newscool software synthesizer
Originally uploaded by Dean Terry
Synthesizer
Most associate the idea of the synthesizer with electronic music equipment but this could be a misperception.
Since ancient Greece, people have been experimenting with combining different sounds and also with playing more than one instrument at once.
In the 3rd century BCE, for instance, the Greek engineer Ktesibios invented the hydraulos, a prototypical pipe organ using a hand-pumped air chamber located in a tub of water.
In the 1400’s, the hurdy gurdy played several melodies with a background drone.
In 1761 the panharmonicon automated the playing of flutes, clarinets, trumpets, violins, cellos, drums, cymbals, triangle and other instruments, and was even used by Beethoven.
In 1867 we have one of the first electronic keyboards from Switzerland. And in 1899 the Singing Arc was used to obtain sound from different lamps.
In the 1960s and 70s the analogue synthesizer made its debut in pop music. It mimicked symphonic strings and also created new, fascinating sounds. Some groups used it to poor effect (e.g. the early Doors) while others created distant sonic landscapes that arguably rival the classical greats in terms of sheer innovative brilliance (e.g. Yes, Close to the Edge and Fragile).
In the 1980s digital sound conquered the market, replete with digital sampling where any natural sound could be digitally copied and reproduced at will without any sound quality degradation from the original sample.
Taken for granted today, this was a sonic revolution in the 80s, giving birth to a new era of musical innovations with groups like Depeche Mode, The Eurythmics and The Art of Noise.
In the 1990s (and beyond) the rise of home computers along with the development of the internet, the mp3 file format, Flash, YouTube and other technologies enabled just about anyone with a PC and a keyboard to become a hobbyist superstar, publishing and sharing their musical creations with anyone else on the web willing to listen.
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