From the sessions: oscillator sync

We’ve recently started running small, hands-on electronic music sessions in Falmouth.

This post shares a small glimpse from inside those sessions — how simple tools can open up unexpectedly rich sound worlds.

If you’d like to explore this further, you can start with a taster session here:

Electronic music sessions in Falmouth

Listen

A short example of the patch slowly shifting over time.

This example centres on oscillator sync — a beautifully straightforward idea that produces more complexity than you might expect.

The patch is intentionally simple: two oscillators, with one shaping the behaviour of the other.

VCV Rack patch: synced oscillator shaping

Core structure:

VCO 1 (leader) → sync input of VCO 2 (follower)
VCO 2 → audio output

A filter or VCA can be added if you’d like to shape things further.

Movement:

Introduce a small amount of movement — a slow LFO gently nudging the pitch of the follower oscillator.

Oscillator sync works by the leading oscillator repeatedly resetting the phase of the follower.

As the follower’s frequency moves, its waveform is repeatedly cut short — reshaping the harmonic content while the overall pitch tends to remain anchored.

In this patch, the leading oscillator stays steady while the follower moves.

The result is a sound that becomes brighter and more metallic, without feeling like it’s moving up or down in pitch.

Soft sync behaves a little differently, opening up a wider and more unpredictable range of textures.

The interest comes from shape rather than pitch.

Slower modulation tends to reveal internal movement more clearly, while faster changes introduce sharper, more aggressive tones.

Very small movements can be enough — they often feel more contained, but still active.

Listen to the brightness and harmonic movement in synth lines from tracks like Houdini or Midnight City — oscillator sync is one way of shaping that kind of sound.

(and yes — Let’s Go still earns its place)

This kind of approach sits at the centre of our sessions — simple systems, careful listening, and time to develop ideas.

Keep the FM on the follower low — around 5–10% is enough to begin.

Start with a slow LFO and let it run for a while before changing anything.

Gradually increasing the depth or speed tends to shift the sound from clear to more complex and animated.

Switching between hard and soft sync, or changing the waveform on the follower, can dramatically reshape the sound.

Hard sync feels more defined, while soft sync opens up a wider, more unpredictable range — from rounded bass tones through to more chaotic, tearing textures.

Part of what we explore is how much can come from very little.

Rather than building large systems straight away, we spend time with simple setups — noticing how small gestures can transform a patch.

A slow modulation, a slight shift in pitch, a single cable change.

It’s a patient, listening-led way of working.

And it often surprises people who expect electronic music to be fast, technical, or screen-based — when in practice, it can be quiet, focused, and tactile.

Sessions are small and hands-on, and suitable for those new to electronic music as well as those returning to it.

We run both youth sessions and adult sessions.

Start with a taster:

https://www.moogiewonderland.co.uk/electronic-music-lessons-falmouth

• those interested in modular synthesis or VCV Rack
• beginners exploring electronic music for the first time
• adults returning to music in a more exploratory way
• parents looking for alternative music lessons in Cornwall

We’ll continue sharing notes like this — small glimpses into how we work with sound in practice.