Learn sound with examples.

Attack, Decay, Sustain, Release - the four stages of a volume envelope.

Building a sound by layering sine waves. The opposite of subtractive synthesis.

Inharmonic distortion artefacts caused by a sample rate too low to represent a frequency.

The height of a wave - how far air pressure swings from normal. Higher amplitude = louder.

Playing the notes of a chord one at a time in sequence. An arpeggiator automates this at a set rate.

Time for a sound to rise from silence to peak after a note triggers. Short = punchy; long = slow fade-in.

Bits used per audio sample. Lower bit depth = coarser values = quantisation noise and grit.

Effect that reduces bit depth and sample rate for a lo-fi, crunchy texture.

Beats per minute - the tempo. 120 BPM is a common dance tempo.

In FM synthesis, the oscillator whose pitch you hear. Its frequency is altered by the modulator.

When a signal exceeds its maximum level and gets cut flat. Hard clipping is harsh; soft clipping is warm.

Automatically reduces loud parts relative to quiet ones, tightening dynamic range.

Where a filter starts cutting. Lower = darker; higher = brighter.

Unit for loudness. A logarithmic scale - +10 dB sounds roughly twice as loud.

Time for a sound to fall from peak to sustain level after the attack.

Records audio and plays it back after a set time, creating an echo. Feedback repeats it.

How hard a signal is pushed into a saturation stage. More drive = more harmonic grit.

When one sound dips in volume each time another plays. Driven by sidechain compression.

How a parameter changes over time in response to a note. See also: ADSR.

Routing a delay's output back to its input. High feedback = long repeating tail.

Removes or reduces frequency ranges. Low-pass keeps bass; high-pass keeps treble; band-pass lets a slice through.

Using one oscillator to rapidly vary another's pitch, creating complex metallic timbres.

Vibrations per second (Hz). Higher = higher pitch. Concert A = 440 Hz.

The lowest, dominant frequency in a sound - what we perceive as its pitch.

A tiny audio fragment (10–200 ms) used as the building block of granular synthesis.

Layering many tiny audio grains to create textures from smooth clouds to glitchy stutters.

A frequency that is a whole-number multiple of the fundamental. Their mix determines timbre.

Unit of frequency - cycles per second. Humans hear ~20 Hz to 20,000 Hz.

Distance in pitch between two notes. A semitone is the smallest; an octave is 12 semitones.

Low Frequency Oscillator - runs below audible range to periodically vary other parameters.

A compressor with a very high ratio - a hard ceiling the signal cannot exceed.

Passes low frequencies, cuts high ones above the cutoff. The most common filter in synthesis.

A 7-note scale with a bright, stable quality. C major uses only the white piano keys.

A 7-note scale with a darker, more tense quality than the major scale.

Varying a parameter over time using an LFO or envelope. Pitch → vibrato; volume → tremolo.

In FM, how far the modulator pushes the carrier's frequency. High index = complex tones.

In FM synthesis, the oscillator that modifies the carrier's frequency rather than being heard directly.

A doubling of frequency. A4 = 440 Hz; one octave up = 880 Hz.

One oscillator unit in an FM synth, acting as either carrier or modulator.

Repeats a waveform at a set frequency - the core sound source in a synthesiser.

Any harmonic above the fundamental. Overtones give instruments their distinctive character.

Positioning a sound left or right in the stereo field.

A 5-note scale where all notes feel consonant together. Hard to play a wrong note.

Perceived highness or lowness of a sound, determined by its frequency.

Two rhythms with different cycle lengths running at the same time, creating complex grooves.

Short gap before reverb begins - simulates time for sound to reach the walls.

Rounding samples to the nearest bit value. Low bit depth = coarse rounding = audible noise.

How much a compressor reduces signal above the threshold. 4:1 means 4 dB in → 1 dB out.

Time for a sound to fade to silence after a note is released.

Boost at the filter cutoff - creates a peak or ringing quality. Also called Q.

Simulation of sound bouncing in a space. Adds depth and size.

Samples captured per second. CD = 44,100 Hz. Lower rates cut highs and add aliasing.

Gentle clipping that adds harmonic warmth. Modelled on driven tape and valves.

Ramp-shaped waveform rich in harmonics - bright and buzzy. Ideal for leads and bass.

A defined set of notes that form the harmonic vocabulary for a piece of music.

The smallest interval in Western music - one piano key, one guitar fret. 12 per octave.

Using one signal to control the compression of another - the classic kick-ducking-bass technique.

The purest waveform - a single frequency, no harmonics. All other waves are combinations of sines.

Alternates sharply between two values - hollow, nasal tone. Contains only odd harmonics.

Starting with a harmonically rich waveform and filtering frequencies out - the analogue synthesis paradigm.

The level held while a note is held down, after attack and decay. A level, not a time.

Level above which a compressor acts. Below it: signal passes unchanged.

The tonal colour of a sound - what makes a violin sound different from a flute at the same pitch.

LFO modulating volume to create a wavering loudness effect.

Zigzag waveform - softer than square, with only odd harmonics at low amplitude.

LFO modulating pitch for a slight wobble - used expressively in singing and strings.

Perceived loudness - related to amplitude, but shaped by how our ears weight frequencies.

The shape of a repeating wave. Determines harmonic content and tonal character.

Balance between processed (wet) and original (dry) signal. Blend for taste.