synthesizer
Sign in to savethumb|Early Minimoog by R.A. Moog Inc. ()
AI overview
A synthesizer is an electronic musical instrument that generates and manipulates sounds using electrical signals, allowing musicians to create and shape tones that would be difficult or impossible to produce with acoustic instruments. It matters because synthesizers fundamentally expanded the possibilities of music-making, enabling new genres and artistic expressions while becoming essential tools in modern music production across many styles.
AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.
Article
28 sectionsContents
- History
- Precursors
- 1960s: Early years
- 1970s: Portability, polyphony and patch memory
- 1980s: Digital technology
- 1990s–present: Software synthesizers and analog revival
- Impact
- Rock
- African-American music
- Electronic music
- Pop
- Film and television
- Jobs
- Components
- Oscillators
- Voltage-controlled amplifiers
- Envelopes
- Low-frequency oscillators
- Filters
- Arpeggiators
- Controllers
- Clones
- See also
- Further reading
- References
- Citations
- Sources
- External links
thumb|Early Minimoog by R.A. Moog Inc. ()
A synthesizer (also synthesiser or synth) is an electronic musical instrument that generates audio signals. Synthesizers typically create sounds by generating waveforms through methods including subtractive synthesis, additive synthesis, and frequency modulation synthesis. These sounds may be altered by components such as filters, which cut or boost frequencies; envelopes, which control articulation, or how notes begin and end; and low-frequency oscillators, which modulate parameters such as pitch, volume, or filter characteristics affecting timbre. Synthesizers are typically played with keyboards or controlled by sequencers, software or other instruments, and can be synchronized to other equipment via MIDI.