Your method for learning sound design from the ground up?

[Mastem]

Imo the best way to make your sound is through experience alone. I don't believe in tutorials, unless you're looking for something specific, but don't rely on tutorials alone to learn your whole technique. Figure things out yourself, experimentation is the key.

[MoonUnit]

Try not to mess around aimlessly. Find a noise you like from another producer and before you even open your DAW, ask yourself what goes into making the particular sound. Can you pinpoint a waveform, filter technique, or distortion technique used? If you can, that's already a good head start to your ultimate goal.

Anyone's goal for sound design and synthesis is to be able to 'hear' or formulate a sound in their mind, and then know exactly how to translate it to a DAW.

Learn to associate different adjectives with synthesis techniques. For example if a wobble sounds terse, short, and punchy, a ramp LFO waveform may have been used. If the bass sounds buzzy, or searing, chances are that a sawtooth or square wave was used.

[bigdaveo11]

good tips guys, thanks for the input.

[cmgoodman1226]

google "how to make a noise" by simon cain. It's free and is full of invaluble info on synthesis. Aside from that, for me it's really just trial and error. I try different things. And personally I come up with a melody before I come up with a sound. It's easier for me to hear where I want to take the sound when I have something to go on. Although I spend plenty of days not focused on a particular tune, just on sound design.

[bigdaveo11]

great idea^ I have been doing the same in regards to making a melody first, especially with the type of genre i am focusing on (melodic big room house) it is usually the main focus of the track. Of course this is easier said then done haha.

I do have that simon cann PDF, I should go through that more thoroughly now.

[Zuzz]

Learning to cut in order to boost. (frequencies)

[FSTZ]

what really helped me is.. after I figured out the names for the sounds i.e. filter sweep, hoover, reece, riser etc... I did my best to figure out how to make them from an initialized patch.

after I got the basics down I began experimenting with my own twists on the classic synth sounds

still trying to wrap my head around FM and granular synthesis

[.onelove.]

learn the basic effects and filters.

learn lowpass, highpass, bandpass and notch filters so you can spot them when listening to a tune (easy)
learn flangers, phasers, chorus, delays, reverbs and distortion. learn to spot them, use them on sounds in many different ways and combinations.
these are your basic weapons and if you're good at using them the rest will come naturally.

I'm familiar with all of those, but does bandpassing have a purpose other than clearing space for other instruments?

[cmgoodman1226]

learn the basic effects and filters.

learn lowpass, highpass, bandpass and notch filters so you can spot them when listening to a tune (easy)
learn flangers, phasers, chorus, delays, reverbs and distortion. learn to spot them, use them on sounds in many different ways and combinations.
these are your basic weapons and if you're good at using them the rest will come naturally.

I'm familiar with all of those, but does bandpassing have a purpose other than clearing space for other instruments?

I don't really use bandpassing to clear headroom for other sounds. Normally I clear head room by taking notches out through EQ; that way, you can remove some of the clashing frequencies without leaving the affected synth sounding too thin. I have heard quite a few tunes (particularly in DNB) where guys will bandpass a break and then layer their own drums on top of that (although typically this is done through hi-passing). And I've heard in a few remixes (also in a lot of the disco samples that the brookes brothers use on their most recent album) where guys will bandpass the original song. You can however modulate the cutoff or assign it to an lfo to give a synth an interesting effect because the filter can have a nice bite to it when it's being modulated. It's also great for intros and or transitions because it's a way of thinning out the sound as opposed to using your typical hi pass or low pass filter.