Music & Audio Advice Synthesizer Waveform Fundamentals 3

Question 1

When two oscillators are detuned slightly from each other, what audible effect is created?

Accepted Answer

A thick, beating chorus-like effect

Answer

Slight detuning produces beating between the oscillators, thickening the sound.

Question 2

Setting a pulse wave's duty cycle to exactly 50% produces what?

Accepted Answer

A square wave

Answer

A 50% duty cycle pulse is symmetrical, which is the definition of a square wave.

Question 3

Which waveform most closely resembles a sine wave in tone but is easier to generate in analog circuitry?

Accepted Answer

Triangle wave

Answer

The triangle wave has weak odd harmonics, making it sound close to a sine but simpler to build.

Question 4

Lowering a duty cycle far below 50% on a pulse wave tends to make the tone sound how?

Accepted Answer

Thinner and more nasal

Answer

Narrow pulse widths emphasize higher harmonics, producing a thin, nasal, reedy character.

Question 5

Hard sync of one oscillator to another primarily creates what kind of timbre?

Accepted Answer

Aggressive, harmonically complex tearing tones

Answer

Oscillator hard sync resets the slave waveform, creating rich, edgy harmonics ideal for leads.

Music & Audio Advice Practice Test