User Guide

5
II. THE BASICS OF ANALOG SYNTHESIS
For those getting started in the world of electronic music, let’s take a few moments to go
through the basics of sound and synthesis. This will help you understand what the front panel
controls do.
In order to understand synthesis, one must have a basic working knowledge of the
characteristics of sound. There are a few key terms that cover the basics:
Sound – audible vibrations of air pressure. Electronic sounds are delivered to the air through
loudspeakers. (figure 2)
Frequency– The rate of vibration in sound measured in Hertz (Hz or cycles/second) (figure 3).
Our ears can hear from 20 to 20,000 Hz. Frequency corresponds to the musical term, pitch. A
low frequency corresponds to a low-pitched sound such as a bass; a high frequency sound
corresponds to a high pitched sound such as a piccolo. In music, a change in pitch of one
octave higher equals a doubling of the frequency.