"A synthesizer (also spelled synthesiser) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals."
The creation of sound through various methods, such as subtractive, additive, and granular synthesis, as well as physical modeling and wavetable synthesis.
Oscillators: The foundation of synthesis. Oscillators generate waveforms that create sound.
Waveforms: The shape of the waveform determines the tonal quality of the sound.
Filters: Used to shape the frequency content of a sound by removing or emphasizing certain frequencies.
Envelopes: Control the sound's amplitude and timbre over time.
LFOs: Low-frequency oscillators modulate various parameters of the sound.
Modulation: The process of altering one sound parameter based on another.
MIDI: Musical Instrument Digital Interface is a protocol used to control synthesisers and other musical hardware.
Sampling: The process of digitally recording and reusing sounds for synthesis.
Additive synthesis: Combining multiple waveforms to create new sounds.
subtractive synthesis: Starting with a rich tone and shaping its timbre by using filters and envelopes.
FM synthesis: Frequency modulation synthesis, which is used to make complex, metallic sounds.
Granular synthesis: Breaking a sample into many small grains and manipulating them to create new textures.
Physical modelling synthesis: Modelling real-world instruments or electronic devices to create sounds.
MIDI controllers: Input devices used for live manipulation of synthesis parameters.
Panning: Placing sounds in the stereo field.
Effects: Delay, reverb, chorus, and other effects can shape the sound further.
Signal flow: Understanding signal routing through synthesisers and other musical hardware.
Sound design principles: A broad overview of how to achieve a desired sound.
Synthesiser history: Understanding the history of synthesisers and how they have developed over time.
Advanced techniques: Advanced techniques such as wavetable synthesis, spectral synthesis, and modal synthesis.
Subtractive Synthesis: The most common type of synthesis, uses a filter to remove harmonics from an oscillator's signal, shaping the final sound.
Additive Synthesis: Instead of a filter, this method adds multiple harmonically rich waveforms together, resulting in an often complex and unique sound.
Granular Synthesis: Uses small 'grains' of audio to make up a sound, allowing for manipulation of pitch, time, and even the individual grains themselves.
FM Synthesis: Frequency modulation involves using one sine wave, referred to as the carrier, to modulate the frequency of another, referred to as the modulator, giving rise to rich harmonics.
Wave Table Synthesis: Uses the manipulation of pre-built waveforms stored in a table to create sounds, usually allowing for smooth transitions between different waveform shapes.
Sample-based Synthesis: Uses recorded audio samples as a starting point, manipulating and re-arranging them into new sounds.
Physical Modeling Synthesis: Simulates the physical characteristics of a sound source to produce realistic instrument tones, such as the behavior of a vibrating string or the resonances of a wooden instrument body.
Karplus-Strong Synthesis: Creates sounds by modeling the vibrations of a stretched string or a drumhead, resulting in a percussive and plucky tone.
Additive Resynthesis: Reverse-engineers a sound by analyzing its spectral content and reproducing it using additive synthesis techniques.
Waveshaping Synthesis: Applies nonlinear distortion and clipping to a waveform to create complex harmonic content, often used for creating gritty or aggressive sounds.
"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 other instruments and may be synchronized to other equipment via MIDI."
"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."
"MIDI, a standardized means of synchronizing electronic instruments, was introduced in 1982 and remains an industry standard."
"The Yamaha DX7, launched in 1983, was a major success and popularized digital synthesis."
"Software synthesizers now can be run as plug-ins or embedded on microchips."
"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."
"Sampling, introduced with the Fairlight synthesizer in 1979, has influenced many genres, 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.'"
"The Moog synthesizer, developed by Robert Moog"
"The Moog synthesizer is credited for pioneering concepts such as voltage-controlled oscillators, envelopes, noise generators, filters, and sequencers."
"MIDI, a standardized means of synchronizing electronic instruments, was introduced in 1982."
"The Yamaha DX7, launched in 1983, was a major success and popularized digital synthesis."