Now you can enjoy SYNTH GEMS 1 as an ebook – right here on your screen, whether on your phone, tablet or computer – as long as you have an internet connection. Sign up for our Core membership where you get access to SYNTH GEMS 1 and six other titles.
Since its beginnings in 1972, Roland has become one of the most influential music brands in modern history. In 400 photo-packed pages, this book tells the story of how they got there, and how they brought the music world along for the ride.
Get creative and inspired from 200+ tips and ideas and creator interviews. Learn about all the different effects types, what to get for your type of music, and how to get the most of what you already have.
Choose your path and start your journey! The Patch & Twek Club has something for everyone. Join the Core Membership to get all seven ebooks – 2000+ pages(!) or go Pro to unlock deep-dive articles, interviews, podcast episodes (coming soon), short documentaries, and more. Discover, learn, and get inspired – wherever you are in your synth journey.
Choosing your first Eurorack filter can feel overwhelming, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide breaks down what filters do, how to understand terms like slope and topology, and offers beginner-friendly module suggestions to help you shape your sound and build your ideal modular rig.
Choosing the right patch cables is crucial for performance, portability, and reliability in modular synths. Learn what to look for in plugs, jackets, lengths, and materials — and how the right cable choices can make patching faster, cleaner, and more creative.
Choosing the right utility mixers is key to unlocking creativity in modular synth patches. Learn why mixers matter, the difference between audio and CV mixing, and discover pro tips for bending the rules to create new sounds from your existing modules.
Modular synthesis offers endless flexibility, but documenting patches can be tricky—especially when switching modules. A clear symbol system streamlines this process, using abstract icons and lines to represent functions and connections, making patches easier to share, understand, and recreate.
Dive into the world of PATCH & TWEAK with 50 hands-on patches from the book available to download and explore in the free VCV Rack software.
PATCH & TWEAK introduces a fresh, symbol-based system for documenting modular synth patches. It's free to use under Creative Commons – download it and start sharing your own patches with a clear, unified visual language.
Random voltage generators bring organic variation to synth patches. Learn how smooth, stepped, and trigger-based randomness can add life, unpredictability, and evolving textures to your sounds.
LFOs bring movement to synthesis by modulating parameters like filter cutoff and pulse width. Learn about waveform types, sync, delay, and how to shape modulation for evolving, expressive sounds.
Envelope generators shape how a sound evolves over time – from percussive hits to swelling textures. Learn the basics of AD, ADSR, and looping envelopes, and how they control amplitude, filters, and timbre in a synthesizer.
Waveshaping alters the harmonic makeup of a waveform to create new timbres. Learn how techniques like saturation, rectification, and wavefolding shape sound, and how modulating these parameters brings movement and complexity.
Filter resonance – also called Q or emphasis – boosts harmonics near the cutoff point, creating vowel-like tones and dramatic peaks. Learn how resonance shapes sound and brings filters to life in expressive, musical ways.
A filter’s slope determines how steeply it removes harmonics beyond the cutoff point. Learn how 1-, 2-, 4-, and even 8-pole filters shape sound with increasing intensity – from subtle roll-offs to dramatic tonal sculpting.
Filters shape sound by removing or reducing harmonics. Learn how low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and notch filters work – and how adjusting the cutoff frequency creates dramatic changes in tone and texture.
Noise in synthesis comes in many "colors" – from white and pink to blue, brown, and beyond – each with unique frequency content. Discover how different noise types sound and why no two noise modules sound exactly the same.
Explore how different oscillator waveforms – like sawtooth, pulse, triangle, and sine – affect the harmonic content and character of a sound.
Discover the core concepts of pitch and volume in this first installment of our Basic Concepts series. Learn how oscillators, frequency, amplitude, and voltage shape the sound in a synthesizer.