EduSynth Help Guide

Welcome to Edu-Synth

Edu-Synth is an educational synthesizer designed to teach sound design while you create. Every parameter has built-in tooltips explaining what it does, how it affects your sound, and when to use it.

Your First Sound

1. Load Edu-Synth in your DAW or open the standalone app
2. Play a note on your MIDI keyboard (or click the on-screen piano)
3. You'll hear the default "Init" sound—a simple saw wave
4. Hover over any knob to see what it does
5. Start tweaking!

macOS Installation

Requirements: macOS 10.13+, 64-bit Intel or Apple Silicon

1. Download the installer from your purchase email
2. Double-click to run the installer
3. Plugins install to:
   • VST3: ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/Edu-Synth.vst3
   • AU: ~/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/Edu-Synth.component
4. Restart your DAW
5. Find EduSynth in your plugin list under "Auminei"

Windows Installation

Requirements: Windows 10+, 64-bit processor

1. Download the Windows installer
2. Copy Edu-Synth.vst3 to C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\
3. Restart your DAW and scan for new plugins

Supported DAWs

Edu-Synth works with any VST3 or AU compatible DAW:

• Ableton Live 10+
• Logic Pro X/11 (macOS)
• FL Studio 20+
• Reaper 6+
• Bitwig Studio 3+
• Cubase 10+
• Studio One 5+

5-Tab Layout

Common Controls

• Knobs: Click and drag up/down. Double-click to reset.
• Dropdowns: Click to open menu, select option
• Toggles: Click to enable/disable
• Piano: 88-key keyboard at bottom—click to play notes

OSC 1 & OSC 2

Edu-Synth has two main oscillators plus a sub oscillator and noise generator.

Waveform Guide

• Sine: Pure, clean tone. Good for sub bass, bells, FM-style sounds
• Saw: Bright, rich harmonics. Classic for leads, pads, basses
• Square: Hollow, woody tone. Great for retro sounds, sub bass
• Triangle: Soft, mellow. Like sine but with subtle harmonics

Sub Oscillator & Noise

• Sub Level: Volume of sub oscillator (0-100%)
• Sub Octave: -1 or -2 octaves below OSC1
• Noise Level: Amount of white noise mixed in

Tip: Add sub oscillator for weightier bass. Small noise adds "air" to pads.

Filter Parameters

Filter Types Explained

• LP (Low-Pass): Removes highs. Most common. Makes sounds darker/warmer.
• HP (High-Pass): Removes lows. Thins out sound, adds clarity.
• BP (Band-Pass): Keeps only frequencies around cutoff. Telephone/radio effect.
• Notch: Removes frequencies at cutoff. Creates hollow spots.

Filter Visualizer

The graph on the Synth tab shows your filter's frequency response in real-time. The orange line marks your cutoff frequency.

Amp Envelope (ADSR)

Controls how your sound's volume changes over time.

Quick Envelope Settings

• Pluck: A: 0ms, D: 200ms, S: 0%, R: 100ms
• Pad: A: 500ms, D: 0ms, S: 100%, R: 500ms
• Bass: A: 0ms, D: 100ms, S: 70%, R: 50ms

Filter Envelope

Same as amp envelope, but controls the filter cutoff over time.

Amount: How much envelope affects cutoff (positive = opens up, negative = closes down)

Tip: Positive amount + fast decay = "wow" sound.

Pitch Envelope

Short envelope for pitch modulation at note start.

• Attack: Time to reach pitch offset
• Decay: Time to return to normal pitch
• Amount: Pitch offset in semitones

Tip: Fast decay + small positive amount = punchy attack on basses.

Unison Parameters

Unison stacks multiple detuned copies of your sound for thickness.

Tip: 4 voices + 20% detune + 80% width = instant supersaw!

Signal Flow

Sound → Saturation → Distortion → Compressor → EQ → Chorus → Flanger → Phaser → Delay → Reverb → Output

Saturation & Distortion

• Saturation: Warm, subtle overdrive. Adds harmonics. Use for warming up digital sounds.
• Distortion: More aggressive. Use for growling basses, aggressive leads.

Compressor

Reduces dynamic range—makes quiet parts louder, loud parts quieter.

• Threshold: Level where compression starts
• Ratio: Compression strength
• Attack: How fast compression kicks in
• Mix: Parallel compression blend

EQ (3-Band)

Adjust frequency balance with Low, Mid, and High controls.

Modulation Effects

• Chorus: Creates width by layering detuned copies. Use for lush pads, 80s vibes.
• Flanger: Comb filtering with feedback. Use for jet/swoosh sounds.
• Phaser: Sweeping notch filters. Use for swirling pads.

Time Effects

• Delay: Echo/repeat effect. Parameters: Time, Feedback, Mix.
• Reverb: Room simulation. Parameters: Size, Damping, Width, Mix.

LFO 1, 2, 3

Three independent Low Frequency Oscillators with advanced features.

Mod Matrix

8 modulation slots for routing any source to any destination.

• Source: LFO1-3, Mod Env, Velocity, Mod Wheel, Aftertouch, Pitch Bend
• Destination: Pitch, Filter, Amp, Pan, PWM, etc.
• Amount: Modulation depth (positive or negative)
• Curve: Linear, Exponential, Logarithmic, S-Curve

Example Routings

• Mod Wheel → Filter Cutoff: Classic filter sweep control
• LFO1 → Pitch (small amount): Vibrato
• Velocity → Filter Cutoff: Harder playing = brighter sound
• LFO2 → Pan: Auto-panning

Quick Assign

4 macro knobs for instant control over multiple parameters. Assign to any destination.

Arpeggiator

Automatically plays held notes in a pattern.

Arpeggiator Modes

• Up: Low to high notes
• Down: High to low notes
• Up/Down: Ping-pong pattern
• Down/Up: Reverse ping-pong
• Random: Random order
• Order: Order notes were pressed
• Chord: All notes together (rhythmic chords)

Step Sequencer

16-step modulation sequencer.

• Enable: Turn sequencer on/off
• Rate: Step speed (tempo-synced)
• Destination: What to modulate
• Amount: Modulation depth
• Steps 1-16: Individual step values

Tip: Use step sequencer on filter cutoff for rhythmic bass patterns.

Classic Supersaw Lead

1. OSC1: Saw wave
2. OSC2: Saw wave, detune +7 cents
3. Unison: 4 voices, 25% detune, 80% width
4. Filter: LP, Cutoff 4kHz, Resonance 20%
5. Amp Env: A: 5ms, D: 100ms, S: 80%, R: 200ms
6. Add Reverb: Size 40%, Mix 25%

Reese Bass

1. OSC1: Saw wave
2. OSC2: Saw wave, detune +5 cents
3. Unison: 2 voices, 15% detune, 0% width (mono)
4. Filter: LP, Cutoff 800Hz, Resonance 30%
5. LFO → Filter Cutoff: Slow rate, small amount
6. Add Saturation: Drive 30%, Mix 50%

Atmospheric Pad

1. OSC1: Saw wave
2. OSC2: Square wave, detune -3 cents
3. Mix: 60% OSC1, 40% OSC2
4. Unison: 4 voices, 30% detune, 100% width
5. Filter: LP, Cutoff 2kHz, Resonance 15%
6. Amp Env: A: 800ms, D: 500ms, S: 70%, R: 1000ms
7. Add Chorus: Rate slow, Depth 40%, Mix 30%
8. Add Reverb: Size 70%, Width 100%, Mix 40%

Plucky Synth

1. OSC1: Square wave
2. Filter: LP, Cutoff 1kHz, Resonance 40%
3. Filter Env: A: 0ms, D: 150ms, S: 0%, R: 100ms, Amount: +60%
4. Amp Env: A: 0ms, D: 200ms, S: 0%, R: 100ms
5. Add Delay: Time 1/8, Feedback 30%, Mix 20%

Wobble Bass

1. OSC1: Saw wave
2. Sub: -1 octave, 50% level
3. Filter: LP, Cutoff 500Hz, Resonance 60%
4. LFO1 → Filter Cutoff: Rate 1/4 note (synced), Amount 70%
5. Add Distortion: Drive 40%, Mix 30%

How They Work

1. Hover over any knob, slider, or dropdown
2. Wait ~0.5 seconds
3. Read the tooltip card that appears

What Tooltips Include

• Parameter name and current value
• What it does in plain English
• What you'll hear when you adjust it
• Common uses and tips

Tooltip Settings

Toggle tooltips on/off in the Settings tab. Turn them off once you're comfortable, turn them back on anytime to learn new sections.

Does Edu-Synth work with my DAW?

If your DAW supports VST3 (Windows/Mac) or AU (Mac only), yes.

Can I use this commercially?

Yes. All sounds you create are royalty-free and can be used in commercial productions.

Does it support MPE?

Yes! MPE support is available in the Settings tab.

How much CPU does it use?

Very little. Expect around 1-3% CPU per instance on modern systems. Reduce unison voices or oversampling if needed.

Can I turn off tooltips?

Yes—toggle them in the Settings tab.

What's the refund policy?

30-day money-back guarantee, no questions asked. Full policy here.

No Sound

1. Check your DAW's audio output settings
2. Make sure a MIDI keyboard is connected or use on-screen piano
3. Check the Gain knob in the Amp Envelope section
4. Make sure oscillator Mix isn't at 0%
5. Check filter Cutoff isn't too low

Crackling / Glitches

1. Increase your DAW's buffer size
2. Reduce Unison voices
3. Lower Oversampling to 1x in Settings
4. Reduce Max Voices in Settings

Plugin Not Showing in DAW

1. Restart your DAW after installation
2. Rescan plugins in DAW preferences
3. Check plugin format matches (VST3 vs AU)
4. Verify installation path is correct

macOS Gatekeeper Warning

If macOS says "cannot be verified":

1. Right-click (Control-click) the plugin file
2. Select "Open" from the menu
3. Click "Open" in the dialog

CPU Usage Too High

• Reduce Unison voices (biggest CPU impact)
• Lower Oversampling
• Reduce Max Voices
• Disable unused effects