Synthesis Resources

Manuals, cookbooks, and reference texts pulled from the OES archive—use them to level up your patching, repairing, and recording sessions.

• Buchla Cookbook – Suzanne Ciani

  Seminal Buchla patch recipes direct from Ciani’s studio notebooks.

• Bazille Cookbook – u-he

  Modular techniques for the Bazille semi-modular soft synth, transferable to hardware voicing.

• Welsh’s Synthesizer Cookbook – Fred Welsh

  Systematic subtractive design from raw waveform to finished voice.

• Buchla 100 Series Owners Manual

  Factory overview of the original modular system and its control philosophy.

• Buchla Music Easel Manual – Allen Strange

  Performance-forward patching strategies for the Easel, annotated by Strange.

• Electronic Music – Allen Strange

  The classic synthesis text: signal flow, studio methods, and composition strategies.

• Composing Electronic Music – Curtis Roads

  Contemporary approaches to time, spectra, and algorithmic form.

• The Complete Guide to Synthesizers – Devarahi

  Plain-language walkthrough of synthesis concepts with musician-friendly examples.

• FM Theory & Applications – Chowning & Bristow

  Everything you need to program Yamaha-style FM from first principles.

• Digisound Modular User Manual

  Project notes and module documentation from the Digisound DIY system.

• The Complete Synthesizer

  Survey text spanning architecture, patching, and real-world studio considerations.

• RTS Foundation

  Groundwork concepts and terminology—ideal as a structured refresher.

• RTS Practical 1

  Hands-on exercises that reinforce fundamentals with compact, testable patches.

• RTS Practical 2

  Follow-on studies emphasizing modulation depth, routing variations, and timbre shaping.

• ARP 2600 Owners Manual

  Semimodular reference including calibration guides and factory patching notes.

• Serge Modular Music System Manual

  Patch philosophies and module documentation direct from Serge Tcherepnin’s system.

• EMS VCS3 Manual

  Pin-matrix workflows and recommendations for the VCS3/Synthi family.

• Tascam 32 Operation & Service Manual

  Tape deck alignment, transport servicing, and maintenance notes.

• Revox A77 User Manual

  Classic 1/4" deck documentation for alignment and upkeep.

• Roland TR-606 Owners Manual

  Original drum machine guide with programming workflows and specs.

• Roland TR-909 Owners Manual

  Factory reference for pattern writing, MIDI sync, and service tweaks.