An analog synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. A synthesizer (or synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument designed to produce electronically generated sound, using techniques such as additive, subtractive, FM, physical modelling synthesis, phase distortion, or Scanned synthesis. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... A page from the Bombardiers Information File (BIF) that describes the components and controls of the Norden bombsight. ...

Analog synthesizer circuit composition

A very common circuit component in analog synthesizers is the operational amplifier (op-amp), a kind of integrated circuit; most of analog synthesizers contain many of them; earlier models were built using transistors instead of microchips. Another common component is a potentiometer (pot, or variable resistor), which is used to adjust the traits of the sound that is produced. Some common components that consist of multiple parts are low-pass filters and high-pass filters. A 741 operational amplifier in a TO-5 metal can package An operational amplifier, usually referred to as an op-amp for brevity, is a DC-coupled high-gain electronic voltage amplifier with differential inputs and, usually, a single output. ... Integrated circuit showing memory blocks, logic and input/output pads around the periphery Microchips with a transparent window, showing the integrated circuit inside. ... Assorted discrete transistors A transistor is a semiconductor device, commonly used as an amplifier. ... It has been suggested that Linear taper be merged into this article or section. ... Resistor symbols (non-European) Resistor symbols (Europe, IEC) Axial-lead resistors on tape. ... A low-pass filter is a filter that passes low frequencies but attenuates (or reduces) frequencies higher than the cutoff frequency. ... A high-pass filter is a filter that passes high frequencies well, but attenuates (or reduces) frequencies lower than the cutoff frequency. ...

Pioneer synthesizers

The earliest synthesizers used a variety of valve and electro-mechanical technologies. While some electronic instruments were produced in bulk, such as the Ondioline, the Hammond organ, the Trautonium, many of these would not be considered synthesizers by the standards of later instruments. However, some individual studios and instruments certainly achieved a high level of sophistication and untapped promise, such as the Mixturtrautonium of Oskar Sala, the Electronium of Raymond Scott, and the ANS synthesizer of Evgeny Murzin. The Ondioline was a vacuum tube-powered keyboard instrument, invented by Georges Jenny, which was a forerunner of todays synthesizers. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... The trautonium is a monophonic electronic musical instrument invented ca. ... Oskar Sala Oskar Sala (June 18, 1910 - February 26, 2002) was a 20th century German electronic musician and composer. ... Raymond Scott, 1937 Raymond Scott (born Harry Warnow, September 10, 1908 – February 8, 1994), was an American composer, orchestra leader, pianist, engineer, recording studio maverick, and electronic instrument inventor. ... ANS synthesizer is a photoelectronic musical instrument created by Russian engineer Evgeny Murzin in 1937 - 1957. ... Evgeny Murzin or Eugeny Murzin In 1938 Murzin invented a design for composers based on synthesizing complex musical sounds from a limited number of pure tones; this proposed system was to perform music without musicians or musical instruments. ...

First generation modular synthesizers

Early analog synthesizers used technology derived from electronic analog computers and laboratory test equipment. They were generally "modular" synthesizers, consisting of a number of independent electronic modules connected by patch cables.

Synthesizer modules found in early analog synthesizers included:

• voltage-controlled oscillators
• voltage-controlled filters
• voltage-controlled amplifiers
• envelope generators
• low-frequency oscillators
• ring modulators
• reverb units
• sequencers
• sound mixers

Because many of these modules took input sound signals and processed them, an analog synthesizer could be used both as a sound-generating and sound-processing system. A voltage-controlled oscillator or VCO is an electronic circuit that uses amplification, feedback, and a resonant circuit to generate a repeating voltage waveform. ... A voltage-controlled filter is a signal processing device in a modular analog synthesizer positioned after the oscillator. ... A voltage-controlled amplifier is an electronic amplifier that varies its gain depending on a control voltage (often abbreviated CV). ... An ADSR envelope is a parameter used in synthesizers, including those that produce sound by subtractive synthesis, to control the sound produced. ... An electronic oscillator is an electronic circuit that produces a repetitive electronic signal, often a sine wave or a square wave. ... Ring modulation is an audio effect performed by multiplying two audio signals, where one is typically a sine-wave or another simple waveform. ... In the field of electronic music, a sequencer was originally any device that recorded and played back a sequence of control information for an electronic musical instrument. ...

Famous modular synthesizer manufacturers included Buchla & Associates, Moog Music, ARP Instruments, Inc., and Electronic Music Studios. Sine, square, triangle, and sawtooth waveforms The modular synthesizer is a type of synthesizer consisting of separate modules which must be connected by wires to create a so-called patch. ... http://www. ... The Moog Music logo Moog Music Inc. ... ARP Instruments, Inc. ...

Moog established world wide recognized standards for analog synthesizer control interfacing, using a logarithmic 1-volt-per-octave pitch control and a separate pulse triggering signal. These control signals were routed using the same types of connectors and cables that were used for routing the synthesized sound signals.

A very specialized form of analog synthesizer was the analog vocoder, based on equipment developed for speech synthesis. Vocoders could be used to make a sound that resembled a musical instrument talking or singing. A vocoder (name derived from voice encoder, formerly also called voder) is a speech analyzer and synthesizer. ...

First generation all-in-one synthesizers

Later analog synthesizers used the same building blocks, but integrated them in a single unit, eliminating the patch cords in favour of an integrated signal routing system. The most popular of these was the Minimoog. The Minimoog is a monophonic analog synthesizer, invented by David van Koevering and Robert Moog. ...

Famous makers of all-in-one analog synthesizers included Moog, Arp, Roland, Korg and Yamaha. Because of the complexity of generating even a single note using analog synthesis, most synthesizers remained monophonic. It has been suggested that Orlando (character) be merged into this article or section. ... Korg Corporation is a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments. ... Yamaha redirects here. ... Monophonic can mean: In rrded audio, a monaural recording with only one channel. ...

Second generation all-in-one synthesizers

A second generation of analog synthesizers emerged later, with limited polyphony, typically supporting four voices. Oberheim was a notable manufacturer of analog polyphonic synthesizers. Oberheim Electronics is a company, founded in 1973 by Tom Oberheim (a former design engineer at Maestro), which manufactured audio synthesizers and a variety of other electronic musical instruments. ...

The Polymoog was an attempt to create a truly polyphonic analog synthesizer, with sound generation circuitry for every key on the keyboard. However, its architecture resembled an electronic organ more than a traditional analog synthesizer, and the Polymoog was not widely imitated. The Polymoog is a polyphonic analog synthesizer that was manufactured by Moog Music from 1975 to 1980. ... The classic Hammond electronic organ, invented in the 1930s and popular for decades thereafter. ...

Third generation all-in-one synthesizers

In 1978, the first microprocessor-controlled analog synthesizers were created by Sequential Circuits. These used microprocessors for system control and control voltage generation, including envelope generation, but the main sound generating path remained analog. The MIDI interface standard was developed for these systems. This generation of synthesizers often featured six or eight voice polyphony. Also during this period, a number of analog/digital hybrid synthesizers were introduced, which replaced certain sound-producing functions with digital equivalents, for example the digital oscillators in synthesizers like the Korg DW-8000 (which played back PCM samples of various waveforms) and the Kawai K3 (waveforms constructed via additive synthesis). 1978 (MCMLXXVIII) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... A microprocessor is a programmable digital electronic component that incorporates the functions of a central processing unit (CPU) on a single semiconducting integrated circuit (IC). ... Sequential Circuits Inc. ... Musical Instrument Digital Interface, or MIDI, is a system designed to transmit information between electronic musical instruments. ... // Introduction to market and key features The Korg DW-8000 synthesizer was released to the buying public in late 1985 along with its cheaper stable mate the DW-6000 synthesizer. ...

With the falling cost of microprocessors, this architecture became the standard architecture for high-end analog synthesizers.

The fall and rebirth of analog synthesis

Analog synthesizers were mostly replaced by digital synthesizers and samplers over the early-mid 1980s. In the mid 1990s a fashion emerged for "retro" analog synthesizers with their proponents claiming that the "analog sound" of old analog synthesizers could not be accurately replicated using samplers or digital synthesizers. (Ronnie Martin from Joy Electric is an example of such a purist, using analog synthesizers exclusively on his albums. Contrast this view with that of Wendy_Carlos, the Moog pioneer, who remembers the inconvenience of analog modular synthesizers.) This led to increased demand for used analogs (such as the Roland TR-808 drum machine and Roland TB-303 bass synthesizer) the construction of a new generation of analog synthesizers (including modern-day modular synthesizers) and the development of a variety of analog modeling synthesizers which emulate analog VCOs and VCFs using samples, software, or specialized digital circuitry. Image File history File links Unbalanced_scales. ... A digital synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses digital signal processing (DSP) techniques to make musical sounds. ... A sampler can be any of the following things: In general, a sampler is any broadly representative cross-section of some collection; for instance, food products are sometimes packaged in samplers containing a variety of chocolates or beers. ... Joy Electric is a one-man electropop/synth pop group consisting of Ronnie Martin. ... Wendy Carlos (November 14, 1939 in Pawtucket, Rhode Island) is an American composer and electronic musician. ... The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines (TR serving as an acronym for Transistor Rhythm). Introduced by the Roland Corporation in late 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. ... The Roland TB-303 Bass Line is a synthesizer with built-in sequencer manufactured by the Roland corporation in 1982 and 1983 that had a defining role in the development of contemporary electronic music. ... Analog Modelling Synthesizers, also refered to as Virtual Analog or VA, emulate the sounds of traditional analog synthesizers using digital techniques. ... A voltage-controlled oscillator or VCO is an electronic circuit that uses amplification, feedback and a resonant circuit to generate a repeating voltage waveform. ... A voltage-controlled filter (VCF) is a signal processing device in an analog synthesizer positioned after the oscillator. ...

The lapse of patents in recent years, such as for the Moog synthesizer transistor ladder filter, has lead to a small resurgence in DIY or kit synthesizer modules, as well as an increase in the number of commercial companies selling analog modules. Reverse engineering has also revealed the secrets of some synthesizer components, such as those from ARP_Instruments,_Inc, which were potted in epoxy cases to prevent inspections. The term Moog (pronounced /moʊg/ to rhyme with vogue, not /muːg/) synthesizer can refer to any number of analog synthesizers designed by Dr. Robert Moog or manufactured by Moog Music, and is commonly used as a generic term for analog and digital music synthesisers. ...

External links

• ARP synthesizer patents
• Modular Analog Synthesizers Return! - a discussion of modern modular equipment with links to major manufacturers.