Serum Superiority #1 - Sub Fundamental Aliasing and Non-Harm

[DorianDay]

Hey, I've been thinking about doing a series for a while that looks a deeper technical aspects of synthesizers. With the release of Serum I finally found the right angle, it seemed to successfully add all the features I appreciate in the most popular synths while adding something to the table.

Here's my pseudo-technical analysis of Serum and some of the most popular synthesizers around. I did a sound test, checked the waveforms for asymmetry and assessed Sub Fundamental Aliasing and Non-Harmonic Distortion.

If anyone knows better about this stuff and can enlighten my layman analysis please let me know.

Also I started an IRC channel for serum where I sit while I mess around and hope to build a small community there.

server: irc.mozilla.org
channel: #serum

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MtvpAxTe75E

[nowaysj]

This is interesting, but leaning into the fedora. What is important is the results you get with the synth. How it sounds in the final song with your workflow.

Not to inhibit conversation, this stuff is interesting, but it is hardly totally informative. It sounds like you are more interested in the engineering side. That side of the equation is only in service of our aesthetic side. Don't forget it.

Am just waking up. More coherence, maybe later. I wish we still had our crew here. Won't say who, but we had a certain person from NI, and I miss their input on this stuff, as well as their input in general. Someone who was equally conversant, and inspired by both sides of the equation. S_C out to you!

[AxeD]

His record on Power Vacuum is sick. The peak time dj sets though

[DorianDay]

Yeah, this is absolutely a technical and engineering discussion, looking for more information on this phenomenon and whether it matters at technical level and if it has any impact on artistry. I could see additional non-harmonic information causing "problems" with later effects, especially harmonic generating ones such as distortion.

[nowaysj]

looking for more information on this phenomenon and whether it matters at technical level and if it has any impact on artistry.

What is the technical level, like how could that matter in a way that doesn't manifest in the aesthetic? There is no technical independent of the aesthetic.

To test if it matters, produce tracks with those synths. See what happens. Stack up a bunch of them, compress and eq and limit, and spread into the stereo. Just do the stuff that you normally do and listen to the results. Only then will you be able to tell if a little inharmonic noise at -90db makes a difference in a raw saw wave.