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Table Of Contents
Noise: Pink/Red, Blue, White
Noise is useful for emulating percussive sounds, such as snare drums, or wind and surf
sounds, among others.
White noise: The most common noise waveform found on synthesizers. White noise
contains all frequencies—at full level—around a center frequency.
Pink and red noise: These noise colors also contain all frequencies, but they are not at
full level across the frequency spectrum. Pink noise decreases the level by 3 dB per
octave (of higher frequencies). Red noise decreases the level by 6 dB per octave.
Blue noise: Blue noise, which is the reverse of pink noise, increases the level of all
frequencies in higher octaves by 3 dB.
There are other noise wave colors, but they aren’t commonly found in synthesizers.
Reshaping Waveforms
It is possible to deform the basic waveforms to create new waveforms. This results in a
different timbre, or tonal color, thus expanding the palette of sounds that can be created.
357Appendix Synthesizer Basics