Synthesizers for Dummies | How Do They Work?

[@EspenKraft]

Synthesizers for dummies. In this beginners tutorial I will teach you the basics and in less than 22 minutes you're on your way to becoming a synth master. Even your mother will understand this. This video has been requested for years, and it's finally here. THIS video is for you that knows NOTHING about synthesizers, but you've heard of them. You've seen them, and you want to know how they work. Maybe you're to shy to ask questions. This video is for you. When you master the basics of a synth you can pretty much use all synths. In this video I show what is known as subtractive synthesis. The synth I'm using in this video is a Roland Juno-106 from the mid 80s. You can also get this as a computer program and use it directly from the computer, hooked up to a master MIDI keyboard. The end music uses only synth sounds from this particular synthesizer. The drums are not from the synth though. The graphic caricature drawing of me is designed by Creation Loading.

[@АлексейКокин-ь9с]

You can also talk about the basics of sampling) and then about MIDI

[@EspenKraft]

Both videos I would love to do, but only if this gets a good view count. These take a lot of time to do and it has to be worth my time, in views.

[@MrTomb789]

I would absolutely love to see more of this type of content and I'm sure there is a huge need for it out there...

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! I'd love to do more of these, but it all depends on how well this video does it. If the view count is low it's not worth my time really.

[@MrTomb789]

@@EspenKraft Totally understand...🙂

[@randytellez2451]

​Please do more tutorials. You're easy to follow and precisely explaining each step. I just bought my first midi keyboard and just this but if relative knowledge will help me immensely. Sincere gratitude and thankfulness.

[@Timetraveller2208]

I'd really love to see a tutorial of how you created the music at the end. That was an amazing sound!!

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! I have an endless array of videos where I show how I make, record, mix and produce my music. Sounding like this. ;-)

[@Ojref1]

Reviewing fundamentals in any hobby or profession is never a bad thing, no matter your skill level. Thank you sir.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@EricFraga]

Well said. And thank you, Esper.

[@SpikesStudio3]

Agreed. 🍻

[@RayyMusik]

I remember a 5-page article in the German magazine ‘Fachblatt‘ from the late 70s, which explained the basics of subtractive synthesis in a very similar way. I read it again and again and immediately tried everything out on my new Moog Prodigy until it became a part of my DNA. Best investment of my life! To newbies I can only recommend to do the same with this video!

[@Thierryoutdoors]

Thank you so much fot this. Please do a follow up to this. It is really helpful!

[@SiEffen]

Really informative video - thanks!

[@spencergroup]

I've been playing synths for a long time but never took the time to learn about what you taught here. This is a very foundational learning tutorial, which was very helpful. Thanks. I hope you make a sequel.

[@EspenKraft]

Many thanks! I have to wait a bit and see how this one goes before making any decisions about more in this series. I have to have a lot more views to make it worth my while.

[@prcr]

Excellent explanation of the concepts, with perfect pacing and nice demos to illustrate things as you explained them. I wish I had come across this video a few months earlier when I was just getting started with my first synthesizer!

[@EspenKraft]

Many thanks!

[@petercarrington948]

This is a great tutorial Espen and always a great education as I tend to move sliders and hope for the best. I have a Roland SH01 Gaia so will practice on that as very 'hands on' . Thanks Espen.

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks for saying!

[@DEADLINETV]

Always great to see more educational videos like these! Thanks Espen!

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks man!

[@64hapz]

Perfect, finally a video version of the book I’ve been looking for 😅 thanks!

[@EspenKraft]

Happy you liked it. Thanks!

[@myasonu1]

Very simple hands-on tutorial I would LOVE to see more videos like these, for sure

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@atmobeat]

Even though I wasn't ableo to gain some knowledge from this video, as I already knew quite a bit about synthesizer programming, I enjoyed watching this video in full length, even incl. the first 95 seconds. It feels great to watch you explaining all of these synthesizer basics to a larger audience, incl. people who may be enjoying electronic music without knowing how it works technically. So, as always - keep up the good work, I like videos like this.- Cheers, Olaf

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks for taking the time and kind words Olaf. :)

[@Ponsie-leo]

Thank you very much. I'm in my late 40's and trying to do something with a Roland SH-201 I bought years ago. Now many things start to make sense. Love it !

[@danzarz]

Espen, I just wanted to say thanks for the awesome video! Your explanations are spot on and it's so enjoyable to watch. You're definitely helping to grow the synth community.

[@EspenKraft]

Many thanks for saying!

[@clazza65]

Thank you. As a synth owner of over 40 years, you never stop learning.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@StargateMax]

Great video!!! Even though I'm very familiar with synths, it's really nice to go over the basics once in a while.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@SeverityOne]

Today I learned: the feet in filters etc come from organs. You're never too old to learn! Thanks, Espen.

[@EspenKraft]

Happy to hear it. Cheers!

[@kentaccordionist]

You mean the feet in oscillators.

[@SeverityOne]

@@kentaccordionist And filters.

[@SeverityOne]

@@kentaccordionist No, I did mean to say in filters, but I mixed up poles and feet.

[@ronaldjonker9758]

Well done. Thank you for this tutorial. As a newbie to synths I needed this. Best one I found so far on KZbin.

[@EspenKraft]

Many thanks!

[@kentaccordionist]

Well when all said and done the man IS THE 80’s.

[@rodrigooviedo9771]

Sequel please!!! Thanks for this!

[@sonicaids]

very well done and helpful

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@eazy72]

Thank You Esben! Would love to see more videos like this! Really appreciate it.

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@puffpuffin1]

Jumping on the request to see more of this! Thanks.

[@rainbowmade1880]

One more for more of this type video!!! I’m in.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@ramonbaez2685]

Excellent!!! The sequel please. Good Job.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@Shred_The_Weapon]

This is definitely an informative and entertaining tutorial, Espen. If I were a novice in the synthesis world, I definitely would want to see this anyway. As I’ve probably commented before, my first two analog synthesizers were the JX-8p and the Axxe. When I got to know more about the first three Juno models, they struck me as being like the Axxe x6. (Something that perplexes me (though) is that I thought they included an envelope filter.) If you do a simple to follow up, you might want to try using the JX-8p as your demonstration tour for having 2 audio oscillators.

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! If I do a follow up it will definitely be with a two-oscillator synth (or more).

[@keekeefries6298]

That sweater is killer! I learned on a Juno 106 back in the 80s, great choice for a tutorial!😊

[@АлексейКокин-ь9с]

Great video! Very clear and informative! I would like to see the same video about effects - delay, chorus, reverb, compression, etc.

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! If this does well I would be very interested in doing all of those. If the view count on this turns out low I won't do any more at all.

[@Soff2u]

Love the jumper ❤

[@tonyrapa-tonyrapa]

Beautifully explained. One thing I would add is that after sprinkling in some effects the sounds get glossier and fuller.

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! Yes, that would be for another video. For a total beginner the concept of effects must come later. ;-)

[@keyboard5494]

Thank you very much for the basics. I use my new knowledge for my Korg Kronos X and Nord Stage 3, now. Well done.

[@workingorder2189]

Wonderful! Please continue the series.

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@JudgeFredd]

Your channel is a 80s music lover dream !

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@MRicciardi]

It’s funny how easy we (meaning I) can forget these simple fundamentals and limit ourselves. Rushing back to my 106 and doing something I haven’t done in a long while - starting a patch from scratch. 😎👍

[@MrTomb789]

This is the first time I've truly understood what's going on, great job Espen...!! 🙂

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@MrTomb789]

@@EspenKraft You're very welcome..😉

[@chrislisten87]

Thank you very much Espen. Very great video!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@dgazart]

This was perfect for me. Thanks for the video. And yes I would like to see a 2nd video.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@FKU7777]

Really well explained! Thanks!!👍

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@neuromancer9k]

Excellent! I agree with others on here who posted that is always good to go over fundamentals on a semi-regular basis. Thank you for this. I'm ready for part 2. 🎹🍻

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@robbarfield2150]

Great video, Espen, thank you! More of these would be a good thing 🙂

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@leanaf]

Excellent! Do more like this please! thanks!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@creanoidsync3806]

Thanks! nice info!!!

[@donkeyadaml.]

Very good video and performance 👍👍👍 Have a wonderful day 😊Greetings 😎

[@larsholm1281]

Thank you for a very good tutorial. Would like to see more

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@MHxD]

Great video. For a harder challenge explain how to make sense of FM synthesis!

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! To make any more videos in this series I'd have to have a lot more views on this one to show it'll be worth my while. I can easily explain how to make patches on a DX7.

[@coznova23]

Very good , thank you

[@dtnjnq]

Great video. Would like to see the same for a dual oscillator synth like the Jupiter 8 or Jx8P

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! I'd love to do more of these, but it all depends on how well this video does it. I need the view count to be quite high to make it worth the while.

[@Epictronics1]

Great. Definitely make a sequel

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@newwave80skid]

Sequa please1 i learned a LOT, thank you, Espen!!!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@Timetraveller2208]

This is an awesome tutorial thanks so much for it; it is worth its weight in gold!!! Please make more vid tuts like this!! This is essential viewing for us who don't know our elbow from our ass when it comes to buying a synth and have never touched a synth or a piano in our ives until recently!! I got a DM12, summer last year and have t watch inadequate tutorials that don't really help you learn. This takes your hand and HELPS us understand, and the results of what we have learnt, that produces a beautiful sound. I'm gonna fire mine up now. The drums; I think I could get my Wavestate mk2 to help😉. Subbbed, great video!!

[@EspenKraft]

Many thanks!

[@dietmarschlichtherle7061]

Thankx for showing Espen 🙂

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@HeavyHydrogen]

I appreciate you saying "Timbre" in the American English style. Rock On!

[@henrikneesgaard1764]

Thank you, great video.. 🙂👍

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@svenhaa6852]

Nice and simple tutorial. I would have explained the decay a bit different: With decay you set the time the volume drops to the level the sustain is set to. Sven

[@Colaholiker]

80s synth stuff? Heck yeah, I'm in!

[@brianbergmusic5288]

Thanks -- this is a fantastic resource! I can't speak for every self-taught individual, but I often find odd-ball gaps in my understanding (example: several moons ago I did not know the purpose of amp-keytracking until I desperately wanted to know every function of the Mercury-6 plugin). It is good to have a curriculum to help fill these pot-holes of understanding. Being a bit of a guitarist, the Juno is sort of like the Telecaster of analog polysynths: simple design, but brutally effective. Good tune at the end, as well. Personally, I'd definitely go for a DX7 style tutorial -- perhaps one with the hardware mirrored side-by-side with the free Dexed vst as a bird's-eye-view reference.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@SendyTheEndless]

Oscillator goes brrr, filter goes waaahh and the envelope makes the whole thing bearable : )

[@barryward7633]

Thank you for this tutorial Espen very much appreciated, I would love more if you have the time for this as it is very time consuming for you, I own a Roland XP-50 plus 4x expansion boards which include the SR-JV80 series and are the 03 - 04 - 08 - 09 - 16 series expansion cards, cheers and once again thank you very much from New Zealand.

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@cortical1]

Nicely done, dude!

[@EspenKraft]

Cheers!

[@YSN-Wi]

We need a sequel!!!!

[@BaconFire]

Thanks for this - easy to follow. This really helped! More of this please. PS - I could see you teaching in a classroom ;)

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! I've been teaching in both public schools and as a freelance instructor for almost 30 years on and off between music gigs.

[@sauermusicDE]

1.) Do the attack and release time scale numbers on the Juno-106 panel (from "0 to 10") represent actual seconds? 2.) Are there any synthesizers (hardware or software) on the market which allow to set the envelope attack/release times in (milli)seconds instead of these - often somewhat "mysterious" - ranges from "0 to 10", "0 to 99" etc.? It might even be an interesting topic for another video to compare different synthesizers in that regard.

[@EspenKraft]

The envelope times are numbered in seconds in the manual yes. I don't know of synths marked in seconds.

[@_greenleader]

Analog winds EP to help you sleep

[@paulgardener5525]

Some more please :)

[@jasonakagecko]

Sequel please!❤️

[@andreasraum5535]

Interested 🎉

[@suspiciouswatermelon7639]

Yes, I want to learn how sinter-zeizers verrrk!

[@gower1973]

What happens with the faders when loading saved patches, because the fader positions arn't going to be where the patch was saved, is there like a sudden jump if you move one after loading a patch?

[@EspenKraft]

The value will adjust itself to reflect the position of the fader immediately.

[@ipezmusic]

Thank you! Nice introduction. By the way, your synth... what about its actual price? Not for a beginner LOL

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks! No, it's not a beginners price for that if going vintage. However, you can get this as software for a fraction of the price though.

[@e-conrecords4665]

Someone got a knitted T-Shirt off Facebook! I have the same one 😂

[@JohnHallberg-v4o]

I like the polybrute 12 Arturia , Espen is it it a good buy or not. Muse feels colder.

[@EspenKraft]

I know firmly believe that new synths costing more than $2000 is a cold blooded scam. Totally not worth it in terms of sound as VST plugins will sound indistinguishable in a mix. It then boils down to if you want to pay that kind of money, or triple, that just to have a glorified VST controller? I have one recommendation for a new synth that blows everything out of the water in terms of price/ratio and that is the Hydrasynth. That's the one I would get if I was buying a new synth. I don't believe in buying vintage at those prices either. Not unless you have a strong nostalgia attached to a particular synth. They are now all replicated in software more than good enough.

[@michaelvollmers9723]

Total klasse 😊

[@EspenKraft]

Thanks!

[@jtrace-444]

BRAVO 👏👏!!! 🍺🍕

[@JohnHallberg-v4o]

I would like to have a polybrute 12 in my Ipad is it possible some kind of software. Tack Espen.

[@EspenKraft]

I have no idea.

[@wolfgangwiesinger9502]

Hi. So if i got this right, with the suboscillator this synth could play 3 oscillators simultaneously , how many voices manage this famous synth then?

[@EspenKraft]

The voice count will always be 6 voices.

[@xnonsuchx]

Now explain DX-7 programming in under 25m. ;-)

[@EspenKraft]

The basics are easily explained in that time, with minute left to spare too. Doing it on the DX7 itself requires muscle memory to do it fast, but with that it's actually not very hard at all.

[@markkusmierz3756]

How similar is the Juno 106 to the Juno 2?

[@EspenKraft]

Except for a self-oscillating filter, the Alpha Juno can do everything the Juno-106 can and a lot more. And it can sound dead on close. Almost 100%. Of the two the Alpha is the most versatile by far. The Juno-106 has the better tactile experience though.

[@markkusmierz3756]

@@EspenKraft Thank you for explaining the differences.

[@UrryKurtz]

I couldn't find resonance on my synth ;))) Korg y u no have rsnc? ;(

[@EspenKraft]

Not all synths features resonance in their signal path unfortunately.

[@RayyMusik]

I don‘t know any synth without resonance. Sometimes it‘s just called differently, e.g. ‘emphasis‘ on vintage Moogs.

[@UrryKurtz]

@@RayyMusik there are some digital ones.

[@EspenKraft]

Many of Korg's synths in the early 90s lack resonant filters. Like the Wavestation.

[@rolandsolomon7728]

​@@EspenKraftA Kawai K1 doesn't have one either.

[@hermask815]

As of 2024, should it be allowed to produce a subtractive synth without PWM ? 😊

[@EspenKraft]

Absolutely.

[@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx]

Behringer missed an opportunity when they produced a Korg MS20 remake which still didn't include PWM.

[@hermask815]

@@RebeccaTurner-ny1xx a. although they can stay true to the original, any remake of a vintage machine can add better MIDI, better arp, more waveforms. b. Nick Batt of sonicstate is ridiculed for mentioning missing PWM in current synths, i think he's completely right for putting his finger in the wound.

[@DrUmSensitive]

How to expressively use the pitch and mod wheels, as well as expression pedals and stuff like breath controllers...

[@EspenKraft]

That's more of a performer thing and not within the topic of this video here.

[@DrUmSensitive]

@@EspenKraft ...I wrote that as an idea for a next video, of course.

[@JohnHallberg-v4o]

I sold my 106 to my friend 1996 for. 3500kr. Atmos psytrance .

[@chloedevereaux1801]

all of the sounds are coming from the 106........ errrm except for the drums and the effects.....

[@EspenKraft]

I say so in the pinned comment as well.

[@chloedevereaux1801]

why is this video A.I!!!!! you haven't blinked once and your body and head movements are all kinds of wrong.....