What Is Syntorial?

What is Syntorial and why I am using it. This is a training tool to help sound designers learn about subtractive synthesis. There are many ways to learn, but in my opinion, this is the best way for me.

I started learning about music production a few months ago and decided to start instead of hesitating and waiting for that one day. Because I know if I wait any longer, I won't do it! After reading a few getting started articles. I realized there's a lot of learning and money involved.

One of the learning is sound design and how to use a software synthesizer. A synthesizer is a way to create a sound using midi notes, where each midi note represents a musical note. There are many ways to create a sound, but one common way is subtractive synthesis.

When learning about subtractive synthesis, you would need use a software synthesizer in your digital audio workstation of your choice. It's common for music producers to buy a license to their favorite software synthesizer, but it's important to master the concept of subtractive synthesis. Synthesizers are all different in their design and layout. And I found that it's the filtering algorithm used that makes them sound different and the amplitude envelope used are the constraints to what sounds it can produce.

You can watch many YouTube videos on how to use a software synthesizer of your choice, but most of the videos lack the sound design thought process and only shows you how to recreate a sound. Another alternative is you can buy sounds packs from sound designers. It's great to use sounds that a professional sound designer created, but there is a knowledge gap of how it was created and why it sounds good.

This is where Syntorial comes in. It's a video game-like training software that focuses on learning how to create a sound by listening. If you can recreate a sound after hearing it, that is when you mastered sound design! It's a very hard skill to master, but lucky for us this software helps you learn all the fundamentals to subtractive synthesis.

It's divided into many modules and each module you learn about a section of the synthesizer. I'm still going through each module and I estimate it will take me a long time to master all the modules. As I'm using this software one thing, I realized is that my hearing is getting better. This is all thanks to Syntorial! It makes you use your ears and you will learn to trust it as you learn sound design.

I highly recommend this if you want to learn sound design! In my opinion is the best way to learn how to use a software synthesizer and the concepts of subtractive synthesis. After going through the modules, you should be able to understand what each knob and slider does and all the common effects that comes with a software synthesizer. Remember to create a nature sound you have to modulate it to make it feel alive.