Analog Synthesis: The Newbie Guide to Synthesizers and Sound Design [ILLUSTRATED] (Paperback)

by Reinhard Schmitz (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
Using the analog granddad of all synths as an example, this book explains essential terms such oscillators, filters and envelopes. You will learn how to analyze synthesizer sounds, modify them and create your own. Audio examples accompany the explanations of all operations to illustrate exactly what you are up to. In no time at all, you'll have the basics of your synthesizer down pat.

Product Details

• Paperback: 85 pages
• Publisher: MM-Musik-Media-Verlag GmbH (April 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 3927954373
• ISBN-13: 978-3927954373
• Product Dimensions: 9.8 x 6.5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 10.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #2,166,251 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very Good Overview of Subtractive Synthesis, June 12, 2000

By	Douglas S. Halfen "Smothered In Musique (Yum... (Baltimore, MD, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Schmitz' book is a concise introduction to all of the bits and pieces that are necessary to understand subtractive (i.e., analog) electronic sound synthesis, particularly in consideration of synthesizers - both as hardware and software - which employ this method. With his tongue firmly in cheek, Schmitz shows you a little history (e.g., the pandemonium of the Telharmonium), covers all of the basics (VCOs, LFOs, filters [coffee and otherwise], modulation, etc.), and whets the appetite for advanced concepts and techniques. He keeps the general tone of the book very simple, so it truly merits the title of "newbie guide" - but someone like myself (who has been tinkering around with such things for two years) will find many nice refreshers and reminders to bring one back to center (after one's been doing a little too much mind-bending modulating ;-). Additionally, the companion CD provides excellent audio examples of all of the significant analog-synthesis aspects that are mentioned in the book.

My only complaint is that, in this book being a "newbie" guide, one is soon left wanting of a source that digs even deeper into the same material. Wizoo should do a more advanced guide along the same lines - I, for one, would look forward to such a thing!

Also, if you have Bitheadz' _Retro AS-1_ software synth, then this book would serve as a better introduction to the program's components (and its functional concepts) than does the program's own actual manual.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not enough depth for the money., April 9, 2002

By	George Kisslak (Danbury, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Analog Synthesis: The Newbie Guide to Synthesizers and Sound-Design (Paperback)

If you know *anything* at all about subtractive synthesis (VCO/VCF/VCA/LFO/etc) then this is NOT the book for you. If you are an absolute beginner and have never played with a synth before, then this will provide a "20,000 foot view" into the various functions, techniques and terminologies of synthesis. In a colorful style, the author covers numerous topics including vintage synths, analog sound design, controllers, sequencers, effects devices, but does so at the expense of depth. There's more color than content, and in some cases, the author's opinions reveal some inexperience. Primarily, this book teaches terminology - further research is left as a homework assignment for the reader. The author's on the right track however, he just needs to add the necessary depth to a second edition (and fix the grammar!) thereby tripling the number of pages.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Great Book, September 3, 2000

By	Ryan (New York) - See all my reviews

This was a great book for me to learn the ways of Analog Synthesis. I am sixteen years old and this book made it pretty easy to learn everything about the Analog world. The one thing I did notice was that you can not just sit down once a week and read this. Especially towards the end with the advanced techniques, which require you to know most of the information throughout the book. The other feature that I really liked was the audio CD. It was really great in helping me try and almost visualize what they were talking about. I would suggest this to a person at any age who is interesting in this field. Although Analog synthesis doesnt seem to be a popular field with teenagers. :)