SynthLab Synthesizer

SynthLab is a polyphonic subtractive software synthesizer designed for crafting basses, chords, ambient pads, and leads.

1. Dual Oscillators

Sound generation begins with two parallel oscillators:

  • Available Waveforms:

- Sine: Clean fundamental tone without upper harmonics, ideal for sub-bass. - Sawtooth: Rich harmonic spectrum suited for sharp leads, brass, and aggressive plucks. - Square: Hollow, punchy timbre characteristic of retro chip sounds and vintage organs. - Triangle: Warm, mellow harmonic distribution suitable for soft keys and flutes.

  • Tuning Controls:

- Octave: Transposition by octave increments (-2 to +2). - Semi: Semitone transposition (-12 to +12). - Detune: Fine cent tuning offsets creating wide stereo chorusing and analog drift.

2. Voltage-Controlled Filter (VCF)

The filter section sculpts the harmonic profile produced by the oscillators:

  • Filter Modes:

- Low-Pass (LP): Attenuates frequencies above the selected cutoff point. - High-Pass (HP): Eliminates lower frequencies to thin out a sound. - Band-Pass (BP): Isolates a narrow band of midrange frequencies.

  • Cutoff Frequency: Sets the cutoff frequency threshold in Hertz (Hz).
  • Resonance (Q): Boosts frequencies directly adjacent to the cutoff frequency point.

3. ADSR Envelope Generators

Two independent envelope generators shape dynamic behavior:

  1. Amplitude Envelope: Controls output volume progression over time.
  2. Filter Envelope: Dynamically modulates the filter cutoff point upon key strike.

The four standard stages:

  • Attack (A): Time required to reach peak level following a key press.
  • Decay (D): Duration required to fall from peak level down to sustain level.
  • Sustain (S): Continuous output level held while the note remains engaged.
  • Release (R): Time required for sound to fade to silence after key release.

4. Low-Frequency Oscillator (LFO)

The LFO applies cyclic modulation across designated synthesis parameters:

  • Routing Destinations: Filter cutoff frequency, oscillator pitch (vibrato), or amplitude (tremolo).
  • Rate: Modulation frequency (expressed in Hz or synced to project BPM).
  • Depth: Intensity of the applied modulation curve.

5. Multi-Track Synthesizer Instances

Users can instantiate multiple independent synthesizers within a single project:

  • Each created instance is automatically named New Synth 1, New Synth 2, etc.
  • Labels can be renamed by double-clicking directly on the track name in the sidebar or Piano Roll header.
  • Parameters for each synthesizer instance are saved independently within project data.
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