Play synthesizer online
Use your computer keyboard or click the keys to play the synthesizer. The keyboard's top row of letters corresponds to the white keys, and the row of numbers corresponds to the black keys. You can play multiple notes simultaneously.
Click the "Settings" button to customize the synthesizer. A pop-up will appear where you can choose to show keyboard shortcuts and adjust the overall volume.
Click the "Record" button to record what you're playing. You can record up to 5 minutes. Click the button again to stop the recording. You can then use the same button to play back the recording, download it, or start a new one.
Click the "Presets" button to change the synthesizer sound. Choose from a list of pre-made sounds, or click "Randomize" to generate a random one. You can also adjust the knobs on the synthesizer manually to create your own sounds.
How the synthesizer works
Synthesizers come in many different forms, but most are built from the same core components. This virtual synthesizer includes the most common components used to create and shape sound. These components are:
| Oscillators (OSC1 & OSC2) The oscillators are the primary sound sources of the synthesizer. |
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| Waveform | Sine (a pure, mellow sound with no harmonics), triangle (a soft sound with a few harmonics), square (a hollow sound with strong harmonics), or sawtooth (a bright, buzzy sound with many harmonics). |
| Octave | Pitch of OSC1 in octave steps. Differences between OSC1 and OSC2 create a fuller, more layered sound. |
| Volume | Volume of the oscillator. |
| Fine tune | Fine-tuning of OSC1. Small differences in pitch between OSC1 and OSC2 create a thicker, more complex sound. |
| Noise The noise generator adds non-pitched sound. |
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| Noise type | White (a balanced noise across all frequencies), pink (a warm noise with reduced high frequencies), or brown (a deep noise with strong low frequencies). |
| Volume | Volume of the noise. |
| Effects The effects change the sound by adding depth and movement to it. |
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| Reverb | Amount of space added to the sound. Higher values create a more distant sound. |
| Chorus | Amount of detuned copies of the sound. Higher values create a thicker sound. |
| Echo | Amount of repetitions of the sound. |
| Echo speed | Time between echoes. |
| Envelope The envelope controls how the sound evolves over time. |
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| Attack | Time it takes for the sound to reach full volume after the key is pressed. |
| Decay | Time it takes for the sound to fall from full volume to the sustain level. |
| Sustain | Volume maintained while the key is held down. |
| Release | Time it takes for the sound to fade out after the key is released. |
| Filter The filter changes the sound by adjusting its frequencies. |
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| Cutoff | Highest allowed frequency. Lower values create a darker and softer sound. |
| Resonance | Emphasis around the cutoff frequency. Higher values create a sharper sound. |