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Subtractive synthesis is the
most common type of synthesis. It was used traditionally
in analog synthesizers and is still one of the most
popular types of synthesis today. Subtractive synthesis
can be used by taking any waveform or sample and
running it through a filter or amplifier to change
its timbre or harmonic spectra.
In subtractive synthesis you
will find a number of different types of filters.
Traditionally subtractive synthesizers were analog
and used low-pass, hipass, band-pass, and notch
filters to alter the sound. Today almost all digital
synthesizers including "new" analog synthesizers, sample
playback, virtual analog and physical
modeling use subtractive synthesis.
Since subtractive synthesis
is fairly limiting sonically a number of other techniques
have been implemented to push subtractive synthesis
to its limits. Some of the components you will find
enhancing subtractive synthesizers are waveshapers,
ring modulators and wavetables.
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