Synthesizer

A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser)[1] is an electronic musical

instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically
create sounds by generating waveforms, through methods including
subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis and frequency modulation
synthesis. These sounds may be altered by components such as
filters, which cut or boost frequencies; envelopes, which control
articulation, or how notes begin and end; and low-frequency
oscillators, which modulate parameters such as pitch, volume, or
filter characteristics affecting timbre. Synthesizers are typically
played with keyboards or controlled by sequencers, software or Early Minimoog by R.A. Moog Inc.
other instruments, and may be synchronized to other equipment via (ca. 1970)
MIDI.

Synthesizer-like instruments emerged in the United States in the mid-20th century with instruments such as
the RCA Mark II, which was controlled with 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 oscillators, envelopes, noise generators, filters, and sequencers. In 1970, the smaller,
cheaper Minimoog standardized synthesizers as self-contained instruments with built-in keyboards, unlike
the larger modular synthesizers before it.

In 1978, Sequential Circuits released the Prophet-5, which used microprocessors to allow users to store
sounds for the first time. 1982 saw the introduction of MIDI, a standardized means of synchronizing
electronic instruments that remains an industry standard. The first mass-produced synthesizer, the Yamaha
DX7, was launched in 1983, popularizing digital synthesis. Software synthesizers now can be run as plug-
ins or embedded on single microchips in any electronic device.

Synthesizers were initially viewed as avant-garde, valued by the 1960s psychedelic and counter-cultural
scenes but with little perceived commercial potential. Switched-On Bach (1968), a bestselling album of
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 widely used in
1980s rock. Sampling, introduced with the Fairlight synthesizer in 1979, has influenced all genres of music
and had a major influence on the development of electronic and 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 in 2016, "The synthesizer is as important, and as ubiquitous, in modern music
today as the human voice."[2]

Contents
History
Precursors
1960s: Early years
1970s: Portability, polyphony and patch memory
1980s: Digital technology
1990s–present: Software synthesizers and analog revival
Impact
Film and television
Jobs
Sound synthesis
Components
Oscillators
Voltage-controlled amplifiers
Filters
Envelopes
Low-frequency oscillators
Arpeggiators
Controllers
Clones
See also
References
Citations
Sources
Further reading
External links

History

Precursors

As electricity became more widely available, the early 20th century saw the invention of electronic musical
instruments including the Telharmonium, Trautonium, Ondes Martenot, and theremin.[3] In the late 1930s,
the Hammond Organ Company built the Novachord, a large instrument powered by 72 voltage-controlled
amplifiers and 146 vacuum tubes.[4] In 1948, the Canadian engineer Hugh Le Caine completed the
electronic sackbut, a precursor to voltage-controlled synthesizers, with keyboard sensitivity allowing for
vibrato, glissando, and attack control.[3]

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 paper tape that controlled an analog
synthesizer containing 750 vacuum tubes. It was acquired by the Columbia-Princeton Electronic Music
Center and used almost exclusively by Milton Babbitt, a composer at Princeton University.[3]

1960s: Early years

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.[5]: 7   Designed by American engineer Robert
Moog, the synthesizer was composed of separate modules which created and shaped sounds, connected by
patch cords.[6] Moog developed a means of controlling pitch through voltage, the voltage-controlled
oscillator.[7] This, along with Moog components such as envelopes, noise generators, filters, and
sequencers, became standard components in synthesizers.[8][5]
Around the same period, American engineer Don Buchla created
the Buchla Modular Electronic Music System.[9] Instead of a
conventional keyboard, Buchla's system used touchplates which
transmitted control voltages depending on finger position and
force.[5] However, the Moog's keyboard made it more accessible
and marketable to musicians, and keyboards became the standard
means of controlling synthesizers.[5] Moog and Buchla initially
avoided the word synthesizer for their instruments, as it was
associated with the RCA synthesizer; however, by the 1970s, Robert Moog with Moog
"synthesizer" had become the standard term.[5] synthesizers. Many of Moog's
inventions, such as voltage-
controlled oscillators, became
1970s: Portability, polyphony and patch standard in synthesizers.
memory

In 1970, Moog launched a cheaper, smaller synthesizer, the Minimoog.[10][11] The Minimoog was the first
synthesizer sold in music stores,[5] and was more practical for live performance; it standardized the concept
of synthesizers as self-contained instruments with built-in keyboards.[12][13]

After retail stores started selling synthesizers in 1971, other

synthesizer companies were established, including ARP in the US
and EMS in the UK.[5] ARP's products included the ARP 2600,
which folded into a carrying case and had built-in speakers, and the
Odyssey, a rival to the Minimoog.[5] The less expensive EMS
synthesizers were used by European art rock and progressive rock
acts including Brian Eno and Pink Floyd.[5] Designs for
synthesizers appeared in the amateur electronics market, such as the The Minimoog, introduced in 1970,
"Practical Electronics Sound Synthesiser", published in Practical was the first synthesizer sold in
Electronics in 1973.[1] By the mid-1970s, ARP was the world's music stores.
largest synthesizer manufacturer,[5] though it closed in 1981.[14]

Early synthesizers were monophonic, meaning they could only play one note at a time. Some of the earliest
commercial polyphonic synthesizers were created by American engineer Tom Oberheim,[9] such as the
OB-X (1979).[5] In 1978, the American company Sequential Circuits released the Prophet-5, the first fully
programmable polyphonic synthesizer.[8]: 9 3  Whereas previous synthesizers required users to adjust cables
and knobs to change sounds, with no guarantee of exactly recreating a sound,[5] the Prophet-5 used
microprocessors to store sounds in patch memory.[15] This facilitated a move from synthesizers creating
unpredictable sounds to producing "a standard package of familiar sounds".[5]: 3 85 

1980s: Digital technology

The synthesizer market grew dramatically in the 1980s.[8]: 5 7  1982 saw the introduction of MIDI, a
standardized means of synchronizing electronic instruments; it remains an industry standard.[16] An
influential sampling synthesizer, the Fairlight CMI, was released in 1979,[15] with the ability to record and
play back samples at different pitches.[17] 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;[17] early competing samplers
included the E-mu Emulator in 1981[17] and the Akai S-series in 1985.[18]
In 1983, Yamaha released the first commercially successful digital
synthesizer, the Yamaha DX7.[19] Based on frequency modulation
(FM) synthesis developed by Stanford University engineer John
Chowning,[20] the DX7 remains one of the bestselling synthesizers
in history[19][21] and was the first synthesizer to sell over 100,000
units.[8]: 5 7  It was widely used in 1980s pop music.[22] Compared
to the "warm" and "fuzzy" sounds of analog synthesis, the DX7
was characterized by its "harsh", "glassy" and "chilly" sounds.[2]
Digital synthesizers typically contained preset sounds emulating
acoustic instruments, with algorithms controlled with menus and The Yamaha DX7, released in 1983,
buttons.[5] The Synclavier, a digital synthesizer made with FM was the first commercially
technology licensed from Yamaha, offered features such as 16-bit successful digital synthesizer and
sampling and built-in digital recording. With a starting price of was widely used in 1980s pop music.
$13,000, its use was limited to universities, studios and wealthy
artists.[23][24]

The success of the DX7 led to competing digital synthesizers. 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 such as delay, reverb and chorus.[8]: 6 3  In 1988, the Japanese manufacturer Korg released the M1, a
digital synthesizer workstation featuring sampled transients and loops;[25] with over 250,000 units sold, it
remains the bestselling synthesizer in history.[25] The advent of digital synthesizers led to a downturn in
interest in analog synthesizers.[8]: 5 9 

1990s–present: Software synthesizers and analog revival

1997 saw the release of ReBirth by Propellerhead Software and Reality by Seer Systems, the first software
synthesizers that could be played in real time via MIDI.[8] In 1999, an update to the music software Cubase
allowed users to run software instruments (including synthesizers) as plug-ins, triggering a wave of new
software instruments.[26] Propellerhead's Reason, released in 2000, introduced an array of recognizable
virtual studio equipment.[26]

The market for patchable and modular synthesizers rebounded in the late 1990s.[8]: 3 2  In the 2000s, older
analog synthesizers regained popularity, sometimes selling for much more than their original prices.[27] 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.[27]

Impact
Early synthesizers were viewed as avant-garde, valued by the 1960s psychedelic and counter-cultural
scenes for their ability to make new sounds, but with little perceived commercial potential. Switched-On
Bach (1968), a bestselling album of Bach compositions arranged for Moog synthesizer by Wendy Carlos,
demonstrated that synthesizers could be more than "random noise machines",[6] taking them to the
mainstream.[5] 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".[28]

The Moog was adopted by acts including the Doors, the Grateful Dead, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles,
and Keith Emerson.[29] 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".[5]: 2 00 

The portable Minimoog (1970), much smaller than the modular

synthesizers before it, made synthesizers more common in live
performance.[13] The Minimoog took a place in mainstream black
music, most notably in the work of Stevie Wonder,[5] and in jazz,
such as the work of Sun Ra.[30] It was also used by electronic
artists such as Kraftwerk, who used it on their albums Autobahn
(1974) and The Man-Machine (1978), and later by Tangerine Keyboardist Keith Emerson
Dream, Klaus Schulze, and Gary Numan. [30] In the late 1970s and performing with a Moog synthesizer
in 1970
the early 1980s, the Micromoog was widely used in the emerging
disco genre by artists including Abba and Giorgio Moroder. [30]
Some acts felt that using synthesizers to create sounds was
"cheating"; Queen wrote in their album liner notes that they did not use them.[31]

Early synthesizers could only play one note at a time, making them suitable for basslines, leads and
solos.[30] 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".[5]: 2 07 
Sampling, introduced with the Fairlight synthesizer in 1979, has influenced all genres of music[7] and had a
major influence on the development of electronic and hip hop music.[32][33]

In the 1970s, electronic music composers such as Jean Michel Jarre[34] and Isao Tomita[35][36][37] released
successful synthesizer-led instrumental albums. This influenced the emergence of synthpop, a subgenre of
new wave, from the late 1970s to the early 1980s. The work of German krautrock bands such as
Kraftwerk[38] and Tangerine Dream, British acts such as John Foxx, Gary Numan and David Bowie,
African-American acts such as George Clinton and Zapp, and Japanese electronic acts such as Yellow
Magic Orchestra and Kitaro were influential in the development of the genre.[39] Gary Numan's 1979 hits
"Are 'Friends' Electric?" and "Cars" made heavy use of synthesizers.[40][41] OMD's "Enola Gay" (1980)
used distinctive electronic percussion and a synthesized melody. Soft Cell used a synthesized melody on
their 1981 hit "Tainted Love".[39] Nick Rhodes, keyboardist of Duran Duran, used various synthesizers
including the Roland Jupiter-4 and Jupiter-8.[42] Chart hits include Depeche Mode's "Just Can't Get
Enough" (1981),[39] the Human League's "Don't You Want Me"[43] and works by Ultravox.[39]

In the 1980s, digital synthesizers were widely used in pop music.[22] The Yamaha DX7, released in 1983,
became a pop staple, used on songs by A-ha, Kenny Loggins, Kool & the Gang.[2] Its "E PIANO 1"
preset became particularly famous,[2] especially for power ballads,[44] and was used by artists including
Whitney Houston, Chicago,[44] Prince,[22] Phil Collins, Luther Vandross, Billy Ocean,[2] and Celine
Dion.[45] The Roland TB-303 (1981), in conjunction with the Roland TR-808 and TR-909 drum
machines, became a foundation of electronic dance music genres such as house and techno when producers
acquired cheap second-hand units later in the decade.[46] Korg M1 presets were widely used in 1990s
house music, beginning with Madonna's 1990 single "Vogue".[47]

Today, the synthesizer is used in nearly every genre of music.[5]: 7   It is considered by the authors of Analog
Days "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."[5]: 7   The authors
draw a connection to the synthesizer's origins in 1960s psychedelia to the raves and British "second
summer of love" of the 1980s and the club scenes of the 1990s and 2000s.[5]: 3 21  According to Fact in
2016, "The synthesizer is as important, and as ubiquitous, in modern music today as the human voice."[2] It
is one of the most important instruments in the music industry.[39]
Film and television

Synthesizers are common in film and television soundtracks.[5]: 2 73  ARP synthesizers, for example, were
used to create sound effects for the 1977 science fiction films Close Encounters of the Third Kind[5]: 9   and
Star Wars, including the "voice" of the robot R2-D2.[5]: 2 73  In the 70s and 80s, synthesizers were used in
the scores for thrillers and horror films including A Clockwork Orange (1971), Apocalypse Now (1979),
The Fog (1980) and Manhunter (1986). Brad Fiedel used a Prophet synthesizer to record the soundtrack
for The Terminator (1984),[48] and the filmmaker John Carpenter used them extensively for his
soundtracks.[49] Synthesizers were used to create themes for television shows including Knight Rider
(1982), Twin Peaks (1990) and Stranger Things (2016).[50]

Jobs

The rise of the synthesizer led to major changes in music industry jobs, comparable to the earlier arrival of
sound in film, which put live musicians accompanying silent films out of work.[51] With its ability to imitate
instruments such as strings and horns, the synthesizer threatened the jobs of session musicians. For a period,
the Moog was banned from use in commercial work, a restriction negotiated by the American Federation of
Musicians (AFM).[5] 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".[52]

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.[5]: 1 49  In 1982, following a tour by Barry Manilow using synthesizers instead of
an orchestra, the British Musicians' Union attempted to ban synthesizers, attracting controversy.[53] That
decade, a few musicians skilled at programming the popular Yamaha DX7 found employment creating
sounds for other acts.[54]

Sound synthesis
Synthesizers generate audio through various forms of analogue and digital
synthesis.

In subtractive synthesis, complex waveforms are generated by In subtractive synthesis,

oscillators and then shaped with filters to remove or boost complex waveforms are
specific frequencies.[8] Subtractive synthesis is characterized as generated by oscillators
"rich" and "warm".[55] and then shaped with
In additive synthesis, a large number of waveforms, usually sine filters to remove or boost
waves, are combined into a composite sound. [8][56] specific frequencies.
In frequency modulation (FM) synthesis, waveforms are
modulated with the frequency of other waveforms; the resulting
complex waveform can, in turn, be used to modulate another, and this another, and so on.
FM synthesis can imitate acoustic sounds such as piano, strings and organs.[57] FM
synthesis is characterized as "harsh", "glassy" and "chilly".[2]
Phase distortion synthesis, implemented in Casio CZ synthesizers, is similar to FM
synthesis.[56]
In wavetable synthesis, synthesizers modulate smoothly between digital representations of
different waveforms, changing the shape and timbre.[58]
 In sample-based synthesis, instead of sounds being created by synthesizers, samples
(digital recordings of sounds) are played back and shaped with components such as filters,
envelopes and LFOs.[59]
In vector synthesis, pioneered by the Prophet VS, users crossfade between different sound
sources using controllers such as joysticks.[60]
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.[61]
In physical modelling synthesis, a mathematical model of a physical sound source is
created.[62]

Components

Oscillators

Oscillators produce waveforms (such as sawtooth, sine, or pulse waves) with different timbres.[8]

Voltage-controlled amplifiers

Voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCAs) control the volume or gain of the audio signal. VCAs can be
modulated by other components, such as LFOs and envelopes.[8] 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. 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.[63]

Filters

Voltage-controlled filters (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 unattenuated while significantly attenuating
("subtracting") others. The low-pass filter is most frequently used, but band-
pass filters, band-reject filters and high-pass filters are also sometimes Various filter modes.
available.

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. Sound designers may prefer shaping the sound with filter
instead of volume.

Envelopes
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:[8]

Attack is the time taken for initial run-up of level from nil
to peak, beginning when the note is triggered.
Schematic of ADSR
Decay is the time taken for the subsequent run down from
the attack level to the designated sustain level.
Sustain is the level during the main sequence of the sound's duration, until the key is
released.
Release is the time taken for the level to decay from the sustain level to zero after the key is
released.

Low-frequency oscillators

Low-frequency oscillators (LFOs) produce waveforms used to

modulate parameters, such as the pitch of oscillators (producing
vibrato).[8]

Arpeggiators
LFO section of Access Virus C
Arpeggiators, included in many synthesizer models, take input
chords and convert them into arpeggios. They usually include
controls for speed, range and mode (the movement of the arpeggio).[64]

Controllers

Synthesizers are often controlled with electronic or digital keyboards or MIDI controller keyboards, which
may be built into the synthesizer unit or attached via connections such as CV/gate, USB, or MIDI.[8]
Keyboards may offer expression such as velocity sensitivity and aftertouch, allowing for more control over
the sound.[8] Other controllers include Ribbon controllers, which track the movement of the finger across a
touch-sensitive surface; wind controllers, played similarly to woodwind instruments;[8] motion-sensitive
controllers similar to video game motion controllers;[8] electronic drum pads, played similarly to the heads
of a drum kit;[8] touchplates, which send signals depending on finger position and force;[8] controllers
designed for microtonal tunings;[8] touchscreen devices such as tablets and smartphones;[8] and
fingerpads.[8]

Clones
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 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).[66]
Creating clones of older hardware is legal where the patents have
expired.[66] In 1997, Mackie lost their lawsuit against Behringer[67] as
copyright law in the United States did not cover their circuit board
designs.[66]

See also
Lists

List of synthesizers
List of synthesizer manufacturers
Various synthesizers
The Behringer TD-3 (top) is based
Guitar synthesizer on the Roland TB-303
Keyboard bass (bottom).[65]
Keytar
Modular synthesizer
Semi-modular synthesizer
String synthesizer
Wind controller
Related instruments & technologies

Clavioline (Musitron)
Electronic keyboard
Musical instrument
Music workstation
Sampler
Speech synthesis
Vocaloid
Components & technologies

Analytic signal
Envelope detector
Low-frequency oscillation
MIDI
Music genres

Computer music
Electronic music
Notable works

List of compositions for electronic keyboard

References

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Further reading
Crombie, David (1986). New Complete Synthesizer. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0711907013.
 Gorges, Peter (2005). Programming Synthesizers. Germany, Bremen: Wizoobooks.
ISBN 978-3-934903-48-7.
Schmitz, Reinhard (2005). Analog Synthesis. Germany, Bremen: Wizoobooks. ISBN 978-3-
934903-01-2.
Shapiro, Peter (2000). Modulations: A History of Electronic Music: Throbbing Words on
Sound (https://archive.org/details/modulationshisto00shap). Caipirinha Productions, USA.
ISBN 1-891024-06-X.
Kuit, Roland (2014). SoundLab I: The Electronic Studio. Publisher's number: 13664. The
Netherlands, The Hague: Donemus.
Kuit, Roland (2014). SoundLab II: Architectures for Philosophers. Publisher's number:
13665. The Netherlands, The Hague: Donemus.
Kuit, Roland (2014). Laboratory of Patching: Illustrated Compendium of Modular Synthesis.
Publisher's number: 13662. The Netherlands, The Hague: Donemus.
Kuit, Roland (2014). To be On, to be OFF, that's the SWITCH. Publisher's number: 13666.
The Netherlands, The Hague: Donemus.

External links
Sound Synthesis Theory wikibook
Principles of Sound Synthesis (http://www.acoustics.salford.ac.uk/acoustics_info/sound_syn
thesis/?content=index) at Salford University
Synthesizer Tutorial (https://sites.google.com/site/learning4synthesizer/home)

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