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Hey guys, I hope I’m not breaking any rules by posting this on the main forum, but I don’t see anywhere else to ask the community for help.
I’ve been going through Syntorial, off and on, for the past few months now trying to improve my skills. It’s been going pretty well, although every module is becoming increasingly difficult for the group challenges. Now I find myself on module 27 “trippy swirl” and the group challenge in nigh impossible. I’m having a real hard time telling if it’s osc sync, FM, or what! Then when you add the possibility of filter movement, or mod envelopes, or LFO movement, on top of everything else, it is just overwhelming. I felt like I had a good grasp up until this point and now I can’t pass the challenge.
Do any of you have any advice? I’ve been going through the program with a nice set of headphones, so there is no problem in that regard. I just can’t for the life of my distinguish what is what in these more advanced challenges. What did you guys do? I greatly appreciate any help. Thanks!
I find it helps to first narrow down exactly which parameters are tripping you up the most. I know it gets overwhelming in those later lessons, but usually there’s a few specific parameters that cause the most confusion. If you guys could narrow it down to the 3 parameters that trip you up the most, what would they be?
Hey Joe, thanks for the reply.
I feel like there are a lot of challenging aspects to Syntorial. For example, sometimes a smearing effect is very difficult to tell if it’s coming from detune, unison, pulsating volume mod, or chorus. These are fairly difficult to get right in each patch.
The main problem I’m having, however, is with oscillator sync, ring mod, and FM. After finishing those “units” I scored pretty well, but once you get to the later challenges with all of the above possibilities it becomes quit difficult to figure out what is what.
Well Oscillator Sync doesn’t really have a metallic aspect to it the way FM and Ring do. So if you don’t hear metallic, it’s probably Sync. And in Syntorial, FM is limited to Sine waves only, while Ring incorporates Square and Saw. This means Ring will tend to have a more abrasive nature.
Have you tried using the Hint button? In reality, when you’re trying to achieve a certain sound, it doesn’t matter how you get there, as long as you get there. So for example, if you re-create a patch in Syntorial with FM, and it turned out to be Ring Mod, yet the patches sound very similar, then you achieved the true purpose of Syntorial, which is to create the sounds you hear, even though you may not have achieved a high score. For that reason, I wouldn’t shy away from using the Hint option.
Same goes for Detune, Unison, Chorus, etc. These can be very similar. And in reality, it doesn’t matter which on you use, as long as you get the sound you’re aiming for. So if you’re having a hard time passing a challenge, use the Hint button just to get pointed in the right direction.
For the record though, Detune is always center and mild. Unison can be wide more aggressive due to the 4 voice option. And Chorus is wide also, but tends to have a softer timbre.
I’ve been struggling with the later group challenges to an almost comical level. I can’t even count the number of times I thought I was in the general ball park of the sound but I was no where close to getting it. I’m at the point where I just try to get the bare minimum score so I can move on to the actual learning portion of Syntorial with hopes to go back and retry the group challenges when I have more skill and time. Maybe I need to slow down and take more time with it but when you flunk a few in a row it gets discouraging. Maybe in 10 years when I become a Synth Jedi Master I’ll be able to cruise through these group challenges but for now it’s 1 star all the way! By the way, I love the software and feel like I’m learning a ton, it’s just the group challenges are so depressing sometimes. Maybe I’ll go start a support group now. HA
I wonder if in a future release of Syntorial if there could be a way to isolate certain techniques that need more practice… or somehow limit the field of possible variations in the group challenges based on personal skill level. Like an easy/medium/hard setting…? just some ideas and I don’t really expect that to happen.
I’ve been struggling with the later group challenges to an almost comical level.
Have you tried backtracking a bit? Go back and find a previous Group challenge that you can do well. Then work your way forward from Group to Group. See if that helps. Sometimes your ear just needs a refresher on specific parameters.
I wonder if in a future release of Syntorial if there could be a way to isolate certain techniques that need more practice… or somehow limit the field of possible variations in the group challenges based on personal skill level. Like an easy/medium/hard setting…?
Good suggestion! We’ve got a backlog of features between Syntorial and Building Blocks, but I’ll seriously keep it in mind.
Thanks Joe. I appreciate your feedback and encouragement. I think Syntorial is a really great tool and I feel like I’ve gotten a lot of value out of it even though I’ve struggled a bit as I’ve mentioned. I’m definitely going to stick with it even if it takes some time to develop my ability to break down these complex patches. Looking forward to future updates and products from y’all!
It must be the most annoying thing I’ve ever done in my life. So frustrating and time-consuming. There are so many parameters affecting each other that it’s almost impossible to figure out. I quit. Great program, but these complex group challenges don’t help.
Sorry to hear that! What Group challenge are you on now?
I also have a terrible hard time in the same place
What I did was go back, do previous challenges
And see how much I have improved .. I intend to do some such challenges and then come back again
Where I had a hard time with “trippy swirl”
I would recommend that you return to old challenges, especially those that you think make it difficult for you
Like detune, unison, pulsating volume mod, or chorus as you mentioned
And slowly get your ear used to understanding these things correctly
There is no doubt that the world of synthesis is a full and challenging world
We decided to step out of our comfort zone and do something big and challenging.
Step One “Decision Making” Step Two is “Perseverance”
So come on and let’s not despair now .. (:
I wish us, and everyone who will study here to succeed in doing what he dreams ofI’m using the hint button now, it helps a lot.
Good!
There is no doubt that the world of synthesis is a full and challenging world
We decided to step out of our comfort zone and do something big and challenging.
Step One “Decision Making” Step Two is “Perseverance”
So come on and let’s not despair now .. (:
I wish us, and everyone who will study here to succeed in doing what he dreams ofWell said!
I wish us, and everyone who will study here to succeed in doing what he dreams of
Because obviously women aren’t here either. I love it when men use exclusive language and then wonder why women are put off from participating. It’s a shame Joe didn’t notice and call it out himself. Hopefully you’ll think more carefully about your wording in the future and not dismiss this concern out of hand. It bothers more of us than you think but society tells us to sit down and shut up about it.
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