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Synthesizer Fundamentals:Snare Drum

Analog synthesizers have regained some degree of popularity in recent years, as electronic dance music has become more widespread and successful. Although analog technology has become replaced by cheaper digital modeling technology with more features, the goal of VA (virtual analog) synthesis is to be able to recreate the warmth and nuances of the highly variable analog circuits of yesteryear. The ability of digital components to accurately model is the subject of great debate and beyond the scope of this article, but a general consensus is maintained that they are becoming more and more difficult to tell the difference between.

With that in mind, the assumptions that this article works under include the following: That you possess an analog or virtual analog synthesizer with at least one oscillator (VCO), a low pass filter with resonance (LPF) and key tracking (also called key follow on some models), one or more standard ADSR-type envelope generators (EG) that can be routed to affect amplitude, filter cutoff frequency, and preferably pitch, and a white noise source. Even with such a relatively limited palate of sound-sculpting tools, a large number of exciting sounds can be achieved.

Furthermore, these articles will make the following assumptions about the default settings (an initialized patch, if you will) of your synth in the interest of consistency. First, the oscillator footage (or octave) should be an intermediate setting (16' or 8'). The filter should be wide open (all the way up so as to let all sound pass through unaffected) with no resonance. The envelope(s) should have zero attack, decay, and relase with %100 sustain. With these parameters adjusted to the preceding values, most basic synth sounds can be easily realized.

In this article we will examine classic analog percussion sounds similar to the drum machines and synths of the 80's through modern techno and house music. Let's start with a basic snare-type sound. Use a relatively mellow waveform such as a triangle wave, blended with however much white noise is appropriate to your ears. The key here is to find a good ratio between the sound of the shell of a snare drum (the oscillator) and the crack of the "drum head," which is approximated with noise. Keep the filter open for now. Set the amp envelope to have zero attack and sustain and quick decay (a third or less) with a little bit of release. These parameters can be adjusted, depending on whether you are going for a more or less realistic sound.

This should put you comfortably within the realm of the classic Roland drum machines of the 80's, which used ringing oscillators excited by a noise source to achieve their classic sound. For a more Kraftwerk-esque thwipp-type snare, use the filter in conjuntion with an envelope with similar parameters to the amplifier EG. Set the filter cutoff frequency fairly low with resonance to taste (try at every setting, but watch your speakers and ears at high resonance settings!). Use a healthy amount of envelope modulation to keep the transient bright, with a more muted decay. Now you can make some sweet synth-pop snares.

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