Synthesizer Library Podcast

We're adding a new kind of episode--learning to create sounds. We start off with something pretty simple--a kick/bass drum.

With glowing lights and and dozens of shiny knobs, the Prophet 12 is a sound designer's playground. Have a listen and find out what makes it uniquely magical.

The Novation Bass Station can be polarizing among synth enthusiasts. Love it or hate it, come hear what it's all about.

Frequency Modulation (FM) synthesis is sometimes daunting to understand. Let's begin with the basics and see what happens when one oscillator's pitch is altered by another's.

MIDI revolutionized how synthesizers communicate with each other. This episode will help you learn what it provides and how to get started using it.

8-bit has never sounded better than it does in the amazing Atmegatron line of synths from Soulsby Synthesizers. Founder, Paul Soulsby, joins us for some insight into the world of synth-making on the Arduino platform.

Explore Moog's first eurorack synthesizer module. Also, an answer for the mystery synth quiz from the last podcast.

Discover the beauty and quirks of a classic Roland string machine. Plus, a phase distortion follow up; and a pointless contest!

After a quick summary of NAMM 2016, let's dive into amplitude modulation and ring modulation. What are they? What are the differences? What does it sound like and how can I use it?

In this episode, we'll take a look at an advanced topic: oscillator sync. If you've enabled it on your synth but heard no difference in your sound, come figure out why. Or, if you just don't remember what it does, come have a refresher.

Casio's CZ pro line of synthesizers from the 80s offered a new approach to synthesis called "phase distortion". We'll take a look at what it means, how it was implemented and its usefulness today.

The Korg Poly 800 analog synthesizer is a favorite among tinkerers for its ease of modification. But how does the stock instrument stack up?

The microKORG is a virtual-analog synthesizer and vocoder. It has 37 mini keys, several control knobs, an on-board arpeggiator, a complete MIDI implementation, and a PC/Mac patch editor. This episode takes a different approach from past episodes by playing LOTS of sounds from the instrument.

Featuring digital oscillators and analog filters, the now-vintage Ensoniq ESQ-1 offers flexible sound design options. Prices these days won't hurt your wallet, but lugging it around may hurt your back. We'll showcase how sounds are built in the ESQ-1 and touch on some of the other features in this '80s classic.

It is popping up a lot lately--the Suzuki Omnichord. Let's have a listen to it and learn what makes it such a unique instrument. Warning: If you don't already want one, you might start dreaming of omnichords after this...

Our first synthesizer walkthrough, we explore the capabilities of the Roland Juno 6 synthesizer and its big brother, the Juno 60. Listen as we explore the oscillators, filter, envelop, LFO and built-in chorus. We'll also cover a trick to integrating the Juno into a MIDI-based system (since the Junos have no MIDI).

We continue our discovery into some synthesizer basics. Now that we know about oscillators and envelops from episode 1, we'll look at shaping our sounds with filters and LFOs.

In this first episode, we lay some groundwork for working with synthesizers. Learn about oscillators and envelopes. If you've seen these settings on your synth, but never quite understood how to adjust them, come have a listen as we explain what they mean.