With the popularity of computer based music reaching its peak, more and more producers are starting to learn how to produce electronic music. To get started it's pretty simple. All you need is a good computer, a midi keyboard, a midi interface and a DAW of your choice. With all of this being accessible for under $ 1200, a hell of a lot cheaper than production gear of the past, almost anyone can get started with producing electronic music. This genre relies on synthesized sounds although many beginner producers really do not understand what this means. Here are 3 reasons to help you understand why sound synthesis is important if you're an electronic musician.
1. Control. If you have knowledge of how synthesizers work, you will absolutely have a lot more control in creating the sounds you hear. Presets are great, but I'm sure you have all had an experience or two of hearing a certain sound you wanted to add to your piece then browsing through hundreds of presets only to find that none of them sounded like what you heard in your head . If you learn how to mold sound through sound design, you will be much more capable of being able to make sounds you hear.
Creativity. Presets are usually based on popular sounds you hear in electronic music which is great if you're trying to emulate another artist. It's good to add familiarity to your songs so your audience will recognize it but on the other hand if you're always using presets, it's very likely that another producer is using the exact same one. The Knowledge of sound design allows you to express yourself creatively and create sonic palettes of your own.
3. Because it's electronic music! If you're into this type of music, sound design is a huge part of it. Synthesizers are the backbone of electronic music. Just because programs these days make it easy for you to just plug in and play like you would a keyboard, you will not fully appreciate the complexity and beauty of electronic music until you delve into the world of sound design. Being an electronic music producer, it is imperative that you utilize all of the tools that are laid out before you for you to create music that is unique with your own flavor.
Experiment to get started. Sound design can be a daunting task as synthesizers unduously come with tons of knobs, sliders, routing etc but for starters, just play around and have fun. Remember, this is still music so enjoy yourself.