A synthesizer (or synthesiser) is an electronic instrument that is capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies. Synthesizers create electrical signals, rather than direct acoustic sounds, which are then played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones.
Synthesizers are typically, but not exclusively, controlled with a piano-style keyboard, leading the instruments to occasionally be referr...
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A synthesizer (or synthesiser) is an electronic instrument that is capable of producing a variety of sounds by generating and combining signals of different frequencies. Synthesizers create electrical signals, rather than direct acoustic sounds, which are then played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones.
Synthesizers are typically, but not exclusively, controlled with a piano-style keyboard, leading the instruments to occasionally be referred to simply as "keyboards". Synthesizers can produce a wide range of sounds, which can either imitate other instruments, such as flutes or guitars, or generate unusual new timbres.
The first electric synthesizer was invented in 1876 by Elisha Gray, who is best known for his development of a telephone prototype. Robert Moog created a revolutionary synthesizer which was used in 1968 by Wendy Carlos in Switched-On Bach, a popular recording which introduced many musicians to the sound of synthesizers. In the 1970s, the development of...
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