Finding the best synthesizer book suitable for your needs isnt easy. With hundreds of choices can distract you. Knowing whats bad and whats good can be something of a minefield. In this article, weve done the hard work for you.
Reviews
1. Programming Synthesizers (The Keyboard magazine library for electronic musicians)
Feature
Manufactured to the Highest Quality Available.With True Enhanced Performance.
Latest Technical Development.
Description
The second focus guide from Beginning Synthesizer. Instruction on Editing Presets, Editing in Performance and also includes musical examples and solos.2. Creating Sounds from Scratch: A Practical Guide to Music Synthesis for Producers and Composers
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Creating Sounds from Scratch A Practical Guide to Music Synthesis for Producers and ComposersDescription
Creating Sounds from Scratch is a practical, in-depth resource on the most common forms of music synthesis. It includes historical context, an overview of concepts in sound and hearing, and practical training examples to help sound designers and electronic music producers effectively manipulate presets and create new sounds. The book covers the all of the main synthesis techniques including analog subtractive, FM, additive, physical modeling, wavetable, sample-based, and granular. While the book is grounded in theory, it relies on practical examples and contemporary production techniques show the reader how to utilize electronic sound design to maximize and improve his or her work. Creating Sounds from Scratch is ideal for all who work in sound creation, composition, editing, and contemporary commercial production.3. Welsh's Synthesizer Cookbook: Synthesizer Programming, Sound Analysis, and Universal Patch Book
Description
This book covers ground that is often left untouched by other synthesizer books and was written to fulfill the wishes voiced by synth programmers. Section one explains the parts of an analog synth in detail using harmonic and waveform analysis to make clear exactly what each synth parameter does. Section two is probably the most important section added to the new edition and it explains through examples how to use freely available harmonic and waveform analysis software to analyze and recreate patches from other synths, sounds found in songs, and the synthesis of acoustic instruments. Section three contains all 102 of the original 1st and 2nd edition universal patches for ALL dual-oscillator analog synths. The acoustic patches are based on harmonic analysis and are exceedingly close to the real instruments. An included CD contains the new SCB VSTi softsynth and audio samples for synthesizer calibration as well as a full album of electronica. For more info and to view a sample of the book please visit http://www.synthesizer-cookbook.com Also be sure to check out Welsh's Synthesizer Cookbook Vol 2: Harmonic Catalog4. Refining Sound: A Practical Guide to Synthesis and Synthesizers
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Oxford University Press UKDescription
Refining Sound is a practical roadmap to the complexities of creating sounds on modern synthesizers. Perhaps the most difficult aspect of learning to create sounds on a synthesizer is understanding what all the individual synthesizer components contribute to the complex finished sound. Author and veteran synthesizer instructor Brian K. Shepard draws on his years of experience in synthesizer pedagogy in order to peel back the often-mysterious layers of sound synthesis one-by-one. The result is a book that allows readers to familiarize themselves with each individual step in the synthesis process, in turn empowering them in their own creative or experimental work.Refining Sound follows the stages of synthesis in chronological progression from the "raw materials" of sound waves through the various stages of the refinement process, ultimately bringing readers to the final "polishing" of their sounds with audio effects. Each chapter focuses on a particular aspect of the synthesis process, and contains easily digestible guided projects (entitled "Your Turn" sections) that focus on the topics of the chapter. Throughout the text, the material is supported by copious examples and illustrations and more than forty interactive synthesis demonstrations on the related companion website that allow the reader to experiment with and understand these concepts without the distraction of other synthesizer controls and modifiers. The final chapter brings everything together as the reader creates several common types of synthesizer sounds with detailed step-by-step instructions and explanations of the concepts behind those steps. With all of the sounds in the final chapter, readers are given suggestions and tips on ways to modify the sounds, with final outcomes left to the readers' own creativity. Refining Sound is essential for all electronic musicians from amateur to professional levels of accomplishment, students, teachers, libraries, and anyone interested in creating sounds on a synthesizer.
5. Welsh's Synthesizer Cookbook, Vol 2: Harmonic Catalog
Description
Welsh's Synthesizer Cookbook, Vol. 2: Harmonic Catalog is intended for synthesizer players who have either read Volume 1 (black and yellow cover) or are familiar with using harmonic analysis to program synths. It contains over 230 frequency analysis graphs showing the harmonics of all the instruments in the orchestra, 808 and 909 drum machines, world instruments, vocals, sound effects and more. Using these graphs and the included Fre(a)koscope analyzer it is possible to recreate these instruments with high precision. CD includes Fre(a)koscope frequency analyzer VST plugin (Windows & Mac) as well as a full unlocked copy of the Lil' Devil additive synthesizer VSTi (Windows only). Visit www.synthesizer-cookbook.com/id13.html to view a sample of the book.6. Make: Analog Synthesizers: Make Electronic Sounds the Synth-DIY Way
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Used Book in Good ConditionDescription
Dive hands-on into the tools, techniques, and information for making your own analog synthesizer. If youre a musician or a hobbyist with experience in building electronic projects from kits or schematics, this do-it-yourself guide will walk you through the parts and schematics you need, and how to tailor them for your needs. Author Ray Wilson shares his decades of experience in synth-DIY, including the popular Music From Outer Space (MFOS) website and analog synth community.
At the end of the book, youll apply everything youve learned by building an analog synthesizer, using the MFOS Noise Toaster kit. Youll also learn what it takes to create synth-DIY electronic music studio. Get started in the fun and engaging hobby of synth-DIY without delay.
With this book, youll learn:
- The differences between analog and digital synthesizers
- Analog synthesizer building blocks, including VCOs, VCFs, VCAs, and LFOs
- How to tool up for synth-DIY, including electronic instruments and suggestions for home-made equipment
- Foundational circuits for amplification, biasing, and signal mixing
- How to work with the MFOS Noise Toaster kit
- Setting up a synth-DIY electronic music studio on a budget
7. Synthesizer Coloring Book
Description
Synthesizer Coloring Book- A Must Have Studio Companion Coloring Book.
- A Collection of Over 30 Images Inspired By Vintage Analog Synthesizers, Sequencers and Other Tools That Shaped Modern Music
- Also Available Beat Machine Coloring Book (http://www.beatmachinecoloringbook.com)
- Unique Holiday Gift For Synthesizer Lovers, Music Producers and Vintage Analog Gear Enthusiasts.
- Measures 8.5 x 0.2 x 8.5 inches
- Designed in USA.
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8. The Synthesizer: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Programming, Playing, and Recording the Ultimate Electronic Music Instrument
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Used Book in Good ConditionDescription
Electronic music instruments weren't called synthesizers until the 1950s, but their lineage began in 1919 with Russian inventor Lev Sergeyevich Termen's development of the Etherphone, now known as the Theremin. From that point, synthesizers have undergone a remarkable evolution from prohibitively large mid-century models confined to university laboratories to the development of musical synthesis software that runs on tablet computers and portable media devices.Throughout its history, the synthesizer has always been at the forefront of technology for the arts. In The Synthesizer: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Programming, Playing, and Recording the Ultimate Electronic Music Instrument, veteran music technology journalist, educator, and performer Mark Vail tells the complete story of the synthesizer: the origins of the many forms the instrument takes; crucial advancements in sound generation, musical control, and composition made with instruments that may have become best sellers or gone entirely unnoticed; and the basics and intricacies of acoustics and synthesized sound. Vail also describes how to successfully select, program, and play a synthesizer; what alternative controllers exist for creating electronic music; and how to stay focused and productive when faced with a room full of instruments. This one-stop reference guide on all things synthesizer also offers tips on encouraging creativity, layering sounds, performance, composing and recording for film and television, and much more.