Additive Synthesis Concepts

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Author:

Ed Doering

Subject:

Science and Technology

Institution Name:

Connexions

Collection:

Connexions

Grade Level:

Post-secondary

Abstract:

Additive synthesis creates complex sounds by adding together individual sinusoidal signals called partials. A partial's frequency and amplitude are each time-varying functions, so a partial is a more flexible version of the harmonic associated with a Fourier series decomposition of a periodic waveform. In this module you will learn about partials, how to model the timbre of natural instruments, various sources of control information for partials, and how to make a sinusoidal oscillator with an instantaneous frequency that varies with time.

Course Type:

Learning Module

Languages:

English

Material Type:

Activities and Labs, Readings

Media Format:

Graphics/Photos, Text/HTML, Downloadable docs, Video

Conditions of Use:

Creative Commons Attribution 2.0