A
digital synthesizer is a
synthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument that is capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies...
that uses
digital signal processingDigital signal processing is concerned with the representation of the signals by a sequence of numbers or symbols and the processing of these signals. Digital signal processing and analog signal processing are subfields of signal processing...
(DSP) techniques to make musical sounds.
Electronic keyboards make music through sound waves.
The very earliest digital synthesis experiments were made with general-purpose computers, as part of academic research into sound generation.
Early commercial digital synthesizers used simple hard-wired digital circuitry to implement techniques such as
additive synthesisAdditive synthesis is a technique of audio synthesis which creates musical timbre.The timbre of an instrument is composed of multiple harmonics or partials, in different quantities, that change over time...
and FM synthesis, becoming commercially available in the early 1980s.
Other techniques, such as
wavetable synthesisWavetable synthesis is a technique used in certain digital music synthesizers to implement a restricted form of real-time additive synthesis. The technique was first developed by Wolfgang Palm of PPG in the late 1970s, and has since been used in various forms in other synthesizers built by...
and physical modeling, only became possible with the advent of high-speed microprocessor and digital signal processing technology.
A
digital synthesizer is a
synthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument that is capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies...
that uses
digital signal processingDigital signal processing is concerned with the representation of the signals by a sequence of numbers or symbols and the processing of these signals. Digital signal processing and analog signal processing are subfields of signal processing...
(DSP) techniques to make musical sounds.
Electronic keyboards make music through sound waves.
The very earliest digital synthesis experiments were made with general-purpose computers, as part of academic research into sound generation.
Early commercial digital synthesizers used simple hard-wired digital circuitry to implement techniques such as
additive synthesisAdditive synthesis is a technique of audio synthesis which creates musical timbre.The timbre of an instrument is composed of multiple harmonics or partials, in different quantities, that change over time...
and FM synthesis, becoming commercially available in the early 1980s.
Other techniques, such as
wavetable synthesisWavetable synthesis is a technique used in certain digital music synthesizers to implement a restricted form of real-time additive synthesis. The technique was first developed by Wolfgang Palm of PPG in the late 1970s, and has since been used in various forms in other synthesizers built by...
and physical modeling, only became possible with the advent of high-speed microprocessor and digital signal processing technology. One of the earliest commercial digital synthesizers was the
SynclavierThe Synclavier System was an early synthesizer and sampler, manufactured by New England Digital. First released in 1975, it proved to be highly influential among both music producers and electronic musicians, due to its versatility, its cutting-edge technology and distinctive sound.Originally...
.
The
Yamaha DX7The Yamaha DX7 was a synthesizer manufactured by the Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1986. It was the first commercially successful digital synthesizer. It can be heard on many recordings from the 1980s. The DX7 was the moderately priced model of the DX series of FM keyboards that included the...
was the first commercial all-digital synthesizer. It became indispensable to many music artists of the 1980s.
Some digital synthesizers now exist in the form of "
softsynthA software synthesizer, also known as a softsynth or virtual instrument is a computer program for digital audio generation. Computer software which can create sounds or music is not new, but advances in processing speed are allowing softsynths to accomplish the same tasks as dedicated hardware...
" software that synthesizes sound using conventional PC hardware, though they require careful programming and a fast CPU to get the same
latencyLatency is a measure of time delay experienced in a system, the precise definition of which depends on the system and the time being measured.-Packet-switched networks:...
response as their dedicated equivalents. In order to reduce latency, some professional
sound cardA sound card is a computer expansion card that facilitates the input and output of audio signals to and from a computer under control of computer programs. Typical uses of sound cards include providing the audio component for multimedia applications such as music composition, editing video or...
manufacturers have developed specialized digital signal processing hardware. Dedicated digital synthesizers frequently have the advantage of onboard accessibility, with switchable front panel controls to peruse their functions, whereas software synthesizers trump their dedicated counterparts with their additional functionality, against the handicap of a mouse-driven control system.
Analog Vs. Digital
The main difference is the microprocessors used to generate the sound. A digital synthesizer is basically a computer with software used as an interface. An
analog synthesizerAn analog or analogue synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog computer techniques to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s such as the Trautonium were built with a variety of valve and electro-mechanical technologies...
is made up of of sound-generating circuitry and modulators. Another difference is the price. Digital synthesizers can be run with a MIDI control, thus equipment is much cheaper depending on what quality of sound one is looking for. Also the price of the computer, it's CPU speed, and software interface also determine the money spent. Analog synthesizers contain their own controls on the circuit board, making them harder to learn but more capable of creating it's own unique sound instead of using a preset from software.
Bands Using Digital Synth
The
New Wave-Movements in film:* Australian New Wave* French New Wave, or Nouvelle Vague, the inaugural New Wave cinema movement* Indian New Wave, or Parallel Cinema, which began around the same time as the French New Wave...
era of the 1980s first brought the digital synthesizer to the public ear. Bands like
Talking HeadsTalking Heads was an American rock band formed in 1974 in New York City and active until 1991. The band comprised David Byrne, Chris Frantz, Tina Weymouth and Jerry Harrison...
and
Duran DuranDuran Duran are an English rock band from Birmingham, United Kingdom. They were one of the most successful of the 1980s bands and a leading band in the MTV-driven "Second British Invasion" of the United States. Since the 1980s they have placed 14 in the Top 10 of the UK Singles Chart and 21 in the...
used the digitally made sounds on some of their most popular albums. Other more pop inspired bands like
Hall & OatesHall & Oates is a pop music duo made up of Daryl Hall and John Oates. The act achieved its greatest fame in the late 1970s and early to mid-1980s. They specialized in a fusion of rock and roll and rhythm and blues styles, which they dubbed "rock and soul." Critics Stephen Thomas Erlewine & J...
began incorporating the digital synthesizer into their sound in the 1980s. Through breakthroughs in technology in the 1990s almost every synthesizer now created has
DSP- Computing :* Digital signal processing, the study of signals in digital computing and their processing methods* Digital signal processor, a specialized microprocessor designed specifically for digital signal processing...
processing.
Early Digital Synth Models
One of the first well known models is the made by the
Korgis a Japanese multinational corporation that manufactures electronic musical instruments and electronic tuners. The company is one of the most widely used and respected names in professional music worldwide.-Company history:...
company. Now with dozens of models, they have revolutionized digital synth creation. Bands like
The CureThe Cure are an English alternative rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976 by Robert Smith, Lawrence Tolhurst and Michael Dempsey. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
and
Queen-In government and monarchy:Queen, a female royal title, generally meaning the wife of a king or a female monarch. A Queen in this context can be any of the following:...
have used such models as the Korg M1. Another brand of popular digital synthesizer is
Casiois a multinational electronic devices manufacturing company founded in 1946, with its headquarters in Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan. Casio is best known for its calculators, audio equipment, PDAs, cameras, musical instruments, and watches...
. Such artists as
MobyRichard Melville Hall , better known by his stage name Moby, is an American DJ, singer-songwriter, and musician....
began using the Casio CZ-101 at an early age of production.
External links
- Psycle, a freely downloadable modular software synthesizer and sequencer/tracker (open source and totally free)
- Buzz, a freely downloadable modular software synthesizer (gratis but proprietary)