[REVIEW] Audible Genius "Syntorial" Review (synthesizer sound design training software, content, usability, etc.)
Manufacturer Information
Syntorial is video game-like training software that teaches you how to program synth patches by ear. With nearly 200 lessons that combine video demonstrations and interactive challenges, you will experience the experience of programming patches on a built-in soft synth and learn everything you need to know to easily create your own sounds.Syntorial does More than just showing you how synth programming works. You will participate in 129 interactive challenges that require you to program patches into the built-in synth. You will not only learn how to design sounds, you are becoming a sound designer.
Features
- 129 Challenges - Learn by doing! Complete the challenges with program patches using Syntorial's built-in synths.
- 706 patches-program, program, program. After all, that's what it's all about, right? In the end, you will have programmed over 700 patches, ranging from simple to complex, familiar to bizarre.
- 33 ON YOUR OWN-Syntorial gives you regular tasks to perform yourself with the synths you use.
- 147 VIDEOS-Everything is taught through video demonstrations using the same synths used in the challenge.
- 64 Synth Parameters-Syntorial covers the most common parameters found on most synths.
- 39 Quizzes-multiple-choice questions to help you retain and remember everything you've learned
- Pay once and get Syntorial on three platforms - Mac, PC, and iPad!
Contents
Syntrial has tutorials and assignments built into the software. First, each parameter is explained, its operation and specific usage is explained, and then there is an assignment to create a sound identical to the reference sound. Starting with a simple sound judgment of each wave of the oscillator, the number of parameters increases little by little. The challenges become more and more difficult, such as creating a sound that can be created by tweaking multiple knobs. The parameters are the familiar ones from soft synthesizers, especially analog synthesizers.
The students listen to the sound blindly, and then tweak the parameters of the synthesizer to create the same sound as in the assignment. If you make a mistake, the wrong part will light up in red. If the parameters are even slightly different, it will not be correct, so it is a training exercise in listening carefully.
And there are tons of additional lesson packs available to help you learn synths with parameters not found in this software. So you are trying to cover synths that can do complex modulation, such as Serum, which are not covered by this software.
Can people who don't speak English use this software?
This software has tutorials available in English. It also provides problems in English.
Therefore, you may be wondering if people who do not understand (or cannot hear) English at all can use the software. To sum up, it is unlikely that you will not be able to understand what you are basically doing, since the software explains things while playing sounds. You can proceed with the atmosphere and you can learn as you work on the assignments. That being said, I am sure that they say quite a few sound design tips or important things during the tutorial. From what I was able to hear, it would be better if I could hear some of the content.
There is also a way to use Google Translate from voice input on a PC, so I don't think this is a problem at all.
Evaluation
I think there is a saturation of tutorials on how to use the major synths on Youtube, etc., but this software focuses more on ear training rather than usage. The program has a very effective menu of programs that will help you develop a sense of sound design. Although it would be difficult to achieve due to the expected clutter and licensing issues, it would have been nice to have the main parameters of modern soft synths available on the synths. (Probably the most important reason is that it is practically impossible to set up assignments.)
This is the perfect software for those who have taught themselves to use synths somewhat, but want to be able to use them more, create sounds the way they want from scratch, and solidify the fundamentals.
Audible Genius, the company that released this software, also offers a composition training application called "Building Blocks" (which is an online application). (This is an online application.)
The quality of this course is also very high, and Level 2 has recently been released, so it can be used for both beginners and advanced students.
