Synthesizer Waveform Fundamentals Flashcards
7 cards from real Music & Audio Advice practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 7 Synthesizer Waveform Fundamentals flashcards as text
Phase describes what aspect of a waveform?
Answer: Its position within a cycle at a given time
Phase indicates where in the cycle the waveform is at a particular moment, measured in degrees.
Two identical sine waves that are 180 degrees out of phase will do what when summed?
Answer: Cancel each other out
Waves 180 degrees out of phase are inverted, so summing them produces destructive cancellation.
A wavetable oscillator produces evolving tones by doing what?
Answer: Scanning through a series of single-cycle waveforms
Wavetable synthesis sweeps through stored single-cycle waveforms to create motion and morphing timbres.
Aliasing in a digital oscillator is caused by what?
Answer: Harmonics exceeding the Nyquist frequency
When harmonics rise above half the sample rate, they fold back as unwanted inharmonic tones.
Which waveform is most prone to audible aliasing if not band-limited, due to its harmonic content?
Answer: Sawtooth wave
The sawtooth's many high harmonics easily exceed Nyquist, making it prone to aliasing.
Ring modulation multiplies two signals to produce what?
Answer: Sum and difference frequencies, often inharmonic
Ring modulation outputs the sum and difference of the input frequencies, creating metallic, bell-like tones.
Increasing the number of detuned sawtooth voices in a 'supersaw' primarily affects what?
Answer: The width and thickness of the sound
Stacking many slightly detuned saws creates a wide, lush, thick texture popular in trance leads.