A MIDI keyboard glowing electric blue with lit pads and knobs

CH 01 · Course

“I only ever scroll presets, and I cannot make the sound in my head.”

The course that answers it

Synth Voices: Sound Design from an Init Patch

52 lessons · 13 h · 7 units · 24 months of access

What it is

Oscillators, filters, envelopes and modulation, built up one parameter at a time until a patch comes out of your hands instead of a menu.

What is inside

  1. 01Every lesson starts from an empty patch and ends with a finished sound
  2. 02Bass, lead, pad, pluck and effects patches, each rebuilt in a free and a paid synth
  3. 03A listening guide: how to tell what a sound is doing before you touch a knob
  4. 04A patch notebook template you fill in on screen

The units, in order

Running time is how long the video lasts by the end of each unit, at about 15 minutes a lesson.

  1. Unit 01 · lessons 1–6

    What a synth is actually doing

    6 lessons · 1 h 30 min

    Running total 1 h 30 min

  2. Unit 02 · lessons 7–13

    Oscillators and waveforms

    7 lessons · 1 h 45 min

    Running total 3 h 15 min

  3. Unit 03 · lessons 14–21

    Filters and resonance

    8 lessons · 2 h

    Running total 5 h 15 min

  4. Unit 04 · lessons 22–29

    Envelopes and shape

    8 lessons · 2 h

    Running total 7 h 15 min

  5. Unit 05 · lessons 30–38

    Modulation and movement

    9 lessons · 2 h 15 min

    Running total 9 h 30 min

  6. Unit 06 · lessons 39–46

    Layering and effects

    8 lessons · 2 h

    Running total 11 h 30 min

  7. Unit 07 · lessons 47–52

    Rebuilding a sound you admire

    6 lessons · 1 h 30 min

    Running total 13 h

By the end you will be able to…

  1. Build a bass, a lead and a pad from scratch in under ten minutes each
  2. Use an envelope and an LFO to make a sound move without overdoing it
  3. Take apart a sound you like and rebuild something close to it

Is it for you?

Who this suits

  • Producers who rely on presets, and keyboard players moving into electronic music.
  • You are happy to learn by watching, pausing and trying things in your own software or equipment.
  • You can give it about 3 hours a week, which is roughly 5 weeks of video, before time spent practising.

Who should wait

  • You want a teacher to answer questions or mark your work. The course is recorded: there is no tutor and nothing is marked.
  • You need a certificate or an accreditation. None is issued.
  • You want files to keep. Lessons are streamed only and cannot be downloaded; access lasts 24 months.
  • You already finish tracks and your problem is how they sound. The shelf called Making it sound right is a better place to begin.

Pairs with

Questions about this course

How much time should I set aside?

There are 52 lessons in 7 units, 13 h of video in all. At the suggested 3 hours a week that is about 5 weeks of watching. The time you spend trying things yourself comes on top, and you can go faster or slower.

How does access work, and can I download the lessons?

You watch online, streamed through your browser. The lessons cannot be downloaded. Access lasts 24 months, and your access details arrive by email within one working day of payment. If they do not, tell us in the chat and we will look into it.

Will anyone check my work?

No. This is a recorded course: there is no tutor and nothing is marked. End-of-unit prompts are answered on screen for your own benefit. If you want to know whether the course covers something before you buy, ask in the chat or use the contact page.