Infinite Palette of Sounds: Creative Exploration of Sound Synthesis Techniques

In this episode of his music production workshop series, musician and sound engineer Zsolt Török invites you to discuss the history and cultural impact of synthesizers, and explore the creative possibilities of sound synthesis.

From Vangelis’s Blade Runner to Trent Reznor’s The Social Network, from Kraftwerk’s early krautrock to Sophie’s glitchy hyperpop—synthesizers have played a defining role in shaping the sound of movies and popular music for decades. Looking beyond the mainstream, entire subcultures have sprung forth from using (and abusing) electronic musical instruments in new and creative ways. One of the most famous examples of this is the legendary Roland TB-303 Bass Line synthesizer, which became the iconic sound of acid house and the UK’s Second Summer of Love in 1988; the rest is electronic dance music history.

In this workshop salon, we will learn about the most widely used sound synthesis techniques and apply them to create brand new sounds from scratch using the built-in synthesizer instruments in Ableton Live.

Each workshop in this series will include a presentation demonstrating concepts and techniques, while leaving ample time for hands-on experimentation, sharing, and discussion. The workshop will be recorded, and made available to series ticket holders in case they missed a session, or want to review some things later.

What you will need to follow along

Participants should have Ableton Live 11 Standard or Suite already installed on their computer before joining the workshop. The free and fully functional 90-day trial includes the full feature set of the Suite edition, and even allows the software to be used beyond the trial period, although with saving and exporting disabled.

Attendees will receive a downloadable package (project files, audio samples, etc.) as a common starting point for the workshop.

Good to read or watch before the salon

• A Brief History of Synthesizers
• Sound On Sound magazine’s in-depth series on sound synthesis techniques
• Alessandro Cortini – In The Synth Cave (Part 1, Part 2)
• Sisters With Transistors: Electronic Music’s Unsung Heroines

Tickets

This workshop salon is part of the Unlock the Music in You — Music Production Workshop Series. Only the first 4 workshops will be sold individually; a series ticket is required to attend all 8 workshops.

***

🗓 ii Calendar

📋 Code of Conduct

📚 Become a member, get a free ticket every month (FAQ), access our forums, members-only events, and more!