Synths

Question 1

What is the difference between analogue and digital synthesis?

Answer 1

Digital synths use Digital signal processing, whereas analogue synths use electric circuits and create sounds that are more similar to real instruments

Question 2

When was the first proper analogue synth available and who made it?

Answer 2

1960s, made by Moog

Question 3

What was the first commercially successful synth and when was it released?

Answer 3

Yamaha DX7 in 1983?

Question 4

What was the impact of the Minimoog?

Answer 4

Released in 1970, the Minimoog standardised synthesisers as self contained instruments with built in keyboards, unlike the modular synths before it. First synth sold in music stores

Question 5

What was the prophet 5 and when was it released?

Answer 5

First polyphonic synth to have fully programmable memory, so you could store your own sounds. Released by Sequential circuits in 1978

Question 6

Were early synths monophonic or polyphonic?

Answer 6

Monophonic

Question 7

What was the Fairlight CMI and when was it released?

Answer 7

Influential sampling synthesiser, could record samples and play back at different pitches. Released 1979

Question 8

What was the Roland D-50?

Answer 8

The first mass produced synthesiser with built in digital effects such as delay, reverb and chorus

Question 9

When were the first software synths made available?

Answer 9

1997, could be played in real time via MIDI

Question 10

What DAW allowed users to run software instruments as plugins?

Answer 10

Cubase in 1999