Making a Synth from scratch
Building blocks: Sources and Signals
- A source in tone is something that produces a sound on its own.
- Sources are combined to make more complex synthesis and sampling instruments. Sources need to be started with .start().
- A signal is something that processes a source.
- Signals are combined to make effects and components.
- Signals are set by using .value = a number
Oscillators
The most basic unit of synthesis in tone is Tone.Oscillator.
- Sine
- Triangle
- Sawtooth
- Square
Envelopes
ADSR
- Attack time is the time taken for initial run-up of level from nil to peak, beginning when the key is first pressed.
- Decay time is the time taken for the subsequent run down from the attack level to the designated sustain level.
- Sustain level is the level during the main sequence of the sound’s duration, until the key is released.
- Release time is the time taken for the level to decay from the sustain level to zero after the key is released.
Filters
- A filter modifies a source sound by either amplifying or attenuating certain frequency ranges of that sound.
- Learning Synths - Filters
Filter types can include:
- lowpass
- highpass
- bandpass
- lowshelf
- highshelf
- notch
- allpass
- peaking
Noise
- Tone.Noise produces different colors of noise.
- Each has a different sound, covers a different frequency range, and is used for different purposes.
- There are other colors of noise that tone doesn’t implement that are good to know about.
Most often used types
- white
- brown
- pink