Learn Analog and Digital Synthesis With This Video From 1985

In this nostalgic 2-hour instructional video from 1985, we learn the secrets of analog and digital synthesis from narrator Steve DiFuria, opening our eyes to the wonders of synthesizers from the perspective of the mid 80s.

From the video’s description:

Valuable insights are offered into stage and studio performance techniques which are applied to a variety of makes and models so that you will derive benefit from this video no matter what kind of equipment you have. A 130-page manual is included, making this a complete course on electronic keyboards.

Lesson I

• 7:26 3 Parameters of Sound
• 11:43 Loudness
• 16:29 Pitch
• 17:28 Timbre
• 20:32 Review

22:20 Lesson II Making WAVES

• 22:54 3 instrument functions
• 25:25 Sources
• 28:22 Oscillator Frequency
• 31:37 33:22 Modifiers
• 32:07 Amplifiers
• 33:35 35:17 Filters
• 36:08 42:36 Filter Cutoff
• 36:59 Filter Resonance
• 39:20 LPF
• 39:41 HPF
• 40:10 BPF
• 40:37 Notch
• 41:02 SUMMARY

41:38 Lesson III The Sound Designer’s ToolKit

• 45:00 Controllers
• 45:45 49:07 1:35:33 ADSR Envelope control
• 52:45 ADSR Envelope Modulation
• 54:08 LFO control **
• 58:21 Mod Wheel & Pitch Bend
• 1:03:02 3 Secrets to Innovative Sound
• 1:03:41 4 categories for Overall Spectrum
• 1:05:43 2 types of Timbre Envelopes
• 1:09:41 Create Brass Instrument
• 1:11:42 Create Wind Instrument
• 1:14:05 Create String Instrument

Lesson IV Synth & Editing Techniques

• 1:18:07 Roland DEMO
• 1:20:25 Sequential Circuits DEMO
• 1:22:39 1:25:43 Oberheim DEMO
• 1:24:00 Moog DEMO
• 1:24:43 Fender DEMO
• 1:26:44 KORG DEMO
• 1:27:22 Casio DEMO
• 1:28:42 Editing Presets

1:32:53 Lesson V Digital FM Synthesis
{Reason’s THOR; FruityLoop’s SYTRUS; Ableton’s OPERATOR}

• 1:46:50 Carrier
• 1:47:36 Modulator
• 1:49:08 FM Ratio Tuning Rules
• 1:52:52 DEMO
• 1:54:58 Simple Algorhythims
• 1:57:56 Complex Algorhythims

Despite the fact that this video was released over 30 years ago, there is still a lot that can be learned from this 2 hour lesson. Not much has changed in the world of synthesizers!

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