History of Synthesizers

By kr_24
  • Alfred Graham

    In 1895 Alfred Graham began the first experiments to combine electricity and sound. This eventually developed into the creation of a voltage controlled device,
  • William Dubois Dudell

    William Dubois Dudell
    William Dubois Dudell was an english physicist and electrical engineer. In just 1899 he sensed that audible frequencies could be controlled by changing the voltage applied to the electrodes. This ultimately lead to the creation of a new electrical instrument the singing arc
  • The Singing Arc

    The Singing Arc
    The Singing Arc was an electrical instrument that conceptually acted as what's used in the keyboards of voltage controlled synthesizer. The instrument was able to increase or decrease the electrical voltage by a ratio of 1 voltage per Octave.
  • John Ambrose Fleming

    John Ambrose Fleming
    John Ambrose Fleming was an electrical engineer from England. He was the engineer and inventor of the Diode which he patented in 1904. The diode was a device that allowed control to current flows. This invention ultimately inspired the Triode with the rational, that it would amplify the electrical signals in entry or generate persistent oscillations.
  • Period: to

    World Adoption and Development

    Products such as the Mark II developed in Russian and the Electronic Sackbut by a fellow Canadian Hugh Le Caine, were continually growing the rate at which synthesizer were being adopted globally. This transition was fundamental for the performance and marketability of synthesizer. Than in1947 at the Walter H. Brattain, John Bardeen and William Schockley, were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics because of their invention the diode.
  • Synthesizer's

    The first synthesizer was created in 1955 by the Radio Corporation of America, lead by engineers Harry Olson and Herbert Belar, and it was created in Princeton New Jersey.The synthesizer was able designed to research the properties of sound and attracted composers seeking to extend the range of available sound or to achieve total control of their music.
  • The Buchla Box

    The Buchla box was created from the need to streamline the composing operations in music. At the San Francisco Tape Music Center, artists Ramon Sender and Morton Subotnick were struggling composing with the equipment then available. So they turned to Donald Buchla, a musical inventor. He was the inventor of the Buchla Box a 100 series Modular Electronic Music System.
  • Robert A. Moog pt2

    Although Moog didn't invent the synthesizer, he was greatly responsible for the popularization of this system. This was thanks to the adoption of Moog products on the mass market. The increase in control capabilities in sound production and ease of use made Modular Moog products truly innovative.
  • Robert A. Moog pt1

    Robert A. Moog pt1
    Robert A. Moog was a Electronic music pioneer and inventor from the US through 1934 to 2005. In 1964 Robert A. Moog displayed the Voltage-Controlled Music Modules (Early Synthesizer) in New York. The development of this device would allow musicians more versatility when when composing and executing songs greatly improving production.
  • Rock and Hip Hop

    Rock and Hip Hop
    The birth of hip hop, the last era of Rock. Both genres through incorporating synthesizers created sounds that were never before heard. The incorporation of this technology was able to take these passionate styles of music and elevate them to another level. Some examples of songs that used synthesizers in this era are "On the Run" by Pink Floyd or "Whistle Rhymes" by John Elwhistle.
  • Synthesizers in Film

    Synthesizers in Film
    Synthesizers were first introduced to films in the early 1980's, since then the've been used in almost every tv show and movie. Being used in movies such as Knight Rider in 1982 to shows such as Stranger Things in 2016. Revolutionizing the sounds in films.
  • 808's and Heartbreak pt1

    In 2008 grammy award winning rapper Kanye West released one of the most influential albums in the world of music, and revolutionized the use of synthesizers forever. His album titled 808's and heartbreak relied heavily on the use of a Roland TR 808, a unique synthesizer that was created in 1983. Although this technology was around for nearly 30 years it was never used to the fullest of its capabilities until Kanye. What made this device so special was its ability to be programmed and customized.
  • 808's and Heartbreak pt2

    808's and Heartbreak pt2
    What made this device so special was its ability to be programmed and customized, giving artists and producers complete control over their sounds. After the release of this album nearly every recording studio and artist in America had began using the 808 machine. This album not only changed Hip Hop forever, but also Pop, Rock and most other mainstream genres.
  • Present Day

    In 2021 synthesizers are still used in nearly every film, movie, and song. It's a major factor in the growth of genres such as Hip-Hop and Pop. Ultimately this small machine that may seem insignificant had changed the world of music, and it all started with an idea in1895.