Korg Forums

Well, I have the basics (what I consider the basics) down. Now figuring out LFOs, AMS's, Envelopes, etc. and how it relates to the samples??? I'm struggling on the indepth details.

Is there an easier way than going thru preset programs, turning things on & off and listening then trying to remember what each thing did to the program?

I've done some fairly extensive reading on the M50 & synth info. in general. I understand what can do what (kinda), but knowing instantly as listening to a cover tune what they are using to make the sound is what I'm REALLY stuggling with. And I'm losing massive amounts of time trying to figure out sounds.

I thought I could learn all this stuff over 5 weeks doing it full-time... NOT EVEN CLOSE!!!(Well, closer than when I started). I need to get this stuff ASAP..

If anyone has a suggestion on how to learn synth info., even just to a point that when I hear a sound, I can determine what type of sample they started with, envolopes used & why, How &Why they used AMS's, filters used, LFO settings and why,,, etc., etc, etc..

I have a feeling there is NO short-cut, only experience will make me fully understand synths sounds & how to duplicate then as closely as possible as quickly as possible???.

Some (well, probably most) of the sounds I put together so far are REALLY close, but some are still not exactly perfect. We play copy material, matching every synth sound would REALLY make us "Sound even more like the record".

Synths are REALLY cool tho, I must admit! But figuring out how to make the exact sounds I hear is a REALLY time consuming project when you have NO CLUE what to start with.. ANd what will do what to what...

Any assistance will be GREATLY appreciated..

Mike

No, there is no shortcut for those things cuz they are not something as per
KORG or M3...they are just general synthezis things about any machine.
It takes experience and knowledge, just play with it around, once you learn
what an LFO or ENVELOPE is then its the same for any keyboard in the world.
Then you just apply it when you need it and where you need it cuz then you
already know what you need in the sound and you also know how to get that.

You can know how all the controls work on an automobile, yet still be a terrible driver.

Learning synthesis isn't just a matter of learning how a particular synth works.

It also involves learning a lot about how complex sounds are made. Many acoustic instruments have been developed and refined over hundreds of years, some for thousands. Synthesizers are the most complex musical instrument devised by man to this point. Learning an instrument takes a long time, and the more impatient and short sighted you are during the process, the slower it will be for you to get to a level of mastery with it. Be patient. Take your time. Don't just learn what you need to do a particular sound, but instead spend time becoming familiar with the full range of sounds available with each part of the synth structure.

Ya, after messing with it (synth, M50 yes, but I knew it was more related to synth theory in general anyways), I thought/feared that was the deal.

Synth theories are REALLY mindbogaling for me. I was hoping there was a magic answer, then it would ALL make total sense to me and I would be off to the races..

I find myself just digging into factor programs, looking at how it's setup, and as I remove each "thing", what it does to the sound.
I have spent even more time going to an empty program, and creating sounds from scratch (which I have came up with some really cool stuff if we were doing original materials, and have saved the work just in case).

For whatever reason, when listening to a CD, I can't even makeout what to base my program from, let alone what to add to it to make it as close as possible. I can hear basic sounds (organs, strings, etc), but really involved synth sounds is what I'm REALLY struggling with.

Tonight was to be my FIRST night playing a song (actually 3 songs on the list) all the way thru only using keys (BAD snow storm here, we decided to cancel & the club agreed{would have certainly been a loser night with live entertainment or not}).
Next Thurs will be the first time playing an entire song only on the keys (no real bass guitar whatsoever). I'm excited!

Immediately I really need to just match some sounds, then over the next several months (or possibly years), learn synths to an extend like you guy have going on (well, as close as possible)!. TO top it off, studio time is doing well (Shocked for this economy around here, but mostly just kids who's parents think they can sing), which really cuts into my time just playing with my keys rig.

I REALLY give you true "Synth" players MORE credit than what most musicians give you.. After NOW just starting to dig into the synth world do I realize that in reality, you have the most difficult instrument/rig to learn. It seems at this point, it's a never ending learning process (like trying to learn to use a new amp, which can be learned in an hour, mastered within a month or so if that). You not only need to constantly advance your playing (as a piano player/guitar player, whatever), you also need to continue to learn synth theories..

But if someone does have a way to explain these theories to me in a few minutes,,,, PLEASE DO SO!!!!LOL

Thanks guys!

Mike

PS. I'm not proud, I admit this is the hardest thing yet to learn related to music.... You guys are amazing!

Korg engine is a subtractive synthesis one. You can learn (maybe you already have) what do what in many sites. One I've found now:
http://www.geocities.com/SunsetStrip/Un ... nsynth.htm
but there are others.
Then... try an empty sound on your M50, load a simple waveform (saw for example), then begin to do something with the filters, then with the amp, etc...
So you can have an idea of what you can extract from that particular parameter... and then your imagination will help you to achieve the sound you want.
It's fun.