-- Posted by HeyYo17 at 7:09 pm on June 5, 2008 How does a synthesizer work? Why does it have so many buttons and things?? is it because you can make any sound you want?? like you can make the musical notes sound however you want?? if so I want one -- Posted by ultrasonicsite at 7:10 pm on June 5, 2008 Yeah I think that's what it does. -- Posted by dont bother me at 7:10 pm on June 5, 2008 yes -- Posted by HeyYo17 at 7:11 pm on June 5, 2008 wow!! that's cool and to think they were around in the 80s -- Posted by JackieisBlue at 7:11 pm on June 5, 2008 i think. I like to play with the synthisizers at best buy. -- Posted by Micus at 7:12 pm on June 5, 2008 Quote: from HeyYo17 at 10:11 pm on June 5, 2008 wow!! that's cool and to think they were around in the 80s They were much more basic back then. You couldn't come up with NEARLY as many sounds as it was still probably 8 or 16 bit at that point. Everything sounded like a gameboy. -- Posted by SovSull at 8:00 pm on June 5, 2008 i only have a cursory knowledge of synthesizers but here's my best shot: there are four basic waveforms: sine, square, triangle and sawtooth. (tried to include site but shit broke pm me if you want it, explains those waveforms in greater detail) shortening and lengthening these waveforms leads to a change in pitch. there are probably ways you can combine waveforms as well. (image from http://www.mesaboogie.com/US/Smith/ClassA-WebVersion.htm) if you hit a note on a guitar, it would look something similar to this. notice there is a sharp attack, followed by a gradual and slow decay. those are two very important principles that develop a characteristic sound. a cello, for instance, would not have a sharp attack, it would be a gradual climb followed by a gradual descent. manipulating this is part of programming presets in a synth. there used to be a great 3 part set of youtube videos called "discovering electronic music" but it looks like they're gone now. hope this helped.