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Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming: The Ultimate Reference for Sound Design

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If you make any type of electronic music dance mixes, hip-hop, jazz fusion, country pop, film soundtracks, or experimental avant-garde Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming is the book for you. All too often, owner's manuals tell you what button to press, but fail to explain what's actually going on in the instrument or what it means musically and technically. This is the only book that gives you the big picture while at the same time providing you with insightful details. Even if you're just grabbing presets to play on the keyboard, you'll get to the music faster thanks to the tips in this book. And when you start editing the presets or designing your own sounds, Power Tools for Synthesizer Programming becomes an essential resource. Chapters on oscillators, filters, envelope generators, LFOs, effects, and digital audio reveal how to get the most out of your instruments. To supplement the text, dozens of new illustrations have been added, and more than 30 streaming online videos, narrated by the author, walk you through the operational details of numerous software instruments. If you've ever wanted to spend quality time with a synthesizer expert, you'll never have a better opportunity!

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2004

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About the author

Jim Aikin

29 books7 followers
Jim Aikin (born in 1948 as James Douglas Aikin) is an American science fiction writer based in California. He is also a music technology writer, an interactive fiction writer, freelance editor and writer, cellist, composer, and teacher. He has in the past written hundreds of articles for various music industry magazines, including Electronic Musician, Keyboard Magazine, and Mix. His modular analog synthesizer is close enough to his writing desk that he can reach out and touch it.

Aikin sold his first fiction story to Fantasy & Science Fiction where it appeared in the February 1981 issue.

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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
Profile Image for J.R..
165 reviews6 followers
April 11, 2011
Now that I can work the examples with my synth this book is very illuminating. I have to say that taking the time to do the examples with your own equipment is really worth it. Today I found myself saying "I don't get it" as I did one of the problems. A little research in my manuals showed me that I was missing a setting and basically having no effect at all. Hence the "can't hear it." Once I fixed that the example became very clear very fast.

Overall this book's value is covering the basics of programming analog synths. The cover mentions FM but it's only really glossed over. While I feel the author did a good job covering his subject, I think the editors should have tightened the writing a bit. That's not really a big deal in a technical book though.

I guess I'll have to find another book on FM programming.
Profile Image for Hlöðver Sigurðsson.
37 reviews3 followers
December 20, 2013
I was, without knowing it, over experienced for this book. So it was alot of basic stuff that was already very familiar to me. But none the less, very good book for any beginner in electronic music.
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