Synthesis

Question 1

What was the first Analogue Synth?

Answer 1

Moog

Question 2

When a Synth can only play one note at a time

Answer 2

Monophonic - 60s

Question 3

In the 1960s what were synths mainly used for?

Answer 3

Synthesisers were used to mimic real instruments - e.g Wendy Carlos

Question 4

Forms of Synthesis

Answer 4

-Subtractive Synthesis (60s)
-Additive Synthesis
-Granular
Multi-Timbral (zoning keyboard)
- FM (frequency modulation)

Question 5

VCO

Answer 5

Voltage Controlled Oscillator

Question 6

VCF and what does it involve?

Answer 6

Voltage controlled filter
-Moving filter cutoff
-LowPass / HighPass / Bandpass (telephone effect)

Question 7

VCA and what does it involve?

Answer 7

Voltage controlled filter
- ADSR - can shape filter cutoff and pitch

Question 8

when a synth can play more that one note at once

Answer 8

polyphonic - 70s

Question 9

First Polyhphonic synth and year?

Answer 9

Prophet5 - 1978

Question 10

German band who used synths and decade?

Answer 10

Kraftwerk - Synth Pop and used synthesizers like modern synths
70s

Question 11

When were digital synths introduced?

Answer 11

80s

Question 12

What did digital synths begin to incorporate

Answer 12

Sequencers, Arpeggiators and began to be controlled by MIDI (e.g Atari Notator)

Question 13

What were the building blocks of analogue synths - VCO

Answer 13

Voltage Controlled Oscillator
-Sine, Square, Saw , Triangle , Noise

Could stack oscillators

Question 14

Another word for glide

Answer 14

Portamento

Question 15

LFO and frequency

Answer 15

Low Frequency Oscillator - <20Hz

Question 16

LFO on cutoff , LFO on Amplitude, LFO on Pitch. What are the effects called?

Answer 16

Cutoff = Wah
Amplitude = Tremolo
Pitch = Vibrato

Question 17

What does Detune do in a DAW?

Answer 17

Creates a chorus effect
^ layered effect

Mimics old synthesizers detuning due to temp changes