Sound Design

Synthesis

is the process of combining 2 signals together to create a new waveshape. Traditional additive synthesis is the result of stacking sines. If you only use odd intervals, you can create a triangle or saw. An even set of intervals can produce a square. These waveshapes including a sine are called Basic Shapes because they are the 4 most commonly produced waveforms using additive synthesis.

is functionally filtering, or EQ. This technique is what makes most synthetic instruments sound organic, "wet", or otherwise interesting to listeners.

are seen in most modern soft-synths. A sound engineer doesn't require a degree to hear that a sine layered on top of a saw makes the output sound different. Layering these two waveshapes also changes your output waveform.

Modulation

Amplitude modulation turns the input signal into a volume LFO. The volume effect becomes more dramatic at lower frequencies (sub 30hz) and will otherwise provide an accompanying pitch and timbre which reflects the input modulation at higher frequencies.

Frequency modulation takes an input signal and vibrates the carrier oscilator according to the shape, or path, of the input signal.

Ring modulation feeds sounds to a waveshape and alters their sound based on the frequency of the ring mod. RM is altered by the source waveshapen the context of 2 oscilator set ups will recieve

Warping

Pulse Wave Modulation adds a 0 point to the waveform, squaring out the cycle and shrinking the original shape to compensate. PWM is one piece of what makes classic game music sound like video games, in addition to white noise and downsampling.

Time Based FX

is the foundation of all 4 effects listed here.

Delay repeats audio as few as 2 times and up to infinitely as many times as the user sets on the feedback parameter. This effect originates with tape-based recording. Tape echo would lose high end so delay would become associated with a tapering in the high end over so many repeats of the source audio. The introduction of digital repeat allows for the inverted low end taper, meant to emulate the echo of a narrowing chamber, as well as create infinite repeats.

The collection of tools above are what are most commonly associated with delay, and will be the best use case for this effect type.

Delay is prefered over reverb on recordings of vocals in favor of reverb because reverb convolves will increase in volume as the length of signal grows. Drums alternatively get a huge buff from reverb due to their percussive nature.

takes an input signal and creates stereo copies. Each copy will recieve a time and pitch value, as well as a filter. The filtering smooths artifacts while the pitch modulation prevents the delayed copies from sounding like slapback. A chorus often ranges from 15-35 milliseconds, but there are digital and analog units that can reach 0ms.

Phase Based FX

EQ, or spectral equalization, has its own section called Subtractive Synthesis.

For information on parameters and their uses, .

The phaser a sound designer chooses will affect the appreciation and respect they have for phasers. Phasers use notch filters called poles. Each pole sweeps the source output for overtones to boost. A negative polarity can sound metalic. A positive polarity can sound wet or glassy. Rate will control the stereo position of each pole. Setting a phaser's rate to ±0hz