synth.html

<!-- Synth Concepts Primer Section -->
<h2>🎚️ Synth Concepts Primer</h2>

<p>Modular synthesis is the art of shaping sound through voltage. Each module performs a function — generating, modifying, or routing signals — and together they form a sonic architecture.</p>

<h3>🧱 Core Building Blocks</h3>
<table>
  <thead>
    <tr>
      <th>Concept</th>
      <th>Description</th>
      <th>Example Use</th>
    </tr>
  </thead>
  <tbody>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>VCO</strong><br>(Voltage-Controlled Oscillator)</td>
      <td>Generates waveforms (sine, square, saw, etc.) based on input voltage</td>
      <td>Produces pitch or tone</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>LFO</strong><br>(Low-Frequency Oscillator)</td>
      <td>A slow oscillator used for modulation</td>
      <td>Wobbles pitch, filter, or amplitude</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>VCF</strong><br>(Voltage-Controlled Filter)</td>
      <td>Shapes the timbre by removing frequencies</td>
      <td>Sweeps or sculpts sound</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>VCA</strong><br>(Voltage-Controlled Amplifier)</td>
      <td>Controls signal amplitude</td>
      <td>Fades, gates, or modulates volume</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Envelope Generator</strong><br>(EG)</td>
      <td>Creates a voltage contour over time (ADSR)</td>
      <td>Shapes how a note begins and ends</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Mixer</strong></td>
      <td>Combines multiple signals</td>
      <td>Blends oscillators or modulations</td>
    </tr>
    <tr>
      <td><strong>Sequencer</strong></td>
      <td>Sends timed voltages in steps</td>
      <td>Creates rhythm or melodic patterns</td>
    </tr>
  </tbody>
</table>

<h3>🔌 Signal Types</h3>
<ul>
  <li><strong>Audio signals</strong>: Waveforms you hear (e.g. from VCOs)</li>
  <li><strong>Control voltages (CV)</strong>: Signals that shape other signals (e.g. pitch, filter cutoff)</li>
  <li><strong>Gate/Trigger</strong>: Binary pulses that start events (e.g. envelope, sequencer step)</li>
</ul>

<h3>🧠 Why Modular?</h3>
<p>Modular synthesis is tactile logic. You patch ideas together, test them, reshape them. It’s engineering as improvisation — a system that invites both structure and surprise.</p>