The Synthesizer

Electronic music instruments weren't called synthesizers until the 1950s, but their lineage began in 1919 with Russian inventor Lev Sergeyevich Termen's development of the Etherphone, now known as the Theremin. From that point, synthesizers have undergone a remarkable evolution from prohibitively large mid-century models confined to university laboratories to the development of musical synthesis software that runs on tablet computers and portable media devices. Throughout its history, the synthesizer has always been at the forefront of technology for the arts. In The Synthesizer: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Programming, Playing, and Recording the Ultimate Electronic Music Instrument, veteran music technology journalist, educator, and performer Mark Vail tells the complete story of the synthesizer: the origins of the many forms the instrument takes; crucial advancements in sound generation, musical control, and composition made with instruments that may have become best sellers or gone entirely unnoticed; and the basics and intricacies of acoustics and synthesized sound. Vail also describes how to successfully select, program, and play a synthesizer; what alternative controllers exist for creating electronic music; and how to stay focused and productive when faced with a room full of instruments. This one-stop reference guide on all things synthesizer also offers tips on encouraging creativity, layering sounds, performance, composing and recording for film and television, and much more.

Building on his life-long interest in music, Mark Vail discovered synthesizers in 1973 and bought his first in 1976. After earning an MFA in electronic music in 1983, he served on the editorial staff at Keyboard magazine from 1988 to 2001. The author of Vintage Synthesizers and The Hammond Organ: Beauty in the B, Mark is internationally acknowledged as a foremost authority on synthesizers.

Foreword by Michelle Moog-Koussa Preface About the Companion Website 1. Trendsetting All-Stars Control Sound Performance Interface Composition 2. Acoustics & Synthesis Basics Real-World Acoustics Types of Synthesis Audio Sources: Oscillators, Noise, & More VCAs, Envelopes, & LFOs Envelope Followers & Pitch-to-Voltage Converters Filters EQs & Filter Banks Analog Sequencers Arpeggiators Reverb Analog Delay Digital Delay Loopers Other Effects 3. Choosing Your Synthesizer(s) What's Your Budget? Musical Tastes & Goals Hardware vs. Software Portability & Power Programmability: Pros & Cons Expandability As Others Have Done Perspective Modular Synthesizers in the 21st Century An Overview Modular Synth Shopping More on Eurorack Modular More on FracRak Modular More on Serge Modular Connectivity Convincing Analog & MIDI Synths to Coexist MIDI-to-CV Conversion CV-to-MIDI Conversion Controllers Synths & Controllers with Keyboards Alternative Controllers Wind Controllers Touch Controllers Hand-Held Controllers Struck Controllers Controllers for Microtonal Tunings 4. Composition, Programming, & Performance Techniques Composition Scoring to Picture Composing for Living Art Following Through on a Thought Sage Advice from a Master Scoring with Intent, Even When Intimidated Patching, a.k.a. Programming Encouraging Synthesists' Creativity When & How to Experiment with Sounds The Good & Bad of Non-Programmability Programming for Progress Fun with Modular Synths Layering Synth Sounds Programming for Expression Performance Tools of the Trade Dependence on the Tried & True, but Moving Forward Modular Apparitions Defying the Dependence on Visuals 5. Recording the Synthesizer As It Was & How It's Become for the Switched-On Innovator Serial vs. Random-Access Media Strategies for Recording Film & TV Scores Harnessing the Power of Modular Synths with Ableton Live Automated Mixing Outboard Processing: Preparing Audio for Recording Recording Direct & Expanding for Surround-Sound Appendix: Selected Bibliography, Museums & Films, Manufacturers, Blogs, Dealers & Stores Index