Matthew Ryals

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© 2026 Matthew Ryals. All rights reserved.

Patching With Modular Synthesizers





poster by Wilson Kemp

About the Online Course


An online modular synthesis course taught in VCV Rack designed for complete beginners and anyone looking to deepen their understanding of core synthesis fundamentals. 

Over eight weeks, we’ll build a clear and practical foundation in modular and general synthesis so you can confidently start creating your own music with modular systems.

You’ll be patching along as we explore module types, signals, basic building blocks of a patch, subtractive synthesis, sound design, making full tracks, & more!

Open to participants worldwide! For musicians & non-musicians alike. No prior experience with music or synthesizers required!

Each class is offered twice weekly: Tuesdays 7:30PM–9PM EST and Saturdays 11AM–12:30PM EST. Each week, you can choose the time that works best for you, or even both!

Classes are online via Zoom, 90 minutes each.

Classes will be recorded in case you miss any days and available for future viewings.

No hardware synths required! You only need a computer with VCV Rack (free) and Zoom (free) installed. 💻 










Course Overview

Each week will introduce new concepts and techniques, building progressively toward confident, creative patching.

We’ll begin with the fundamental building blocks of modular synthesis, then move into subtractive synthesis, sound design, explorative patching, and eventually constructing full patches. Along the way, we’ll dive into module types, signal flow, modulation strategies, and creative patching approaches.

Every class includes dedicated time to patch, experiment, and ask questions in a supportive, collaborative environment.

Participants will receive a collection of learning resources, including:
  • My Beginner Patchbook
  • Custom VCV Rack patches
  • PDFs covering core concepts and techniques

Optional weekly homework assignments will be provided for those who want to deepen their practice and get the most out of the course.

All students will also be invited to my Discord server: a space to talk shop, exchange patches, share discoveries, and inspire one another beyond the classroom.

Pricing

Sliding Scale Options

Choose the price that works for you! 

Patch Hero – $350
  • By paying the standard price, you’re powering the course and helping open spots for others. $29.17/hour
  • Best for those with stable income who feel comfortable contributing at the full price. Your support keeps the course sustainable while making it accessible for everyone.

Signal Booster – $275
  • A generous contribution that helps amplify the class energy while staying budget-friendly. $22.92/hour
  • For those who could benefit from a slightly lower cost.

Friendly Feedback – $200
  • A more accessible option that still helps keep the course running smoothly.
  • Designed for those who need a lower rate due to financial constraints. $16.67/hour

Working Oscillator – $120
  • For working artists or anyone navigating a tighter budget, still an important part of the signal chain! $10/hour
  • Your presence and participation are just as vital to the workshop ecosystem.

There are no refunds. Please consider this when booking. Thank you for understanding! 






Student Testimonials


“I super highly and sincerely recommend PWMS with Matthew Ryals. The class far surpassed my hopes! Matthew is a knowledgeable, thoughtful, attentive, and fun teacher with a really well-organized approach. I learned more about modular synth patching in the past 8 weeks than I did in 2+ years of futzing around on my own. The optional homework assignments really solidified the concepts and practical applications covered in each session, and Matthew gives generous individual feedback on whatever you turn in. Each week builds on previous weeks in a way that made me feel like I was learning in exponential leaps and bounds. I loved the sense of community in the class, and am grateful for the wealth of additional educational resources. I feel so much more confident in my ability to patch creatively and musically after participating in this class, and I feel like I can keep deepening my personal practice based on the skills I gained. I also feel like I have a much better foundational understanding of control voltage, signal flow, and sound design. Everything clicked in a much more immediately useable way than when I was wading through written materials or videos independently. Thank you so much!” – Wahida Omar
“Matthew's PWMS course is amazing! It is rare to find an instructor who is equal parts passionate about the subject matter and the teaching process itself. The course comprehensively covers the foundational concepts of electronics and synthesis in a way that, halfway through the course, I was already able to apply to existing projects in programs other than VCV Rack. Matthew's genuine excitement about the interesting things you can do with the core concepts encouraged a curious and experimental approach to learning. What follows is space for everyone to create a wide variety of sounds that expand on our existing musical intentions. I've learned so much over 8 classes and am looking forward to furthering my electronic music practice with these tools.” – Nat Segers
“I loved this course! Probably one of the best learning experiences I've ever had. This is a concept I'd always wanted to explore but found too daunting or confusing to know where to start. After finishing the program I feel like I have a perfect foundation and basic knowledge to begin working with, while still leaving plenty of room for further study and exploration going forward.Matthew is a truly excellent teacher, able to break down each concept into terms that are easy to understand and immediately try for yourself. The classes are fun and engaging and really pack a lot into each session, and the overall presentation of everything is very streamlined. Plus the reading & supplemental materials are exceptionally designed and implemented. These are resources I feel like I'll be referencing for years to come.I would absolutely recommend this course to anyone interested in the topic. I couldn't have asked for a better experience!” – Alex Hadjiloukas


“PWMS was an amazing class! I appreciated how accessible it was, especially as someone without a musical background. Now that I’ve completed the course, I feel confident and excited to dive into modular synth on my own. I’m also thrilled with the wealth of resources available to me and the added bonus of being part of Discord community!” – Megan Broyles“Patching with Modular Synthesizers was such a wonderful experience and I appreciate the clear attention to detail and care that Matthew puts in to creating the curriculum and fostering a very chill, supportive, accessible yet still rigorous environment to make sure that the students get the tools and education they need to out of the class. Over the course of the eight weeks, I do feel like a have a better grasp of foundational methods of synthesis that I had read about a few times before, but was never able to quite grasp until he laid it out super succinctly in his materials that he created himself and through class discussion. I'm able to make multi-voice patch and explore some other ideas that I didn't think I would be able to do accomplish in such a short period of time. Super grateful for the experience and also the few jokes Matthew managed to land each class session :). Highly recommend it to anybody of all levels and various goals for learning modular synthesis.” – Austin Johnson“Having done quite a few online courses over the last few years..., yours is genuinely one of the best I've taken. You have a great way of keeping things to the point, useful, and practical without over theorising-but still offering great insight when needed.” – Ioannis Valasakis


“Matthew is a veritable font of information about modular synthesizers. The patching class opened up the world of modular synthesis for me in a way that YouTube tutorials simply couldn't--being able to ask questions and learn from Matthew and my classmates (who were all approaching modular synthesis from different backgrounds) was really valuable to me. I highly recommend this class for anyone beginning or expanding their musical practice.” – Chelsea Hall “I was a complete beginner to the world of synthesis when I joined this online class with Matthew, and it was both fun and highly educational. We got to do some simple patches, and Matthew explained the theory from the basics, making it much easier to understand. The class was packed with fantastic resources, and Matthew explored questions in depth, generously sharing additional insights along the way. I would highly recommend this class to anyone who’s interested in getting started with synthesis.” – Corliss Ng “Tysm for providing this class!!! I had a great time and even though I’ve been working with modular synthesis for years, I learned a lot. It’s already helping me take my patches to the next level!!! 🙌❤️🙌” – Cameron Farash


“I learned from day one the logic behind modular synthesis, which helped me to build my first patch and play it right away in my music gig. The follow up course gave me a great set of tools that I will continue exploring, a whole new universe!” – Amanda Gutierrez
“With almost zero knowledge, this class helped me learn exactly what I needed to get a firm understanding of Modular Synthesis!“ – Dylan Fish“Moment of immense gratitude over here!!! Even just a few classes in, I now understand enough modular synthesis concepts that I got the prototype PD code for my slime mold instrument working! Thank you for telling me about Automatonism and for the incredible instruction so far. I can tell you enjoy teaching and honestly that quality is the biggest factor in how well | learn something. I'm insanely stoked and still in partial disbelief to see my slime mold instrument coming together, and really excited to see what else we learn in class.” – Nat Segers