Synthesizer
From WikiRecording
What Is a Synthesizer?
A synthesizer is a device that generates sound in a purely electronic fashion, in contrast to acoustic instruments which have resonant bodies, or electric instruments in which vibrations of the strings or other resonant material are amplified.
Most synthesizers will output signal via a quarter-inch jack at line-level. Alternately they may also output signal via a digital output such as SPDIF or AES/EBU.
Synthesizers can be played via several input methods. The most commonly used is the keyboard, often coupled with modulation sources such as modulation wheels, knobs or pedals. Some synthesizers do not have keyboards at all and must be triggered via sequencers or input gates. Other methods include pitch-converters mounted on traditional electric instruments, wind-controllers which simulate wind-instrument key and breath combinations converting them to inputs the synthesizer can use, and ribbon-controllers which are touch-strips in which the spatial information of where the strip is touched is converted into controller information.
Digital Vs. Analogue
There are several types of synthesis that broadly fall under two headings, digital and analog.
In analog synthesis, signals are modified internally and sent from one portion or module of the synthesizer to another in electric impulses which are continuous voltage fluctuations.
In digital synthesis, digital signal processing is employed to generate and modify discreet mathematical values eventually converted to analog signals, either within the instrument, or after being recorded.
