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Synthesist Masterclass

10 sessions · Tuesdays, Thursdays · 2hr each

Beyond subtractive — the full map of synthesis

The Mix Primer covers subtractive synthesis because it explains how filters and EQ work. This course picks up where that left off and covers every other way to generate and shape sound — from FM and additive through wavetable, granular, physical modeling, and sampling-as-synthesis.

16 chapters of ground covered

Oscillators, filters, envelopes, and modulation — quick review of subtractive fundamentals before moving on
FM synthesis — frequency modulation, operators, algorithms, and why FM sounds the way it does
Additive synthesis — building sound from individual harmonics. The harmonic series as a sound design tool
Wavetable synthesis — scanning through waveforms, morphing, and the modern wavetable engines in Serum, Vital, and others
Granular synthesis — slicing audio into grains, texture generation, and time-stretching as a creative tool
Physical modeling — simulating acoustic instruments and resonant bodies without samples
Sampling as synthesis — the line between sampling and synthesis, and how samplers became instruments
Patching, signal flow, and modular thinking — modular vs. integrated architectures, and how routing decisions shape the sound
Sound design exercises — practical sessions building patches from scratch across different synthesis types

Prerequisites: Familiarity with subtractive synthesis — oscillators, filters, envelopes. Covered in the Mix Primer or equivalent experience.

Building This Class

Jan 19, 2027 – Feb 18, 2027

Tuesdays, Thursdays, 4 PM Pacific | 7 PM Eastern | 12 AM UK

10 × 2hr classes

$620.00 includes 2 mo. residency

I'm a current resident $450.00

What's a residency?

Residency is your Beat Kitchen membership —$85/mo or $700/yr. It includes office hours, gyms, beat challenges, and a community of producers on Discord.

Non-residents can take any class — residency months are bundled into the price. If you're already a resident, check the box above and you'll see the lower class-only price.

Learn more about residency →

Other start dates and times (1 more)

More Dates

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May 30, 2027 – Oct 17, 2027 Sundays, 10 AM Pacific | 1 PM Eastern | 6 PM UK

Building This Class

Synthesist

Beyond subtractive synthesis; advanced sound design and sound sculpting

Sundays, 10 AM Pacific | 1 PM Eastern | 6 PM UK

May 30, 2027 - Oct 17, 2027

20 x 1hr Classes

Are you a current BKS resident?

No Yes

$960.00

* This price includes 6 months required BKS Residency

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Building This Class

Want this class at a different time? Seats aren't on sale yet — raise your hand and we'll build it around your availability.

The more times you select, the more likely we are to build a class that works for you.

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What students say

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Great class. Nathan is a great instructor. I would definitely recommend Beat kitchen to friends.

—James, Bishopville, SC

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Had an Awesome class about Music Theory! It was short but sweet! Being only a music enthusiast and curious on what the class has to offer, Nathan (Instructor) was able to explain it so well and had me captivated on what it is all about. Pretty sure I’ll be attending more classes and just expand my knowledge for sure! -Timothy

—Timmy, San Francisco, CA

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Incredible value in every class. It’s a super fun and engaging way to learn, with excellent instructors and a supportive community. Can’t recommend Beat Kitchen enough if you want to learn any aspect of music production!

—Johanna, Toronto, Canada

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Excellent at explaining and going through the process of helping one understand music and it’s many intricacies.

—Michael, Brooklyn, NY

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I’ve been wanting to learn music production for a while and am so happy I found Beat Kitchen. The professors involved in this project are amazing - so talented, thoughtful and supportive. The classes help you develop the foundation and

—Belén, Los Angeles, CA

Explore Classes

Office Hours Weekly. Ask questions, get help, and connect. Included with residency. Production Gym Weekly. Production breakdown of your favorite songs. Included with residency. Theory Gym Weekly. Morning music theory workout. Included with residency. Ear Training Weekly. Test your ears and discuss — music, mixing, and more. Included with residency. Instrument Gym Weekly. Practice and workout on instruments. Included with residency. Weekly Beat Review Weekly. Listen to Beat Challenge song ideas together. Included with residency.

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Beat Building Jam Workshop ideas into songs. Peer feedback. Instructor support. Prep for production Mix Incubator Your lab for carrying a track across the finish line — the forcing function that turns a produced or recorded song into … Production Incubator Your lab for turning a song into a finished production — the forcing function that leaves you with a track ready for the … Recording Incubator Your lab for capturing real performances of your song — the forcing function that leaves you with recordings ready for … Songwriting Incubator Your lab for getting a song started and out the door — the forcing function that leaves you with a draft ready for the …

Mixing & Mixcraft Advanced live mixing course: parallel compression, sidechain, vocal chains, drum mixing, stereo imaging, automation, and … Recording Studio Masterclass Hands-on recording studio masterclass with professional equipment. Learn large format consoles, studio etiquette, and … Songwriter Masterclass Master songwriting techniques with professional composers. Learn melody writing, chord progressions, song structure, …

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Beat Kitchen At-A-Glance

Beat Ktichen Calendar

See the full calendar
Recent Resident Gyms
- WEEKLY-BEAT-CHALLENGE: Reviewed beats submitted by Christian and Jon, covering synth architecture, rhythmic analysis, and production technique. Discussed triad pairs, three-two clave, and syncopation as compositional tools applicable to both performance and production. Announced a one-week delay to the upcoming production class, pushing the start date from September 16 to September 23.
- OFFICE HOURS: Covered bass guitar EQ fundamentals, including the counterintuitive principle of boosting highs and cutting lows to help bass cut through a mix. Discussed tape emulation in mastering, specifically the Slate Digital Virtual Tape Machine and its use as a subtle glue and saturation tool.
- WEEKLY-BEAT-CHALLENGE: Reviewed two submitted works this morning: Paul's "Driftwood," an atmospheric guitar-based piece processed through layered filter effects, and Josephine's newly written vocal-piano song. Discussion centered on restraint in production — specifically, the risk of overproducing early-stage material before the songwriter has fully lived with it. Nathan performed a brief section of Randy Newman's "I Think It's Gonna Rain Today" as a reference point for how orchestral arrangement can serve a simple song without obscuring it, and credited the orchestral arrangement to Van Dyke Parks. A technical thread with Jon on rhythmic displacement and MIDI tempo-slowing techniques rounded out the session, along with a brief discussion on vinyl mastering and audio-video sync.
- THEORY-GYM: We covered the Barry Harris bebop diminished scale approach as an alternative to modal thinking, specifically the technique of inserting a chromatic passing tone (a minor sixth, or A-flat in the key of C) into a major scale to create an eight-note scale. From that scale, we built tetrad-based triad pairs — stepping through C6, D diminished, and related chords by stacking every other note — and explored how that voice leading naturally implies functional harmony, including five chords and diminished substitutions. We also touched on the philosophical distinction between modal and functional harmonic thinking, using Barry Harris's critique of modes as a framing device.
- THEORY-GYM: We analyzed "Just the Two of Us" (Bill Withers / Grover Washington Jr.) as a vehicle for understanding tritone substitution, secondary dominants, the two-five-one motion as a pivot into the subdominant, and passing chords. The chord progression — identical between verse and chorus — was worked through in the key of C for clarity, with the key bass motion and chromatic inner voice movement identified. We closed by building a set of extended chord voicings (minor 9, minor 7, dominant 13) derived from the song's chromatic passing sequence, with the A minor → A♭ minor → G minor 7 → C pattern as a practical keyboard exercise.
- INSTRUMENT-GYM: Covered the Barry Harris sixth diminished (octatonic) scale — a standard C major scale with an added flat-six (A♭) — and worked through its modes, harmonic implications, and four-voice chord stacks built from it. Demonstrated how stacking thirds through the scale produces a cycle of chords (C6, D minor7♭5, A minor7, F diminished) that embed diminished motion and ii–V–I harmonic logic without explicit chord changes. Practiced the scale ascending from each degree and explored its relationship to dominant chords, diminished chords, and the circle of fourths.
- WEEKLY-BEAT-CHALLENGE: We reviewed beats submitted by three students, working through syncopation and rhythmic contrast, harmonic clashes and chord voicing, and guitar tone and recording workflow. Each piece got individualized feedback, and we pulled out broader production principles around ostinato, juxtaposition of rhythmic elements, and the mechanics of committing to a sound while building.
- WEEKLY-BEAT-CHALLENGE: Reviewed two submitted pieces this morning — a cassette-recorded rap by Jon and an anxiety-themed instrumental by Alessandra. Feedback centered on rhythmic phrasing, rhyme placement, melodic theme development, the use of stereo space, and the creative and practical tradeoffs of committing to a lo-fi cassette recording workflow.
- THEORY-GYM: We worked through the harmonic structure of "Maneater" (Hall & Oates), tracing a chromatic descending bass line through the chorus and identifying the chords that wrap around it — including a first-inversion five chord, a flat-seven major chord, and a secondary dominant functioning as the five of two. The session also covered the Picardy third that appears at the end of the song's A-section, how diminished chords function as rootless dominant seventh chords, and what a line cliché looks like in practice. Ear-training work ran throughout: participants sang and voted on bass motion (up/down, half step/whole step/jump) before identifying chords.
- THEORY-GYM: Covered the harmonic series as the origin of the diatonic scale, then explored what happens when you construct a scale by descending through circle-of-fifths logic rather than ascending — arriving at the Phrygian mode as a "south-facing" mirror of the standard Ionian construction. Used that framework to reframe negative harmony: less as a direct chord-mirroring trick and more as a way to locate distant harmonic colors, particularly the leading-tone relationship in descending scalar motion. Also touched on the Dorian mode as a palindrome (W-H-W-W-W-H-W), tetrachord construction as a tool for building and comparing scales, and briefly demonstrated an online scale/chord reference tool. A chord matrix Josephine had built was reviewed and discussed.
Learn more about Residency
Upcoming Resident Events
- Weekly Beat Challenge: Nathan
  Sep. 21,
- Office Hours: Cato Zane
  Sep. 21,
- Ear Training: Nathan
  Sep. 21,
- Theory Gym: Nathan
  Sep. 22,
- Office Hours: Cato Zane
  Sep. 22,
- Production Gym: Jam
  Sep. 22,
Learn more about Residency
Upcoming Courses
- Apr 19, 2026 Theory: Musician Basics
- Apr 22, 2026 Mixing: Effects, Synths & Tools
- Apr 27, 2026 DAW Core Skills
- Apr 27, 2026 FL Studio
- May 23, 2026 Logic Pro 1-Day Intensive
- Jun 10, 2026 Hardware & Recording Primer
- Jul 8, 2026 Hardware & Recording Primer
- Jul 12, 2026 DAW Core Skills
See All Courses
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