Synths Flashcards
What is the difference between analogue and digital synthesis?
Digital synths use Digital signal processing, whereas analogue synths use electric circuits and create sounds that are more similar to real instruments
When was the first proper analogue synth available and who made it?
1960s, made by Moog
What was the first commercially successful synth and when was it released?
Yamaha DX7 in 1983?
What was the impact of the Minimoog?
Released in 1970, the Minimoog standardised synthesisers as self contained instruments with built in keyboards, unlike the modular synths before it. First synth sold in music stores
What was the prophet 5 and when was it released?
First polyphonic synth to have fully programmable memory, so you could store your own sounds. Released by Sequential circuits in 1978
Were early synths monophonic or polyphonic?
Monophonic
What was the Fairlight CMI and when was it released?
Influential sampling synthesiser, could record samples and play back at different pitches. Released 1979
What was the Roland D-50?
The first mass produced synthesiser with built in digital effects such as delay, reverb and chorus
When were the first software synths made available?
1997, could be played in real time via MIDI
What DAW allowed users to run software instruments as plugins?
Cubase in 1999
