntorial.com/ https://www.syntorial.com/
- ElijahLynn 2y ago
  Looks like Syntorial is an app, whereas Ableton link is web based. Would be nice to see Syntorial converted to a web app.
- poulpy123 2y ago
  I was going to post it as well. And also from the same creator "building blocks" a similar tool for music creation instead of sound design
- jnovek 2y ago
  Syntorial was how I first learned and I was pretty happy with it.
hoseja 2y ago
On older phone I had a fun touch-synth called Etherpad but it says it's not compatible with my newer phone.
ssharp 2y ago
The "Playing different pitches" section plays "The Final Countdown", arguably the greatest synth riff of all time. If you know it, just click the rhythm on that section.
chaosprint 2y ago
The quick tour of Glicol that I made is also a way to learn digital sound synthesis: https://glicol.org/tour https://glicol.org/tour Have fun
weatherlight 2y ago
If you want to understand (Subtractive) synthesis. The best way is to get copy of VCV rack and follow a few tutorials. If you patch one subtractive mono synth voice once, you understand 80% of all subtractive synth architecture moving forward. https://vcvrack.com https://vcvrack.com (open source and wonderful) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V35OhojjqDs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V35OhojjqDs <- your first tutorial Happy patching :) There's a bunch of other really interesting types of synthesis and you can explore them using the above software - Frequency/phase modulation synthesis - Vector synthesis - physical modeling/Karplus strong - Additive synthesis - Eastcoast (subtractive) - Westcoast (waveshaping/LP gates)
- H1Supreme 2y ago
  Came here to post something similar, so I'll upvote your comment, and add my own. I started building a Eurorack modular synthesizer in 2009. Prior to that I would mostly tweak presets on other synths. I knew what the filter did, and could adjust an envelope, but didn't have a fundamental understanding of what was going on. When I started using the modular, I was forced to understand the signal flow. And, the patch cables provided a visual cue of what was happening. I learned more about synths in a year with my eurorack system than I did in the previous 10 with hardwired synths. After you learn those basic rules for patching a synth, then you get to break them. (-: Recommending something like VCV rack seems like starting with Calculus before you can solve 2+2, but it's really not. The signal flow is right there for you to observe.
- harvodex 2y ago
  I have never in 30 years of synths read subtractive synthesis called Eastcoast or waveshaping called Westcoast. Especially to put what it is actually called in parenthesis as if everyone calls subtractive synthesis "Eastcoast". This is certainly something very specific to the path you took with synths.
  - weatherlight 2y ago
    I really hate to be that guy but… the terms “East Coast” and “West Coast” synthesis are pretty mainstream within the synth community, especially among those who follow the history and styles of modular synthesis. These distinctions were popularized as a way to categorize the approaches of pioneers like Bob Moog, I’m sure you’ve heard of him. (East Coast) and Don Buchla (West Coast). East Coast synthesis, often associated with subtractive synthesis, emphasizes traditional keyboard performance, harmonic richness, and filters to shape sound. Meanwhile, West Coast synthesis (credited to Buchla) leans more experimental, focusing on waveshaping, FM synthesis, and unconventional control interfaces. The terms themselves have been around for decades and have become shorthand to describe these philosophies of synthesis design and architecture of synths. You might not hear them as much outside modular or academic circles, but they’re far from obscure. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Buchla https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Buchla https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moog https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moog
obayesshelton 2y ago
Actually posted about learning something new in 2025 and Synths came up. Quite like this site.
ge96 2y ago
That's a neat browser permission prompt asking about MIDI, haven't seen that one before edit: side note making sound is one thing, making something actually worth listening to...
- throwaway314155 2y ago
  MIDI support in browsers has gotta be like at least a decade old at this point, right?
  - ge96 2y ago
    I guess so I never got into making music, heard of the term but yeah cool to see.
_spduchamp 2y ago
I recommend the re-issue of Allen Strange's Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls. It was successfully launched on Kickstarter a while ago, and is now available through a few retailers.
gwbas1c 2y ago
My browser put up a dialog asking for permission to control midi devices before the site showed anything. It's a good idea to show content before your page does anything that asks for scary permissions. (And, honestly, without knowing what the site does, its pretty scary to click on a link on hacker news and have a site ask for elevated permissions before it shows anything.)
- javier123454321 2y ago
  I mean, the link is to ableton.com, the most popular professional music production software. You're not the target audience if you haven't heard of it.

382 points by holdit 2y ago

I'd recommend a simple subtractive synth as a first: >Behringer Model D >Novation Bass Station 2 Recommending VCV is horrible advice - unless your idea of learning synthesis is getting RSI...I think VCV is a great testing bed for trying modular ideas...once you understand synthesis...i think a huge draw back of VCV is the plethora of choice - it's just way way too much. I learnt modular on a real life Doepfer modular...it was frustrating as hell until things starting clicking - i cant imagine the feedback loop on software being that good.

IAmGraydon 2y ago
I would challenge what you’re saying. An integrated synthesizer like the Model D doesn’t make the normalled signal path apparent. On the other hand, modular forces you to see exactly what’s happening. You wire an oscillator to a filter. You wire the filter to the VCA. You trigger the VCA with a voltage envelope. You need a good teacher or tutorial, but if you have that, modular or virtual modular is a far better teaching tool IMO.

IAmGraydon 2y ago

The presentation is cool but the order here is pretty bad. When teaching subtractive synthesis, you really should start with the oscillators and their waveforms (sine, tri, saw, square), then talk about filter, then amplitude. That’s really all there is to it - create a fundamental and a series of harmonics, carve it away with a filter and then give it an amplitude envelope. I love Ableton, but I think they may have been a bit too focused on making this look nice.

aecorredor 2y ago

Ableton is awesome for putting this type of stuff out. The learning music section is also great. And, it's a perfect post for a shameless plug: I built a u-he Diva (my favorite VST synth) tool for generating presets with AI. It's called Diva Copilot and it can be accessed at https://divacopilot.com https://divacopilot.com - I started out by offering a free trial with 10 free presets and then a monthly $20 plan with 50 presets. You can also buy on-demand credits. It works on top of a custom built RAG system that then uses GPT-4o for actually generating .h2p files. I'm mainly working on improving the knowledge base so that results get better and better. Still, you can already get some super good results. I put some examples in the landing page. Would love to get some feedback!

gdsdfe 2y ago

that's a nice wasm use case

kennyloginz 2y ago

They are trying to distract you from supercollider.

dang 2y ago

Related. Others? Getting Started Making Sounds - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31434208 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31434208 - May 2022 (3 comments) Abletone Learning Synth - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31279526 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=31279526 - May 2022 (63 comments) Synth Playground - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26429207 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=26429207 - March 2021 (21 comments) Learning Synths - https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20272346 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=20272346 - June 2019 (172 comments)

richrichardsson 2y ago
I'm glad I'm not going mad thinking I've seen this link 5 times before here; I had an off-by-one error by including this example in the tally.

f1shy 2y ago

For those so inclined, that want to play with synth in some more programmatic way, there is a lisp dialect (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist_(programming_language) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nyquist_(programming_language)) for it.

harvodex 2y ago
Nyquist is super ancient. The links don't even work anymore on CMU. Common Music might still work but I can't imagine bothering with Nyquist. https://ccrma.stanford.edu/software/clm/ https://ccrma.stanford.edu/software/clm/ There is just not much reason to not use SuperCollider or Csound instead of these though. Edit: I did just find Nyquist has been rolled into Audacity scripting that sounds pretty cool https://audionyq.com/ https://audionyq.com/
- f1shy 2y ago
  Fun. Fact: that is how I learned about nyquist not long ago. I posted that one, and not others, because it is a lisp dialect, and this community is typically inclined to lisp in a more than average %.
tosmatos 2y ago
There's also stuff like Sonic Pi (https://sonic-pi.net/ https://sonic-pi.net/) and most things live coding related, but I found that I don't really like that approach even though I love synths and programming. For some reason I don't think they go together well. But some people are really good with that and it's fascinating
- diggan 2y ago
  Yes, I feel the same way, but then I started making music to get away from the computer, rather than finding even more things to spend time on with the computer, maybe that's why.
kaoD 2y ago
Similar to this, a while ago I made this online playground (Lambda Musika) where you can program sound realtime in your browser (using JS) in a functional-ish way: https://lambda.cuesta.dev/ https://lambda.cuesta.dev/ (repo: https://github.com/alvaro-cuesta/lambda-musika https://github.com/alvaro-cuesta/lambda-musika) -- check out the examples on the bottom toolbar's blue button. The basic idea is you write a function `t => [l, r]` where `t` is time and `l`, `r` are output samples for the left and right channels in `[-1, 1]` range. You can think of it like ShaderToy but for sound synthesis. It includes a small utility library but it's meant to be just a few helper functions instead of a full-fledged framework like SuperCollider, Sonic Pi, et al. I.e. it's still sample-oriented instead of module-oriented. E.g. in Sonic Pi you script modules, their parameters, and how they connect with each other, while Lambda Musika is all about outputting samples of a waveform. It's very barebones -- I'd love to get some time to upgrade this to Monaco editor and add TS, intellisense, etc. -- and possibly buggy, but I still find myself coming from time to have some fun with it.

revskill 2y ago

What's the best way to learn piano via keyboard like a professional ?

rhizome31 2y ago
Take lessons with a piano teacher and practice a lot on your own.
- liotier 2y ago
  As a lazy synthdad, father of a piano virtuoso who makes fun of my musical clumsiness, I concur: listen to music, watch music being played and read about music all you want... It won't get you very far: music requires practice, practice and practice daily, even if just a little - and memorizing some scales and chords goes a long way too.
  - f1shy 2y ago
    Doing scales, chords and arpeggios can get you far enough, that people who do both know enough think you are a virtuoso. You can make a piano sound great (at least for no experts). But at the end practice is all cannot emphasize enough. Take simple music you really like and want to play to start and have motivation. Finding a good teacher is hard (at least it was for me) (s)he should be interested in the music you want to play, be ok with what you want to learn (some think everybody must be an orchestral pianist) and have a good repertoire of techniques for helping you.
    - liotier 2y ago
      > be ok with what you want to learn (some think everybody must be an orchestral pianist) I relate to that: I was inflicted a couple years of piano lessons as a kid, and hated every minute of it - because I detested the music that my teacher and my family considered appropriate. 40 years later, I stumble on electronic musics and realize I would enjoy making some - and I joyfully (and incompetently) began on that path, lately becoming ripe for some dry theory because I now value it. Each person is different though: my daughter always enjoyed the technical exercises for their own sake !

chrisvalleybay 2y ago

I've been playing synths and piano for a while, but I've been struggling to get some solid intuitions about what is going on when I tweak the synths. One thing that really helped on this site, is the «dot» that is bouncing back and forth on https://learningsynths.ableton.com/en/playground https://learningsynths.ableton.com/en/playground . Try tweaking the nobs and see how the dots movement changes. It helped me visualize something that I wasn't able to grasp before. Nice link!

poulpy123 2y ago
I can't say for sure but there is surely a VST that allows to visualise the signal and understand what changes do what
diggan 2y ago
The best way I found to understand a bit more about how synths work, was to give VCVRack a try. Basically "build your own synth" in a box, AKA " Modular synthesizer", which lets you build what a mainstream synth comes with, from scratch.
- actsasbuffoon 2y ago
  It’s also pretty easy to create your own VCV Rack modules, assuming you don’t mind doing a little math.
- colkassad 2y ago
  There is also Cardinal, a GPL fork that you can run as a plugin directly in your DAW of choice (I believe you need the paid VCV Rack to do that): https://github.com/DISTRHO/Cardinal https://github.com/DISTRHO/Cardinal
- jnovek 2y ago
  I tend to thing that non-modular is a better place to start. Modular is great, I've wasted untold shameful consumerist dollars on Eurorack, but I think it's better to get the core concepts from a well-known fixed-architecture synth (like a Minimoog clone/VST) before moving on to modular. Modular can be very overwhelming when you're new.

anonzzzies 2y ago

I like synths with movements instead of keys a lot better. They give me that old sci-fi vibe. It's something that should be nice with the Quest VR handtracking. (but no, really not like this; https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/synthvr/3748465338566486/ https://www.meta.com/en-gb/experiences/synthvr/3748465338566... ; then I would just get a real synth)

deleted 2y ago
[deleted]
piltdownman 2y ago
That's mainly just the 'sweep' or portamento between notes that's indicative of things like the Theremin or 50s Sci-Fi sound. Check out the Ondes Martenot for a compromise between the two paradigms. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ondes_Martenot https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ondes_Martenot
jnovek 2y ago
These days there are several tools that map hand tracking to MIDI CCs and notes, you might enjoy something like that. It's on my list to try sometime in 2025. :-) Here's an example, although I'm not sure if it's good or not because I haven't tried it yet. https://www.uwyn.com/geco/ https://www.uwyn.com/geco/

leetrout 2y ago

Syntorial is also popular and posted here many times. https://www.syntorial.com/ https://www.syntorial.com/

ElijahLynn 2y ago
Looks like Syntorial is an app, whereas Ableton link is web based. Would be nice to see Syntorial converted to a web app.
poulpy123 2y ago
I was going to post it as well. And also from the same creator "building blocks" a similar tool for music creation instead of sound design
jnovek 2y ago
Syntorial was how I first learned and I was pretty happy with it.

hoseja 2y ago

On older phone I had a fun touch-synth called Etherpad but it says it's not compatible with my newer phone.

ssharp 2y ago

The "Playing different pitches" section plays "The Final Countdown", arguably the greatest synth riff of all time. If you know it, just click the rhythm on that section.

chaosprint 2y ago

The quick tour of Glicol that I made is also a way to learn digital sound synthesis: https://glicol.org/tour https://glicol.org/tour Have fun

weatherlight 2y ago

If you want to understand (Subtractive) synthesis. The best way is to get copy of VCV rack and follow a few tutorials. If you patch one subtractive mono synth voice once, you understand 80% of all subtractive synth architecture moving forward. https://vcvrack.com https://vcvrack.com (open source and wonderful) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V35OhojjqDs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V35OhojjqDs <- your first tutorial Happy patching :) There's a bunch of other really interesting types of synthesis and you can explore them using the above software - Frequency/phase modulation synthesis - Vector synthesis - physical modeling/Karplus strong - Additive synthesis - Eastcoast (subtractive) - Westcoast (waveshaping/LP gates)

H1Supreme 2y ago
Came here to post something similar, so I'll upvote your comment, and add my own. I started building a Eurorack modular synthesizer in 2009. Prior to that I would mostly tweak presets on other synths. I knew what the filter did, and could adjust an envelope, but didn't have a fundamental understanding of what was going on. When I started using the modular, I was forced to understand the signal flow. And, the patch cables provided a visual cue of what was happening. I learned more about synths in a year with my eurorack system than I did in the previous 10 with hardwired synths. After you learn those basic rules for patching a synth, then you get to break them. (-: Recommending something like VCV rack seems like starting with Calculus before you can solve 2+2, but it's really not. The signal flow is right there for you to observe.
harvodex 2y ago
I have never in 30 years of synths read subtractive synthesis called Eastcoast or waveshaping called Westcoast. Especially to put what it is actually called in parenthesis as if everyone calls subtractive synthesis "Eastcoast". This is certainly something very specific to the path you took with synths.
- weatherlight 2y ago
  I really hate to be that guy but… the terms “East Coast” and “West Coast” synthesis are pretty mainstream within the synth community, especially among those who follow the history and styles of modular synthesis. These distinctions were popularized as a way to categorize the approaches of pioneers like Bob Moog, I’m sure you’ve heard of him. (East Coast) and Don Buchla (West Coast). East Coast synthesis, often associated with subtractive synthesis, emphasizes traditional keyboard performance, harmonic richness, and filters to shape sound. Meanwhile, West Coast synthesis (credited to Buchla) leans more experimental, focusing on waveshaping, FM synthesis, and unconventional control interfaces. The terms themselves have been around for decades and have become shorthand to describe these philosophies of synthesis design and architecture of synths. You might not hear them as much outside modular or academic circles, but they’re far from obscure. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Buchla https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Buchla https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moog https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Moog

obayesshelton 2y ago

Actually posted about learning something new in 2025 and Synths came up. Quite like this site.

ge96 2y ago

That's a neat browser permission prompt asking about MIDI, haven't seen that one before edit: side note making sound is one thing, making something actually worth listening to...

throwaway314155 2y ago
MIDI support in browsers has gotta be like at least a decade old at this point, right?
- ge96 2y ago
  I guess so I never got into making music, heard of the term but yeah cool to see.

_spduchamp 2y ago

I recommend the re-issue of Allen Strange's Electronic Music: Systems, Techniques, and Controls. It was successfully launched on Kickstarter a while ago, and is now available through a few retailers.

gwbas1c 2y ago

My browser put up a dialog asking for permission to control midi devices before the site showed anything. It's a good idea to show content before your page does anything that asks for scary permissions. (And, honestly, without knowing what the site does, its pretty scary to click on a link on hacker news and have a site ask for elevated permissions before it shows anything.)

javier123454321 2y ago
I mean, the link is to ableton.com, the most popular professional music production software. You're not the target audience if you haven't heard of it.