Approximate number of hours to understand A4 and subtractive synthesis

After reading the manual, forums youtube vids act, I have about 30-40 hours on the a4 as my 1st synth. (I have about 1 year with the md.) Presently, it seems like I’m only scratching the surface. Does anyone have a ballpark idea in terms of time for progression with subtractive synthesis? My guess is at 120h I’ll see an ok level of competency.

Can’t really put a time on these things my friend. Just keep at it. To be honest I think most people here are continuously learning. I’ve been using synths for 20 years and I’m still learning. Experimentation is part of the fun.

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it takes 202.4 hours to become proficient in subtractive synthesis

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You dont need long to understand how Subtractive Synthesis works. Because its as simple as: Create raw Waveforms with Oscillators, mix these Waveforms, shape their Sound with the Filters and their Envelopes, shape the overall appearance of the Sound with the Envelope for the Amplifier - and thats it - you have a Sound! Modulate it a little with additional Envelopes and LFOs and the like, but its basically as easy as that.

What youre probably aiming for is how long it takes to master the Synth that uses this subtractive Synthesis. And frankly: This can take a lifetime :wink: Like @x0x said: You are always learning. Its similar to the Hammer and the Nail: Understanding what a Hammer is and how it works to get the Nail in the wall (Subtractive Synthesis Theory) is just the beginning. Knowing where and how to put that Nail into the wall - with that Hammer (mastering the Synth) always depends on the needs and the experience you gained over time.

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10 000 hours should do the trick.

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Choose your learning curve first : :slight_smile:

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It’s not about particular synthesis method but rather about learning a new instrument. I would say about 6 months to understand the instrument and about the same before it’s worth to share your tracks. This is also about what J-M Jarre suggested for every new synth. Honestly, if I don’t have at least one year to dedicate my time and energy to a new instrument, I would not even bother.

Aslo, what this guy says:

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You should try Syntorial!: https://www.syntorial.com/

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You only need to know one thing to fully understand subtractive synthesis:

tune your synth to 432 kHz

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Haha, that’s awesome. :smiley:

I think you’d like this thread

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:joy::rofl::joy::rofl::joy::rofl:

The internet sure can get weird sometimes.