Modulation Mastery

Shaping Sound Through Volume Amplitude Modulation (AM) is a fundamental concept in audio synthesis an communication. It's a way of varying the loudness (amplitude) of one sound wave based on the shape of another. This seemingly simple process can create a surprisingly rich variety of timbres, from subtle tremolo to aggressive, metallic sounds.

I am thrilled to share that a deep-dive article I wrote regarding West Coast Synthesis and the "soul" of the Buchla Music Easel has been features on MatrixSynth.

In the vast and ever evolving world of sound synthesis, Frequency Modulation (FM) stands out as a powerful and distinct technique. It's responsible for some of the most iconic and unique sounds in music history, from the piercing bells of the Yamaha DX7 to the rich, complex textures found in modern electronic music. But what exactly is FM synthesis, how does it work, and why does it create such characteristic tones?

Today we will be talking about a new series of videos I decided to begin this year about the basics of synthesis. Where else shall we start but with our favorite part of a synthesizer, the oscillators! What I lovingly call the heart and soul of the synthesizer.

Today I'd like to take a moment to answer some questions I got shortly after making the video about my Buchla Easel Clone Modular synthesizer. Thus, here, are some of the more frequently asked questions bellow. Also, there's a video in the Just Chat which also talks along the same subject and questions as well. Enjoy!

A while ago I had posted a YouTube video encompassing practically a how to build a Buchla Music Easel from Eurorack modules. It was my take of synthesizing information from other artists who inspired me to deep dive their ideas and cultivate my own incarnation, though this idea is not necessarily new, however, one thing I had not seen was a whole story on growth when an artist decides to attempt to build a well-regarded synth out of the parameters of Eurorack.