Is a private lessons option available?

Yes - see our Music Production Private Instruction page.

Is this course beginner-friendly?

No - it's intermediate to advanced, so a good working knowledge of your DAW is expected going in.

Do I need to buy extra plugins for this course?

No - no additional software synths or plugins are required, though the course covers well-known ones like Serum and Vital.

What DAWs does the course work with?

It's largely based on Ableton Live and Logic, but the techniques apply regardless of what DAW you use.

What real-world applications does the course cover?

Sound design for film, TV and video games, creating audio branding, and compiling your own sample and preset pack.

Sound Design & Synthesis Class

Name: Sound Design & Synthesis Class
Price: 1499 USD

World-class Sound Design & Synthesis Program

Taught at our San Francisco studio, the Sound Design & Synthesis Class keeps groups small enough that every student gets real time at the controls. Bay Area producers lead the sessions, and the identical course can be taken live online if that suits you better, using our specialist music collab software, Muse. Discover qualities that distinguish us.

Sound Design & Synthesis

Overview

→Exploring amplitude, pitch and timbre
→Advanced run-through of industry-leading soft synths
→Tonal processing, effects and resampling
→Implementing design elements into your projects
→Understanding sound waves and frequency

Introduction to Synthesis

→Creating pads, basses, plucks, leads and drums using synthesis techniques
→Deep dives into subtractive, wavetable and FM synthesis
→Adding movement with modulation and automation
→Understanding Oscillators, Filters, Envelopes & LFOs
→The Overtone series

Tools of the Trade

→Vital - wavetable synth, free download here.
→Advanced sampler techniques
→Ableton synths: Analog, Operator, Wavetable
→Logic Pro synths: ESP, ESFM1, ES1, Alchemy
→Xfer’s Serum - wavetable synth

Audio Manipulation

→Layering and multisampling for complex textures
→Creating drones and eerie soundscapes
→Warping, stretching, mangling audio samples
→Resampling and effects processing
→Advanced audio editing

Creative Drum Design

→Synthesizing drum sounds from the ground up
→Layering with foley for a truly unique sound
→Turn any sample into a rhythmic element

Effects Processing and Automation

→Implementing effects chains for creative sound manipulation
→In depth automation using Macro controls
→Spatial audio techniques: stereo imaging and binaural audio
→Introduction to audio effects: reverb, delay, chorus, distortion, etc.

Effects Processing and Automation

→In depth automation using Macro controls
→Spatial audio techniques: stereo imaging and binaural audio
→Introduction to audio effects: reverb, delay, chorus, distortion, etc.
→Implementing effects chains for creative sound manipulation

Real-world Applications and Projects

→Sound design for film, TV, and video games
→Creating soundscapes and audio branding
→Compile your own sample and preset pack

Additional Information

→This class is geared to teach you techniques regardless of what DAW you use
→The purchase additional software synths or plugins are not required for this course
→You will be equipped to dig into any synth you can get your hands on!

Connect

In our students' words.

“The EMP course is a good time and super informative. I've been writing and producing music for the past year in Logic. There was so much I wanted to transcribe from my mind to my DAW, I just didn't fully know how. Fortunately, the EMP course changed that in just a few short weeks. Very exciting. Not to mention the Garnish LA folks are super cool.”

Patricia Seely