Synthesizers - The Absolute Basics

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  • Опубликовано: 5 окт 2024
  • 2019 EDIT: There's a few issues with this video as it was recorded years ago. There's a few things I described incorrectly in this video, so take some of what I said with a grain of salt. Here's a few key notes/terminology that I got incorrect:
    1. Frequency is cycle per second and not the distance between two consecutive peaks as described in this video.The distance between two consecutive peak is known as wave length. While effectively a similar concept, The terminology I used was incorrect.
    2. Fine pitch works in increments of 100 cents. 100 cents make up a semitone, 12 semitones make up an octave. Course pitch doesn't fall under this system.
    Social Links:
    / juliangraymedia
    / juliangraymusic
    / juliangray
    Check me out on the web!:
    www.juliangraym...
    This video attempts to explain the basic functions of most synthesizers throughout history. To the suprise of many, methods of sound synthesis have not changed for a very long time, dating back to the early 1900's. I hope this video helps you to better understand the basic functionality of the parts of a synth. Please rate this video and leave your opinions in the comment section below! Subscribe for future content!
    Cheers!
    -Julian
    Software Used:
    Serum VST:
    www.xferrecord...
    Ableton Live 9:
    www.ableton.com/

Комментарии • 155

  • @rorygiven725
    @rorygiven725 7 лет назад +69

    "If you want to know more about this, I recommend you take Physics in school" haha. I like this guy. This is an awesome video.

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  7 лет назад +3

      Hahaha its the truth! physics is 90% of what music is.

    • @baltofarlander2618
      @baltofarlander2618 7 лет назад +1

      Julian Gray Media Physics and maths. It's stupid to think that music is humanistic.

    • @louismyatt1507
      @louismyatt1507 6 лет назад +3

      Balto Farlander No music has any humanism or emotion?

    • @simonsky42
      @simonsky42 6 лет назад +6

      Balto Farlander given that music has been a part of every single humam civilization for thousands of years its fair to say that music is cultural as well as physical/mathematical

    • @holysecret2
      @holysecret2 5 лет назад

      @@simonsky42 It depends on what you mean by music, you can certainly approach a piece of music purely from a standpoint of physics and mathematics, the same way you can approach a poem by analying its form and techniques. As for the line between musician and music, or music and listener, it's not clear. Music can motivate and inspire people a great deal, or be fruit of a great inspiration itself.
      To say it's just mathematics in such a case is a gross oversimplification, even though it may not be wrong in a purely scientific sense. People will be different in the way they think about such things, to some music is among the greatest things the world and a revelation, others see it as entertainemnt or don't value it at all.

  • @blake..-
    @blake..- 6 лет назад +47

    "that's a little loud" *continues to clip tf out of the mic* lol

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  6 лет назад +6

      Yeah I really ought to redo this video.. lol

    • @holysecret2
      @holysecret2 5 лет назад

      I found that funny as well ^^ that's a little loud, followed by his voice bursting my speakers. If you choose to redo the video, please don't just delete this though, I have this one bookmarked for rewatching purposes :)

    • @aaronmann9442
      @aaronmann9442 3 года назад

      Lol

  • @Heronbird
    @Heronbird 7 лет назад +10

    THANK YOU! Julian. I am 34 (sometimes feel too old to get into all this as there is SO much to learn), always interested in making music but struggle to understand the physics of sound. Thank you for taking the time to explain some of this. I truly appreciate it and it has inspired me to learn more.

  • @rogerjohan9953
    @rogerjohan9953 5 лет назад +23

    no hate...but i wanna point out that frequency is cycle per second and not the distance between two consecutive peaks.The distance between two consecutive peak("wave separation" as you call) is known as wave length....btw you are a great teacher....i just wanna point that out.

  • @noobsaibot7759
    @noobsaibot7759 6 лет назад +2

    Best Tutorial on Synthesizers ive seen, anyone count how many times he said the word "essentially" in this video?

  • @scottredford4801
    @scottredford4801 6 лет назад +3

    Excellent video, very impressed. I learnt more in this one video than over 5-6 hours of RUclips videos

  • @djcomputerlove7808
    @djcomputerlove7808 4 года назад

    This video is so valuable. How do people forget to explain what Synths are and just go ahead to talk about different synth plugins. I am a new producer and was just thinking of going to production section of reddit to ask peeps over there. I searched RUclips and yours appears to be the only one i find useful. Thank you for this.

  • @JanEkbom
    @JanEkbom 7 лет назад +45

    Thank you. I've learned a lot. You are an excellent teacher.

  • @scottyscreamo
    @scottyscreamo 7 лет назад +20

    Just getting started on my production journey and your videos are always a big help. Keep it up!

  • @shoeshine7002
    @shoeshine7002 6 лет назад +2

    Super informative! I believe the real beauty of synthesizing is getting into it early in your musical journey and learning the art of synthesis by experimenting with your synth during a long period of time incrementally. But I never owned a real synthesiser so learning these things through RUclips is my best way to go currently when using DAWs as a way of synthesising. Though will definately buy a real synthesiser in the future, probably an FM synth.

  • @joshuamarchi
    @joshuamarchi 6 лет назад +3

    thank you very much, this lesson is very helpful, you're able to simplified something that is complicated

  • @kewlking
    @kewlking 6 лет назад +3

    Slight correction: the distance between one peak to the next is the wavelength. the inverse of the wavelength is the frequency.

    • @tomparker6439
      @tomparker6439 6 лет назад

      Sort of. Distance between peaks is wavelength, but the inverse of wavelength isn't frequency, the units are wrong. Wavelength (λ) = (speed of sound)/frequency. The inverse of period (T) = frequency

  • @joshhoover5170
    @joshhoover5170 5 лет назад +2

    Thanks so much for an articulate and simple breakdown. Great breakdown of the basics - thank you!.

  • @stickfigurearena1247
    @stickfigurearena1247 5 лет назад +1

    Bro...this so helpful. I one of people that don't just want to know that it works, but how it works.

  • @asafergas1537
    @asafergas1537 6 лет назад +2

    MAN LIKE JULIAN. Thank you so much for this video!!!

  • @xstrumzz
    @xstrumzz 7 лет назад

    Thank you, I've been looking for a video like this. Actually explaining what everything does and why in a way that is easily digestible!

  • @TheAccursedEntity
    @TheAccursedEntity 9 лет назад +2

    I love Serum, so many possibilities. Thanks for the video!

  • @AdriaanStoopid
    @AdriaanStoopid 7 лет назад

    The start of the video was a bit long to my taste, but that might be cause I knew the whole sound thing already. The rest helped me out a bunch, very informative and clear! Thanks

  • @georgekush349
    @georgekush349 6 лет назад +2

    Thank you for an awesome video. Very well explained!

  • @vryesiel443
    @vryesiel443 6 лет назад

    Excellent teaching method. Really learn a lot

  • @aaronsteel
    @aaronsteel 6 лет назад

    I love digital synthesis. I think it is one of the most fascinating things

  • @kristyl933
    @kristyl933 5 лет назад

    Thank you! You made it very easy to understand.

  • @swatantrachib5916
    @swatantrachib5916 6 лет назад +2

    Thank you so much this has helped me enormously!

  • @NahBro926
    @NahBro926 3 месяца назад

    this has helped me so much. You are amazing, you know so much and did it all in one take hats off to you. Thanks

  • @reniarlegieps
    @reniarlegieps 8 лет назад +2

    very good explanation, please do some advanced tutorials on serum.

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  8 лет назад

      +Reniar Legieps I will in the future! thanks for watching!

  • @rayansadipiano
    @rayansadipiano 5 лет назад +2

    thanks man.great tutorial

  • @grimish_tunes
    @grimish_tunes 6 лет назад +2

    Damn dude respect for your help

  • @dr.joshaxe1251
    @dr.joshaxe1251 6 лет назад +11

    The constantly clipping vocals gets very fatiguing but overall great video

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  6 лет назад +1

      Yeah, I had a failing converter at the time. Sorry about that!

    • @claudiongleur
      @claudiongleur 5 лет назад

      Too much ! unfortunately i had to stop watching although really cool vid :(

    • @imustacheyouaquestion1
      @imustacheyouaquestion1 5 лет назад

      I really enjoyed this tutorial

  • @mateythegreat1399
    @mateythegreat1399 6 лет назад +2

    good stuff. thanks mate

  • @IdoIndeedFlip
    @IdoIndeedFlip 8 лет назад

    Wow. Great call using Serum, the visualization makes it super easy to follow what you're saying. Makes me want to get it, not that I need another synth VST...

  • @whitewagnernespi
    @whitewagnernespi 7 лет назад

    Dude! very helpful video! covered all the aspects many videos skip. I feel educated. tx.

  • @spinoza5737
    @spinoza5737 6 лет назад +2

    I love you Julian.

  • @vlogswithankitnayakvlogs
    @vlogswithankitnayakvlogs 5 лет назад +1

    Thanks

  • @holysecret2
    @holysecret2 5 лет назад +1

    This is really helpful

  • @chrisvelting5868
    @chrisvelting5868 6 лет назад +2

    Nice! Thanks!👊

  • @강두연-h6j
    @강두연-h6j 5 лет назад

    Thanks for the clip, this helps me a lot. Though your cam monitor blocks the part you explain about the gliding.

  • @1234nicklim
    @1234nicklim 7 лет назад +2

    You are awesome
    thank you.
    You missed noise though :P

  • @nightscriber8338
    @nightscriber8338 7 лет назад +1

    Kick ass vid man helped a lot

  • @gameplanetanimations
    @gameplanetanimations 6 лет назад +1

    11:30
    You to me: "Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah Blah"
    Me: "Uhh..."

  • @a2ndopynyn
    @a2ndopynyn 4 года назад

    Good helpful video.

  • @Ian-qh7le
    @Ian-qh7le 5 лет назад +4

    *Flashbacks to trig class*

  • @lorenzotosiart
    @lorenzotosiart 4 года назад

    This video is awesome. Thank you!!!

  • @fistnation667
    @fistnation667 6 лет назад +2

    Appreciated

  • @NickMarshallMusic
    @NickMarshallMusic 6 лет назад +4

    Great video man!. although, you did say essentially so many times aha!

  • @us1020
    @us1020 7 лет назад +1

    Thank you for your great tutorial!

  • @neverthirsty
    @neverthirsty 8 лет назад +1

    great informative video, thanks!

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  8 лет назад

      +Berto Killamanjaro Thanks man! glad it could be of help!

  • @VSARecordsDelhi
    @VSARecordsDelhi 5 лет назад +1

    You promised to tell us about fm and wavtable in another videos 😀

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  5 лет назад

      All of my serum videos are wavtable

    • @VSARecordsDelhi
      @VSARecordsDelhi 5 лет назад

      @@JulianGrayMedia 😂🤣

    • @FuZZbaLLbee
      @FuZZbaLLbee 5 лет назад

      And the difference between east and west coast synths :-)

  • @PrettyLady7282
    @PrettyLady7282 7 лет назад

    We will love to have more of this Basic Synthesizers please. By the way, your Mic.level was too high so it was breaking the sound. and the sounds of Serum, we just couldn't hear it at all. Thankyou very much ! looking for more of this tutorials/ Liked - Subscribed

  • @CodiStGeorge
    @CodiStGeorge 6 лет назад

    dude, thank you so much for this

  • @MrRrRamon
    @MrRrRamon 7 лет назад +1

    Thanks this really helps!

  • @wasabisushi128kb
    @wasabisushi128kb 5 лет назад +1

    I have sucked at math my whole life, and you seem like a math teacher, but damnit boy, if I don't want to learn all the things you have to show men. Bravo

  • @SkyLukewater
    @SkyLukewater 6 лет назад +1

    clever guy.

  • @ace-rn3hn
    @ace-rn3hn 7 лет назад

    thank you ! it really helped !

  • @edgemo3000
    @edgemo3000 5 лет назад

    Are you able to program The The Frequency of the wave you create?

  • @xXAaron102Xx
    @xXAaron102Xx 6 лет назад +6

    i'm looking to buy a synth, however, i'm really confused as to if i need a software for my computer to make music. Could i just buy a synth and record songs from that or do i need a software to do that? Thanks.

    • @GrimmSmile23
      @GrimmSmile23 6 лет назад +1

      Two people gave ya a like but didn’t say crap. I’ll put what I know in. Which is that you can use a variety of free programs. The best in my opinion could be audacity. It’s very basic and real quick to figure out, yet offers a lot.
      You get a synth that you can just plug into a computer?

    • @xXAaron102Xx
      @xXAaron102Xx 6 лет назад +2

      GrimmSmilee thanks man for the help, in the end I managed to get a Macbook for 300 and got Logic Pro x for free. I found these other softwares too confusing for me, since I use logic at my college I got into the habit of it haha. Thanks for the considerate comment though :)

    • @GrimmSmile23
      @GrimmSmile23 6 лет назад +1

      Aaron 102 no problem dude, only took a moment of my time ✌️

    • @geld1620
      @geld1620 6 лет назад +1

      so software is completely necessary?

    • @soilsmith5167
      @soilsmith5167 6 лет назад +1

      It is possible to record with all hardware components...but IMO software has a lot of free options and more modification potential.

  • @ispankgrannys69
    @ispankgrannys69 7 лет назад +20

    DUUUDE THANK YOU SO MUCH !!! This video was so easy to understand. im a beginner so this really helped out a lot !

  • @moss2309
    @moss2309 8 лет назад

    What kind of headphones do you preferably use, while working with synthesizers?

  • @yaboi6086
    @yaboi6086 7 лет назад +2

    Great vid and don't wanna be a dick but frequency is the rate of oscillation so the faster the oscillation or the higher the frequency then the higher thepitch will be (or lower ) not the distance between peaks that's wavelength

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  7 лет назад +1

      Yeah, minor mistake I made in the explanation. I know better now

    • @Pvaeerener
      @Pvaeerener 6 лет назад

      You aren't being a dick for saying that.

  • @w0mblemania
    @w0mblemania 6 лет назад

    This was very useful, thank you! Question: all those knobs in the Envelope... are they really still used in the real world of sound engineering? Or does the engineer simply draw out (the equivalent of) bezier curves using the mouse (or touch), to describe the exact envelope they want? Cheers.

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  6 лет назад

      a combination of both! envelopes vary very much between software synths, as developers can reimagine the traditional adsr system into whatever they see fit.

    • @w0mblemania
      @w0mblemania 6 лет назад +1

      Thanks.

  • @ruiaureliotube
    @ruiaureliotube 6 лет назад

    Video is not bad in what regards to contents; but a synth produces sound, right ? So as your microphone, right ? My advise is that on next videos you find a better setting for your mic, it's to agressive and I believe constantly hitting the red light on the recording.

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  6 лет назад

      I had a failing Pre-amp during this era of the channel.

    • @ruiaureliotube
      @ruiaureliotube 6 лет назад

      Thanks for the reply, that explains it. Cheers.

  • @JJCcubes42
    @JJCcubes42 7 лет назад +6

    I appreciate your explanation, but man, if I didn't study computer engineering a lot of that would have went straight over my head

    • @brazilseanss
      @brazilseanss 6 лет назад

      JJCcubes42 yeah. Struggling a bit on this.

    • @louismyatt1507
      @louismyatt1507 6 лет назад +1

      I didn’t study computer engineering and I understand most of it

  • @dry509
    @dry509 6 лет назад

    So the Serum is a software synth installed on a pc or Mac....? Is this similar or the same as a hardware digital synth?

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  6 лет назад

      It can work on both! and its the same general idea as a digital hardware synth yes, only when you use a hardware synth, it sometimes uses hardware to create and shape the sound instead of software.

    • @dry509
      @dry509 6 лет назад

      Julian Gray Media Thanks.

  • @sirin9850
    @sirin9850 6 лет назад

    Bro the space between peak and peak is the wavelength

    • @tomparker6439
      @tomparker6439 6 лет назад +1

      You're right, but when you graph a wave's amplitude over time , the distance between the peaks on that graph is frequency. That's what he was getting at.

  • @belshiranui666
    @belshiranui666 9 лет назад +1

    i like so much vídeos👌👌👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

  • @nicholasdelaunay4341
    @nicholasdelaunay4341 5 лет назад

    I tried keeping up.😫

  • @guitarminhtuan3515
    @guitarminhtuan3515 3 года назад

    Good

  • @unfortunate2565
    @unfortunate2565 6 лет назад +10

    Realy educating video, that's what I was looking for, but damn, you're sound producer and you couldn't adjust the proper vocal level and it's distorted? :/

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  6 лет назад +4

      was the interface I was using at the time. the dac was dying on it

  • @reapthebeats_9461
    @reapthebeats_9461 8 лет назад

    quick question: what theme are you using for ableton bc it's fckin beautiful.

  • @brosephthomas3764
    @brosephthomas3764 6 лет назад

    10:36 steps!

  • @martinr7728
    @martinr7728 7 лет назад

    Nice, very imformative video but your voice is quite loud compared to the synth :)

  • @JOHNSONWIELKI
    @JOHNSONWIELKI 6 лет назад

    Good video, but please turn down your mic next time , its really hard to listen to 20 minutes of earrape

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  6 лет назад

      Interface was dying when I recorded. Had to be mad loud to get any sound at all. Since fixed this issue!

    • @JOHNSONWIELKI
      @JOHNSONWIELKI 6 лет назад +1

      Julian Gray Media aight, it's better to have shitty sound than no sound at all ;P

  • @kellykelso26
    @kellykelso26 6 лет назад

    i just want to make funky beats like homeshake :(

  • @BetterlookingthanuMr
    @BetterlookingthanuMr 6 лет назад

    the amount of times u said essentially gave me a headache

  • @yanez7074
    @yanez7074 5 лет назад +2

    Well I learned how to use the word “essentially”

  • @zetetick395
    @zetetick395 5 лет назад

    For a video on understanding audio, the audio quality on the video (even with all his modern equipment) is just _terrible!_
    - This is a REALLY mixed message, it renders _everything_ he's saying on the subject untrustworthy. O~O

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  5 лет назад

      Yeah my mic preamp was going bad at the time. It's unfortunate.

  • @tyharris3263
    @tyharris3263 7 лет назад

    from this vid alone I can tell serum is multiple times better than my sylenth

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  7 лет назад +1

      I definitely prefer both for different things

    • @tyharris3263
      @tyharris3263 7 лет назад

      Julian Gray Media Can you enlighten me, in which situations is one better or more practical than the other?

    • @iammarwanyo
      @iammarwanyo 6 лет назад

      lol

    • @markotik75
      @markotik75 6 лет назад

      I wouldn’t say it’s that much better, just different. Side by side, I agree Serum would come out on top. Especially for learning synthesis but as Sylenth is a subtractive Synth and Serum is a Wavetable synth- albeit one of the best wavetable synths on the market, they both have a place in music production and it’s definitely a good thing to have both. I find Sylenth is still the better option for shiny melodic parts of certain tracks I’ve worked on recently - whereas Serum is my “go-to” synth for dirty, harsher bass parts.
      I wouldn’t write Sylenth off so soon though. But yeah, pretty much everything Sylenth can do, Serum can too. With bells on :)

  • @DiogenesNephew
    @DiogenesNephew 7 лет назад

    If you guys really want to understand waveforms on an intimate level, study electrical engineering.

  • @bobbyheap4174
    @bobbyheap4174 6 лет назад

    I like your effort but tbh not hitting the absolute basics my man

  • @crashcoredump3319
    @crashcoredump3319 8 лет назад

    Kid, it's _et cetera_, not "eck setra".

  • @kraynezero
    @kraynezero 8 лет назад +2

    thanks for the awesome tutorial!

    • @JulianGrayMedia
      @JulianGrayMedia  8 лет назад

      No problem man!! Glad you liked it! Subscribe for more