Analog synthesizer

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The Minimoog is one of the most popular analog synthesizers ever built

An analog synthesizer (

British English: analogue synthesiser) is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog signals
to generate sound electronically.

The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s, such as the Trautonium, were built with a variety of vacuum-tube (thermionic valve) and electro-mechanical technologies. After the 1960s, analog synthesizers were built using operational amplifier (op-amp) integrated circuits, and used potentiometers (pots, or variable resistors) to adjust the sound parameters. Analog synthesizers also use low-pass filters and high-pass filters to modify the sound. While 1960s-era analog synthesizers such as the Moog used a number of independent electronic modules connected by patch cables, later analog synthesizers such as the Minimoog integrated them into single units, eliminating patch cords in favour of integrated signal routing systems.

History

1900–1920

The earliest mention of a "synthetic harmoniser" using electricity appears to be in 1906, created by the Scottish physicist

FRSE (d.1961).[1]

1920s–1950s

Trautonium, 1928

The earliest synthesizers used a variety of thermionic-valve (

Evgeny Murzin.[2] Another notable early instrument is the Hammond Novachord
, first produced in 1938.

1960s–1970s

Early analog synthesizers used technology from electronic analog computers and laboratory test equipment. They were generally "modular" synthesizers, consisting of a number of independent electronic modules connected by patch cables into a

ring modulators
. Some synthesizers also had effects devices, such as
mixers
. Because many of these modules took input sound signals and processed them, an analog synthesizer could be used both as a sound-generating and sound-processing system.

Famous

Electronic Music Studios. Moog established standards recognized worldwide for control interfacing on analog synthesizers, using an exponential 1-volt-per-octave pitch control and a separate pulse triggering signal. These control signals were routed using the same types of connectors and cables that were used for routing the synthesized sound signals. A specialized form of analog synthesizer is the analog vocoder, based on equipment developed for speech synthesis. Vocoders
are often used to make a sound that resembles a musical instrument talking or singing.

The ARP 2500 with expansion cabinets.

VCA signal flow. In the 1970s, miniaturized solid-state components let manufacturers produce self-contained, portable instruments, which musicians soon began to use in live performances. Electronic synthesizers quickly become a standard part of the popular-music repertoire. The first movie to use music made with a (Moog) synthesizer was the James Bond film On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969. After the release of the film, composers
produced a large number of movie soundtracks that featured synthesizers.

Notable makers of all-in-one analog synthesizers included Moog, ARP,

electronic organ
more than a traditional analog synthesizer, and the Polymoog was not widely imitated.

The Buchla Music Easel included a number of fader-style controls, switches, patch cord-connected modules, and a keyboard.

In 1978, the first

Sequential Circuits. These used microprocessors for system control and control voltage generation, including envelope trigger generation, but the main sound generating path remained analog. The MIDI interface standard was developed for these systems. This generation of synthesizers often featured six or eight voice polyphony. Also during this period, a number of analog/digital hybrid synthesizers were introduced, which replaced certain sound-producing functions with digital equivalents, for example the digital oscillators in synthesizers like the Korg DW-8000 (which played back PCM samples of various waveforms) and the Kawai K5
(waveforms constructed via additive synthesis). With the falling cost of microprocessors, this architecture became the standard architecture for high-end analog synthesizers.

1980s–present

During the middle to late 1980s,

DJ
scenes who wanted to produce electronic music but lacked the budget for large digital systems created a market for the then cheap second hand analog equipment. This increased demand for analog synthesizers towards the mid-1990s, as larger numbers of musicians gradually rediscovered the analog qualities. As a result, sounds associated with analog synths became popular again.

Over time, this increased demand for used units (such as the 1980

Little Phatty
, as well as semi-modular and modular units.

More recently, the resurgence has been supported by analog modeling synthesizers, new analog hardware from companies like Moog, Korg, and Behringer, and the booming Eurorack modular format, which reintroduced the appeal of customizable modular synthesis to a new generation of users.

Use in modern music

The lapse of patents in recent years, such as for the

ARP Instruments, Inc. In addition, despite the widespread availability during the 2000s of relatively inexpensive digital synthesizers that offered complex synthesis algorithms and envelopes, some musicians are attracted to the sounds of monophonic and polyphonic analog synths. While some musicians embrace analog synthesizers as preferable, others counter that analog and digital synthesis simply represent different sonic generation processes that both reproduce characteristics the other misses.[4]

Another factor contributing to the resurgence of analog synthesizers is a renewed appreciation for the hands-on, tactile experience they provide. Unlike digital software synthesizers, which rely on screen-based interfaces, analog synths allow musicians to physically manipulate knobs, faders, and patch cables, enabling real-time interaction and creative experimentation. This direct control over sound-shaping has led many producers and performers to integrate analog synthesizers into their workflow.[5]

The revival of analog technology has also been fueled by a wave of reissues and recreations of classic synthesizers by major manufacturers. Companies such as Moog, Roland, and Korg have reintroduced vintage models, while new analog synths continue to be developed, bringing analog synthesis to a new generation of musicians. Some of the most iconic synthesizers of past decades have been digitally recorded and made available as sample packs for use in computer-based music production, further highlighting their enduring influence.[6]

Hybrid approaches to music production have also gained popularity, with artists combining analog hardware with digital audio workstations (DAWs) to achieve the warmth and depth of analog sound while maintaining the flexibility of modern digital tools. The distinct sonic character of analog synthesizers remains a defining feature of many electronic and pop music productions, as well as film scores and experimental compositions.[7]

See also

References

  1. ^ Proceedings of the Royal Society of Edinburgh 1906
  2. ^ 1957 Evgeny Murzin ANS synthesizer, Kom. Musik, September 6, 2006, retrieved 15 February 2006
  3. ^ 1970 Robert Moog Moog Music Minimoog Synthesizer, Mix Magazine, September 1, 2006, archived from the original on 28 March 2008, retrieved 10 April 2008
  4. ^ Kirn, Peter (2013-07-29). "Video Explains Why Difference Between Analog, Digital Isn't What Most People Think". Create Digital Media, GmbH. Retrieved 2015-05-24.
  5. ISBN 978-0-674-04216-2
    .
  6. ISBN 978-0-08-052208-1
    , retrieved 2025-04-26
  7. ^ RCA Electronic Music Synthesizer. Oxford Music Online. Oxford University Press. 2001.
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