Synopses & Reviews
Cakewalk synthesizers are some of the most powerful and widely used synthesizers. Now in its second edition, Cakewalk Synthesizers: From Presets to Power User is the comprehensive resource to help users harness the power of these amazing tools and show you how to get the best results from Cakewalk's complete range of synthesizers. The book begins by diving into the general principles of synthesis and sound creation-covering, among other topics, oscillators, different synthesis methods, filters, envelopes, LFOs, and effects-and then moves on to look at how to make your own sounds, which can be used in your own productions. Separate chapters focus on each synthesizer, looking at its range of uses, the tools that are available, and how to set it up for day-to-day use. The chapters cover Triangle II, PSYN II, Pentagon I, Z3TA+, Session Drummer 2 and Session Drummer 3, Dimension LE and Dimension Pro, Rapture LE and Rapture, and Beatscape, and in the (free) accompanying download package, the chapters cover sfz and sfz+, Cyclone, RXP, DropZone, Square I, DreamStation, Roland GrooveSynth, and TTS-1. In addition, there is a revised and expanded section dedicated to the SFZ format, Cakewalk's powerful sample format (which has also been adopted by other leading synthesizer developers), and undocumented features in the synthesizers are also highlighted. Chances are you won't have every synthesizer covered in this book. That?s okay, because the book has something for everyone, whether you own all the synths or only use the free Cakewalk synthesizers. It's also useful if you want to learn about synthesis. Simply put, this is the ultimate guide to learning about synthesizer programming and to understanding and using all of Cakewalk's synthesizers!
Synopsis
Cakewalk's software synthesizers are some of the most powerful and most widely used in the market. Until now, there hasn't been one comprehensive resource to help users harness the power of all of these amazing tools. Cakewalk Synthesizers: From Presets to Power User will show you how to operate and get the best results from Cakewalk's complete range of synths, from those that are bundled with Cakewalk's main products (including SONAR, Project5, and Kinetic), to the rgc:audio synthesizers (such as Z3TA+), to Cakewalk's newest synthesizers, including Dimension Pro and Rapture. The book begins by diving into the general theories about synthesis and creating sounds with the featured synthesizers. From there, the chapters focus on each distinct synthesizer, its range of uses, the tools that are available with it, and how to set it up for day-to-day use. In addition to looking at all of the different synthesizers and how to use them in your productions, the book also discusses filters, envelopes, effects, the sfz format, how to make sounds and create patches, and much, much more. Also included with the book is an interview with the creator of many of the synthesizers, as well as sound design master classes from several leading synthesizer programmers. Chances are, you won't have every synthesizer covered in this book. That's okay, because this book has something for everyone, whether you own all the synths covered or you only use the ones that come with your host program. It's also useful if you just want to learn about synthesis. Simply put, this is the ultimate guide to learning about synthesizer programming and to understanding and using all of Cakewalk's synthesizers!
About the Author
Simon Cann is a writer based in London. He is the author of a number of music-related and business-related books. His music related books include How to Make a Noise, Becoming a Synthesizer Wizard: From Presets to Power User, Building a Successful 21st Century Music Career, Sample This! (with Klaus P. Rausch), Project5 Power!, and Rocking Your Music Business. His business-related books include the Made It In... series of books (madeitin.com), which feature the experiences of international entrepreneurs who have built successful companies in the hottest business locations around the world. You can read more about Simon at his website, simoncann.com, and check out his other music-related books at his Noise Sculpture website, noisesculpture.com.
Table of Contents
'Introduction Chapter 1: Introducing the Synthesizers; Chapter 2: Getting a Grip on Synthesizer Programming; Chapter 3: Intermediate and Advanced Synthesis Techniques; Chapter 4: Triangle II; Chapter 5: PSYN II Virtual Analog Synthesizer; Chapter 6: Pentagon I Performance Oriented Synthesizer; Chapter 7: Session Drummer 2; Chapter 8: Expression Engine Synthesizers: Common Functionality; Chapter 9: Z3TA+ Waveshaping Synthesizer; Chapter 10: Dimension and Dimension Pro Sampling Synthesizer; Chapter 11: Rapture Wavetable Synthesizer; Chapter 12: The sfz Format; Chapter 13: Beatscape; Chapter 14: Possible New Synthesizer; Appendix A: The sfz Format Opcode Listing; Appendix B: The Downloads;\n
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