1. Chapter 8 The Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer Contents History of the Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer The Moog Synthesizer The Buchla Synthesizer Other Commercial Synthesizers MIDI

2. 2 Chapter 8 The secret of Robert Moog’s successful synthesizer design was that he listened to musicians and overcame three important technical challenges: size, stability, and control. Chapter 8 The Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer

3. 3 Chapter 8 In a voltage-controlled device, a small amount of current is applied to the control input of a given component to modify the output signal. This voltage signal can be preset, precise, and quick, and activated by such easy-to-use voltage-controlled components as the synthesizer keyboard, thus making the analog synthesizer much easier to manage. Chapter 8 The Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer

4. 4 Chapter 8 Moog presented a paper at the 1964 AES conference detailing his design for a modular, voltage-controlled electronic music synthesizer and began taking orders. Moog developed an influential design for voltage-controlled ADSR envelope generation based on a specification created by composer Vladimir Ussachevsky. Chapter 8 The Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer

5. 5 Chapter 8 The first voltage-controlled synthesizers were monophonic and modular. Switched-On Bach (1968) by Wendy Carlos was a popular recording using the Moog synthesizer and helped popularize electronic music and spawned a new industry of industry makers. Chapter 8 The Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer

6. 6 Chapter 8 Buchla created his first voltage-controlled synthesizer modules for the San Francisco Tape Music Center in 1965. Buchla’s synthesizer became a commercial product in 1966. Buchla created innovative sequencing designs that helped automate analog synthesizer functions. Silver Apples of the Moon (1967) by Subotnick was the first work of electronic music commissioned solely for release as a long-playing record. Chapter 8 The Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer

7. 7 Chapter 8 Following the success of the Moog and Buchla systems in the late 1960s, many new manufacturers entered the market with variations on the modular voltage- controlled synthesizer. Chapter 8 The Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer

8. 8 Chapter 8 No industry standard existed for linking synthesizers and computers until 1984 and the introduction of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface (MIDI). The MIDI communications interface was designed to link and control multiple synthesizers and to connect synthesizers to personal computers. Chapter 8 The Voltage-Controlled Synthesizer

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