Hi

dnarkosis is right about PCM. A PCM-synth works with digital recorded samples from Read Only Memory (ROM). These are recordings of audio (samples) that can be triggered from the keyboard. The samples are then processed digitally by filters, envelopes, LFOs etc.. The samples, however, stay the same always.

What I mean by "understanding" the synth is to know these things. If you know the basic principles of synthesizers, it all starts to make sense, and you suddenly realize that a synth actually is logical.. And you don't need a degree in electronics or anything!

A good source for learning about synths in general is the SoundOnSound article-archive. They have several informative article-series. www.sospubs.co.uk

Stig