Keyboard & Synthesizer Equipment
How to Apply Piano Skills to Synth Playing
Playing a Synthesizer Without Piano Training
Introduction to Synthesizer Controls
Using Attack on a Synthesizer
Using Release on a Synthesizer
Using Cut-Off on a Synthesizer
Using Pitch on a Synthesizer
Using Modulation on a Synthesizer
Using Sustain on a Synthesizer
Using Presets on a Synthesizer
Amplifying a Synthesizer
Monitoring a Synthesizer
Powering a Synthesizer
Creating a Workspace for a Synthesizer
Summary: How to use attack on keyboards and synthesizers; get expert tips and advice on playing electronic musical instruments in this free music lesson video.
Ben Anderson has been playing piano, keyboards, and synthesizers for almost all his life. He took lessons as a young child and took easily to music. Performing with the stage name...read more
"Hi, I'm Ben Anderson with Expert Village. And today I'm here to talk to you about playing with attack and adjusting the attack on your keyboard to help affect your sound. Attack is a different way of affecting your sound. Your attack is how quickly the sound is going to come in. Picture yourself attacking a note or attacking a sound. Basically, the attack will measure how early it will come in or how much later it will come in. There are many different ways you can choose to play with this. For example, here is a pad sound and I have the attack set at 0, and it's about normal level there. If I turn the attack down fifty percent, it sounds roughly the same to the ear, but it does come in a lot quicker. Now, if I adjust the attack the opposite direction, and I turn it up about fifty percent up, and if I hit the key, the sound barely comes in at all. In a live band atmosphere, for example, if you have a piano sound and you want to have it delayed, or you want to give it a different feeling, you could change the attack. And that could help manipulate the sound in so many different ways. If you want to have the sound come in immediately, generally you would keep the attack at a very low level. But if you want to have your attack adjusted so the sound comes in later, you would adjust the attack so that it's raised higher. Attack, basically what it comes down to, is that attack will determine how soon the sound will be played and will be heard."
eHow Article: Using Attack on a Synthesizer
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Comments
mortar said
on 8/2/2008 OK, I've watched the first five segments and here's my thoughts:
1) If your going to do a how-to on synths, get a REAL synths. What your using is a performance keyboard that has limited control over your sound.
2) While you may be able to walk the walk, you need more practice to talk the talk. Practice what your going to say /before/ you say it.
3) When your showing your instrument, don't show it upside down. If the camera person can't shoot from the front because of space limitations (it looked rather cramped), take the shots when you can step away and then edit those into your clip.