[sdiy] Terminology

[Scott Gravenhorst]

"David Ingebretsen" <dingebre at 3dphysics.net> wrote:
>There is some terminology I see in wide use regarding synthesizers, but
>after much searching, I can't seem to find a glossary of terms as it were.
>Would some kind soul take pity on me and fill in some blanks?
>
>Term:
>
>1. Wet/dry

The dry signal is the original input signal to a device, the wet signal is the dry
signal processed in some way. 

>2. Pad (describing a patch)

IMO: Soft, warm sound, often with slow attack and slow decay.  Often made with more than
once oscillator.

>3. Fat/phat (I have gut feel for this, but would love a better explanation)

IMO: This is along the lines of "beauty is in the eye of the beholder".  For me, there
is no difference between Fat and Phat, some will take exception to that.  I take "fat"
to refer to the sound of 2 or more oscillators tuned to nearly the same pitch or a
harmonic of the fundamental.  I come from being a FatMan guy which has two VCOs and I
found that adding an additional VCO or two made it Fatter than it was from the factory.
 Be warned, you will get many opinions about what "fatness" is, so I find the term to be
generally subjective.  Listen to 4 sawtooth VCOs tuned to 438, 439, 440 and 441 Hz.  It
will play essentially an A above middle C, but it will be "fat". 

>Thanks
>David
>
>David M. Ingebretsen M.S., M.E.
>Collision Forensics & Engineering, Inc.
>2469 East Fort Union Blvd. STE 114
>Salt Lake City, UT 84121
>www.CFandE.com
>
>801 733-5458 Office
>801 842-5451 Cell
>
>dingebre at CFandE.com
>dingebre at 3dphysics.net
>
>
>
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-- ScottG
________________________________________________________________________
-- Scott Gravenhorst
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