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| The synthesizer was a long time in the making. The | | | | Dates To Know: |
| history of the synthesizer is one that goes back long | | | | 1940’s and 1950’s: A variety of different |
| before electricity — many of early composers | | | | automated electronic musical controllers were built. |
| conceived of the concept, but could never put it into | | | | 1950: RCA produces an experimental device that |
| practice. In fact, it would take the invention of the silicon | | | | synthesizes voice and music. |
| chip to make synthesizers possible. | | | | 1958: Daphne Oram from BBC Radiophoic Workshop |
| The first synthesizers were very crude in their abilities. | | | | produces the Oramics technique. |
| They date back well over 50 years. They were wired | | | | 1960’s: Real time synthesizers were designed |
| manually to create a given sound. They consisted of | | | | but were mainly used in studios. They were simply too |
| an oscillator, or tone generators, in one of three basic | | | | large. |
| waveforms. These were sawtooth, square, or sine | | | | 1964: The Moog Synthesizer was the first to be |
| waves. This signal was then passed through several | | | | displayed at Audio Engineering Society Convention. |
| other modules to alter the initial tone. These first | | | | Four years later, it was a hot product. |
| synthesizers were not triggered by a keyboard like | | | | 1967: The album Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn, & Jones, |
| they are today and they were abstract in their uses. | | | | Ltd became the first album to hit number one with a |
| It didn’t take long for many rock musicians in the | | | | synthesizer used on it. It was from The |
| 60’s and 70’s to realize the benefits of | | | | Monkees’. |
| these instruments. Many companies were formed in | | | | 1970: The first synthesizer with a built in keyboard was |
| these days. For example, Moog, Arp, and Oberheim | | | | designed by Moog. |
| were some of the manufacturers that would produce | | | | Synthesizers enjoyed many innovations over the |
| the first synthesizers. Most of these first models were | | | | course of the following few years. They would |
| only able to produce one note at a time. In 1978, the | | | | become self contained and then movable, allowing |
| first polyphonic units were created. They were still | | | | them to be used throughout the home and recording |
| typically analog in their design and had a very distinct | | | | studios. |