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{{Other uses}}
{{Redirect|Synth}}

<div style="float:right;">
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical |width=220
|image1=R.A.Moog minimoog 2.jpg |caption1=Early ] by R.A. Moog Inc. (ca. 1970)
<!-- |image2=OB12 synth.jpg|caption2=] ] synthesizer. -->
}}</div>

A '''sound synthesizer''' (often abbreviated as "'''synthesizer'''" or "'''synth'''", also spelled "'''synthesiser'''") is an ] that generates electric signals converted to sound through ]s or ]. Synthesizers may either ] or generate new ]. They are often played with a ], but they can be controlled via a variety of other input devices, including ], ], ], ]s, ]s, and ]s. Synthesizers without built-in controllers are often called '']'', and are controlled via ] or ].

Synthesizers use various methods to generate signal. Among the most popular waveform synthesis techniques are ], ], ], ], ], ] and ]. Other sound synthesis methods including ] <!-- an additive synthesis using subharmonics -->used on ], ] <!-- a sample-based synthesis using grain of sound -->resulting ] or ], are rarely used. (''See ]'')

==History==
{{further|Electronic music instruments}}
{{see also|Additive synthesis#History}}
{{Synthesis|date=October 2011}}
The beginnings of the synthesizer are difficult to trace, as there is confusion between sound synthesizers and arbitrary ]/]s.<ref name=Palatin/><ref name=StevieWonder/>

===Early electric instruments===
One of the earliest ], the ''musical telegraph'', was invented in 1876 by American electrical engineer ]. He accidentally discovered the sound generation from a self-vibrating ] circuit, and invented a basic single-note ]. This ''musical telegraph'' used steel ] with oscillations created by ] transmitted over a ] ]. Gray also built a simple ] device into later models, consisting of a vibrating diaphragm in a ], to make the oscillator audible.<ref name=musicaltelegraph>
{{Citation
| title = Elisha Gray and "The Musical Telegraph"(1876) <!-- Electronic Musical Instrument 1870-1990 -->
| work = 120 Years of Electronic Music
| year = 2005
| url = http://120years.net/machines/telegraph/
| archiveurl= http://web.archive.org/web/20090222174610/http://120years.net/machines/telegraph/
| archivedate=2009-02-22
| accessdate= 2011-08-01
}}</ref><ref name="beginnings">
{{Citation
| last = Chadabe | first = Joel
| author-link =Joel Chadabe
| year = 2005 | date = February 2000
| title = The Electronic Century Part I: Beginnings
| url = http://emusician.com/tutorials/electronic_century1/
| publisher = Electronic Musician
| pages = 74–90
}}
</ref>

This instrument was a remote ] musical instrument using ] and electric ]s which can generate fixed timbre sound. Though it lacked arbitrary sound-synthesis function, some have erroneously called it ''the first synthesizer''.<ref name=Palatin>
{{cite web
| title = The Palatin Project-The life and work of Elisha Gray
| url = http://www.palatin-project.com/palatin-project/elisha-gray.htm
| publisher = Palatin Project
}}
</ref><ref name=StevieWonder>
{{cite book
| last = Brown | first = Jeremy K.
| year = 2010
| title = Stevie Wonder: Musician <!-- | series = Black Americans of achievement, legacy edition -->
| publisher = Infobase Publishing
| isbn = 978-1-43813422-2 | page = 50
| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=c1U2WpNdn8MC&q=Synthesizer&f=false&dq=Elisha+Gray+and+synthesizer&oi=book_result&pg=PA50&#v=onepage
}}
</ref>

{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|image1=Teleharmonium1897.jpg|width2=165
|image2=Hammond b3 con leslie 122.jpg|width1=162
|footer=The ] console (1897) and ] (1934).
}}

===Early additive synthesizer – Tonewheel organs===
In 1897, ] invented ] (or Dynamophone) utilizing ] (early ]),<ref name=USPatent580035>
{{cite patent
| country = US
| number = 580,035
| status = patent
| title = Art of and apparatus for generating and distributing msic electrically
| inventor = Thaddeus Cahill
| fdate = 1895-08-10
| gdate = 1897-04-06
| url =
}}</ref> and it had the capability of ] also seen on ] later invented in 1934. However, Cahill's business was not successful due to various reasons (ex. too huge scale of system, rapid evolutions of electronics, ] issues on the telephone line, ''etc''), and similar but more compact instruments were developed one after another.

===Emergence of electronics and early electronic instruments===
<!-- – Theremin (1920), Ondes Martenot (1928), and Trautonium (1929) -->

In 1906, a huge revolution of electronics had begun. American engineer ] invented the world's first ] ], called the '']''. This led to new technologies, including ] and ] for entertainment. These new technologies also influenced the music industry, and resulted in various early electronic musical instruments that used vacuum tubes, including:

{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|image2=Theremin At The Musical Museum, Brentford, London.jpg|width2=80
|image3=Ondes martenot.jpg|width3=142
|image4=Volkstrautonium MIM.jpg|width4=165
|footer=Left: ] (RCA AR-1264; 1930). Middle: ] (7G model; 1978). Right: ] (Telefunken Volkstrautonium Ela T42; 1933).
}}

{{clear left}}
* ''Audion piano'' &nbsp; by ] in 1915<ref name=AudionPiano>
{{cite web
| title = The Audion Piano (1915)
| url = http://120years.net/machines/audion_piano/index.html
| work = 120 Years of Electronic Music
}}</ref>
* '']'' &nbsp; by ] in 1920<ref name="Glinsky2000">
{{citation
| last = Glinsky | first = Albert
| year = 2000
| title = Theremin: Ether Music and Espionage
| location = Urbana, Illinois
| publisher = University of Illinois Press
| isbn = 0-252-02582-2 | page = 26
| url = http://books.google.com/?id=6DHlQJcMpBQC&printsec=frontcover
}}</ref>
* '']'' <!-- (2G) -->&nbsp; by ] in 1928
* '']'' &nbsp; by Friedrich Trautwein in 1929
''etc''. Most of these early instruments used "''] circuit''" to produce ], and these ''sound synthesis'' capabilities were initially limited; however, along with the development over a decade, these instruments finally won expression ability.

===Graphical sound===
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|image1=ANS Synthesiser, Glinka Museum.jpg|width1=121
|image2=Detalle pagina2.jpg|width2=137
|footer=] and ]
}}

Also in 1920s, ] developed various systems of ],<ref name="Avraamov's graphic sonic art">
{{Citation
| last = Edmunds | first = Neil
| year = 2004
| title = Soviet Music and Society Under Lenin and Stalin
| location = London | publisher = Routledge Curzon <!-- 2004 -->
}}
</ref> and similar ] systems were also developed around the world, one after another.<ref name=tonewheels>
{{citation
| last = Holzer | first = Derek
| year = 2010 | date = February 2010
| title = Tonewheels – a brief history of optical synthesis
| url = http://www.umatic.nl/tonewheels_historical.html
<!-- | location = Utrecht -->
| publisher = Umatic.nl
}}</ref> In 1938, USSR engineer ] invented a design for a music-composition tool called ], one of the earliest conceptions of a real-time ] using ]. Although his idea of reconstructing a sound from its visible image was apparently simple, it was only realized 20 years later, in 1958, because his professional field was not related to music.<ref name=Kreichi1997>
{{citation
| last = Kreichi | first = Stanislav
| date = 10 November 1997
| title = The ANS Synthesizer: Composing on a Photoelectronic Instrument
| url = http://www.theremin.ru/archive/ans.htm
| publisher = Theremin Center
}}</ref>

===Subtractive synthesis & polyphonic synthesizer===
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|image1=Novachord frontS.jpg|width1=140
|image2=Welte-Lichtton-Orgel.png|width2=119
|footer=Hammond ] (1939) and Welte ] (1935)
}}

In the 1930s and 1940s, the basic elements required for the modern ] ]s&nbsp;— '']s, ]s, ]s<!-- for expression -->, and various ]s'' — had already appeared and were utilized on several electronic instruments. Even the earliest ]s went into commercial production in Germany and the United States. The ''Warbo Formant Organ'' developed by ] in Germany in 1937, was a four-voice key-assignment keyboard with two formant filters and a dynamic envelope controller;<ref name=Rhea79>
{{citation
| last = Rhea | first = Thomas L.
| title = Harald Bode’s Four-Voice Assignment Keyboard (1937)
| edition = reprint
| journal = eContact!
| volume = 13 | issue = 4
| url = http://cec.sonus.ca/econtact/13_4/rhea_bode_warbo.html
| publisher = Canadian Electroacoustic Community <!-- (CEC) -->
}} (July 2011), originally published as
{{citation
| last = Rhea | first = Tom
|date=December 1979
| title = Electronic Perspectives<!-- : Harald Bode’s Four-Voice Assignment Keyboard (1937) -->
| journal = Contemporary Keyboard
| volume = 5 | issue = 12 | page = 89
}}
</ref><ref name=eConcactWarbo>
{{citation
| year = 1937
| title = Warbo Formant Organ
| url = http://cec.sonus.ca/econtact/13_4/images/palov_fig04_warbo.jpg
| format = photograph
}}
</ref> it eventually went into commercial production by a factory in ].<ref name=120years>
{{citation
| title = The 'Warbo Formant Orgel' (1937), The 'Melodium' (1938), The 'Melochord' (1947-9), and 'Bode Sound Co' (1963-)
| url = http://120years.net/machines/melochord/
| work = 120 years of Electronic Music
}}
</ref> The ''Hammond ]'' released in 1939, was an electronic keyboard that used a ] for sound generation, with vibratos, filter, resonator-network and a dynamic envelope controller. During the three years that Hammond manufactured this model they shipped 1,069 units, but discontinued production at the start of World War II.<ref name="cirocco2006">
{{cite web
| last = Cirocco | first = Phil
| year = 2006
| title = The Novachord Restoration Project
| url = http://www.discretesynthesizers.com/nova/intro.htm
| publisher = Cirocco Modular Synthesizers
}}
</ref><ref name=howell>
{{cite web
| author = Steve Howell
|author2=Dan Wilson
| title = Novachord
| url = http://www.novachord.co.uk/
| publisher = Hollow Sun
}} (see also '' page)
</ref> Both instruments were the forerunners of the following ]s and the later ]s.

{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|image1=Hohner Multimonica MIM.jpg|width1=140
|image2=Ondioline (ca.1938) keyboard on speaker, National Music Centre.jpg|width2=77
|footer=]'s ] (1940) and Georges Jenny ] (c.1941)
}}

===Monophonic electronic keyboards===
<!-- – Hammond Solovox (1940), Hohner Multimonica (1940), Ondioline (1941), Clavioline (1947), Clavivox (1952) -->
{{Expand section|date=August 2013|TO BE ADDED: Hammond Solovox (1940), Hohner Multimonica (1940), Ondioline (1941), Clavioline (1947), Clavivox (1952)}}

Georges Jenny built his first ] in France in 1941.

===Other innovations===
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|image1=Electronic Sackbut.jpg|width1=134
|image2=Wurlitzer Model 44 Electrostatic Reed Organ.png|width2=84
|footer=]'s ] (1948) and an ] (] model 44, 1953)
}}
In the late 1940s, Canadian inventor and composer, ] invented '']'', which provided the earliest realtime control of three aspects of sound (], ] and ]), corresponding to today's ], ], ''etc''. The controllers were initially implemented as the ''multidimensional pressure keyboard'' in 1945, then changed to a group of dedicated controllers operated by left hand in 1948.<ref name=young1999>
{{cite web
| author = Gayle Young
| year = 1999
| title = Electronic Sackbut (1945-1973)
| url = http://www.hughlecaine.com/en/sackbut.html
| work = HughLeCaine.com
}}</ref>

Also in Japan, as early as in 1935, ] developed ''Magna organ'',<ref name="hochi35">
{{cite news
| title = 一時代を画する新楽器完成 浜松の青年技師山下氏
| trans_title = An epoch new musical instrument was developed by a young engineer Mr. Yamashita in Hamamatsu
| url =http://www.lib.kobe-u.ac.jp/das/jsp/ja/ContentViewM.jsp?METAID=00078861&TYPE=PRINT_FILE&POS=1
| language = Japanese
| newspaper = ]
| date = 1935-06-08
}}</ref> a multi-timbral keyboard instrument based on electrically-blown ]s with ]s,<ref name="magna">
{{cite book
| title = 新電氣樂器　マグナオルガンの御紹介
| trans_title = New Electric Musical Instrument — Introduction of Magna Organ
| url = http://blog.goo.ne.jp/1971913/e/42d486d769c1ce9c2c5a426e00f18b68
| language = Japanese
| publication-date = October 1935
| publisher = 日本樂器製造株式會社 (]) | location = Hamamatsu
| quote = ''特許第一〇八六六四号, 同　第一一〇〇六八号, 同　第一一一二一六号''
}}</ref> and possibly similar to the ]s<!-- developed by Frederick Albert Hoschke in 1934 then manufactured by ] and ] until 1961 -->. However, in 1949, Japanese composer Minao Shibata discussed the concept of "a musical instrument with very high performance" that can "synthesize any kind of sound waves" and is "...operated very easily," predicting that with such an instrument, "...the music scene will be changed drastically."{{POV-statement|date=October 2011|reason=] in 1935 shared same purpose. Quoted discussion seems to be slightly ''out of date'', even in 1949.}}<ref name=Koich2004>
{{cite journal
| last = Fujii | first = Koichi
| year = 2004
| title = Chronology of early electroacoustic music in Japan: What types of source materials are available?
| journal = ]
| publisher = ]
| volume = 9 | issue=1 | pages = 63-77
| doi = 10.1017/S1355771804000093
}}</ref><ref name=Holmes2008a>
{{Citation
| first = Thom | last = Holmes
| year = 2008
| chapter = Early Electronic Music in Japan
| title = Electronic and experimental music: technology, music, and culture
| edition = 3rd
| publisher = ]
| isbn = 0-415-95781-8
| page = 106
| url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hCthQ-bec-QC&pg=PA106
| accessdate = 2011-06-04
}}</ref>

{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|image1=Audio console at Studio di Fonologia Musicale RAI di Milano.jpg|width1=140
|image2=Synthesizer at Studio di Fonologia Musicale RAI di Milano.jpg|width2=78
|footer=Audio console (left) and Synthesizer at the ]
}}

===Electronic music studios as "sound synthesizer"===
After World War II, ] including ] and ] was created by contemporary composers, and numerous ''electronic music studios'' were established around the world, especially in Bonn, Cologne, Paris and Milan. These studios were typically filled with electronic equipment including oscillators, filters, tape recorders, audio consoles, etc., and the whole studio functioned as a "sound synthesizer".

{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|image1=RCA Mark II Sound Synthesizer.png|width1=128
|image2=DM Recording Studio.jpg|width2=135
|footer=] (1957) and Siemens Studio for Electronic Music (1959)
}}

====Origin of the term "sound synthesizer"====
In 1951–1952, ] produced a machine called the ''Electronic Music Synthesizer''; however, it was more accurately a ''composition machine'', because it did not produce sounds in real time.<ref name=Davies2001>
{{cite book
| last = Davies | first = Hugh
| year = 2001
| chapter = Synthesizer
| title = The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians
| edition = second
| editor = ed. Stanley Sadie and John Tyrrell
| location = London
| publisher = Macmillan Publishers
| isbn = 978-0-19-517067-2
}}</ref> Then, RCA developed the first ''programmable sound synthesizer'', ], and installed it to ] <!-- , which was inaugurated --> in 1957.<ref name=holmes2008b>
{{cite book
| first = Thom | last = Holmes
| year = 2008
| chapter = Early Synthesizers and Experimenters
| title = Electronic and experimental music: technology, music, and culture
| edition = 3rd
| publisher = ]
| isbn = 0-415-95781-8
| pages = 145–6
| url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=hCthQ-bec-QC&pg=PA145
| accessdate = 2011-06-04
}}</ref> Prominent composers including ], ], ], ], ], ], and ] used the RCA Synthesizer extensively in various compositions.<ref>
{{cite journal
| title = The RCA Synthesizer & Its Synthesists
| journal = Contemporary Keyboard
| volume = 6 | number = 10 | page = 64
|date=October 1980
| publisher = GPI Publications
| url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=0WkJAQAAMAAJ
| accessdate= 2011-06-05
}}{{Full|date=June 2011}}<!--Author's name needed.--></ref>

===From modular synthesizer to popular music===
{{main|Modular synthesizer|Harald Bode|Robert Moog|Moog synthesizer|Doepfer A-100}}

In 1959–1960, ] developed a ] and ],<ref name=bode61b>
{{cite paper
| author = Harald Bode (The Wurlitzer Company)
| title = Sound Synthesizer Creates New Musical Effects
| url = http://haraldbodenews.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/hbodeelectronics1961.pdf
| journal = ] |issue = December 1, 1961
}}</ref><ref name=bode84>
{{cite paper
| author = Harald Bode (Bode Sound Co.)
| year = 1984
| title = History of Electronic Sound Modification
| url = http://www.studio250.fr/docs/divers%20synthese/History%20of%20electronic%20sound%20modification.pdf
| journal = ] (JAES)
| volume = 32 | issue = 10 | pages = 730–739
| date = September 1984
}} (Note: Draft typescript is available at the tail of , along with {{Wayback |date=20110609132248 |url=http://www.experimentaltvcenter.org/history/tools/ttext.php3?id=4&page=1 |title=HTML version }} without draft.)
</ref> and in 1961, he wrote a paper exploring the concept of self-contained portable modular synthesizer using newly emerging transistor technology;<ref name=bode61a>
{{citation
| last = Bode | first = Harald
| year = 1961
| title = European Electronic Music Instrument Design
| journal = Journal of the Audio Engineering Society (JAES)
| volume = ix | issue = 1961 | page = 267
}}</ref> also he served as ] session chairman on ''music and electronic'' for the fall conventions in 1962 and 1964;<ref name=memoriam>
{{cite journal
| title = In Memoriam
| year = 1987
| journal = ] (JAES)
| volume = 35 | issue = 9 | pages = 741
| date = September 1987
| url = http://www.aes.org/aeshc/docs/jaes.obit/JAES_V35_9_PG741.pdf
| accessdate = 2007-07-18
}}
</ref> after then, his ideas were adopted by ], ], and others.

] of 1960s-1970s.]]
] released the first commercially available modern synthesizer in 1964.<ref name="Date of First Synth">
{{Citation
| last = Catchlove
| first = Lucina
| title = Robert Moog
| pages =
| newspaper = Remix
| location = Oklahoma City
| date = August 2002
| url = http://ezproxy.library.arizona.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy2.library.arizona.edu/docview/756567355?accountid=8360
}}</ref>{{Verification needed|date=July 2014|reason=verification of source of that article is needed in this case}}
In the late 1960s to 1970s, the development of miniaturized solid-state components allowed synthesizers to become self-contained, portable instruments, as proposed by ] in 1961. By the early 1980s companies were selling compact, modestly priced synthesizers to the public. This, along with the development of ] (MIDI), made it easier to integrate and synchronize synthesizers and other electronic instruments for use in musical composition. In the 1990s, synthesizer emulations began to appear in computer software, known as ]s. Later, ] and other plugins were able to emulate classic hardware synthesizers to a moderate degree.

<div style="clear:right;float:right;margin:0 0 0 0;">
{{Listen
|filename= Carlos brandenburg 3.ogg
|title = Wendy Carlos – ''Switched-On Bach'' (1968)
|description = ''First Movement (Allegro) of ]'' played on synthesizer.
|image =
}}</div>

The synthesizer had a considerable effect on ].<ref name="impact">
{{Citation
| last = Eisengrein | first = Doug
| date = September 1, 2005
| title = Renewed Vision
| publisher = Remix Magazine
| url = http://remixmag.com/mag/remix_renewed_vision/index.html
| accessdate = 2008-04-16
}}</ref> ] of ] bought one of the first Moog synthesizers. The band was the first to release an album featuring a Moog with '']'' in 1967.<ref>
{{Citation
| last = Lefcowitz | first = Eric
| year = 1989
| title = The Monkees Tale
| publisher = Last Gasp
| page = 48
| isbn = 0-86719-378-6
}}</ref> It reached #1 in the charts. The ] album '']'' using the Moog and tape loops had been in released in 1966.A few months later, both the ]' "]" and the title track of ]' 1967 album '']'' also featured a Moog, played by ] and ] respectively. In the same year ] built a homemade synthesizer which he demonstrated on ]. The synthesizer included a ] which recorded, stored, played and looped sounds controlled by switches, light sensors and human skin contact. ]'s '']'' (1968), recorded using ]s, also influenced numerous musicians of that era and is one of the most popular recordings of classical music ever made,<ref name="wendycarlos">
{{Citation
| last = Catchlove | first = Lucinda
| date = April 1, 2002
| title = Wendy Carlos (electronic musician)
| publisher = Remix Magazine
| url =
}}</ref> alongside the records of ] (particularly '']'' in 1974), who in the early 1970s utilized synthesizers to create new artificial sounds (rather than simply mimicking real instruments)<ref name="allmusic_tomita">{{allmusic|id=q6265|label=Tomita|accessdate=2011-06-04}}</ref> and made significant advances in analog synthesizer programming.<ref name="jenkins_2007">
{{Citation
| author = Mark Jenkins | authorlink = Mark Jenkins (musician)
| year = 2007
| title = Analog synthesizers: from the legacy of Moog to software synthesis
| publisher = ]
| isbn = 0-240-52072-6
| pages = 133–4
| url = http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=c3EHIpo0DKwC&pg=PA133|accessdate=2011-05-27
}}</ref>

The sound of the Moog reached the mass market with ]'s '']'' in 1968 and ]' '']'' the following year; hundreds of other popular recordings subsequently used synthesizers, most famously the portable ]. Electronic music albums by ], ], ], and ] reached a sizable cult audience and ] musicians such as ] of ] and ] of ] were soon using the new portable synthesizers extensively. ] and ] also contributed strongly to the popularisation of synthesizers in Black American music.<ref> {{citation|url=http://www.aaregistry.org/historic_events/view/singersongwriter-activist-stevie-wonder|title=Stevie Wonder, American profile|accessdate=1-09-2014}} </ref> <ref> {{citation|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/jul02/articles/herbiehancock.asp|title=Herbie Hancock profile|publisher=Sound on Sound|accessdate=1-09-2014}} </ref> Other early users included ]'s ], ], ], and ]'s ]. In Europe, the first no 1 single to feature a Moog prominently was ]'s 1972 hit '']''.<ref>{{citation |title=Chicory Tip |url=http://www.chicorytip.net |format=official website }}</ref>

===Polyphonic keyboards and the digital revolution===

{{See also|Polyphony and monophony in instruments|#Patch|MIDI|Digital synthesizer|Physical modelling synthesis|Virtual analog synthesizer|Software synthesizer}}

In 1978, the ], <!-- the first fully --> a landmark ] and ]-controlled keyboard synthesizer, strongly aided the shift of synthesizers towards their most familiar modern shape, away from large modular units and towards smaller keyboard instruments,<ref> {{citation|url=http://www.gordonreid.co.uk/vintage/prophet.html|title=The Prophet 5 and 10|publisher=gordonreid.co.uk|accessdate=1-09-2014}} </ref> and in doing so helped to accelerate the integration of synthesizers into popular music so assisted by the ].<ref> {{citation|url=http://www.thevinylfactory.com/vinyl-factory-releases/the-14-synthesizers-that-shaped-modern-music|title=The Synthesizers that shaped modern music|publisher=thevinylfactory.com|accessdate=1-09-2014}} </ref> As a secondary technological effect, earlier polyphonic instruments of the 1970s which had also accommodated trends, in the wake of the Minimoog marrying ] and synthesizer technology, and rooted in ] before advancing to multi-synthesizers incorporating monosynths and more, gradually fell out of fashion in the wake of these newer, fully polyphonic keyboard synthesizers, constructed with a clearer distance from older technology.<ref> {{citation|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Ch3rKusEimIC&pg=PT397&lpg=PT397&dq=synths+replaced+organs&source=bl&ots=pjETvD2EK6&sig=utlDBHoL-bRr2oDWiZGY8FXc_kU&hl=en&sa=X&ei=CU8EVOKcMILjaMbdgegB&ved=0CDkQ6AEwBA#v=onepage&q=synths%20replaced%20organs&f=false|title=Sound Synthesis and Sampling by Martin Russ|publisher=Taylor and Francis|date=May 2004|accessdate=1-09-2014}} </ref> These now successful and newly configured polyphonic keyboard synthesizers, manufactured mainly in the United States and Japan from the mid-1970s to the early-1980s, included the ] (1976), the ] (1976), the ] (1977), the Roland ] in 1981, and the ] of the same year.

In 1983, however, Yamaha's revolutionary ] ] swept through popular music, leading to the adoption and development of ] in many varying forms during the 1980s, and the rapid decline of ].<ref> {{citation|title=Synthlearn - the DX7|url=http://www.synthlearn.com/yamaha-dx7.html|publisher=synthlearn|accessdate=1-09-14}} </ref> In 1987, Roland's ] synthesizer in turn launched a new affordable combination of ] with digital oscillators, and the integration of ] with digital synthesizers,<ref>{{citation|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/mar99/articles/synthfx.htm|title=Synth FX|publisher=Sound On Sound|accessdate=1-09-2014}} </ref> while Korg's even more popular ], of 1988, confirmed the development of sample-based synthesis, while also heralding the era of the ] synthesizer, now orientated around the recall of ROM sample sounds for the composition and ] of whole songs, rather than traditional sound synthesis per se.<ref> {{citation|url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/feb02/articles/korgm1retro.asp|title= The Korg M1|publisher=Sound On Sound|accessdate=1-09-2014}} </ref> Over the 1990s, the popularity of electronic ] employing analog sounds, the appearance of digital ] to recreate these sounds, and the development of the Eurorack modular synthesiser system, initially introduced with the ] and since adopted by other manufacturers, all contributed to the resurgence of interest in analog technology by the end of the century. At the same time, the beginning of the new century saw improvements in technology that led to the popularisation of digital ].<ref> {{citation|url=http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=aT5nAQAAQBAJ&pg=PA304&lpg=PA304&dq=rise+of+software+synthesizers++2000%5C&source=bl&ots=D8sE24Jrre&sig=U_YgkOyyx79c9SjSOcWlgm6B_ww&hl=en&sa=X&ei=ILUEVJ6xKeLT0QW7-IGQAQ&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=rise%20of%20software%20synthesizers%20%202000%5C&f=false|title="Electronic and Experimental Music"|author=Paul Holmes|publisher=Routlege|date=22 May 2012|accessdate=1-09-2014}} </ref> In the 2010s, new analog synthesizers, both in keyboard instrument and modular form, now regularly co-exist with the many ] developed since the early 2000s, and the variety of digital hardware instruments available.<ref> {{citation|url=http://www.newelectronics.co.uk/electronics-technology/analogue-electronics-sees-a-revival-in-the-music-industry/53593|title=The revival of analog electronics in a digital world|publisher=newelectronics|date=August 2013|accessdate=1-09-14}}</ref>

==Impact on popular music==
] synthesizer of the late 1970s-early 1980s.]]

{{Expand section|date=August 2014}}

In the 1970s, ], ], and ] released successful synthesizer-led instrumental albums. This helped influence over time the emergence of ], a sub-genre of ] in the late 1970s. The work of German electronic bands such as ] and ], British acts ] and ] and the Japanese ] were also influential in the development of the genre.<ref name="borthwick2004">{{Citation | ref = harv
| last = Borthwick | first = Stuart
| year = 2004
| title = Popular Music Genres: An Introduction
| publisher = Edinburgh University Press
| page = 120
| isbn = 0-7486-1745-0
| url = http://books.google.com/?id=r4bmVbNSnk4C&pg=PA119&dq=synthpop
}}
</ref> English musician ]'s 1979 hits "]" and "]" used synthesizers heavily.<ref name="Warren2001">{{Citation
| last = George-Warren | first = Holly
| year = 2001
| title = The Rolling Stone Encyclopedia of Rock & Roll
| publisher = Fireside
| pages = 707–734
| isbn = 0-7432-0120-5
}}
</ref><ref name="Robbins1991">{{Citation
| last = Robbins | first = Ira A
| year = 1991
| title = The Trouser Press Record Guide
| publisher = Maxwell Macmillan International
| page = 473
| isbn = 0-02-036361-3
}}
</ref> ]'s "]" (1980) used a distinctive electronic percussion and synthesized melody. ] used a synthesized melody on their 1981 hit "]".<ref name="borthwick2004" /> ], keyboardist of ], used various synthesizers including slightly minor ] and ].<ref name="Black2003">{{Citation
| last = Black | first = Johnny
| year = 2003
| title = The Greatest Songs Ever! Hungry Like the Wolf
| journal = Blender Magazine
| issue = January/February 2003
| url = http://www.blender.com/guide/articles.aspx?id=829
| accessdate = 2008-04-16
}}
{{dead link|date=October 2011}}</ref>

Other chart hits include ]'s "]" (1981),<ref name="borthwick2004"/> ]'s "]"<ref name="borthwick2004p130">{{harvnb|Borthwick|2004|p=130}}</ref> and ]'s "]" (1983<!-- C129 -->) for ]. Other notable synthpop groups included ], ], ], ],<ref name="borthwick2004"/> ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ], and the early work of ] and ].
Other notable users include ], ], ], ], ], ], ], ] and ].

The synthesizer became one of the most important instruments in the music industry.<ref name="borthwick2004"/>

== {{Visible anchor|Types of synthesis}} == <!-- Other articles link here. -->
<div style="clear:right;float:right;margin:0 0 -1.3em 0;">
]''' was utilized as early as on ] in 1900s and ] in 1930s.]]</div>

''']''' builds sounds by adding together waveforms (which are usually harmonically related). An early analog example of an additive synthesizer is the ] and ]. To implement real-time additive synthesis, ] is useful for reducing required hardware/processing power,<ref name=Vail2000>
{{Citation
| last = Vail | first = Mark
| year = 2000
| title = Vintage Synthesizers: Groundbreaking Instruments and Pioneering Designers of Electronic Music Synthesizers
| publisher = Backbeat Books
| pages = 68–342
| isbn = 0-87930-603-3
| url = http://books.google.com/?id=tNci9y0jlRgC&pg=PA68&dq=Wolfgang+Palm
}}</ref> and is commonly used in low-end ] instruments (such as educational keyboards) and low-end ]s.

<div style="float:right;margin:0 -1em -1.3em 0;">
]''' is still utilized on various synths, including ].]]</div>

''']''' is based on filtering harmonically rich waveforms. Due to its simplicity, it is the basis of early synthesizers such as the ]. Subtractive synthesizers use a simple acoustic model that assumes an instrument can be approximated by a simple signal generator (producing ]s, ]s, etc.) followed by a ]. The combination of simple modulation routings (such as ] and ]), along with the physically unrealistic lowpass filters, is responsible for the "classic synthesizer" sound commonly associated with "analog synthesis"—a term which is often mistakenly used when referring to ]s using subtractive synthesis.

<div style="clear:right;float:right;margin:0 0 -1.3em 0;">
]''' was hugely successful in earliest digital synthesizers.]]</div>

'']'' (frequency modulation synthesis) is a process that usually involves the use of at least two signal generators (sine-wave oscillators, commonly referred to as "operators" in FM-only synthesizers) to create and modify a voice. Often, this is done through the analog or digital generation of a signal that modulates the tonal and amplitude characteristics of a base carrier signal. FM synthesis was pioneered by ], who patented the idea and sold it to Yamaha. Unlike the exponential relationship between voltage-in-to-frequency-out and multiple waveforms in classical 1-volt-per-octave synthesizer oscillators, Chowning-style FM synthesis uses a linear voltage-in-to-frequency-out relationship and sine-wave oscillators. The resulting complex waveform may have many component frequencies, and there is no requirement that they all bear a harmonic relationship. Sophisticated FM synths such as the ] series can have 6 operators per voice; some synths with FM can also often use filters and variable amplifier types to alter the signal's characteristics into a sonic voice that either roughly imitates acoustic instruments or creates sounds that are unique. FM synthesis is especially valuable for metallic or clangorous noises such as bells, cymbals, or other percussion.

<!-- NO SPACE: <div style="clear:right;float:right;margin:0 0 -1.3em 0;">
]]]</div>
<div style="clear:right;float:right;margin:0 0 -1.3em 0;">
]''' <span style="display:none;">along with FM synthesis</span> is a kind of ].]]</div>
-->'']'' is a method implemented on ]. It is quite similar to FM synthesis but avoids infringing on the Chowning FM patent. Also it should be categorized to ] along with FM synthesis, and also to ] along with waveshaping synthesis, and discrete summation formulas.

'']'' is a type of synthesis based on manipulating very small sample slices.

<div style="clear:right;float:right;margin:0 0 -1.3em 0;">
]''' is often implemented as ]s.]]</div>

'']'' is the synthesis of sound by using a set of equations and algorithms to simulate a real instrument, or some other physical source of sound. This involves taking up models of components of musical objects and creating systems that ''define'' action, filters, envelopes and other parameters over time. The definition of such instruments is virtually
limitless, as one can combine any given models available with any amount of sources of modulation in terms of pitch, frequency and contour. For example, the model of a violin with characteristics of a pedal steel guitar and perhaps the action of piano hammer. When an initial set of parameters is run through the physical simulation, the simulated sound is generated. Although physical modeling was not a new concept in acoustics and synthesis, it was not until the development of the ] and the increase in ] in the late 1980s that commercial implementations became feasible. Physical modeling on computers gets better and faster with higher processing.

<div style="clear:right;float:right;margin:0 0 -1.3em 0;">
].]]</div>
<div style="float:right;margin:0 -1em -1.3em 0;">
]</div>

'''Sample-based synthesis''' One of the easiest synthesis systems is to record a real instrument as a digitized waveform, and then play back its recordings at different speeds to produce different tones. This is the technique used in "sampling". Most samplers designate a part of the sample for each component of the ADSR envelope, and then repeat that section while changing the volume for that segment of the envelope. This lets the sampler have a persuasively different envelope using the same note. See also ], ], ''etc''.

'''Analysis/resynthesis''' is a form of synthesis that uses a series of bandpass filters or Fourier transforms to analyze the harmonic content of a sound. The resulting analysis data is then used in a second stage to resynthesize the sound using a band of oscillators. The ], ], and some forms of ] are based on analysis/resynthesis.

===Imitative synthesis===

Sound synthesis can be used to mimic acoustic sound sources. Generally, a sound that does not change over time includes a ] or harmonic, and any number of partials. Synthesis may attempt to mimic the amplitude and pitch of the partials in an acoustic sound source.

When natural sounds are analyzed in the ] (as on a spectrum analyzer), the ] of their sounds exhibits ] spikes at each of the fundamental tone's ] corresponding to resonant properties of the instruments (spectral peaks that are also referred to as ]s). Some harmonics may have higher amplitudes than others. The specific set of harmonic-vs-amplitude pairs is known as a sound's ]. A synthesized sound requires accurate reproduction of the original sound in both the frequency domain and the time domain. A sound does not necessarily have the same harmonic content throughout the duration of the sound. Typically, high-frequency harmonics die out more quickly than the lower harmonics.

In most conventional synthesizers, for purposes of re-synthesis, recordings of real instruments are composed of several components representing the acoustic responses of different parts of the instrument, the sounds produced by the instrument during different parts of a performance, or the behavior of the instrument under different playing conditions (pitch, intensity of playing, fingering, etc.)

==Components==

<div style="clear:right;float:right;margin:0 0 0 1em;">
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical |width=400
|header=Basic components of an analogue subtractive synthesizer
|image1=Synthesizer.components.01.png|alt1=analogue synth components
|image2=Teisco S60f panel.jpg
}}</div><!-- ], &nbsp; 911 ], &nbsp; 902 ] <br/>on ].]] --><!-- ToDo: Add Filter and LFO module on photograph. -->

Synthesizers generate sound through various ] and ] techniques. Early synthesizers were analog hardware based but many modern synthesizers use a combination of ] software and hardware or else are purely software-based (see ]). Digital synthesizers often emulate classic analog designs. Sound is controllable by the operator by means of circuits or virtual stages that may include:

* ''']''' – create raw sounds with a ] that depends upon the ] generated. ]s (VCOs) and digital oscillators may be used. Harmonic '''Additive''' synthesis models sounds directly from pure ]s, somewhat in the manner of an ], while '''Frequency modulation''' and '''Phase distortion ''' synthesis use one oscillator to modulate another. '''Subtractive''' synthesis depends upon filtering a harmonically rich oscillator waveform. '''Sample-based''' and '''Granular''' synthesis use one or more digitally recorded sounds in place of an oscillator.
* ''']''' (VCF) – "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.
* '''] (VCA)''' – After the signal generated by one (or a mix of more) ]s has been modified by filters and ]s, and its ] has been shaped (contoured) by an ADSR Envelope Generator, it then passes on to one or more voltage-controlled amplifiers (VCAs). A VCA is a ] 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 ]. 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.<ref name=Reid2000>
{{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
| journal = Sound on Sound
| issue = January 2000
| accessdate = 2010-05-25
}}</ref>
* '''ADSR''' envelopes – provide '''envelope modulation''' to "shape" the volume or harmonic content of the produced note in the time domain with the principle parameters being attack, decay, sustain and release. These are used in most forms of synthesis. ADSR control is provided by ''Envelope Generators''.
* ''']''' (LFO) – an oscillator of adjustable frequency that can be used to modulate the sound rhythmically, for example to create ] or ] or to control a filter's operating frequency. LFOs are used in most forms of synthesis.
* '''Other''' sound processing effects such as ] may be encountered.

===Filter===
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical
<!-- ToDo: more appropriate figures (ex.]) is required here. -->
|image1=Acoustic filters.svg|width1=160|caption1=Various <!-- acoustic --> filter modes.
}}
{{Main|Voltage controlled filter}}

] are particularly important in ], being designed to pass some frequency regions through ] while significantly attenuating ("subtracting") others. The ] is most frequently used, but ]s, ]s and ]s are also sometimes 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 producs a flat sound with no envelope. When turned up the envelope becomes more noticeable, expanding the minimum and maximum range of the filter.

<!-- "Envelope Generator" links here -->
<span id=Envelope Generator"/>
<span id=Envelope generator"/>

==={{Visible anchor|ADSR envelope}}===
<div style="clear:right;float:right;margin:0 0 0 0;">
]<!-- ADSR Envelope Graph.svg --></div>
{|style="clear:right;float:right;width:223px;margin:-17px 0 -7px 0;padding:0;border-color:#CCC;text-align:center;font-size:7pt;line-height:2ex;" border="0" class="wikitable"
|-
|style="width:30px;border-width:0;" colspan="2"|
|style="width:40px;overflow:hidden;border-width:0 1px;color:#486;"|'''A'''ttack
|style="width:30px;overflow:hidden;border-width:0 1px;color:#F60;"|'''D'''ecay
|style="width:30px;overflow:hidden;border-width:0 1px;color:#33F;"|'''S'''ustain
|style="width:45px;overflow:hidden;border-width:0 1px;color:#A48;"|'''R'''elease
|style="width:30px;border-width:0;"|
|- style="text-align:left;"
|rowspan="2" style="width:22px;border-width:0;"|Key
|rowspan="2" style="width:6px;border-width:0;"|on
|rowspan="1" colspan="3" style="width:100px;border-width:0;"|
|rowspan="2" style="width:6px;border-width:0;"|off
|-
|colspan="3" style="width:100px;border-width:0;background-color:#EE4;"|
|}
<div style="clear:right;float:right;margin:0 0 -1.3ex 0;">
]</div>

When an acoustic ] produces sound, the loudness and spectral content of the sound change over time in ways that vary from instrument to instrument. The "attack" and "decay" of a sound have a great effect on the instrument's sonic character.<ref name=Dodge1997>
{{cite book
| author = Charles Dodge, Thomas A. Jerse
| year = 1997
| title = Computer Music
| location = New York
| publisher = Schirmer Books
| page = 82
}}</ref> Sound synthesis techniques often employ an '''envelope generator''' that controls a sound's parameters at any point in its duration. Most often this is an "ADSR" (Attack Decay Sustain Release) envelope, which may be applied to overall ], filter frequency, etc. The envelope may be a discrete circuit or module, or implemented in software. The contour of an ADSR envelope is specified using four parameters:

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

An early implementation of ADSR can be found on the Hammond ] in 1938 (which predates the first Moog synthesizer by over 25 years). A seven-position rotary knob set preset ADS parameter for all 72 notes; a pedal controlled release time.<ref name="cirocco2006"/> The notion of ADSR was specified by ] (then head of the ]) in 1965 while suggesting improvements for ]'s pioneering work on synthesizers, although the earlier notations of parameter were (T<sub>1</sub>, T<sub>2</sub>, E<sub>sus</sub>, T<sub>3</sub>), then these were simplified to current form (Attack time, Decay time, Sustain level, Release time) by ].<ref name=Pinch2004a>
{{cite book
| last = Pinch | first = Trevor
|author2=Frank Trocco
| year = 2004
| title = Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer
| publisher = Harvard University Press
| isbn = 978-0-674-01617-0
| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=3hjvWzkMK-sC&lpg=PA59&vq=Vladimir%20Ussachevsky&hl=ja&pg=PA60#v=onepage&q=ADSR&f=false
}}</ref>

Some electronic musical instruments allow the ADSR envelope to be inverted, which results in opposite behavior compared to the normal ADSR envelope. During the attack phase, the modulated sound parameter fades from the maximum ] to zero then, during the decay phase, rises to the value specified by the sustain parameter. After the key has been released the sound parameter rises from sustain amplitude back to maximum amplitude.

<div style="float:right;clear:right;margin:0 0 0 0;">
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical
|image1=Casio CZ 8stepENVchart (CZ-1).jpg|width1=213|caption1=8-step envelope on ]
}}</div>

A common variation of the ADSR on some synthesizers, such as the ], was ADSHR (attack, decay, sustain, hold, release). By adding a "hold" parameter, the system allowed notes to be held at the sustain level for a fixed length of time before decaying. The ] ] included a hold time parameter only; the sustain level was not programmable. Another common variation in the same vein is the AHDSR (attack, hold, decay, sustain, release) envelope, in which the "hold" parameter controls how long the envelope stays at full volume before entering the decay phase. Multiple attack, decay and release settings may be found on more sophisticated models.

Certain synthesizers also allow for a ''delay'' parameter before the ''attack''. Modern synthesizers like the ] ] have DADSR (delay, attack, decay, sustain, release) envelopes. The delay setting determines the length of silence between hitting a note and the attack. Some ], such as Image-Line's 3xOSC (included with their ] ]) have DAHDSR (delay, attack, hold, decay, sustain, release) envelopes.

{{-}}

{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical
|image1=LFOsection.png |width1=220|caption1=LFO section of ] C
}}

===LFO===
{{Main|Low-frequency oscillation}}

A ] (LFO) generates an electronic signal, usually below 20&nbsp;]. LFO signals create a periodic control signal or sweep, often used in ], ] and other effects. In certain genres of electronic music, the LFO signal can control the cutoff frequency of a ] to make a rhythmic ] sound, or the signature ] ].

{{-}}

==Patch==
{{multiple image |align=right
|image1=Oberheim 4 voice.jpg|width1=220|caption1=One of the earliest patch memory (bottom left) on ] (1975/1976)
}}

A synthesizer '''patch''' (some manufacturers chose the term '''program''') is a sound setting. ]s used cables ("]s") to connect the different sound modules together. Since these machines had no ] to save settings, musicians wrote down the locations of the patch cables and knob positions on a "patch sheet" (which usually showed a diagram of the synthesizer). Ever since, an overall sound setting for any type of synthesizer has been known as a patch.

<!-- ToDo: added description about "preset synthesizer": ARP Soloist in 1970 and Pro Soloist in 1972, ARP String Ensemble by Eminent/Solina in 1974, Moog minitmoog & Satelite, etc. -->
In mid–late 1970s, patch memory (allowing storage and loading of 'patches' or 'programs') began to appear in synths like the ] (1975/1976)<ref name=Oberheim1976Ad>
{{cite journal
| title = Oberheim Polyphonic Synthesizer Programmer (ad)
| url = http://retrosynthads.blogspot.com/2010/02/oberheim-polyphonic-synthesizer.html
| journal = Contemporary Keyboard Magazine
| issue = September/October 1976
| page = 19
| medium = ad
}}</ref> <!-- , ]'s Model 700 Programmer (1977) --> and ] (1977/1978). After ] was introduced in 1983, more and more synthesizers could import or export patches via MIDI ''SYSEX'' commands. When a synthesizer patch is uploaded to a personal computer that has patch editing software installed, the user can alter the parameters of the patch and download it back to the synthesizer. Because there is no standard patch language it is rare that a patch generated on one synthesizer can be used on a different model. However sometimes manufacturers design a family of synthesizers to be compatible.

==Control interfaces==

{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical |width=98
|image1 = Alesis AirFX.jpg |caption1 = Non-contact interface (AirFX)
|image2 = Reactable Multitouch.jpg |caption2 = <span style="font-size:90%;">Tangible interface</span> (])
<!-- |image3 = Korg SQ-10.JPG |caption3 = Music sequencer (analog) -->
}}<div style="float:right;margin-right:-1.3em;">
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical |width=132
|image1 = Korg Z1 wheel and ribbon controllers.jpg
|caption1 = Pitch & mod. wheels and touchpad
|image2 = Alesis PerformancePad.jpg |caption2 = Drum pad
}}<div style="float:right;margin-right:-1.3em;">
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=vertical |width=102
|image1 = SynthAxe.jpg |caption1=Guitar-style interface (])
}}</div></div>

Modern synthesizers often look like small pianos, though with many additional knob and button controls. These are integrated controllers, where the sound synthesis electronics are integrated into the same package as the controller. However, many early synthesizers were modular and keyboardless, while most modern synthesizers may be controlled via ], allowing other means of playing such as:

* ] (ribbon controllers) and ]s
* ]s
* ]
* ]
* ]s
* Non-contact interfaces akin to ]s
* ]s like a ], ]
* Various auxiliary input device including: wheels for ] and modulation, footpedals for ] and ], breath controllers, beam controllers, etc.

===Fingerboard controller===
] (6G in 1960) Right: ] (replica of 1952)]]

{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|image1=Korg Monotron.JPG |width1=115 |caption1=Fingerboard <!-- controller --><br/>on ] monotron
|image2=Moog Synthesizer 3P (1972), CRuNCh Lab.jpg |width2=115 |caption2=Ribbon controller <!-- (left) --><br/>on ] (1972)
}}

A ribbon controller or other violin-like user interface may be used to control synthesizer parameters. The concept dates to ]'s 1922 first conceive<ref name=holmes2002>
{{Citation
| author = Thom Holmes, Thomas B. Holmes
| year = 2002
| title = Electronic and experimental music: pioneers in technology and composition
| publisher = Routledge
| isbn = 978-0-415-93644-6
| page = 59
| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=RsvdGY9VFLUC&lpg=PA59&ots=LaNRFO3bMf&dq=Fingerboard%20Theremin&hl=ja&pg=PA59#v=onepage&q=Fingerboard%20Theremin&f=false
}}</ref> and his 1932 ] and Keyboard Theremin,<ref name=popularscience1932>
{{Citation
| title = Radio Squeals Turned to Music for Entire Orchestra
| journal = Popular Science
| issue = June 1932
| page = 51
| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=NygDAAAAMBAJ&lpg=PA51&ots=noRVnF-_aX&dq=Fingerboard%20Theremin&hl=ja&pg=PA51#v=onepage&q=Fingerboard&f=false
}} <br/>— the article reported Léon Theremin's new electronic instruments used on his electric orchestra's first public recital at Carnegie Hall, New York City, including '']'', ''Keyboard Theremin'' with fingerboard controller, and ''Terpsitone'' (a performance instrument in the style of platform on which a dancer could play a music by the movement of body).</ref><ref name=keyboardtheremin>
{{Citation
| last = Glinsky | first = Albert
| year = 2000
| title = Theremin: ether music and espionage
| publisher = University of Illinois Press
| isbn = 978-0-252-02582-2
| page = 145
| url = http://books.google.com/books?id=6DHlQJcMpBQC&lpg=PA145&dq=Fingerboard%20Theremin&hl=ja&pg=PA145#v=snippet&q=Fingerboard%201932&f=false
| quote = ''In addition to its 61 keys (five octaves), it had a "fingerboard channnel" offering an alternate interface for string players.''
}}<!-- — Keyboard Theremin in 1932 had similar auxilary device called "fingerboard channel".
--></ref>&nbsp; ]'s 1928 ] (sliding a metal ring),<ref name=mbrend2005>
{{cite book
| last = Brend | first = Mark
| year = 2005
| title = Strange sounds: offbeat instruments and sonic experiments in pop
| publisher = Hal Leonard Corporation
| isbn = 0-87930-855-9
| page = 22
}}</ref>&nbsp; ]'s 1929 ] (finger pressure),&nbsp; and also later utilized by ].<ref name=moogtonium>
{{cite web
|title = Moogtonium (1966–1968)
|url = http://moogfoundation.org/2010/from-the-archives-moogtonium-discovered/
|publisher = Moog Foundation
}} — ]'s version of ], built by ] during 1966–1968.</ref><ref name=HL84>
{{cite book
| title = Synthesizer technique
| year = 1984
| publisher = Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation
| isbn = 0-88188-290-9
| page = 47
}}</ref><ref name=Pinch2004b>
{{cite book
| last = Pinch | first = Trevor
|author2=Frank Trocco
| year = 2004
| title = Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer
| publisher = Harvard University Press
| isbn = 0-674-01617-3
| page = 62
}}</ref> The ribbon controller has no moving parts. Instead, a finger pressed down and moved along it creates an ] contact at some point along a pair of thin, flexible longitudinal strips whose ] varies from one end to the other. Older fingerboards used a long wire pressed to a resistive plate. A ribbon controller is similar to a ], but a ribbon controller only registers ] motion. Although it may be used to operate any parameter that is affected by ]s, a ribbon controller is most commonly associated with ].

Fingerboard-controlled instruments include the ] (1929), ] (1929) and ] (1936),<ref name=hellertion>
{{Citation
| title = The "Hellertion"(1929) & the "Heliophon"(1936)
| url = http://120years.net/machines/hellertione/index.html
| work = 120 Years of Electronic Music
}}</ref><ref name=Lertes1933>
{{Citation
| author = Peter Lertes
| year = 1933
| title = Elektrische Musik:ein gemeinverständliche Darstellung ihrer Grundlagen, des heutigen Standes der Technik und ihre Zukunftsmöglickkeiten
| publisher = (Dresden & Leipzig, 1933)
}}</ref><ref name=Marx1947>
{{cite paper
| author = J. Marx
| year = 1947
| title = Heliophon, ein neues Musikinstrument
| journal = Ömz
| volume = ii
| issue = 1947
| page = 314
}}</ref> ] (Tannerin, late 1950s), ] (2004), and the ] (2004). A ribbon controller is used as an additional controller in the ] and CS-60, the ] and ] series, the ] synthesizers, ]s, and others.

Rock musician ] used it with the ] from 1970 onward. In the late 1980s, keyboards in the synth lab at Berklee College of Music were equipped with membrane thin ribbon style controllers that output MIDI. They functioned as MIDI managers, with their programming language printed on their surface, and as expression/performance tools. Designed by Jeff Tripp of Perfect Fretworks Co., they were known as Tripp Strips. Such ribbon controllers can serve as a main MIDI controller instead of a keyboard, as with the ] instrument.

===Wind controllers===
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|image1=Onyx The Digital Pied Piper.jpg|width1=120 |caption1=Wind controller <!-- played on Backlit Lounge SF -->
|image2=Roland V-Accordio.png|width2=120 |caption2=Accordion synthesizer
}}

{{Main|Wind controller}}

]s (and wind synthesizers) are convenient for woodwind and brass players<!-- or emulation -->, being designed after the lines of those instruments. These are usually either analog or ] controllers, and sometimes include their own built-in sound modules (synthesizers). In addition to the follow of key arrangements and fingering, the controllers have breath-operated pressure transducers, and may have gate extractors, velocity sensors, and bite sensors. ] style controllers have included the ], and products by ], ], and ]. The mouthpieces range from alto clarinet to alto saxophone sizes. Also ] style controller was released from ] (2009). ] or ] style controllers have included the Martinetta (1975)<ref name=reuter1>
{{Citation
| author = Christoph Reuter
| title = Martinetta and Variophon
| url = http://www.variophon.de/vario_e.htm
| publisher = Variophon.de
}}</ref> and Variophon (1980),<ref name=reuter2>
{{Citation
| author = Christoph Reuter
| title = Variophon and Martinetta Enthusiasts Page
| url = http://www.variophon.de/index_e.htm
| publisher = Variophon.de
}}</ref> Tubophon,{{citation needed|date=December 2011|reason=''Boehme Tubophon'' seems acoustic pipe purcssion. {{Wayback |date=20081203235117 |url=http://www.boehmemusic.com/de/percussion/tubophon.html}} }} and ]'s custom ] ''Pepe''.<ref name=Zawinul>
{{Citation
| title = Joseph ''Pepe'' Zawinul
| url = http://www.melodicas.com/joseph_pepe_zawinul.htm
| publisher = Melodicas.com
}} (also is shown on page)
</ref> A ] style interface was the Millionizer 2000 (c.1983).<ref name=millioniser>
{{Citation
| title = Millioniser 2000 Promo Video Rock Erickson London, England 1983
| date = July 21, 2009
| url = http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2009/07/millioniser-2000-promo-video-rock.html
| publisher = MatrixSynth.com
}}</ref>

] style controllers have included products by ]/]/], ], and ]. Also breath controllers may be used as an adjunct to a conventional synthesizer: the Crumar Steiner Masters Touch,<ref name=CrumarSteiner>
{{Citation
| title = Crumar Steiner Masters Touch CV Breath Controller
| date = January 21, 2008
| url = http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2008/01/crumar-steiner-masters-touch-cv-breath.html
| publisher = MatrixSynth.com
}}</ref> ] and its compatible products are the examples.<ref name=YamahaBC1>
{{Citation
| title = Yamaha DX100 with BC-1 Breath Controller
| date = December 16, 2007
| url = http://matrixsynth.blogspot.com/2007/10/yamaha-dx100-with-bc-1-breath.html
| publisher = MatrixSynth.com
}}</ref> Several controllers also provide breath-like articulation capabilities. {{Clarify|date=December 2011}}

] controllers use pressure transducers on bellows for articulation.

===Others===
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|image1=Ondes martenot.jpg |width1=120 |caption1=]
|image2=Maestro Theremin TH-1.jpg |width2=115 |caption2=]
|image3=Korg VC-10 Vocoder.jpg |width3=120 |caption3=]
}}

The other controllers include: ], lightbeam controllers, touch buttons (''touche d’intensité'') on the ], and various type of ]s, ''etc''. Envelope following systems, the most sophiscated being the ], follow the power or amplitude of input audio signal, instead of breath pressure on the wind controllers. More direct articulation, the vocal tract without breath, is utilized on the ], although it is rarely categorized as a synthesizer.

===MIDI control===
{{Main|Musical Instrument Digital Interface}}

]
Synthesizers became easier to integrate and synchronize with other electronic instruments and controllers with the introduction of ] (MIDI) in 1983.<ref name=MIDI>
{{Citation
| title = The Complete MIDI 1.0 Detailed Specification
| publisher = MIDI Manufacturers Association Inc.
| url = http://www.midi.org/about-midi/specinfo.shtml
| accessdate = 2008-04-10
}}</ref> First proposed in 1981 by engineer ] of ], the MIDI standard was developed by a consortium now known as the MIDI Manufacturers Association.<ref name="midi-intro">
{{Citation
| last = Rothtein | first = Joseph
| year = 1995
| title = MIDI: A Comprehensive Introduction
| publisher = A-R Editions
| pages = 1–11
| isbn = 0-89579-309-1
| url = http://books.google.com/?id=ajDaXh-qgDUC&printsec=frontcover&dq=MIDI
| accessdate = 2008-05-30
}}</ref> MIDI is an ] ] and ].<ref name="midi-intro"/> It provides for the transmission from one device or instrument to another of real-time performance data. This data includes note events, commands for the selection of instrument presets (i.e. sounds, or programs or patches, previously stored in the instrument's memory), the control of performance-related parameters such as volume, effects levels and the like, as well as synchronization, transport control and other types of data. MIDI interfaces are now almost ubiquitous on music equipment and are commonly available on ]s (PCs).<ref name="midi-intro"/>

The ] (GM) ] standard was devised in 1991 to serve as a consistent way of describing a set of over 200 tones (including percussion) available to a PC for playback of musical scores.<ref name="GM">
{{Citation
| last = Webster | first = Peter Richard
| last2 = Williams | first2 = David Brian
| year = 2005
| title = Experiencing Music Technology: Software, Data, and Hardware
| publisher = Thomson Schirmer
| page = 221
| isbn = 0-534-17672-0
}}</ref> For the first time, a given MIDI preset consistently produced a specific instrumental sound on any GM-conforming device. The ] (SMF) format (] <code>.mid</code>) combined MIDI events with delta times – a form of time-stamping – and became a popular standard for exchange of music scores between computers. In the case of SMF playback using integrated synthesizers (as in computers and cell phones), the hardware component of the MIDI interface design is often unneeded.

] (OSC) is another music data specification designed for online networking. In contrast with MIDI, OSC allows thousands of synthesizers or computers to share music performance data over the Internet in ].

==Typical roles==
{{multiple image |align=right |direction=horizontal
|header=Synth lead
|image1=GeorgeDukeCropped.jpg |width1=120 |caption1=]
|image2=Jordan Ruddess in Rio.jpg |width2=103 |caption2=]
}}

===Synth lead===

In popular music, a ''synth lead'' is generally used for playing the main melody of a song, but it is also often used for creating rhythmic or bass effects. Although most commonly heard in electronic dance music, synth leads have been used extensively in hip-hop since the 1980s and rock songs since the 1970s. Most modern music relies heavily on the synth lead to provide a ] to sustain the listener's interest throughout an entire song.

===Synth pad===

A '''synth pad''' is a sustained chord or tone generated by a synthesizer, often employed for background harmony and atmosphere in much the same fashion that a string section is often used in acoustic music. Typically, a synth pad plays many whole or half notes, sometimes holding the same note while a lead voice sings or plays an entire musical phrase. Often, the sounds used for synth pads have a vaguely organ, string, or vocal ]. Much popular music in the 1980s employed synth pads, this being the time of ], as did the then-new styles of ] and ]. One of many well-known songs from the era to incorporate a synth pad is "]" by the ], who were noted users of the technique.

The main feature of a synth pad is very long attack and decay time with extended sustains. In some instances ] (PWM) using a square wave oscillator can be added to create a "vibrating" sound.

<span id="Bass synthesizer"/>

===Synth bass===
{{Listen
|header = <span style="font-size:120%;">'''Synth bass'''</span>
|image = ]<br/>] pedal bass synth
|filename = Synth filter sweeps.ogg
|title = Synth filter sweeps.ogg
|description = An example of a classic analog bass synthesizer sound. Four sawtooth bass filter sweeps with gradually increasing resonance.
|pos=right|help=no<!-- |plain=yes|style=margin:0;padding:0;margin-left:-12px;font-size:100%; -->
}}
{{Listen
|header = <span style="font-size:120%;">'''Minimoog bass'''</span>
|image = ]<br/>A 1970s-era ]
|filename = MacLeod, Kevin - Funkorama.ogg
|title = MacLeod, Kevin - Funkorama.ogg
|description = An example of ]-styled grooving synth bass by Kevin MacLeod.<ref name=MacLeod>
{{cite AV media
| publisher = Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
| title = Royalty Free Music : Funk – incompetech
| url = http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/index.html?genre=Funk
| medium = mp3
}}</ref>
|pos=right|help=no<!-- |plain=yes|style=margin:0;padding:0;margin-left:-12px;font-size:100%; -->
|<!-- float:right;border:1px solid #CCC; -->
}}
{{See also|Keyboard bass}}

The '''bass synthesizer''' (or "bass synth") is used to create sounds in the bass range, from simulations of the ] or ] to distorted, buzz-saw-like artificial bass sounds, by generating and combining signals of different ]. Bass synth patches may incorporate a range of sounds and tones, including wavetable-style, analog, and FM-style bass sounds, delay effects, distortion effects, envelope filters. A modern digital synthesizer uses a ] ] component to generate signals of different frequencies. While most bass synths are controlled by electronic keyboards or pedalboards, some performers use an electric bass with ] pickups to trigger a bass synthesizer.

In the 1970s miniaturized solid-state components allowed self-contained, portable instruments such as the Moog Taurus, a 13-note pedal keyboard played by the feet. The Moog Taurus was used in live performances by a range of pop, rock, and blues-rock bands. An early use of bass synthesizer was in 1972, on a solo album by ] (the bassist for ]), entitled '']''. ] bass player ] used a Dewtron "Mister Bassman" for the recording of their album '']'' in August 1971. ] introduced synth bass to a pop audience in the early 1970s, notably on "]" (1972) and "]" (1974). In 1977 ]'s ] single "]" used the bass synthesizer. ], widely considered a pioneer of ] textures, played bass synthesizer on the song "Families", from his 1979 album '']''.

{{Listen
|header = <span style="font-size:120%;">'''Acid bass'''</span>
|image = ]<br/>] acid bass machine in 1980s
|filename = Discobotter.ogg
|title = Discobotter.ogg
|description = An example of acid bass track, using ] for bass, ] for filter hookline, and ] for drums.
|pos=right|help=no<!-- |plain=yes|style=margin:0;padding:0;margin-left:-12px;font-size:100%; -->
}}
When the programmable ] became widely available in the 1980s (e.g., the ]), bass synths were used to create highly syncopated rhythms and complex, rapid basslines. Bass synth patches incorporate a range of sounds and tones, including wavetable-style, analog, and FM-style bass sounds, delay effects, distortion effects, envelope filters. A particularly influential bass synthesizer was the ] following ]. Released in late 1981, it featured a built-in sequencer and later became strongly associated with ] music. This method gained wide popularity after ] used it for the single "]" in 1987.<ref name="guardian_2011">
{{cite news
| first = Stuart | last = Aitken
| date = 10 May 2011
| title = Charanjit Singh on how he invented acid house ... by mistake
| newspaper = ]
| url = http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2011/may/10/charanjit-singh-acid-house-ten-ragas
}}</ref>

In the 2000s, several equipment manufacturers such as ] and ] produced bass synthesizer effect pedals for electric bass guitar players, which simulate the sound of an analog or digital bass synth. With these devices, a bass guitar is used to generate synth bass sounds. The BOSS SYB-3 was one of the early bass synthesizer pedals. The SYB-3 reproduces sounds of analog synthesizers with Digital Signal Processing saw, square, and pulse synth waves and user-adjustable filter cutoff. The Akai bass synth pedal contains a four-oscillator synthesizer with user selectable parameters (attack, decay, envelope depth, dynamics, cutoff, resonance). Bass synthesizer software allows performers to use MIDI to integrate the bass sounds with other synthesizers or drum machines. Bass synthesizers often provide samples from vintage 1970s and 1980s bass synths. Some bass synths are built into an organ style ] or button board.

===Arpeggiator===
{{See also|Home organ|Music sequencer}}

An '''arpeggiator''' is a feature available on several synthesizers that automatically steps through a sequence of notes based on an input ], thus creating an ]. The notes can often be transmitted to a MIDI sequencer for recording and further editing. An arpeggiator may have controls speed, range, and order in which the notes play; upwards, downwards, or in a random order. More advanced arpeggiators allow the user to step through a pre-programmed complex sequence of notes, or play several arpeggios at once. Some allow a pattern sustained after releasing keys: in this way, sequence of arpeggio patterns may be built up over time by pressing several keys one after the other. Arpeggiators are also commonly found in ]s. Some arpeggiators/sequencers expand features into a full phrase sequencer, which allows the user to trigger complex, multi-track blocks of sequenced data from a keyboard or input device, typically synchronized with the tempo of the master clock.

{{Listen
| header = <span style="font-size:120%;">'''Trance Lead'''</span>
| filename = Arpeggiator.ogg
| title = sound sample of arpeggiator <!-- Arpeggiator.ogg -->
| description = A sample of Eurodance synthesizer riff with use of rapid 1/16 notes arpeggiator
| format = ]
| image = ]<br/>An arpeggiator interface on ]
| pos = right | help = no
}}
{{Verify source|date=December 2011}}

Arpeggiators seem to have grown from the accompaniment system of ]s in mid-1960s – mid-1970s,<ref name=USPatent3358070>
{{cite patent
| country = US
| number = 3,358,070
| status = patent
| title = Electronic Organ Arpeggio Effect Device
| inventor = Alan C. Young (Hammond Co.)
| fdate = 1964-12-03
| gdate = 1967-12-12
| url = http://ip.com/patent/US3358070
}}</ref> and possibly ]s{{citation needed|date=December 2011}} of the mid-1960s, such as the 8/16 step ] on ]s (Buchla Series 100 (1964/1966)). And it were commonly fitted to keyboard instruments through the late 1970s and early 1980s. Notable examples are the RMI Harmonic Synthesizer (1974),<ref name=JarrographyRMI>
{{cite web
| title = RMI Harmonic Synthesizer
| url = http://www.jarrography.free.fr/details_equipement_audio.php?id_equip=7
| work = Jarrography – The ultimate Jean Michel Jarre discography
}}</ref> ], ], ], ] and ]. A famous example can be heard on ]'s song '']'', in which the arpeggiator on a ] is heard playing a C minor chord in random mode. They fell out of favor by the latter part of the 1980s and early 1990s and were absent from the most popular synthesizers of the period but a resurgence of interest in ]s during the 1990s, and the use of rapid-fire arpeggios in several popular ] hits, brought with it a resurgence.

==See also==
{{Multicol}}
;Lists
* ]
* ]
;Various synthesizers
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

;Related instruments & technologies
* ] (Musitron)
* ]
* ]
* ]

* ]
* ]
** ]

{{Multicol-break}}
;Components & technologies
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]
* ]

;Music genres
* ]
* ]

;Notable works
* '']''

{{Multicol-end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |ref=harv
| last = Gorges | first = Peter
| year = 2005
| title = Programming Synthesizers
| publisher = Wizoobooks
| location = Germany, Bremen
| isbn = 978-3-934903-48-7
}}
* {{cite book |ref=harv
| last = Schmitz | first = Reinhard
| year = 2005
| title = Analog Synthesis
| publisher = Wizoobooks
| location = Germany, Bremen
| isbn = 978-3-934903-01-2
}}
* {{cite book |ref=harv
| last = Shapiro | first = Peter
| year = 2000
| title = Modulations: A History of Electronic Music: Throbbing Words on Sound
| isbn = 1-891024-06-X
}}

==External links==
{{Wiktionary|synthesizer}}
{{Commons category|Synthesizers}}
* ]
* at ]

{{Sound synthesis types}}
{{Computer music}}
{{Music technology}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Sound Synthesis}}
]
<!-- Clarification needed (not mentioned on this article): ] -->
]
]
]
]
]
]

Revision as of 22:33, 8 November 2014

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