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Additive Synthesis

In this window you can generate new sounds using a noise generator together with additive sound synthesis generators. You may up to 6 generators to build your sound. For each generator you can paint curves for envelope, panpot and pitch. The output of all generators is mixed together to make the final sound.

The toolbar buttons have the following meaning (from left to right):

Near the top of the window you find some checkboxes. The first 4 (Harmonics, Envelope, Panpot and Pitch) switch on and off the corresponding paint areas. This is useful for painting on a small screen. The last one labeld Noise turns the first generator into a noise generator when checked.

Noise generator

In the left paint area labeled noise filter you can paint the cut off frequency of the noise generator. The slider labeled Midi Key is ignored in the noise mode.

Sound generator

In sound generator mode the left paint area is labeled harmonics. You can paint the volumes for each harmonic. Note that the 10 leftmost harmonics determine much of the final sound (you have to make the window big to paint these). Harmonics with even numbers sound warmer than harmonics with odd numbers. Most sounds will only have a few harmonics with high volume and especially harmonics with high numbers will have low volume. In this mode the midi key is the base frequency from which the harmonics are calculated.

working with multiple generators

With the slider labeled Number of Synths you can use up to 6 generators simultanously. Only the first one may be a noise generator, all others will be in additive synthesis mode. There is much room for experimenting with multiple generators, e.g you can do some kind of morphing / crossfading with the envelope painters, or get some chorus like effects when detuning the oscillators a little bit in the pitch painter.

After you have made some sound make sure to add some reverb or chorus.