Dear Anyone.

I'm having huge problems wrapping my brane, such as it is, around synths - despite trying vainly to follow MANY YouTube videos I've still never succeeded in recreating the sounds their videos tell me are 'so simple'. So I've got 2 questions, the second one will depend on the answer to this one

If you've got the same kinda wave form and the same kinda LFOs and other controls as the guy on the video, even if his synth's got a different name from yours, should you be able to end up with the same/similar noise coming outta the speakers? I've got controls and waveforms with the same/similar names so is it me being dumbass that I can't get the same sounds or is it more probably because I don't have the selfsame synth as the guy in the video?

Be honest, I can take it! I'll post Question 2 after someone answers this cos what the second question might be will depend on the answer to the above. I'm more lost than a guy with a map in a foreign language right now, so I apologise for the dumbassness of the first (and possibly second!) questions in advance. Can't make my music without having the right sounds first, though (can't do a guitar solo on a ukulele, can you!?!)

Yours hopefully
Alan

In a word, NO. A synth with a different name than yours? Sometimes you can get a similar sound between different synths so give us some details before I go crazy trying to explain some of this. Exactly what synth do you have and what sounds are you looking for?

Bob

Also keep in mind, there are many different kinds of synthesis. The main ones: subtractive (typical analog types), PCM (sample based), FM (typical of some of the earlier digitals), and others (additive, wavetable, phase distortion, sample modeling).

Even if you have the exact same synth as I, small changes in oscillators, filters and envelopes can make big differences. Then as the sound is produced another set of parameters such as attack, delay, sustain and release come into play. And finally, a set of external parameters such as reverb, tremolo, chorus and others can come into play.

There are literally hundreds of parameters that can make up a particular patch. I used to rack my brain trying to duplicate certain sounds, so much so I went for long periods making no music at all, just focusing on the technology of synthesis. Now days I just buy and load the sounds I need.

Hope this helps a bit.

Jeff

You could spend a long time trying to get a Yamaha to sound the same as a Roland (especially if tinkering with LFOs and different filters and looping), even if you loaded the exact same sample in each.

If you are trying to copy exact settings from a different synth you will spend a lot of wasted time.
Better to get to know your own synth; what this dial does, what that slider does, etc.

There will be some correlation (hi-pass filter is a high-pass filter, but at what frequency is it's 'home' point for yours compared to his etc etc).
In theory, playing with the same controls should get you close to the same effect, but counting on any given settings for these controls between synths will be a frustrating road.
Another reason; the range of adjustment may be -120 thru +120 on one synth and -12 thru +12 on another.

If his video says 'I loaded this sample, then did A and B'; your best chance of success is to load the same sample, then try adjusting A and B on your synth until it gets close as it is going to get. Note I said the same sample, not one with a similar name.
He may be affecting parts of his sample that don't even exist in your sample otherwise!

I consider there to be 2 kinds of synths.... (my opinion)

Ones you program yourself..... I don't use these.. I have a few and yeah, they have default sounds and presets so they are usable....

And ones that play preprogrammed stuff.... love these ..and they fall into 2 sub categories...according to me.

Oscillator based and sample based. Oscillator based don't sound very realistic but are great for something that needs a buzzing sawtooth lead. Sample based sound much better and more realistic so these are the ones I tend to use. Samples are actual audio of an instrument.

So if you're trying to duplicate a sound you see someone making.... you need the same synth and you need the settings he used. Otherwise, you might be close to the sound but not nearly exact.

Hello Alan and welcome to the forum!

Others have shared the answer to your question, no. (By-the-way, not a bad question. You would think if you turn dials enough you would get similar results.) If you are interested in learning why I strongly urge you to take Berklee's online ++ Technology Of Music Production ++ class. The class is free as long as you decide to audit the class. If you decide to take the class for credit you pay.

The class will take about six weeks. The last week covers synthesis. The class also covers mixing, digital recording, filters and delay effects, dynamic effects, DAWs and midi.

Google/bing book on synth programming and you will find lots of how to books on programming synths, hard or soft.