This week we want to share our review of the educational software Syntorial. As the name implies it is a tutorial in Synthesis.

In this article, we’ll tell you about Syntorial, its features, and give you a rundown of the workflow.

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What is Syntorial?

Syntorial was created by the company Audible Genius, lead by Joe Hanley. Joe create the program after struggling to learn synthesis himself. Joe pulled up his bootstraps and got started on Syntorial by

1. Learning how to code
2. Making a prototype video game style training program to teach synthesis to the world
3. Raising some cashola via Kickstarter
4. Using said cashola to finish said program
5. Releasing Syntorial into the wild

Features

Below is a list of the features so if you don’t feel like reading through the article you know what the program includes.

• 129 challenges
• 147 videos
• 706 patches
• 64 parameters
• 33 random tasks
• 39 quizzes

Watch this walkthrough video below to get a quick view of the program

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Why Use Syntorial?

Practical Musicality

Learning synthesis can be tiresome and easily overcomplicated. That’s why it’s important to strike a balance between the math and musical-math. Syntorial does just that.

Ear Training

Syntorial gives you practical ear training as part of its curriculum. Synthesis is all about understanding what sound your synthesizer will produce, you need to know what to listen for in order to do that.

Free Tools

There are many advantages to the program, the first being its complete and utter simplicity. The second advantage is that it uses an internal synthesizer so you don’t need to have anything other than the program to begin learning.

In addition to the educational software you’ll recieve a software synthesizer to apply everything you’ve learned. It’s a great synth capable of producing amazing sounds.

Develop Your Skills

Other tutorials may lack a clear structure, Syntorial does not. It starts with the building blocks of sound design and works you up to more advanced concepts.

You’ll be able to take what you learn in Syntorial and use it on any other synthesizer you encounter.

“Syntorial’s synth is designed to encompass the most common synth parameters found on the vast majority of synths, and includes several videos that will help you apply your newfound skills to your own synth.”

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Workflow

With the 33 levels you will be shown a video for each challenge, then asked to perform a task. Usually, this involves some ear training aspect – matching waves or timbres

The lessons work on a 3-star grading system. You are required to gain at least 1 star before advancing to the next challenge. This system ensures you have to actually improve your skills.

Challenges

There are 129 challenges throughout Syntorial’s main course. The challenges occur throughout various lessons, usually after demonstration videos.

The challenges are great for beginners and people with synthesis experience. The concepts start simple enough to follow and quickly increase in difficulty. Even with multiple production and sound design courses under my belt the advanced questions tripped me up.

Lessons will show you the demonstration video, then bring you to the challenge screen. There you will see the patch screen hidden. You have to listen to the target sound first.

The Hidden Screen makes sure you focus on listening rather than your visual feedback. Click on “My Patch” at the bottom to edit your patch.

Quizzes

At the end of each level will be a multiple-choice quiz on what you just learned.

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Complete each quiz before you continue. In the early lessons, the quizzes seem silly but their importance becomes clear the more questions you get wrong. It really is important to be able to reproduce the answers to the questions they quiz you on.

Multiple choice will introduce similar concepts and ensure that you’ve actually gained insight into what you’ve been studying.

Lesson Packs

Another feature that sets Syntorial apart from the competition is its lineup of lesson packs. There are five other synthesizers with their own lessons and instructional material – Serum, Massive, Sylenth1, Z3TA+2, and the Minimoog Voyager.

Xfer Serum

Serum is the most popular synth to come up in the game’s recent history. It is hailed for its capability and simplicity, plus it is wonderful to look at. The Syntorial lessons make it easier than ever to learn how to use the softsynth.

You’ll get 55 videos with the pack. That totals 9 hours and 22 minutes of lesson time which will teach you how to apply what you learned in the regular Syntorial lessons to Serum. Finally, you’ll learn how to create your own wavetables to utilize the full glorious power of Serum.

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Native Instruments Massive

Before Serum, Massive was the big kahuna in forward thinking sound design. It still remains widely popular among electronic and pop producers.

With the Syntorial lesson pack you’ll receive 41 videos totaling 4 hours and 44 minutes. In a few short hours you could be taking complete advantage of one of the most powerful virtual synths on the market.

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LennarDigital Sylenth1

Sylenth is another one of the most popular softsynths out there. Its revered for its deep and rich analog style sounds. If you’re looking for an all-in-one virtual synth seriously check this one out.

With this lesson pack, you’ll receive 38 videos totalling 2 hours and 47 minutes of lessons.

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Cakewalk Z3TA+ 2

Cakewalk, the DAW brought back from the dead by Bandlabs has its own infamous synth – the Z3TA+ 2. If Cakewalk is your DAW of choice then you don’t want to miss out on this Syntorial.

This lesson pack will get you using the powerful synthesizer right away. With it you get 37 videos, totaling 3 Hours and 17 minutes.

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Minimoog Voyager

The Minimoog Voyager is a beast of a hardware synthesizer made by the American synth legends Moog. if you’re fortunate enough to have one or know someone who knows one then you may be interested in the Syntorials.

With it you’ll get 34 videos, totaling 2 hours and 22 minutes.

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Conclusion

Syntorial is a total hit. If you want to learn synthesis in an uncomplicated way then this it. The price is $129 for the complete program which comes jam-packed with extras.

You get the educational software, all of the extra lesson packs, and the synth plugin that is used in the tutorials. Pay once for multiple devices – your license will work on an iPad and PC you may have as well.

Get your copy here now.