| A music synthesizer makes sounds by using
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| | sounds of non-synthetic instruments, but
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| an electrical circuit as an oscillator to
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| | also to create sounds that absolutely
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| create and vary the frequency of sounds
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| | cannot be played by anything but a music
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| in order to produce different pitches. As
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| | synthesizer. That is because a music
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| long as the pitch is within the range of
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| | synthesizer is well-suited to delicate
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| frequency that can be heard by a human
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| | manipulations of its oscillators.
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| ear, it's known as a "musical pitch" (so
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| | Nevertheless, it's a lot easier for a
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| a dog whistle wouldn't count) as a
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| | synthesizer to create entirely new sounds
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| musical pitch. You can use a keyboard to
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| | than to mimic the sounds of acoustic
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| vary these pitches at discrete intervals
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| | instruments because the waveforms of
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| that correspond to the notes on the
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| | acoustic instruments are so complex.
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| musical scale. If you put several
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| | Interestingly, once complex sound that
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| oscillators together, you can combine
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| | synthesizers so far have been very bad at
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| several pitches to create a "chord".
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| | reproducing is the human voice (although
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| OK, we've got pitch down (at least in a
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| | improvements are being made in this
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| very simple sense). How do you vary the
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| | technology).
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| tone of a particular pitch? That is done
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| | The entire electronic music scene would
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| by playing a given pitch with waveforms
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| | be virtually impossible without the use
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| of different shapes (common waveforms
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| | of synthesizers (no doubt some wish it
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| include sine, square, sawtooth, and
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| | were). Nevertheless, the number of sounds
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| triangle waveforms). Since the harmonic
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| | that a musician has to work with has been
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| structure of these waveforms differ, our
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| | exponentially increasing in recent
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| ears interpret them as different tones.
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| | decades, and we have only scratched the
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| The sound you will hear can also be
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| | surface of the creative possibilities.
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| modified by voltage-controlled amplifiers
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| | Imagine the consequences if a machine was
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| (VCA) and voltage-controlled filters
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| | invented that could generate 100,000
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| (VCF).
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| | hitherto unknown colors?
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| Synthesizers are able to only mimic the
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