In this video I demonstrate how to program nature sounds using synthesizers. I start with a sequence I programmed in the late 80’s and saved on a 5 1/4” floppy disk which perfectly retained all the data after more than 35 years. You’ll hear 8 tracks of various bugs, birds, frogs and owls playing back from the Synclavier’s internal multitrack recorder or sequencer. I chose the Synclavier because I preferred to use FM synthesis for these types of sounds. I can often get more transparent tones quicker with this type of synthesis. I did not employ other sound shaping tools available on the Synclavier such as resynthesis or sampling.
You can see how I “call up” the sounds from the internal recorder onto the keyboard so I can perform them for you in real time. The individual sounds are not complicated but many of them are multi-timbral which means they are comprised of more than one component or partial (which is the Synclavier’s way of describing a multi-timbral approach to sound design). A simple secret to making expressive sounds on a keyboard without velocity or after-touch control is to use delayed envelopes. By delaying the entrance of one partial you can control whether you hear it or not by playing short note lengths or long note lengths. It’s important to recognize that the way you play the keyboard is critical to how these envelopes express themselves. I do my best to think and play like a bird for this task. Since the sounds are synthesizer engine generated sounds and not samples, they will not get longer or shorter in length as you play up and down the keyboard.
To program the sounds you just need a basic sine wave with a little pitch modulation up or down and a touch of FM at very low octave ratios (modulation pitches at an octave, 2 octaves or sometimes 4 octaves below the pitch of the carrier sound). It adds vocal character and some realistic warble. I particularly like the super thin insect colors you can get with FM synthesis when you play in the high pitch range.
I hope you will experiment with applying these techniques to your melody and bass sounds too. Delayed envelopes are a particularly useful trick for creating multi-timbral sounds that are expressive and change over time without being too complex sounding all at once. It’s an important tool for creating unique sounds and soundscapes that set you apart from more common one dimensional sounds.
00:00 Intro
00:42 Types of synthesis available on the Synclavier (FM, resynthesis and sampling)
00:58 How to play nature sounds on the keyboard
01:25 How a nature sound is created using 2 partials and using delayed envelopes
02:49 Adding FM (frequency modulation) to add more nuance to the sound
03:15 “Think like a bird” using two different types of envelopes in each of the partials
04:31 Examples of different bugs, birds and frogs
05:14 Difference between analog and FM synthesis when making nature sounds
05:32 Anthony plays 8 tracks of nature sounds on the Synclavier Recorder (sequencer) and Summary about how to do this on your synth
Anthony's musical touch as both composer and performer is connected with some of the most influential creative minds over the last 40 years. He’s composed and conducted original orchestral scores for over 80 feature films including Young Guns, Internal Affairs, The Man From Elysian Fields, 15 Minutes and Planes, Trains & Automobiles, been commissioned by the Los Angeles Philharmonic for his symphonic work "In the Family Way", written over one thousand TV commercials in a myriad of musical styles, co-founded Levels Audio Post (LA's premiere post production facility) and performed and arranged on big-box-office films and influential hit records such as Michael Jackson's Thriller.
His extensive work as a young arranger, orchestrator and performer for Quincy Jones, Jack Nitzsche, Lamont Dozier, Arthur Rubenstein and Giorgio Moroder was vital in launching his own career. His early years pioneering modular analog synthesizers along with his wide-ranging music scholarship positioned Anthony at the center of the music technology revolution. He attended the University of Southern California School of Music as a piano and composition major.
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7 авг 2024
