Array ( [0] => {{short description|Electronic musical instrument}} [1] => {{about|the musical instrument}} [2] => {{Redirect|Synth}} [3] => {{Use dmy dates|date=December 2015}} [4] => {{Use American English|date=January 2020}} [5] => [6] => [[File:R.A.Moog minimoog 2.jpg|thumb|Early [[Minimoog]] by R.A. Moog Inc. ({{Circa|1970}})]] [7] => [8] => A '''synthesizer''' (also spelled '''synthesiser''') is an [[electronic musical instrument]] that generates [[audio signal]]s. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating [[waveform]]s through methods including [[subtractive synthesis]], [[additive synthesis]] and [[frequency modulation synthesis]]. These sounds may be altered by components such as [[Audio filter|filters]], which cut or boost [[Audio frequency|frequencies]]; [[Envelope (music)|envelopes]], which control [[Articulation (music)|articulation]], or how notes begin and end; and [[Low-frequency oscillation|low-frequency oscillators]], which modulate parameters such as pitch, volume, or filter characteristics affecting [[timbre]]. Synthesizers are typically played with [[Musical keyboard|keyboards]] or controlled by [[Music sequencer|sequencers]], software or other instruments and may be synchronized to other equipment via [[MIDI]]. [9] => [10] => {{Listen [11] => | filename = Jon Appleton - Sashasonjon.oga [12] => | title = Jon Appleton, "Sashasonjon" (1984) from the ''Four Fantasies for Synclavier'' [13] => | description = Composed and performed on the Synclavier II in the Bregman Electronic Music Studio, Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire. [14] => | format = [[Ogg]] [15] => | image = [16] => | pos = right | help = no [17] => }} [18] => [19] => Synthesizer-like instruments emerged in the United States in the mid-20th century with instruments such as the [[RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer|RCA Mark II]], which was controlled with [[Punched card|punch cards]] and used hundreds of [[vacuum tubes]]. The [[Moog synthesizer]], developed by [[Robert Moog]] and first sold in 1964, is credited for pioneering concepts such as [[voltage-controlled oscillator]]s, envelopes, [[noise generator]]s, filters, and sequencers. In 1970, the smaller, cheaper [[Minimoog]] standardized synthesizers as self-contained instruments with built-in keyboards, unlike the larger [[modular synthesizer]]s before it. [20] => [21] => In 1978, [[Sequential Circuits]] released the [[Sequential Circuits Prophet-5|Prophet-5]], which used [[microprocessor]]s to allow users to store sounds for the first time. MIDI, a [[Standardization|standardized]] means of synchronizing electronic instruments, was introduced in 1982 and remains an industry standard. The [[Yamaha DX7]], launched in 1983, was a major success and popularized [[digital synthesis]]. [[Software synthesizer]]s now can be run as [[Plug-in (computing)|plug-ins]] or embedded on [[microchips]]. In the 21st century, [[Analog revival|analog synthesizers returned to popularity]] with the advent of cheaper manufacturing. [22] => [23] => Synthesizers were initially viewed as [[avant-garde]], valued by the 1960s [[Psychedelia|psychedelic]] and [[Counterculture of the 1960s|counter-cultural]] scenes but with little perceived commercial potential. ''[[Switched-On Bach]]'' (1968)'','' a bestselling album of [[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]] compositions arranged for synthesizer by [[Wendy Carlos]], took synthesizers to the mainstream. They were adopted by electronic acts and pop and rock groups in the 1960s and 1970s and were widely used in 1980s music. [[Sampling (music)|Sampling]], introduced with the [[Fairlight CMI|Fairlight]] synthesizer in 1979, has influenced genres such as electronic and [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] music. Today, the synthesizer is used in nearly every genre of music and is considered one of the most important instruments in the music industry. According to ''[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]'' in 2016, "The synthesizer is as important, and as ubiquitous, in modern music today as the human voice."{{Cite news |date=2016-09-15 |title=The 14 most important synths in electronic music history – and the musicians who use them |language=en-US |work=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]] |url=https://www.factmag.com/2016/09/15/14-most-important-synths/ |access-date=2024-03-04}} [24] => [25] => == History == [26] => [27] => === Precursors === [28] => As [[electricity]] became more widely available, the early 20th century saw the invention of [[electronic musical instrument]]s including the [[Telharmonium]], [[Trautonium]], [[Ondes Martenot]], and [[theremin]].{{Cite web|url=http://emusician.com/tutorials/electronic_century1/index1.html|title=The Electronic Century Part I: Beginnings|last=Chadabe|first=Joel|date=2011-09-14|website=[[Electronic Musician]]|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110914022718/http://emusician.com/tutorials/electronic_century1/index1.html|archive-date=14 September 2011|access-date=12 November 2019}} In the late 1930s, the [[Hammond Organ Company]] built the [[Novachord]], a large instrument powered by 72 [[voltage-controlled amplifier]]s and 146 [[vacuum tube]]s.{{Cite web|last=Stewart|first=Dave|date=October 2010|title=Soniccouture Novachord|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/soniccouture-novachord|access-date=2021-06-19|website=[[Sound on Sound]]}} In 1948, the Canadian engineer [[Hugh Le Caine]] completed the [[electronic sackbut]], a precursor to [[control voltage|voltage-controlled synthesizers]], with keyboard sensitivity allowing for [[vibrato]], [[glissando]], and [[Envelope (music)|attack]] control. [29] => [30] => In 1957, [[Harry Olson]] and Herbert Belar completed the [[RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer]] at the [[RCA]] laboratories in Princeton, New Jersey. The instrument read [[Punched card|punched paper tape]] that controlled an [[analog synthesizer]] containing 750 vacuum tubes. It was acquired by the [[Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center (album)|Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music Center]] and used almost exclusively by [[Milton Babbitt]], a composer at [[Princeton University]]. [31] => [32] => === 1960s: Early years === [33] => [[File:Bob Moog3.jpg|thumb|[[Robert Moog]] with [[Moog synthesizer]]s. Many of Moog's inventions, such as [[voltage-controlled oscillator]]s, became standard in synthesizers.]] [34] => The authors of ''Analog Days'' define "the early years of the synthesizer" as between 1964 and the mid-1970s, beginning with the debut of the [[Moog synthesizer]].{{r|Analog Days|p=7}} Designed by the American engineer [[Robert Moog]], the synthesizer was composed of separate [[Modular synthesizer|modules]] which created and shaped sounds, connected by [[Patch cable|patch cords]].{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/23/arts/music/robert-moog-creator-of-music-synthesizer-dies-at-71.html|title=Robert Moog, Creator of Music Synthesizer, Dies at 71|last=Kozinn|first=Allan|work=[[The New York Times]]|date=23 August 2005 |access-date=2018-12-03|language=en}} Moog developed a means of controlling pitch through [[voltage]], the [[voltage-controlled oscillator]].{{Cite web |last=McNamee |first=David |date=2 August 2010 |title=Hey, what's that sound: Moog synthesisers |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2010/aug/02/moog-synthesisers |access-date=8 January 2020 |website=[[The Guardian]] |language=en}} This, along with Moog components such as envelopes, [[noise generator]]s, [[Voltage-controlled filter|filters]], and [[Music sequencer|sequencers]], became standard components in synthesizers.{{Cite book|title=The Synthesizer|last=Vail|first=Mark|publisher=[[Oxford University Press]]|year=2014|isbn=978-0195394894}} [35] => [36] => Around the same period, the American engineer [[Don Buchla]] created the [[Buchla Electronic Musical Instruments|Buchla Modular Electronic Music System]]. Instead of a conventional [[Keyboard instrument|keyboard]], Buchla's system used touchplates which transmitted [[CV/gate|control voltages]] depending on finger position and force. However, the Moog's keyboard made it more accessible and marketable to musicians, and keyboards became the standard means of controlling synthesizers. Moog and Buchla initially avoided the word synthesizer for their instruments, as it was associated with the RCA synthesizer; however, by the 1970s, "synthesizer" had become the standard term. [37] => [38] => === 1970s: Portability, polyphony and patch memory === [39] => [40] => In 1970, Moog launched a cheaper, smaller synthesizer, the [[Minimoog]].{{Cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/22/AR2005082200373.html|title=Robert Moog Dies; Created Electronic Synthesizer|last=Bernstein|first=Adam|newspaper=[[The Washington Post]]|date=2005-08-23|access-date=2018-12-03|language=en-US|issn=0190-8286}}{{Cite web|url=http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2017/10/instrumental-instruments-minimoog|title=Red Bull Music Academy Daily|website=daily.redbullmusicacademy.com|access-date=2018-11-28}} It was the first synthesizer sold in music stores, and was more practical for live performance. It standardized the concept of synthesizers as self-contained instruments with built-in keyboards.{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.wired.com/2016/07/new-minimoog/|title=Clear Some Space on Your Synth Rack: The Minimoog Returns|magazine=WIRED|access-date=2018-11-28|language=en-US}}Franklin Crawford (August 23, 2005). [http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/Aug05/Moog.obit.fac.html "Robert Moog, Ph.D. '64, inventor of the music synthesizer, dies of brain cancer"]. Cornell University News Service. Retrieved 4 May 2007. [[File:Minimoog.JPG|thumb|The [[Minimoog]], introduced in 1970, was the first synthesizer sold in music stores.]] [41] => [42] => After retail stores started selling synthesizers in 1971, other synthesizer companies were established, including [[ARP Instruments|ARP]] in the US and [[Electronic Music Studios|EMS]] in the UK. ARP's products included the [[ARP 2600]], which folded into a carrying case and had built-in speakers, and the [[ARP Odyssey|Odyssey]], a rival to the Minimoog. The less expensive EMS synthesizers were used by European [[art rock]] and [[progressive rock]] acts including [[Brian Eno]] and [[Pink Floyd]]. Designs for synthesizers appeared in the amateur electronics market, such as the "Practical Electronics Sound Synthesiser", published in ''[[Practical Electronics]]'' in 1973.{{cite magazine|last=Shaw|first=G D|title=Sound Synthesiser|magazine=Practical Electronics|page=140|volume=9|number=2|date=February 1973|url=https://www.americanradiohistory.com/Practical_Electronics.htm|access-date=10 January 2020}} By the mid-1970s, ARP was the world's largest synthesizer manufacturer, though it closed in 1981.{{Cite web|url=https://www.factmag.com/2019/01/07/arp-instruments-founder-alan-r-pearlman-dies-aged-93/|title=ARP Instruments founder Alan R. Pearlman dies aged 93|date=2019-01-07|website=FACT Magazine|language=en-US|access-date=2020-04-12}} [43] => [44] => Early synthesizers were [[Monophonic synth|monophonic]], meaning they could only play one note at a time. Some of the earliest commercial [[polyphonic synthesizer]]s were created by the American engineer [[Tom Oberheim]],{{Cite web|url=https://www.redbull.com/gb-en/electronic-music-early-history-of-the-synth|title=This is the early history of the synthesizer|last=Lee|first=Sammy|date=3 July 2018|website=Red Bull Music|access-date=2019-11-02}} such as the [[Oberheim OB-X|OB-X]] (1979). In 1978, the American company [[Sequential Circuits]] released the [[Sequential Circuits Prophet-5|Prophet-5]], the first fully [[Programming (music)|programmable]] polyphonic synthesizer.{{r|group=|Vail|p=93|q1=||}} Whereas previous synthesizers required users to adjust cables and knobs to change sounds, with no guarantee of exactly recreating a sound, the Prophet-5 used [[microprocessor]]s to store sounds in patch memory.{{Cite news|date=2016-09-15|title=The 14 most important synths in electronic music history – and the musicians who use them|language=en-US|work=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]|url=https://www.factmag.com/2016/09/15/14-most-important-synths/|access-date=2024-03-04}} This facilitated a move from synthesizers creating unpredictable sounds to producing "a standard package of familiar sounds".{{r|Analog Days|p=385|||group=|q1=}} [45] => [46] => === 1980s: Digital technology === [47] => The synthesizer market grew dramatically in the 1980s.{{r|group=|Vail|p=57|q1=||}} 1982 saw the introduction of [[MIDI]], a [[Standardization|standardized]] means of synchronizing electronic instruments; it remains an industry standard.{{Cite news|url=http://www.factmag.com/2017/04/02/ikutaro-kakehashi-life/|title=The life and times of Ikutaro Kakehashi, the Roland pioneer modern music owes everything to|date=2017-04-02|work=FACT Magazine: Music News, New Music.|access-date=2018-09-06|language=en-US}} An influential [[Sampler (musical instrument)|sampling synthesizer]], the [[Fairlight CMI]], was released in 1979, with the ability to record and play back [[Sampling (music)|samples]] at different pitches. Though its high price made it inaccessible to amateurs, it was adopted by high-profile pop musicians including [[Kate Bush]] and [[Peter Gabriel]]. The success of the Fairlight drove competition, improving sampling technology and lowering prices.{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/lost-art-sampling-part-1|title=The Lost Art Of Sampling: Part 1|last=Howell|first=Steve|date=August 2015|website=[[Sound on Sound]]|language=en-gb|access-date=12 October 2018}} Early competing samplers included the [[E-mu Emulator]] in 1981 and the [[Sampler (musical instrument)#Akai|Akai S-series]] in 1985.{{Cite news|url=https://www.musicradar.com/tuition/tech/a-brief-history-of-sampling-604868|title=A brief history of sampling|work=MusicRadar|access-date=2018-10-12|language=EN-GB}} [48] => [[File:Yamaha DX7 synthesizer - combined image with diagonal and top views.jpg|thumb|The [[Yamaha DX7]], released in 1983, was the first commercially successful digital synthesizer and was widely used in 1980s pop music.]] [49] => In 1983, Yamaha released the first commercially successful [[digital synthesizer]], the [[Yamaha DX7]].{{cite book|title=Refining Sound: A Practical Guide to Synthesis and Synthesizers|last=Shepard|first=Brian K.|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199376681|date=2013|quote=The first digital synthesizer to make it into the studios of everyone else, the Yamaha DX7, became one of the most commercially successful synthesizers of all time.}} Based on [[frequency modulation synthesis|frequency modulation (FM) synthesis]] developed by the [[Stanford University]] engineer [[John Chowning]],{{cite book|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hCthQ-bec-QC&pg=PA257|title=Electronic and experimental music: technology, music, and culture|last=Holmes|first=Thom|publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]]|year=2008|isbn=978-0-415-95781-6|edition=3rd|page=257|chapter=Early Computer Music|access-date=2011-06-04}} the DX7 was characterized by its "harsh", "glassy" and "chilly" sounds, compared to the "warm" and "fuzzy" sounds of analog synthesis. The DX7 was the first synthesizer to sell more than 100,000 units{{r|group=|Vail|p=57|q1=||}}and remains one of the bestselling in history.{{cite book |last=Holmes |first=Thom |title=Electronic and experimental music: technology, music, and culture |publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] |year=2008 |isbn=978-0415957816 |edition=3rd |page=257 |chapter=Early Computer Music |access-date=2011-06-04 |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hCthQ-bec-QC&pg=PA257}} It was widely used in 1980s pop music.{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=L2SkCwAAQBAJ&q=%22bon+iver%22+dx7&pg=PA188|title=Digital Signatures: The Impact of Digitization on Popular Music Sound|last1=Brøvig-Hanssen|first1=Ragnhild|last2=Danielsen|first2=Anne|date=2016-02-19|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=9780262034142|language=en}} [50] => [51] => Digital synthesizers typically contained preset sounds emulating acoustic instruments, with algorithms controlled with menus and buttons. The [[Synclavier]], made with FM technology licensed from Yamaha, offered features such as [[Audio bit depth|16-bit sampling]] and digital recording. With a starting price of $13,000, its use was limited to universities, studios and wealthy artists.{{Cite web|last=April 2019|first=Computer Music10|title=Blast from the past: New England Digital Synclavier|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/blast-from-the-past-new-england-digital-synclavier|access-date=2020-09-19|website=MusicRadar|date=10 April 2019|language=en}}{{Cite web|last=October 2019|first=Scot Solida28|title=The 10 synths and drum machines that defined the '80s|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/10-synths-that-defined-the-80s-213447|access-date=2020-09-19|website=MusicRadar|language=en}} The [[Roland D-50]] (1987) blended Roland's linear arithmetic algorithm with samples, and was the first mass-produced synthesizer with built-in digital [[Effects unit|effects]] such as [[Delay (audio effect)|delay]], [[reverb effect|reverb]] and [[Chorus effect|chorus]].{{r|group=|Vail|p=63|q1=||}} In 1988, the Japanese manufacturer [[Korg]] released the [[Korg M1|M1]], a digital synthesizer [[Music workstation|workstation]] featuring sampled [[Transient (acoustics)|transients]] and [[Loop (music)|loops]].{{Cite web|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/korg-m1-retrozone|title=Korg M1 (Retrozone)|last=Vail|first=Mark|date=February 2002|website=[[Sound on Sound]]|access-date=6 November 2019}} With more than 250,000 units sold, it remains the bestselling synthesizer in history. The advent of digital synthesizers led to a downturn in interest in analog synthesizers in the following decade.{{r|group=|Vail|p=59|q1=||}} [52] => [53] => === 1990s–present: Software synthesizers and analog revival === [54] => {{Main|Analog revival}} [55] => 1997 saw the release of [[ReBirth (software synthesiser)|ReBirth]] by [[Propellerhead Software]] and Reality by [[Seer Systems]], the first [[software synthesizer]]s that could be played in real time via MIDI. In 1999, an update to the music software [[Steinberg Cubase|Cubase]] allowed users to run software instruments (including synthesizers) as [[Plug-in (computing)|plug-ins]], triggering a wave of new software instruments. Propellerhead's [[Reason (software)|Reason]], released in 2000, introduced an array of recognizable virtual studio equipment.{{Cite web|url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/a-brief-history-of-computer-music-177299|title=A brief history of computer music|last=Tech|first=Computer Music Specials 2008-10-13T15:29:00 286Z|website=MusicRadar|date=13 October 2008|language=EN-GB|access-date=2019-11-01}} [56] => [57] => The market for patchable and modular synthesizers rebounded in the late 1990s.{{r|group=|Vail|p=32|q1=||}} In the 2000s, older analog synthesizers regained popularity, sometimes selling for much more than their original prices.{{Cite web|date=March 2014|title=The Analogue Revival|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/analogue-revival|access-date=6 November 2019|website=[[Sound on Sound]]}} In the 2010s, new, affordable analog synthesizers were introduced by companies including Moog, Korg, [[Arturia]] and [[Dave Smith Instruments]]. The renewed interest is credited to the appeal of imperfect "organic" sounds and simpler interfaces, and modern [[surface-mount technology]] making analog synthesizers cheaper and faster to manufacture. [58] => [59] => == Impact == [60] => Early synthesizers were viewed as [[avant-garde]], valued by the 1960s [[Psychedelia|psychedelic]] and [[Counterculture of the 1960s|counter-cultural]] scenes for their ability to make new sounds, but with little perceived commercial potential. ''[[Switched-On Bach]]'' (1968)'','' a bestselling album of [[Johann Sebastian Bach|Bach]] compositions arranged for Moog synthesizer by [[Wendy Carlos]], demonstrated that synthesizers could be more than "random noise machines", taking them to the mainstream.{{cite book |last1=Pinch |first1=Trevor |last2=Trocco |first2=Frank |date=2004 |title=Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |isbn=978-0-674-01617-0}} However, debates were held about the appropriateness of synthesizers in [[baroque music]], and according to the ''Guardian'' they were quickly abandoned in "serious classical circles".{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/science/2005/aug/25/obituaries.guardianobituaries|title=Obituary: Robert Moog|last=Stearns|first=David Patrick|date=2005-08-25|work=The Guardian|access-date=2020-01-13|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}} [61] => [62] => Today, the synthesizer is used in nearly every genre of music.{{r|Analog Days|p=7}} It is considered by the authors of ''Analog Days'' as "the only innovation that can stand alongside the electric guitar as a great new instrument of the age of electricity ... Both led to new forms of music, and both had massive popular appeal."{{r|Analog Days|p=7}} According to ''[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]'' in 2016, "The synthesizer is as important, and as ubiquitous, in modern music today as the human voice." It is one of the most important instruments in the music industry.{{harvnb|Borthwick|2004|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=r4bmVbNSnk4C&dq=synthpop&pg=PA119 120]}} [63] => [64] => === Rock === [65] => [[File:Emerson moog.jpg|thumb|Keyboardist [[Keith Emerson]] performing with a Moog synthesizer in 1970]]The Moog was adopted by 1960s rock acts including the [[The Doors|Doors]], the [[Grateful Dead]], the [[The Rolling Stones|Rolling Stones]], the [[The Beatles|Beatles]], and [[Keith Emerson]].{{Cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4696651.stm|title=Obituary: Dr Robert Moog|date=2005-08-22|work=[[BBC News]]|access-date=2018-12-03|language=en-GB}} Emerson was the first major rock musician to perform with the Moog and it became a trademark of his performances, helping take his band [[Emerson, Lake & Palmer]] to global stardom. According to ''Analog Days'', the likes of Emerson, with his Moog performances, "did for the keyboard what [[Jimi Hendrix]] did for the guitar".{{r|group=|Analog Days|p=200|q1=||}} [66] => [67] => The portable Minimoog (1970), much smaller than the modular synthesizers before it, made synthesizers more common in live performance. Early synthesizers could [[Monophonic (synthesizers)|only play one note at a time]], making them suitable for basslines, leads and solos.{{Cite web |last=Weiner |first=Sophie |date=20 October 2017 |title=Minimoog: The First Truly Portable Synthesizer |url=http://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2017/10/instrumental-instruments-minimoog |access-date=2018-11-28 |website=[[Red Bull Music Academy]]}} With the rise of polyphonic synthesizers in the 70s and 80s, "the keyboard in rock once more started to revert to the background, to be used for fills and atmosphere rather than for soloing".{{r|group=|Analog Days|p=207|q1=||}} Some acts felt that using synthesizers to create sounds was "cheating"; [[Queen (band)|Queen]] wrote in their album liner notes that they did not use them.{{Cite news |last=Snowden |first=Don |date=2012-05-23 |title=Robert Moog: 'I wouldn't call this music' – a classic interview to mark a Google doodle |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2012/may/23/robert-moog-interview-google-doodle |access-date=2020-01-13 |issn=0261-3077}} [68] => [69] => === African-American music === [70] => The Minimoog took a place in mainstream [[African-American music]], most notably in the work of [[Stevie Wonder]], and in [[jazz]], such as the work of [[Sun Ra]]. In the late 1970s and the early 1980s, the Minimoog was widely used in the emerging [[disco]] genre by artists including [[ABBA|Abba]] and [[Giorgio Moroder]]. Sampling, introduced with the [[Fairlight CMI|Fairlight]] synthesizer in 1979, has influenced all genres of music and had a major influence on the development of electronic and [[Hip hop music|hip hop]] music.{{Cite news |title=Hip-hop's most influential sampler gets a 2017 reboot |language=en-US |work=Engadget |url=https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/22/akai-mpc-live-mpc-x/ |access-date=2018-04-03}}{{Cite news |title=Meet the unassuming drum machine that changed music forever |work=Vox |url=https://www.vox.com/culture/2018/4/16/16615352/akai-mpc-music-history-impact |access-date=2018-05-11}} [71] => [72] => === Electronic music === [73] => In the 1970s, electronic music composers such as [[Jean Michel Jarre]]{{Cite web |title=Jean Michel Jarre {{!}} Biography, Albums, Streaming Links {{!}} AllMusic |url=http://www.allmusic.com/artist/jean-michel-jarre-mn0000230593 |access-date=2017-12-12 |website=AllMusic}} and [[Isao Tomita]]{{citation |author=Mark Jenkins |title=Analog synthesizers: from the legacy of Moog to software synthesis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=c3EHIpo0DKwC&pg=PA133 |pages=133–4 |year=2007 |publisher=[[Elsevier]] |isbn=978-0-240-52072-8 |access-date=2011-05-27 |author-link=Mark Jenkins (musician)}}{{allMusic|id=q6265|label=Tomita|access-date=2011-06-04}}{{cite magazine |title=Snowflakes Are Dancing |url=http://www.billboard.com/artist/tomita/25745#/album/tomita/snowflakes-are-dancing-electronic-performances/85902/review |access-date=2011-05-28 |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]}} released successful synthesizer-led instrumental albums. This influenced the emergence of [[synth-pop]], a subgenre of [[New wave music|new wave]], from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The work of German [[krautrock]] bands such as [[Kraftwerk]]{{Cite web |title=Kraftwerk |url=http://www.discogs.com/artist/4654-Kraftwerk |access-date=2017-12-12 |website=Discogs |language=en}} and [[Tangerine Dream]], British acts such as [[John Foxx]], [[Gary Numan]] and [[David Bowie]], African-American acts such as [[George Clinton (funk musician)|George Clinton]] and [[Zapp (band)|Zapp]], and Japanese electronic acts such as [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]] and [[Kitaro]] were influential in the development of the genre. [74] => [75] => The [[Roland TB-303]] (1981), in conjunction with the [[Roland TR-808]] and [[Roland TR-909|TR-909]] drum machines, became a foundation of [[electronic dance music]] genres such as [[House music|house]] and [[techno]] when producers acquired cheap second-hand units later in the decade.{{Cite news |last=Beaumont-Thomas |first=Ben |date=2014-02-14 |title=Roland launch new versions of the iconic 808, 909 and 303 instruments |language=en-GB |work=The Guardian |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/feb/14/roland-launch-new-instruments-808-909-303 |access-date=2019-11-02 |issn=0261-3077}} The authors of ''Analog Days'' connect the synthesizer's origins in 1960s psychedelia to the [[rave]]s and British "[[Second Summer of Love|second summer of love]]" of the 1980s and the club scenes of the 1990s and 2000s.{{r|group=|Analog Days|p=321|q1=||}} [76] => [77] => === Pop === [78] => Gary Numan's 1979 hits "[[Are 'Friends' Electric?]]" and "[[Cars (song)|Cars]]" made heavy use of synthesizers.{{citation |last=George-Warren |first=Holly |title=The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll |url=https://archive.org/details/rollingstoneency00holl/page/707 |pages=[https://archive.org/details/rollingstoneency00holl/page/707 707–734] |year=2001 |publisher=Fireside |isbn=0-7432-0120-5}}{{citation |last=Robbins |first=Ira A |title=The Trouser Press Record Guide |page=473 |year=1991 |publisher=Maxwell Macmillan International |isbn=0-02-036361-3}} [[Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark|OMD]]'s "[[Enola Gay (song)|Enola Gay]]" (1980) used distinctive electronic percussion and a synthesized melody. [[Soft Cell]] used a synthesized melody on their 1981 hit "[[Tainted Love#Soft Cell version (1981)|Tainted Love]]". [[Nick Rhodes]], keyboardist of [[Duran Duran]], used synthesizers including the [[Roland Jupiter-4]] and [[Roland Jupiter-8|Jupiter-8]].{{citation |last=Black |first=Johnny |title=The Greatest Songs Ever! Hungry Like the Wolf |url=http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=829 |journal=Blender |issue=January/February 2003 |year=2003 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071013131909/http://blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=829 |access-date=2008-04-16 |archive-date=October 13, 2007 |url-status=dead}} Chart hits include [[Depeche Mode]]'s "[[Just Can't Get Enough (Depeche Mode song)|Just Can't Get Enough]]" (1981), [[the Human League]]'s "[[Don't You Want Me]]"{{harvnb|Borthwick|2004|p=[https://books.google.com/books?id=r4bmVbNSnk4C&pg=PA129 130]}} and works by [[Ultravox]]. [79] => [80] => In the 1980s, digital synthesizers were widely used in pop music. The Yamaha DX7, released in 1983, became a pop staple, used on songs by [[A-ha]], [[Kenny Loggins]], [[Kool & the Gang]]. Its "E PIANO 1" preset became particularly famous, especially for [[Power Ballad|power ballads]],{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/aug/14/the-greatest-preset-sounds-in-pop-music|title=More synthetic bamboo! The greatest preset sounds in pop music|last=Simpson|first=Dave|date=2018-08-14|website=The Guardian|language=en|access-date=2018-10-19}} and was used by artists including [[Whitney Houston]], [[Chicago (band)|Chicago]], [[Prince (musician)|Prince]], [[Phil Collins]], [[Luther Vandross]], [[Billy Ocean]], and [[Celine Dion]].{{cite web|url=https://www.dummymag.com/features/borne-into-the-90s-pt1|title=Borne into the 90s [pt.1]|last1=Saxelby|first1=Ruth|website=Dummy Mag|language=en|access-date=September 15, 2011}} [[Korg M1]] presets were widely used in 1990s house music, beginning with [[Madonna]]'s 1990 single "[[Vogue (Madonna song)|Vogue]]".{{Cite web|url=https://www.gizmodo.com.au/2015/12/a-beginners-guide-to-the-synth/|title=A Beginner's Guide To The Synth|date=2015-12-29|website=Gizmodo Australia|language=en|access-date=2019-04-28}} [81] => [82] => === Film and television === [83] => Synthesizers are common in film and television soundtracks.{{r|group=|Analog Days|p=273|q1=||}} In 1969, [[Mort Garson]] used a Moog to compose a soundtrack for the televised footage of the [[First moonwalk|Apollo 11 moonwalk]], creating a link between electronic music and space in the American popular imagination.{{Cite web |last=Weiner |first=Sophie |date=27 September 2016 |title=Mort Garson |url=https://daily.redbullmusicacademy.com/2016/09/mort-garson-feature |access-date=2024-01-02 |website=[[Red Bull Music Academy]] |language=en}} ARP synthesizers were used to create sound effects for the 1977 science fiction films ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]{{r|group=|Analog Days|p=9|q1=||}}'' and ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'', including the "voice" of the robot [[R2-D2]].{{r|group=|Analog Days|p=273|q1=||}} [84] => [85] => In the 70s and 80s, synthesizers were used in the scores for thrillers and horror films including ''[[A Clockwork Orange (film)|A Clockwork Orange]]'' (1971), ''[[Apocalypse Now]]'' (1979), ''[[The Fog]]'' (1980) and ''[[Manhunter (film)|Manhunter]]'' (1986). [[Brad Fiedel]] used a Prophet synthesizer to record [[The Terminator (soundtrack)|the soundtrack]] for ''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984),{{Cite news|last=Stevenson|first=Seth|date=2014-02-26|title=What Is the Time Signature of the Ominous Electronic Score of The Terminator?|language=en-US|work=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|url=https://slate.com/culture/2014/02/the-time-signature-of-the-terminator-score-is-a-mystery-for-the-ages.html|access-date=2023-02-09|issn=1091-2339}} and the filmmaker [[John Carpenter]] used them extensively for his soundtracks.{{cite magazine|author=Paul Tingen|title=John Carpenter - Film Director & Composer|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/people/john-carpenter|magazine=[[Sound on Sound]]|issue=July 2016}} Synthesizers were used to create themes for television shows including ''[[Knight Rider (1982 TV series)|Knight Rider]]'' (1982)'', [[Twin Peaks]]'' (1990) and ''[[Stranger Things]]'' (2016).{{Cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/articles/3ryZCdlXtpkNG3yRl3Y7pnh/a-tribute-to-the-synth-how-synthesisers-revolutionised-modern-music|title=A tribute to the synth: how synthesisers revolutionised modern music|website=[[BBC]]|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-11-06}} [86] => [87] => === Jobs === [88] => The rise of the synthesizer led to major changes in music industry jobs, comparable to the earlier arrival of [[Sound film|sound in film]], which put live musicians accompanying [[silent film]]s out of work.''From Stage to Studio: Musicians and the Sound Revolution,'' ''1890–1950'' (Baltimore: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1996). With its ability to imitate instruments such as strings and horns, the synthesizer threatened the jobs of [[session musician]]s. For a period, the Moog was banned from use in commercial work, a restriction negotiated by the [[American Federation of Musicians]] (AFM). Robert Moog felt that the AFM had not realized that his instrument had to be studied like any other, and instead imagined that "all the sounds that musicians could make somehow existed in the Moog — all you had to do was push a button that said '[[Jascha Heifetz]]' and out would come the most fantastic violin player".Interview with Bob Moog, ''Plug,'' Fall 1974, p.2. [89] => [90] => Musician [[Walter Sear]] persuaded the AFM that the synthesizer demanded skill, and the category of "synthesizer player" was accepted into the union; however, players were still subject to "suspicion and hostility" for several years.{{r|group=|Analog Days|p=149|q1=||}} In 1982, following a tour by [[Barry Manilow]] using synthesizers instead of an orchestra, the British [[Musicians' Union (United Kingdom)|Musicians' Union]] attempted to ban synthesizers, attracting controversy.{{cite web|url=http://www.muhistory.com/contact-us/1971-1980/|title=1981–1990 – The Musicians' Union: A History (1893–2013)|website=www.muhistory.com}} That decade, a few musicians skilled at programming the popular Yamaha DX7 found employment creating sounds for other acts.{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3XtPAwAAQBAJ&pg=PT81|title=The Oxford Handbook of Computer Music|date=September 16, 2009|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=9780199887132|editor=Roger T. Dean|page=81}} [91] => [92] => == Sound synthesis {{anchor|Theory}} == [93] => [[File:Synth Diag.svg|thumb|right|160px|In [[subtractive synthesis]], complex waveforms are generated by oscillators and then shaped with filters to remove or boost specific frequencies.]]Synthesizers generate audio through various forms of [[analog synthesizer|analog]] and [[digital synthesizer|digital]] synthesis. [94] => [95] => * In [[subtractive synthesis]], complex [[waveform]]s are generated by oscillators and then shaped with filters to remove or boost specific frequencies. Subtractive synthesis is characterized as "rich" and "warm".{{Cite web|date=2019-06-04|title=All you need to know about subtractive synthesis|url=https://www.musictech.net/guides/essential-guide/what-is-subtractive-synthesis/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=MusicTech|language=en-GB}} [96] => *In [[additive synthesis]], a large number of waveforms, usually [[sine wave]]s, are combined into a composite sound.{{Cite web|last=Crute|first=Adam|date=2019-07-03|title=Introduction to additive and phase distortion synthesis|url=https://www.musictech.net/guides/essential-guide/additive-and-phase-distortion-synthesis/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=MusicTech|language=en-GB}} [97] => * In [[frequency modulation (FM) synthesis]], also known as phase modulation, a carrier wave is modulated with the frequency of a modulator wave; the resulting complex waveform can, in turn, be modulated by another modulator, and this by another, and so on.{{Cite web|url=https://www.musictech.net/guides/essential-guide/how-fm-synthesis-works/|title=Learning the basics of FM synthesis and how it works|last=Crute|first=Adam|date=2019-07-01|website=MusicTech|language=en-GB|access-date=2019-11-06}} FM synthesis is characterized as "harsh", "glassy" and "chilly". [98] => * [[Phase distortion synthesis]], implemented in [[Casio CZ synthesizers]], is similar to FM synthesis.{{Cite web |date=2015-03-18 |title=What is phase distortion synthesis? |url=https://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/what-is-phase-distortion-synthesis-618081 |access-date=2023-10-18 |website=[[MusicRadar]] |language=en}} [99] => *In [[wavetable synthesis]], synthesizers modulate smoothly between digital representations of different waveforms, changing the shape and [[timbre]].{{Cite web|date=2019-08-26|title=The science of wavetable synthesis|url=https://www.musictech.net/guides/essential-guide/science-wavetable-synthesis/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=MusicTech|language=en-GB}} [100] => * In [[sample-based synthesis]], instead of sounds being created by synthesizers, samples ([[digital recording]]s of sounds) are played back and shaped with components such as filters, envelopes and LFOs.{{Cite web|date=2019-07-26|title=The history of sample-based synthesis|url=https://www.musictech.net/guides/essential-guide/history-sample-based-synthesis/|access-date=2020-11-23|website=MusicTech|language=en-GB}} [101] => * In [[vector synthesis]], pioneered by the [[Prophet VS]], users crossfade between different sound sources using controllers such as joysticks, envelopes and LFOs.{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=|title=Q. Can you explain the origins of wavetable, S&S and vector synthesis?|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/sound-advice/q-can-you-explain-origins-wavetable-ss-and-vector-synthesis|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=2021-01-20|website=[[Sound on Sound]]}} [102] => *In [[granular synthesis]], an audio sample is split into "grains", usually between one hundredth and one tenth of a second in length, which are recombined and played back.{{Cite web|last=Price|first=Simon|date=December 2005|title=Granular Synthesis|url=https://www.soundonsound.com/techniques/granular-synthesis|access-date=2021-05-28|website=[[Sound on Sound]]}} [103] => *In [[physical modelling synthesis]], a mathematical model of a physical sound source is created.{{cite web|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1994_articles/jul94/yamahavl1.html|title=Yamaha VL1|work=Sound On Sound|date=July 1994|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150608005838/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/1994_articles/jul94/yamahavl1.html|archive-date=8 June 2015}} [104] => [105] => == Components == [106] => [107] => === Oscillators === [108] => {{Listen [109] => | header = '''Oscillator wave shape example''' [110] => | filename = Saw_triangle_comparison_moog_synthesizer.ogg [111] => | title = Sawtooth wave compared to triangle wave [112] => | description = An example of two identical groups of notes being played first by a sawtooth oscillator, and then by a triangle oscillator. [113] => | format = [[Ogg]] [114] => | image = [115] => | pos = right | help = no [116] => }} [117] => [[Electronic oscillator|Oscillators]] produce waveforms (such as [[Sawtooth wave|sawtooth]], [[Sine wave|sine]], or [[pulse wave]]s) with different [[timbre]]s. [118] => [119] => === Voltage-controlled amplifiers === [120] => [[Voltage-controlled amplifier]]s (VCAs) control the volume or [[Gain (electronics)|gain]] of the audio signal. VCAs can be modulated by other components, such as LFOs and envelopes. A VCA is a [[preamp]] that boosts (amplifies) the electronic signal before passing it on to an external or built-in power amplifier, as well as a means to control its amplitude (volume) using an [[attenuator (electronics)|attenuator]]. The gain of the VCA is affected by a ''control voltage'' (CV), coming from an envelope generator, an LFO, the keyboard or some other source. [121] => {{cite journal|last=Reid|first=Gordon|year=2000|title=Synth Secrets, Part 9: An Introduction to VCAs|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan00/articles/synthsecrets.htm|url-status=bot: unknown|journal=Sound on Sound|issue=January 2000|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160404103507/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jan00/articles/synthsecrets.htm|archive-date=2016-04-04|access-date=2010-05-25}} [122] => [123] => === Filters === [124] => {{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical [125] => [126] => |image1=Acoustic filters.svg|width1=160|caption1=Various filter modes. [127] => }} [128] => {{Main|Voltage-controlled filter}} [129] => [130] => [[Voltage-controlled filter]]s (VCFs) "shape" the sound generated by the oscillators in the frequency domain, often under the control of an envelope or LFO. These are essential to subtractive synthesis. Filters are particularly important in [[subtractive synthesis]], being designed to pass some frequency regions (or "bands") through [[attenuation|unattenuated]] while significantly attenuating ("subtracting") others. The [[low-pass filter]] is most frequently used, but [[band-pass filter]]s, [[band-reject filter]]s and [[high-pass filter]]s are also sometimes available.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} [131] => [132] => {{Listen [133] => | header = '''Filtered sawtooth''' [134] => | filename = Filtered sawtooth moog.ogg [135] => | title = Filtered sawtooth [136] => | description = A sawtooth wave with a low pass filter. [137] => | filename2 = Filtered envelope sawtooth moog.ogg [138] => | title2 = Filter envelope [139] => | description2 = A sawtooth wave with an ADSR envelope applied to its filter [140] => | filename3 = Filtered envelope resonance sawtooth moog.ogg [141] => | title3 = Filter envelope with resonance [142] => | description3 = With added filter resonance effect, for a "wet" sound. [143] => | format = [[Ogg]] [144] => | image = [145] => | pos = right | help = no [146] => }} [147] => [148] => The filter may be controlled with a second ADSR envelope. An "envelope modulation" ("env mod") parameter on many synthesizers with filter envelopes determines how much the envelope affects the filter. If turned all the way down, the filter produces a flat sound with no envelope. When turned up the envelope becomes more noticeable, expanding the minimum and maximum range of the filter. The envelope applied on the filter helps the sound designer generating long notes or short notes by moving the parameters up and down such as decay, sustain and finally release. For instance by using a short decay with no sustain, the sound generated is commonly known as a ''[[stab (music)|stab]]''. Sound designers may prefer shaping the sound with a filter instead of volume.{{Citation needed|date=November 2020}} [149] => [150] => {{anchor|ADSR envelope}}{{anchor|Envelope generator}} [151] => [152] => === Envelopes === [153] => {{Main|Envelope (music)}} [154] => [[File:ADSR parameter.svg|thumb|right|213px|Schematic of ADSR]] [155] => {{clear2|right}} [156] => [157] => Envelopes control how sounds change over time. They may control parameters such as [[amplitude]] (volume), filters (frequencies), or pitch. The most common envelope is the ADSR (attack, decay, sustain, release) envelope: [158] => [159] => *'''Attack''' is the time taken for initial run-up of level from nil to peak, beginning when the note is triggered. [160] => *'''Decay''' is the time taken for the subsequent run down from the attack level to the designated sustain level. [161] => *'''Sustain''' is the level during the main sequence of the sound's duration, until the key is released. [162] => *'''Release''' is the time taken for the level to decay from the sustain level to zero after the key is released. [163] => [164] => {{Listen [165] => | header = '''ADSR envelope example''' [166] => | filename = Adsr envelope sawtooth moog synthesizer.ogg [167] => | title = ADSR envelope with sawtooth wave [168] => | description = An ADSR envelope applied to note amplitude. [169] => | format = [[Ogg]] [170] => }} [171] => [172] => === Low-frequency oscillators === [173] => {{Main|Low-frequency oscillation}} [174] => [175] => [[Low-frequency oscillator]]s (LFOs) produce waveforms used to modulate parameters, such as the pitch of oscillators (producing [[vibrato]]). [176] => [177] => === Arpeggiators === [178] => {{Listen [179] => | header = '''Trance Lead''' [180] => | filename = Arpeggiator.ogg [181] => | title = sound sample of arpeggiator [182] => | description = A sample of Eurodance synthesizer riff with use of rapid 1/16 notes arpeggiator [183] => | format = [[Ogg]] [184] => | pos = right | help = no [185] => }} [186] => Arpeggiators, included in many synthesizer models, take input [[Chord (music)|chords]] and convert them into [[arpeggio]]s. They usually include controls for speed, range and mode (the movement of the arpeggio).{{Cite web|last=Aisher|first=Bruce|date=2013-02-01|title=An introduction to arpeggiators|url=https://www.attackmagazine.com/technique/tutorials/an-introduction-to-arpeggiators/|access-date=2021-12-16|website=Attack Magazine|language=en-US}} [187] => [188] => === Controllers === [189] => Synthesizers are often controlled with electronic or digital [[Musical keyboard|keyboards]] or [[MIDI controller]] keyboards, which may be built into the synthesizer unit or attached via connections such as [[CV/gate]], [[USB]], or [[MIDI]]. Keyboards may offer [[Keyboard expression|expression]] such as velocity sensitivity and aftertouch, allowing for more control over the sound. Other controllers include [[ribbon controller]]s, which track the movement of the finger across a touch-sensitive surface; [[wind controller]]s, played similarly to [[woodwind instrument]]s; motion-sensitive controllers similar to video game [[motion controller]]s; [[Electronic drum|electronic drum pads]], played similarly to the heads of a [[drum kit]]; touchplates, which send signals depending on finger position and force; controllers designed for [[microtonal tuning]]s; [[touchscreen]] devices such as [[Tablet computer|tablets]] and [[smartphone]]s; and fingerpads. [190] => [191] => ==Clones== [192] => [193] => Synthesizer clones are unlicensed recreations of previous synthesizers, often marketed as affordable versions of famous musical equipment. Clones are available as physical instruments and software. Companies that have sold software clones include [[Arturia]] and [[Native Instruments]]. [[Behringer]] manufactures equipment modelled on instruments including the Minimoog, [[Pro-One]], and [[Roland TB-303|TB-303]], and [[drum machines]] such as the [[TR-808]]. Other synthesizer clones include the MiniMOD (a series of [[Eurorack]] modules based on the Minimoog), the Intellijel Atlantis (based on the [[SH-101]]), and the x0x Heart (based on the TB-303).{{Cite news|url=https://www.factmag.com/2017/04/08/behringer-minimoog-synth-clones/|title=Attack of the clones: Is Behringer's Minimoog a synth replica too far?|last=Warwick|first=Oli|date=8 April 2017|work=[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]|access-date=30 November 2018|language=en-US}} [194] => [195] => Creating clones of older hardware is legal where the [[patent]]s have expired. In 1997, [[Mackie]] lost their lawsuit against Behringer{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=iQ4EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA34|title=Billboard|date=1997-07-05|publisher=Nielsen Business Media, Inc.|language=en}} as [[Copyright law of the United States|copyright law in the United States]] did not cover their [[circuit board]] designs. [196] => [197] => == See also == [198] => {{div col|colwidth=20em}} [199] => ;Lists [200] => * [[List of synthesizers]] [201] => * [[List of synthesizer manufacturers]] [202] => ;Various synthesizers [203] => * [[Guitar synthesizer]] [204] => * [[Keyboard bass]] [205] => * [[Keytar]] [206] => * [[Modular synthesizer]] [207] => * [[Semi-modular synthesizer]] [208] => * [[String synthesizer]] [209] => * [[Wind controller]] [210] => [211] => ;Related instruments & technologies [212] => * [[3D sound synthesis]] [213] => * [[Clavioline]] (Musitron) [214] => * [[Electronic keyboard]] [215] => * [[Musical instrument]] [216] => * [[Music workstation]] [217] => * [[Sampler (musical instrument)|Sampler]] [218] => * [[Speech synthesis]] [219] => ** [[Vocaloid]] [220] => [221] => ;Components & technologies [222] => * [[Analytic signal]] [223] => * [[Envelope detector]] [224] => * [[Low-frequency oscillation]] [225] => * [[MIDI]] [226] => [227] => ;Music genres [228] => * [[Computer music]] [229] => * [[Electronic music]] [230] => [231] => ;Notable works [232] => * ''[[List of compositions for electronic keyboard]]'' [233] => {{div col end}} [234] => [235] => == References == [236] => === Citations === [237] => {{Reflist}} [238] => [239] => === Sources === [240] => {{refbegin}} [241] => * {{citation [242] => | last = Borthwick [243] => | first = Stuart [244] => | year = 2004 [245] => | title = Popular Music Genres: An Introduction [246] => | publisher = Edinburgh University Press [247] => | page = 120 [248] => | isbn = 0-7486-1745-0 [249] => | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=r4bmVbNSnk4C&q=synthpop&pg=PA119 [250] => }} [251] => * {{citation [252] => |last = Holmes [253] => |first = Thom [254] => |year = 2008 [255] => |title = Electronic and experimental music: technology, music, and culture [256] => |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=hCthQ-bec-QC [257] => |edition = 3rd [258] => |publisher = [[Taylor & Francis]] [259] => |isbn = 978-0-415-95781-6 [260] => |access-date = 2011-06-04 [261] => }} [262] => * {{citation [263] => | last = Vail [264] => | first = Mark [265] => | year = 2000 [266] => | title = Vintage Synthesizers: Groundbreaking Instruments and Pioneering Designers of Electronic Music Synthesizers [267] => | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=tNci9y0jlRgC [268] => | publisher = Backbeat Books [269] => | pages = 68–342 [270] => | isbn = 0-87930-603-3 [271] => }}{{Dead link|date=December 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }} [272] => {{refend}} [273] => [274] => == Further reading == [275] => * {{cite book [276] => | last = Crombie | first = David [277] => | year = 1986 [278] => | title = New Complete Synthesizer [279] => | publisher = Omnibus Press [280] => |isbn = 0711907013 [281] => }} [282] => * {{cite book [283] => | last = Gorges | first = Peter [284] => | year = 2005 [285] => | title = Programming Synthesizers [286] => | publisher = Wizoobooks [287] => | location = Germany, Bremen [288] => | isbn = 978-3-934903-48-7 [289] => }} [290] => * {{cite book [291] => | last = Schmitz | first = Reinhard [292] => | year = 2005 [293] => | title = Analog Synthesis [294] => | publisher = Wizoobooks [295] => | location = Germany, Bremen [296] => | isbn = 978-3-934903-01-2 [297] => }} [298] => * {{cite book [299] => |last = Shapiro [300] => |first = Peter [301] => |year = 2000 [302] => |title = Modulations: A History of Electronic Music: Throbbing Words on Sound [303] => |isbn = 1-891024-06-X [304] => |url = https://archive.org/details/modulationshisto00shap [305] => |publisher = Caipirinha Productions, US [306] => }} [307] => * {{cite book [308] => | last = Kuit | first = Roland [309] => | year = 2014 [310] => | title = SoundLab I: The Electronic Studio. Publisher's number: 13664 [311] => | publisher = Donemus [312] => | location = The Netherlands, The Hague [313] => }} [314] => * {{cite book [315] => | last = Kuit | first = Roland [316] => | year = 2014 [317] => | title = SoundLab II: Architectures for Philosophers. Publisher's number: 13665 [318] => | publisher = Donemus [319] => | location = The Netherlands, The Hague [320] => }} [321] => * {{cite book [322] => | last = Kuit | first = Roland [323] => | year = 2014 [324] => | title = Laboratory of Patching: Illustrated Compendium of Modular Synthesis. Publisher's number: 13662 [325] => | publisher = Donemus [326] => | location = The Netherlands, The Hague [327] => }} [328] => * {{cite book [329] => | last = Kuit | first = Roland [330] => | year = 2014 [331] => | title = To be On, to be OFF, that's the SWITCH. Publisher's number: 13666 [332] => | publisher = Donemus [333] => | location = The Netherlands, The Hague [334] => }} [335] => [336] => == External links == [337] => {{Wiktionary|synthesizer}} [338] => {{Commons category|Synthesizers}} [339] => * [[b:Sound Synthesis Theory|Sound Synthesis Theory wikibook]] [340] => * [http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/acoustics_info/sound_synthesis/?content=index Principles of Sound Synthesis] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160120080457/http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/acoustics_info/sound_synthesis/?content=index |date=20 January 2016 }} at [[Salford University]] [341] => * [https://sites.google.com/site/learning4synthesizer/home Synthesizer Tutorial] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220611203717/https://sites.google.com/site/learning4synthesizer/home |date=11 June 2022 }} [342] => [343] => {{Sound synthesis types}} [344] => {{Computer music}} [345] => {{Electrophones}} [346] => {{Musical keyboards}} [347] => {{Music technology}} [348] => {{Chiptune-footer}} [349] => [350] => {{Authority control}} [351] => [352] => {{DEFAULTSORT:Sound Synthesis}} [353] => [[Category:Synthesizers| ]] [354] => [357] => [[Category:Keyboard instruments]] [358] => [[Category:Bass (sound)]] [359] => [[Category:Hip hop production]] [360] => [[Category:New wave music]] [361] => [[Category:Rhythm section]] [362] => [[Category:Electric and electronic keyboard instruments]] [] => )
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Synthesizer

A synthesizer is an electronic musical instrument that produces sound by generating and manipulating audio signals. It typically consists of various modules such as oscillators, filters, and amplifiers, which can be connected via a patch bay or controlled by a keyboard or other input devices.

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It typically consists of various modules such as oscillators, filters, and amplifiers, which can be connected via a patch bay or controlled by a keyboard or other input devices. Synthesizers allow users to create and shape sounds in a versatile and customizable manner, making them widely used in various music genres, film and TV production, and sound design. They have evolved significantly since their inception in the 1960s, progressing from analog to digital and software-based models. Today, synthesizers are essential tools for musicians, producers, and sound enthusiasts, enabling them to explore a wide range of sounds and create unique and innovative compositions.

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