Topic

Synthesis

  • Eurorack starter guide: getting into modular without overspending

    Eurorack is a format, not a product, and that is why it is so easy to overspend on. This guide walks through the standard itself (size, power, control voltage), how to test-drive modular for free in software, how to plan a first small case, and the power-budget mistake that damages modules. Manuals and specs checked on 25 Oct 2026.

    Workflows

  • FM synthesis explained: ratios, index and algorithms without the maths anxiety

    FM synthesis builds bright, complex tones by letting one oscillator wobble the pitch of another at audio rate. This guide explains the three controls that matter (ratio, index and algorithm), walks through building an electric piano, a bell and a bass step by step, and says where FM earns its place in a modern set-up. Primary sources checked on 25 Oct 2026.

    Workflows

  • 808 and sub bass sound design: building low end that survives a phone speaker

    Most phone speakers cannot reproduce the fundamental of a deep 808, so the bass you hear on a phone is mostly its harmonics. This guide is about designing the sound itself, before mixing: picking the note, shaping the pitch drop and decay, adding harmonics on purpose, and testing on the speakers your listeners actually use. Standards and manuals checked on 25 Oct 2026.

    Workflows

  • Arpeggiators and step sequencers: turning held chords and grids into parts that move

    An arpeggiator plays the notes you hold one at a time in a pattern; a step sequencer plays a fixed grid of steps you program in advance. This guide explains what each control actually does, how to build a usable part with each in any DAW, and how to keep them from sounding like a preset demo. Manuals and specifications checked on 25 Oct 2026.

    Workflows

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