What makes synths different from others?
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  1. #1
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    Default What makes synths different from others?

    I know this sounds like a Noob question but I'm just looking for a detailed answer to the question. All synths have Oscillators, filters and Adsr envelopes. In theory a saw wave is a saw wave. All things being equal between some synths, what really makes them unique? Now I know a synth like razor does have some different kinds of oscillators but I'm hoping someone can explain what would separate a saw wave of one synth from the saw wave of another.

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    Tech Guru botstein's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by rdej47 View Post
    I know this sounds like a Noob question but I'm just looking for a detailed answer to the question. All synths have Oscillators, filters and Adsr envelopes. In theory a saw wave is a saw wave. All things being equal between some synths, what really makes them unique? Now I know a synth like razor does have some different kinds of oscillators but I'm hoping someone can explain what would separate a saw wave of one synth from the saw wave of another.
    Not all synths have filters and envelope generators. It's probably advisable to have these in subtractive synths for most types of music.

    Razor is an additive synth, which works on the opposite principle of a subtractive synth like a Minimoog, but has a panel that evokes analog subtractive synths.

    Different oscillators, even of the same type (saw, etc) have different flavours because the circuit that produces them varies - this can even be true in software, especially if things were modelled in some particular way.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by rdej47 View Post
    In theory a saw wave is a saw wave.
    No, in theory a saw wave is a series of summed sine waves.
    In practice you can't acheive a perfect saw wave, which is why they can sound different.
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