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Synth - Technical Definition
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FluoSamsara (Oxygen)
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 02:27
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Ok, Im doing a work for uni about the basics of sound design and production, and I needed some help....
Can anyone explain me what is a Synthesizer?
Yes...hehe...don't take me wrong... I know what a synth is..... but if someone could help me with a simple technical definition of it, that would be very appreciatted  I'm finding hard to express it in good words...
Thank you |
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jon
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 02:53
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Hmm... good one! Wonder what the dictionary says?
Its gotta be electrical cos a piano isnt a synthesizer in the common understanding, and it has to be intended for sound work cos otherwise it's just a bunch of electronics.. so maybe
'An electrical device producing an output representing a sound wave'
?? probably rubbish but it's what popped into my head
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PsYx
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 03:08
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An instrument that produces an analog or digital representations of sound, which the user may design. Presumably these 'synthesized' sounds will be subsequently converted to acoustic energy so that we may hear them.
Here's a link to some very helpfull info about synthesis.
http://img.uoregon.edu/emi/emp_win/main.html
Hope this helps u out....
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FluoSamsara (Oxygen)
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 03:14
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Alrighty thanks guys
Thanks for the link, PsYx, you always have great links to give!  |
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PsYx
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 03:20
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No Problemo !!!  |
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Input
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 09:05
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In short:
Computerized electronic instrument capable of reproducing the sounds of various musical instruments
More detailed:
A device driven by a microprocessor, which contains a programmable chip. Examples of instruments that can contol synthesizers: Guitar, keyboard, wind, string, drum controllers. The keyboard itself does not produce musical sound. A synthesizer circuit, built into the keyboard, accomplishes this function. Originally, a synthesizer was so called because it synthesized acoustic instruments. Nowdays, the term refers to the sound-generating circuitry of any MIDI gear. Another term is sound module
Or,
An electrophonic instrument, usually operated by means of a keyboard and pedals, in which sounds are produced by voltage-controlled oscillators, filters, and amplifiers, with an envelope generator module that controls attack, decay, sustain, and release
 Space is the place
http://www.megabit.co.il |
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motorik
IsraTrance Junior Member
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 09:39
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ZilDoggo
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 13:33
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input,
i realy have to disagree with your definition.,
first of all, not all synthesizers are computerized.,
second of all not all synthesizers are ment to reproduce the sound of other instruments, certainly not acoustical ones.,
i think that psyx's definition is the best one.,
the most important factors are:
- it produces something that is a representation of SOUND.,
- it alows you to DESIGN the nature of the sound.
i very much like the link motorik sent (thanks!)
i only dont like the actual definition
it says a synth has voltage controlled parts., but this it not true for digital synthesizers,.
but the rest is a worthwile read.,
and they do mention synths that do not have voltage controlled parts.,
here is a nice link with the history of synthesizers and predecessors:
http://music.dartmouth.edu/~wowem/electronmedia/music/eamhistory.html
and i think the first ever machine called a synthesizer was this:
http://www.obsolete.com/120_years/machines/rca/
this baby was was eating binary code but there was no microprocessor inside, pure analog
and guess what?., it had Hard Disk Recording!., in the 1950's!!!
check out the sound example, it's realy cool .,
greets,
aka,,
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FluoSamsara (Oxygen)
IsraTrance Full Member
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 17:34
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Hey guys thanks a lot, I wasn't expecting so much help on this , cool |
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ZilDoggo
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 22:14
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it's a cool subject .,
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Woggle
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 23:11
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Here, a lot of which was said before wasn't entirely truthful.
The first synthesizer was the teleharmonium in the late 1800s used turbines
the first synthesizer utilizing electricity was the theremin, what was that 1926 or 1928?
Also synthesizers that are analog are not reperesentations of sound . But maybe they are? i was thinking about that. Analog by definition is analogous that's what it's short for.
Perhaps it simply can't be defined so concretely?
a proffessor i had defined what we learned as "electroaccoustic music" Any music that required amplification.
I would use that for synthesis to tell you the truth. "An audio generating device that requires electronic amplification" Your proff i think is looking for an answer more like this.
if you say it's "microproccessor controled etc etc" hell slap u to hell n back with rulers. And you'll get an F.
But couldn't anything be a synthesizer? could a definition be "anything that generates a sound not commonly found in nature" could a guitar or stringed instrument be called a synthesizer? since by definition you're synthesizing a sound. that sound does not exist in nature without the intervention of man.
It's simply a very philosophical question as well as a technical question. it's liek asking "what's music" |
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Woggle
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Posted : Mar 21, 2004 23:14
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I think "An instrument that produces an analog or digital representations of sound, which the user may design. Presumably these 'synthesized' sounds will be subsequently converted to acoustic energy so that we may hear them.
" is pretty nice. But a few things that the teacher will question. "user may design" would then state that xenakis's synthesizer work and many other experimental electronic artists do not use synthesizers. (they use random generation for sound and for time and pitch, but perhaps this is user intervention, but hell then anything is human intervention.
and the analog reprsenting sound. that works for binary, but analog doesn't represent anything, no? it simply is? the controls represent? but maybe i'm a little lost on this? i'm not al electrical engineer so perhaps like said before the "analogous nature" could be used as representing?
simple nitpicking, but your proffessor will nitpick you to hell n back, i bet that's why he asked this question:) |
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FluoSamsara (Oxygen)
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Posted : Mar 22, 2004 00:09
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Thanks for the help Woogle
About what the prof will say I don't think its a problem, its not that I have to answer a "what is a synthesizer" question, I'm just doing a general project about basics of electronic sound production/design |
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ZilDoggo
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Posted : Mar 22, 2004 00:37
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woggle,
"The first synthesizer was the teleharmonium in the late 1800s used turbines
technically this is not a synthesizer, it is an electronic instrument (like the electric guitar)
but then, what is the difference.,?. ??. uuhm .,.,
maybe it's that synthesizers do not use mechanical parts for the induction of waves., (unless u want to go quantum-mechanical on this one ) ?
jees, this is a hard one., i don't know.,
i thought about 'something that makes a sound not in nature' for a while.,
but then an acoustical guitar is also a synthesizer, or a drum., since neither occurs naturaly.,
so if anything it would be part of the definition and not the complete definition.,
" 'user may design' would then state that xenakis's synthesizer work and many other experimental electronic artists do not use synthesizers."
i assume he DESIGNED his music/sounds to be random !
i can make a device that will generate spontanious timbre, time and pitch.,. ,but then i have designed it to do so don't you think?., chaotic synthesis..,
design is not the same as controll.,
in fact i can design a sound that will controll itself on a modular synthesizer.,!
"that works for binary, but analog doesn't represent anything, no?"
yes it does, it represents the movement of a speaker cone.,., representation always involves a human factor., just like digital doesnt represent anything untill we (someone ) gives it meaning.,
analouge (in the context of electronics) only refers to the (seemingly) continious nature of electricity.,
i still havent come up with a definitive definition.,
i know that a synth makes sounds that we do not find in nature..,
i know that a synth should not generate it's sound directly through mechanics/acoustics .,
i know that a synth is something used as a musical instrument.,
i know that a synth alows for some controll of timbre.,
but it's realy hard to make a positive definition of it.,
deep tought.,., .,
aka., |
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Woggle
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Posted : Mar 22, 2004 01:37
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at it's core analog circuits are mechanical. And especially are digital circuits;)
i think the thing is, anything man made is considered a synthesizer
ahh fluo, i think one thing is though, if he knows about synths, you want a *PRECISE* definition, it's often to better leave out things then give false information! you get points taken off n what not. |
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