Even though all music-making is now firmly ensconced in the digital world, many modern hardware and software synthesisers use the principles of analogue synthesis to create their sounds, even if all their workings are digital. This is because it’s (relatively) easy to understand – certainly compared to digital synthesis! Furthermore, once you understand the basics of analogue synthesis, you can have a good stab at programming any analogue synth.

This is one of four books in the Quick Guide series about various aspects of modern music creation and production.

Product	Quick Guide To Analogue Synthesis
From	PC Publishing UK
	Covers all the basics in well-illustrated detail
	We wanted more

Each topic is described in detail with many helpful diagrams. If only all synth manuals contained such information, the synths would be far easier to understand and program!

After describing the main synth modules, the second part of the book explains how they are connected together and how the controls affect the sound. It’s probably a good idea to set up the Basic Synth Patch described in the book and adjust the controls on your synth so you can hear the effect of the various modules

The latter part of the book describes more advanced modules although most of them will be standard in most modern synths. They include linear and logarithmic controls, an inverter, envelope follower, sub oscillators, ring modulators, and a sample and hold module.

Patches to create a range of sounds are included and you are encouraged to create your own and experiment with the controls on the modules.

The book, as it says, is a Quick Guide but it explains the essentials so well one can’t help but want more. If you have a soft or hard synth and want to understand what the modules are and how they work together to create sounds, this book will get you off to a flying start.

The author’s site can be found at www.making-music.com