The Synthesiser
Consider how Technology has impacted on the development of music production practice?
In order to answer the essay question effectively, due to the fact that technology is so broad and vast, one must focus on one particular subject area.
This Essay concentrates on how synthesizers have impacted the development of music production practice. Collins (2006,p897) defines a synthesiser as:
An electrophonic instrument usually operated by means of a keyboard and pedals, in which voltage-controlled oscillators produce sounds, filters, and amplifiers, with an envelope generator module that controls attack, decay, sustain, and release.
It has been contested as to when the synthesiser first came out. If one would like to be pedantic one could follow the opinion of Mary Bellis (1999) who stated that 'a musical telegraph was invented in 1876 by an American electrical engineer Elisha Gray, it has been considered by some to be erroneously called the synthesizer '.
Conversely the computer company Apple state on their website that 'the seeds of modern electronic synthesizers began in 1896-97 ' (Apple Inc,2009).
However, a more modern and popular viewpoint can be found in Vail 's book “Vintage Synthesizers,” where in his “Introduction” he states that his book focuses on only events after 1962 and starts his “Section 1” with a sub heading of “Birthrights” stating that the birthright to the synthesizer was attributed to the Moog keyboard (Vail, 2000,p26)
In 1959-1960 Harald Bode (Bode,1961) was responsible for working on a modular type of synthesiser that was capable of being small enough to be portable, something at the time, was not possible. He was able to do this due to the technological breakthrough of the transistor. In 1961 Bode wrote a paper (Bode,1961) exploring a self-contained portable modular synthesiser using transistor technology, and it benefits over the old vacuum tube devices.. This was to set the foundation for other pioneers in the
In order to answer the essay question effectively, due to the fact that technology is so broad and vast, one must focus on one particular subject area.
This Essay concentrates on how synthesizers have impacted the development of music production practice. Collins (2006,p897) defines a synthesiser as:
An electrophonic instrument usually operated by means of a keyboard and pedals, in which voltage-controlled oscillators produce sounds, filters, and amplifiers, with an envelope generator module that controls attack, decay, sustain, and release.
It has been contested as to when the synthesiser first came out. If one would like to be pedantic one could follow the opinion of Mary Bellis (1999) who stated that 'a musical telegraph was invented in 1876 by an American electrical engineer Elisha Gray, it has been considered by some to be erroneously called the synthesizer '.
Conversely the computer company Apple state on their website that 'the seeds of modern electronic synthesizers began in 1896-97 ' (Apple Inc,2009).
However, a more modern and popular viewpoint can be found in Vail 's book “Vintage Synthesizers,” where in his “Introduction” he states that his book focuses on only events after 1962 and starts his “Section 1” with a sub heading of “Birthrights” stating that the birthright to the synthesizer was attributed to the Moog keyboard (Vail, 2000,p26)
In 1959-1960 Harald Bode (Bode,1961) was responsible for working on a modular type of synthesiser that was capable of being small enough to be portable, something at the time, was not possible. He was able to do this due to the technological breakthrough of the transistor. In 1961 Bode wrote a paper (Bode,1961) exploring a self-contained portable modular synthesiser using transistor technology, and it benefits over the old vacuum tube devices.. This was to set the foundation for other pioneers in the
Bibliography: Amanda Ghassaei. (2013). What is MIDI?. Available: http://www.instructables.com/id/What-is-MIDI/. Last accessed 21st Dec 2013. Collins English Dictionary, HarperCollins, 2006, Glasgow. Fjellestad. H, Moog, (TV documentary) ZU33, 2004. Holmes, T., "Early Computer Music" Jenkins, M. Analog Synthesizers: Understanding, Performing, Buying, Focal Press, 2007, London. Harvard University Press, 2004, London. Thomas. I, The Big Ideas That Changed the World, Dorling Kindersley, 2010, London. Vail.M, Vintage Synthesizers: Groundbreaking Instruments and Pioneering Designers of Electronic Music Synthesizers, 2nd Revised edition edition, Miller Freeman, 2000, San Francisco.