Music Glossary: synthesis-and-sound-design category

Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release shapes for amp, filter, and pitch. Short A/D = percussive; long R = pads. more

LP/HP/BP/Notch with 12/24 dB slopes; ladder, OTA, state-variable each impart different character. more

Frequency-modulating one oscillator with another to generate complex spectra; carrier/modulator ratios shape timbre. more

Add white/pink noise for air, transients, or snares; filter and envelope shape to taste. more

Hard-resetting a slave oscillator to the master’s phase for aggressive, harmonically rich sweeps. more

Record and re-import processed audio for further mangling (pitch, time, granular) to create unique timbres. more

Multiplies two signals to produce sum/difference frequencies; metallic, bell-like textures. more

Combine complementary layers (attack, body, tail). Manage phase, EQ overlaps, and envelope timing. more