Creating Sounds from Scratch

Andrea Pejrolo is Chair of the Contemporary Writing and Production department at Berklee College of Music in Boston. He is the author of Creative Sequencing Techniques for Music Production (Focal Press, 2005, Second Edition 2011) and Acoustic and MIDI Orchestration for the Contemporary Composer (Focal Press, 2007). Scott Metcalfe is Director of Recording Arts and Sciences at the Peabody Conservatory of The Johns Hopkins University.

"Creating Sounds from Scratch follows a revolutionary approach to sound design that is specifically designed for contemporary producers, songwriters, and composers. The idea of opening the exciting world of sound design to every music artist is refreshing and inspiring. This book allows anybody to quickly understand and practically create original sounds for a variety of contemporary music styles and genres. I recommend the book to anyone who desires adeeper understanding of how to make original sounds and to intelligently manipulate presets on software or hardware synthesizers. A reference book that is a must-read for any contemporary musician."--ThomasDolby, songwriter, synthesist, and author of The Speed of Sound"In 1597 Thomas Morley published A Plain and Easy Introduction to Practical Music. Now Pejrolo and Metcalfe have done the same for electronic synthesis, creating a comprehensive and accessible guide for the 21st century musician, a companion to the great orchestration books of the past. With the current seamless melding of hardware and software, the entire history of synthesis techniques from the field's very beginnings is available for all; theauthors cover every development, with detailed applications illustrated by current technology. A must for electronic musicians in any style."--Robert Carl, Director of Composition, the Hartt School, University ofHartford"Encyclopedic in scope and thoroughly well organized, Creating Sounds from Scratch provides detailed historical information, including rare photos of key people, instruments and gear, essential sound design insights, and extraordinarily lucid and practical advice throughout. The companion website with video tutorials and audio examples, along with ongoing updated content from authors Perjolo and Metcalfe, truly make this a must have resource forproducers and composers alike."--Ken Steen, Professor of Composition, the Hartt School, University of Hartford

• AcknowledgmentsAbout the Companion WebsiteIntroduction Chapter 1: How did we get here?Chapter 2 - Understanding Sound and HearingChapter 3: The Tools of the TradeChapter 4: Subtractive SynthesisChapter 5: Frequency Modulation Synthesis (FM)Chapter 6: Additive SynthesisChapter 7: Sample-based SynthesisChapter 8 -- Physical ModelingChapter 9: Wavetable and Granular Synthesis Index