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Comprehensive Exams > Synthesis > Flashcards

Synthesis Flashcards

1
Q

Aftertouch

A

Allows a player to modify a tone as it is being held by applying pressure to a key while it is down

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2
Q

Amplifier

A

Controls the loudness/amplitude of a synthesizer by shaping the amplitude of a patch over time

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3
Q

Attack

A

Determines the amount of time it takes for loudness to go from silence to maximum level

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4
Q

Band pass filter

A

Passes a specific frequency band while blocking frequencies above and below this band

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5
Q

Center frequency

A

Band-pass: frequency at which there is no attenuation
Band-reject: frequency at which there is maximum attenuation

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6
Q

Cents

A

Subdivision of one semitone into 100 parts

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7
Q

Controller

A

Takes control of another module via a control signal

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8
Q

Cutoff frequency

A

The frequency at which a low-pass or high-pass filter reaches -3dB of attenuation

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9
Q

Decay

A

Determines how quickly a sound begins to die away after the attack stage is completed

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10
Q

Envelope generator

A

Used to produce envelopes as control signals on a synthesizer

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11
Q

Filter

A

A circuit or device that passes certain frequencies and blocks others

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12
Q

Filter envelope

A

Controls a filter’s cutoff or center frequency over time

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13
Q

Filter resonance

A

Boosts the source amplitude at the cutoff frequency

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14
Q

Filter slope

A

Rate of attenuation per octave

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15
Q

Fine tune

A

Adjusts the pitch of an oscillator by cents

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16
Q

Coarse tune

A

Adjusts the pitch of an oscillator by semitones

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17
Q

Amplitude modulation

A

A repetitive change in volume (used to create tremolo)

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18
Q

Frequency modulation

A

Repetitive change in pitch (used to create vibrato)

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19
Q

Frequency

A

The high and low of a sound (notes or hertz)

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20
Q

Hard sync

A

Allows you to change timbre by syncing two oscillators; forces one oscillator to restart its cycle in synchronization with the start of another oscillator’s cycle

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21
Q

Harmonics

A

Integer multiples of a fundamental

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22
Q

Hertz

A

Speed of oscillation; 1 Hz=one oscillation per second

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23
Q

FM synthesis

A

One oscillator (modulator) becomes the control signal for another oscillator (carrier)

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24
Q

High pass filter

A

Lets high frequencies through while blocking low frequencies

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25
Q

Keyboard tracking

A

Keyboard sends control voltage signal to oscillator measured at 1 volt per octave; as you play each adjacent key, the voltage is changed by 1/12th of a volt (12 volts per octave)

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26
Q

Loudness

A

Musical property for amplifiers; the soft and loud of a sound

27
Q

Dynamics

A

Musical context for loudness/amplitude (piano, forte, etc.)

28
Q

LFO

A

Low frequency oscillator; range of <1Hz to 20Hz; repetitive continuous waveform used for effects

29
Q

Low pass filter

A

Lets low frequencies through, blocks out high frequencies

30
Q

Modifier

A

Receives and processed an audio signal

31
Q

Subtractive synthesis

A

Sound is created by taking a waveform rich in harmonics and using a filter to subtract unwanted harmonics

32
Q

Arpeggiator

A

Uses MIDI or control voltages to cycle through a series of notes according to clock rate and note division

33
Q

Foot controller

A

Sends MIDI control messages to control other instruments and gear

34
Q

Modular synthesis

A

Sound is created by using separate modules for different functions

35
Q

Modulation wheel

A

Moved from front to back like a pitch wheel, but applies no modulation at the bottom and increases amount of modulation as you move it up

36
Q

Multimode filter

A

Filter that provides more than one response (ex. Switchable between high pass, low pass, band pass, etc.)

37
Q

Musical intervals

A

The distance between two notes in semitones or whole steps

38
Q

Notch filter

A

Blocks a band of frequencies and passes frequencies above and below it

39
Q

Noise generator

A

Generates a random signal that includes all frequencies

40
Q

Overtones

A

Frequencies above a fundamental that may or may not be integer multiples (also called partials)

41
Q

Oscillator

A

Generates a repetitive electronic signal in the form of a periodic waveform

42
Q

Pink noise

A

Noise signal that has equal energy per octave

43
Q

Pitch

A

The high and low of a sound; musical context for oscillators

44
Q

Pitch bend wheel

A

Changes pitch in small steps to imitate acoustic instruments (16,384 positions)

45
Q

Pitch envelope

A

Oscillator pitch follows envelope, increasing from initial frequency; amount control affects range of pitch

46
Q

Portamento

A

Notes glide smoothly from one note to the next

47
Q

Pulse wave

A

Variable waveform; harmonic content is changed by adjusting pulse width of the pulse wave using the pulse width control

48
Q

Pulse width

A

Width of a pulse wave; the time a pulse wave is “on”

49
Q

Release

A

Amount of time it takes in ms or seconds for loudness to go from level at time of key off (when you lift the key) to silence

50
Q

Ring modulation

A

Frequencies of 2 oscillators are combined to produce an audio signal that is the sum and difference of the 2 original frequencies

51
Q

Sample and hold

A

Measurement of incoming voltage is sampled, held until next measurement is taken

52
Q

Sawtooth wave

A

Has odd and even harmonics; bright and buzzy sound

53
Q

Sine wave

A

Only has the fundamental frequency (first harmonic only)

54
Q

Single-trigger

A

Envelope generators are triggered when a key is pressed, but not retriggered when other keys are pressed until the first key is released

55
Q

Multi-trigger

A

Envelope generator will retrigger the attack stage with every keystroke, whether previous keys have been released or not

56
Q

Source

A

The start of the audio signal path

57
Q

Spectrum

A

Scientific context of timbre/spectrum; harmonics

58
Q

Square wave

A

Only has odd harmonics; each harmonic is 1/n the amplitude of the fundamental

59
Q

Triangle wave

A

Only has odd harmonics; each harmonic is 1/n squared the amplitude of the fundamental

60
Q

Sustain

A

The level of loudness held from the end of the decay stage until key is released

61
Q

Timbre

A

Tone quality of a sound; color

62
Q

Velocity

A

The speed with which you strike a key

63
Q

Control signal

A

Used for one module to control an aspect of another module

64
Q

White noise

A

Random signal that includes all frequencies; equal energy per bandwidth

Comprehensive Exams (25 decks)

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