DECEMBER 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM DECEMBER 2011 ISSUE MMUSICMAG.COM GEAR Minimoog, you can turn the filter knob very is a fascinating type of slowly and hear the sound change organically synthesis that lets you and smoothly. But with early digital synths, if take small pieces of an you turned a filter or slider slowly you’d hear audio waveform and a “zipper effect”—audible stepping from one manipulate them. You digital value to another. Fortunately, synthesizer can effectively speed makers have become much more familiar with up and slow down digital, so digital synths are smoother than bits of sound with a they used to be. very interesting effect. I also came out with What synths do you use? MorphWiz, which lets With Dream Theater I rely most on sampling. you trigger notes on Joe Keiser Jordan Rudess I’m called upon to recreate many types of the touch screen and existing sounds, like strings, brass, choirs then bend the pitches and such. The instrument I use onstage is Why are subtractive synths important? of each note individually. On almost every the Korg Kronos, which has a lot of different Understanding what a low-pass filter is can hardware keyboard synthesizer, when you play types of synthesis built into it. I’m able to play help you shape the sounds you want. If you a chord and move the pitch, you end up moving the samples I need, and then modify them have the sound of a piano, for example, and the entire event—all the notes that you played. with parameters of various types of synthesis. your cutoff filter is open all the way, you hear But with MorphWiz, you have more control. its full harmonic content. If you lower the filter, it What are some others you like? starts to dampen the harmonics of the sound, Who pioneered the use of synths? The MOTIF series from Yamaha is very so the more you turn it on, the less you hear. When I was getting into synthesizers, Morton popular. Roland offers the Fantom series and If you close it all the way, the sound vanishes. Subotnick really influenced me with his the V-Synth, which was an amazing instrument It’s important to learn about ADSR, which album Touch [1969]. Around that same time, when it came out. If you’re someone who likes stands for “Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release.” I discovered [Isao] Tomita, who did beautiful to explore sound, the V-Synth really pushes Changing the attack of a sound, for example, things with synthesizers. He did an entire album the boundaries. of Debussy [Snowflakes Are Dancing, 1974] and How did you learn to ‘Some say you can’t make was a real master. From use synths? more of a keyboardist I started on the Minimoog, music with a computer. I believe perspective, Keith so I have a definite love of Emerson, Rick Wakeman good subtractive synths. I music can be made in any way.’ and Patrick Moraz were learned to turn knobs and –Jordan Rudess huge. They captured a hear how they affected moment and did amazing the sound. Without any things with technology that technical knowledge, I was able to understand alters how aggressively and quickly it enters pushed music forward. Moraz, for example, Dream Theater’s Jordan Rudess lets you in on the what every combination of settings did. It was the acoustical environment—and that changes took the idea of bending pitch on a synthesizer only years later, when I started working as a the whole character of what you’re playing. and brought it into the rock world. That was a secrets to making your synthesizer sounds soar synthesizer product specialist, that I started big change. Jan Hammer and George Duke to fill in the blanks. “So that’s what envelope What are some of the iPhone synths were also masters of bending pitch and using synthesizers in a very musical, expressive way. If you’ve listened to pop music created since Yorker has recorded with David Bowie, which create basic sonic waveforms, and types and modulation cutoff mean!” Before that, you’ve created? the 1960s, there’s little doubt you’ve heard Steven Wilson, Vinnie Moore and Dream of filters that take away harmonics from the they were just funny words underneath knobs. One is called SampleWiz, which is basically a Who’s doing cutting-edge work now? synthesizers at work. Innovators have been Theater offshoot Liquid Tension Experiment. sound. Other techniques like additive synthesis sampler. It also uses granular synthesis, which Today there’s an incredible movement with trying since the 1800s to create devices to He also created the Jordan Rudess Online get very interesting because you can create How can aspiring users electronic music. Aphex Twin changed things replicate sounds otherwise unavailable to the Conservatory and founded Wizdom Music, very realistic or completely unrealistic sounds learn more? with the song “Bucephalus Bouncing Ball” layman, but it was only in the last four decades which creates popular software synthesizer with multiple sine waves, and then have access They should go back and [1997], which makes great use of musical that the synthesizer became thought of as programs for the iPhone and iPad. to all of the sound’s harmonics. One great experience an analog, subtractive “stutters” that speed up and slow down very an instrument in its own right. With today’s additive synthesizer is Camel Audio’s Alchemy. synthesizer. It’s a perfect way to expressively during the track. I’m also a fan technology, synthesizers—digital and analog, What is a synthesizer? Working on it feels like you’re playing with get into it. Even if you can’t afford of Murcof, who has such a beautiful way of software and hardware—offer nearly limitless It’s an electronic instrument—which can be Mother Nature. Other more complex types a hardware subtractive synth like a working with electronic sounds. Autechre options when it comes to creating sounds hardware or software, with a keyboard attached of synthesis include frequency modulation Minimoog, there are lots of cheap is another awesome electronic group. They and textures. But how to best harness their or without one—that’s capable of creating and and physical modeling, which is very math- or free software synthesizers sculpt their music like architects, every sound complexity and power for your own purposes? shaping sound in different ways. Synthesis is intensive. online, or on the iPhone or iPad. is so well crafted and measured. Some say For answers, we turned to Juilliard- such a deep and interesting world because One amazing subtractive synth you can’t make music if you don’t play piano trained synthesizer wizard Jordan Rudess. there are many different types of synthesis and What’s the difference between digital is called TempoRubato NLog. or violin—“If you use a computer, it’s not real!” Rudess has for the last dozen years served they each create such unique results. and analog? Beyond that, it’s important to I believe music can be made in any way, and as keyboardist for prog-metal band Dream On a very basic level, analog is naturally more seek an education on synthesis. Autechre is evidence of that. What they’re Theater, and co-wrote eight of the nine songs What’s the most basic type? continuous when it comes to sound—because Things have gotten so deep with crafting is so musical and expressive in its on the group’s new album A Dramatic Turn Subtractive synthesis was used in famous digital synths use ones and zeros, and analog audio technology that each type own way. of Events. In addition to releasing a dozen older instruments like the ARP 2600 [1971] synthesizers use completely different circuitry. of synthesis is a course of study Alejandro Vidal/Courtesy of Leaf Alejandro Vidal/Courtesy —Michael Gallant solo albums, the 55-year-old native New and Minimoog [1970]. It involves oscillators, When you play older analog synths like the unto itself. Murcof 54 55 M8-Vol2-Mag-beta19.indd 54 1/13/12 3:52 AM M8-Vol2-Mag-beta19.indd 55 1/13/12 3:52 AM.