How do producers manipulate the sounds of instruments?

[YoungCapone]

Hello! I’m new to producing music and want to learn more about manipulating the actual sound of an instrument. I’ve heard of things like sound design, synths and timbre, but I’m not exactly sure where to begin. Basically, I’m interested in learning how to adjust the physical sound of an instrument and hopefully being able to direct what kind of emotion it conveys. I was hoping y’all could give me some guidance about what topics I should look into, how I should approach learning more about this or how to think about manipulating the sounds of instruments.
Thanks

 

[thedreampolice]

Most producers start with the pitch of a sample. You can pitch it up or down to do all kinds of things. Sometimes the performance is just a sampled phrases from a record or something. For me most of the songs I make I use real instruments and either play them myself or get my musician friends to play them.

 

[2GooD Productions]

When designing sounds you need to understand ADSR(Attack, Decay, Sustain and Release).