Its reason for being could be teach people to play the pianobut Pianote now gives you an introduction to the big world of synths with the help of Snarky Puppy’s Justin Stanton.
The piano and synthesizer share a keyboard layout, of course, but they look and sound very different, and some pianists tend to fear the complexity and learning curve associated with electronic instruments. Stanton, however, is here to reassure us: “There really are no mistakes. Twist the knobs until it sounds right,” he says in his ‘101’ level video.
However, no matter how sharp your sound design skills, it’s an entertaining watch. Using a Moog Little Phatty, Sequential Prophet Rev 2, and Nord Stage 4, Stanton begins by explaining what a synthesizer actually is, before moving on to discuss presets, modulation, oscillators, envelopes, filters, and more. He also addresses the differences between analog/digital and monophonic/polyphonic instruments.
There are also some treats for Snarky Puppy fans: snippets of Thing Of Gold, Whitecap, Sleeper, Lingus and a final blast of What About Me?
Watch the video above. You can sign up for a free one-week trial of Pianote on the website.
