Physical Modeling Synthesis

Get access to all of our courses with a student membership, or purchase this individual course by clicking "Enroll" above.

While synthesis methods like subtractive or FM are very popular in music production, there are many other forms of synthesis like physical modeling, which is based on generating real world sounds using mathematical models. You can design certain types of sounds very effectively with this form of synthesis, especially plucked sounds, mallet percussion sounds, string sounds, and more. This technology also seems to have a bright future so these skills will probably be useful for quite some time. Beyond that, it's a great way to learn how to think about sounds from scratch - what is the shape of a drum hit in terms of amplitude? What about pitch, frequency spectrum, etc.?

Lesson topics include:

  • Intro to Physical Modeling with Ableton's Collision
  • Excitator
  • Resonator
  • Bass Sound Design
  • Pad Sound Design
  • Pluck Sound Design


Your Instructor


Paul Laski
Paul Laski

Paul Laski (P-LASK) is an Ableton Certified Trainer with over six years of teaching experience at DubSpot New York and Icon Collective Music Production School in Los Angeles. Paul has been involved in the electronic music scene for over a decade as a producer, remixer, sound designer, DJ, and educator.

Blending sounds from house, techno, garage, and beyond, P-LASK's original productions and remixes have been featured on Moody Recordings, Groovebirds Records, Crowd Records, Cherrytree (Interscope) Records, Abe Duque Records, Mean Red Music, Krafted Music, and his own imprint, Electric Dangerous Records. He has done remix work for artists such as Coeur du Pirate, Abe Duque, Divisible, Pointe Claire, Edian (UK), Rainer Hoeglmeier (Germany), and Wei Wei (China).

A small selection of his sound design work can be heard in the factory preset bank of XFER Records’ SERUM software synthesizer. Paul continues to develop presets for software synthesizers, free Ableton Live Racks, and samples, many of which are available through his website (www.p-lask.com). When he's not busy in the studio, he offers instruction and consultation in Ableton Live and live performance for artists and producers in the LA area.


Frequently Asked Questions


When does the course start and finish?
The course starts now and never ends! It is a completely self-paced online course - you decide when you start and when you finish.
How long do I have access to the course?
If you purchase the course individually, you have lifetime access to the content. If you sign up for a membership, you'll have unlimited access to this course for as long as you keep your membership active.
What if I am unhappy with the course?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.