Additive synthesis

Why subtract when you can add? Mark Cousins explores the harmonic complexities and resynthesised delights of sound in the additive universe…

Additive synthesis might not invoke the same ‘warm glow’ that subtractive synthesis can, but beneath this often complex form of sound creation lie important concepts underpinning the nature of sound. Unlike subtractive synthesis (which utilises harmonically rich waveshapes and then subtracts partials to create the finished result), additive synthesis works from the ground up, assembling tens or hundreds of sine waves to form its eventual output.

This feature first appeared in Music Tech Magazine issue 35
Filed under Ten Minute Masters

/mtm/features/additive-synthesis

New users, please register here

Please enter your details below to set up your new account. Fields marked with a red asterisk * are required.

Your name
*First name:
*Last name:
Job title:
Company:

Account settings
*Email address:
	Please make sure your email address is correct, as we will send you an email with a link to activate your account.
*Username:
	Choose a username between 7 and 100 characters in length, without spaces or unusual characters. You may use your email address as your username, but note that it may appear in community areas of the site where others can see it.
*Password:
*Confirm password:
	Choose a password between 7 and 100 characters in length, without spaces.
	Remember me on this computer

Your address and contact info
Address 1:

Town or city:
County or state:
Postcode or ZIP:
Country:
Telephone:
Fax:
Website:

	By registering to use the Music Tech website you agree to allow us to contact you with our Music Tech email newsletters featuring news, competitions, exclusive content and special offers, as well as with communications from our carefully selected music technology retail and manufacturer partners. If you provide phone and post details we may contact you by those means as well with special offers relating specifically to Music Tech Magazine and our other publications. WE WILL NOT PASS YOUR DETAILS TO ANY THIRD PARTY. If at any time you wish to stop receiving our email newsletter, simply follow the Unsubscribe instruction on our newsletter. Contact us by email of post if you wish your post or phone details to be removed from our database.

MTM 86	10MM 174 - EQ Types From parametric equalisers through to shelving and phase-linear designs, EQ comes in a variety of different shapes and sizes. Mark Cousins finds the right frequency.	MTM 86	10MM 173 - Surround Sound Most DAWs are capable of producing surround sound, but can we deliver it to the customer? Grant Bridgeman investigates the issues of encoding sound for DVD.
MTM 85	10MM 172 - Mid-side mastering M/S processing has been an integral part of mastering since the early days of stereo recording. Mark Cousins sums up the differences.	MTM 85	10MM 171 - Loudness Explored How ‘loud’ a track is mastered is crucial – but what does the term really mean and how do we perceive it? Grant Bridgeman turns it up.
MTM 84	10MM 172 - Understanding MIDI messages It might be almost 30 years old, but MIDI is still a cornerstone of contemporary music-making. Mark Cousins takes a closer look.	MTM 84	10MM 171 - Acoustic Treatment The sound of your room could be ruining your recordings and mixes – but acoustic treatment can help neutralise the problem. Grant Bridgeman gets treated.
MTM 83	10MM 170 - Stem Mixing The use of stems has revolutionised the mixing process, both in the music industry and for film/TV work. Mark Cousins branches out.	MTM 83	10MM 169 - UPS Systems Safeguarding your hardware and recordings from power failure could be a worthwhile consideration. Grant Bridgeman explores the protection

Sign in to download this article

New users, please register here

See also...

Menu