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Subtractive synthesis developed in the 1960s and 1970s. This form of synthesis generates bright and buzzy tones which can then be manipulated to create more complex and interesting sounds. One of the main forms of manipulation is using a filter which “subtracts” some of the high and buzzy tone away from the sound.
Input
Input
An input sends instructions for notes to start, what pitch they are, and when to end. These input devices are often in the form of a keyboard, however, other devices can be used such as a sequencer, drum pad, computer, or EWI.
Additional information can be sent such as velocity, pedal on/off, pitch bend, breath control, and more
Synthesisers that can only process one inputted note at a time are said to be monophonic. Those that can accept multiple notes at a time are called polyphonic.
Oscillators
Oscillators
An oscillator generates sound with a rapidly vibrating electronic pattern. There are several common “shapes” or waveforms that oscillators produce. Each one has a unique and distinctive tone colour:
Sine
Triangle
Pulse Wave (which can be Square or Rectangle)
Sawtooth
Noise
Filters
Filters
Once a sound has been generated with an oscillator, filters remove certain frequencies in the sound, hence the term subtractive synthesis. This may cause the tone colour to become duller, rounder, thinner, weaker, or more.
Filters can be further controlled with LFOs and ADSR envelopes which allows the tone colour to change over time.
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