20240901101600-Oscillator_Tuning_Knobs

Oscillator Tuning Knobs

From “The ‘Semi´ and ‘Detune´ Knob on Our Synth¨ in Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers

When you look at the oscillator tuning section, we have the three knobs we saw earlier: Octave, Semi, and Detune. Remember that “Detune” can have a variety of different names, including “Fine,” “Cent,” or others.

Oscillator

What is an oscillator?

Tuning

What makes these knobs relevant to the tuning of an oscillator? What is “tuning¨? What would it mean to “tune¨ an instrument?

Each of those knobs is thus:

• 20240901101954-Oscillator_Semi_Knob

  Oscillator Semi Knob

  From “The ‘Semi´ and ‘Detune´ Knob on Our Synth¨ in Music Theory for Electronic Musicians

  If we set the Semi knob to 1, then everything we play on the keyboard will sound one semi tone (or one half step) higher.

  The Semi knob is located on the oscillator section of a synthesizer, as noted in 20240901101600-Oscillator_Tuning_Knobs. The units for this knob corresponds to its shifting of all keys on a standard Western classical piano keyboard as if they were semitones higher or lower than they were:

  20240901103510-Oscillator_Semi_Knob_Units

  Oscillator Semi Knob Units

  From “Semi-Tones¨ in Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers

  […] the adjustment amount on the Semi knob is listed as “0 st.” ST, in this case, stands for “Semi-tones”.

  The Semi knob is located in the oscillator section of a synthesizer, as noted in 20240901101600-Oscillator_Tuning_Knobs.

  music sound_engineering audio_production music_production synthesis knobs

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  bibliography

  • “Semi-Tones.” In Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers: The Producer’s Guide to Harmony, Chord Progressions, and Song Structure in the MIDI Grid., 1st ed., 22. Minneapolis, MN: Slam Academy, 2018.

  Link to original

  music music_production audio_production sound_engineering tuning semitone knobs

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  bibliography

  • “The ‘Semi’ and ‘Detune’ Knob on Our Synth.” In Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers: The Producer’s Guide to Harmony, Chord Progressions, and Song Structure in the MIDI Grid., 1st ed., 27. Minneapolis, MN: Slam Academy, 2018.

  Link to original

• 20240901112354-Oscillator_Detune_Kob

  Oscillator Detune Kob

  From bib. source

  100 of “Detune” = 1 of “Semi”

  The “Detune,¨ “Cent¨ or “Fine¨ knob in the oscillator section of a synthesizer does something similar to what the Semi does (refer to 20240901101954-Oscillator_Semi_Knob) but at a smaller scale than the Semi. It shifts the keys’ sound frequency as if they were cents below or above what they should be, rather than semitones below or above what they should be (refer to 20240901103510-Oscillator_Semi_Knob_Units).

  Question

  Why would someone call this knob “Detune¨ as opposed to “Cent¨?

  music music_production audio_production sound_engineering oscillator synthesizer synthesis cent knobs tuning

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  bibliography

  • “The ‘Semi’ and ‘Detune’ Knob on Our Synth.” In Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers: The Producer’s Guide to Harmony, Chord Progressions, and Song Structure in the MIDI Grid., 1st ed., 27. Minneapolis, MN: Slam Academy, 2018.

  Link to original

music audio_production music_production sound_engineering synthesis synthesizer knob

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bibliography

• “The ‘Semi’ and ‘Detune’ Knob on Our Synth.” In Music Theory for Electronic Music Producers: The Producer’s Guide to Harmony, Chord Progressions, and Song Structure in the MIDI Grid., 1st ed., 27. Minneapolis, MN: Slam Academy, 2018.