Page 50 - Zone Magazine Issue 017

STUDIOTIPSSPECIAL
THE HISTORY OF THE SYNTHESIZER
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Daniel Daly <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
S ynthesizers are not just futuristic looking keyboards with cool flashing lights, they have provided some of the most iconic sounds in music and cinema history. From the voice of R2D2 in Star Wars to a method of communicating with aliens in the 70’s sci-fi classic Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the synthesizer has established itself as an influential piece of
equipment. In this article we will look at some of the most iconic synthesizers from years gone by and look at how they differed from each other.
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1897 –
Thaddeus Cahill – Telharmonium
The Telharmonium was an Electro-Mechanical machine, invented by Thaddeus Cahill in 1897. The Telharmonium utilised rotating cogs to generate voltages at fixed frequencies. By assigning these voltages to keys on a keyboard, Thaddeus Cahill effectively created what could arguably be known as the first music instrument, to use Additive Synthesis. The Telharmonium was so big, that the 3rd revision of the machine weighed close to 200 Tonnes. To give you an idea of just how heavy that is, it is roughly the same weight as 20 Elephants. The output of the device was delivered via telephone and could be accessed by a subscription service. Though it proved to be effective in its operation, it interfered with the regular phone service which angered quite a lot of people. The popularity of the device suffered as a result
of the interference and the interest in developing the project was dropped, rendering the project unsuccessful. Though the project might not have got the recognition it deserved at the time, it inspired future generations of engineers and composers to
1915– Lee De Forest – Audion Piano
Building upon the work of Thomas Edison’s lightbulb, Lee De Forest developed “The Audion Tube.” He discovered that by adding a grid to the lightbulb and applying different voltages, he could amplify signals. He then published a paper explaining that by using his Audion Tube, he could produce consistently repeating waves, effectively creating a tube based oscillator. He built upon this discovery and developed “The Audion Piano.” Cahills Telharmonium, could be seen as the first tone generator, as it basically produced sine waves. But, De Forest created a simple electronic oscillator which is the basic component of any synthesizer even to this day. Not only was this invention a landmark for electronic synthesizers, it also led to the creation of microphones and speakers.
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1919– Léon Theremin – Theremin
The Theremin was arguably the first playable electronic instrument, invented by Léon Theremin in Russia during his time as a student. By combining tube oscillators and a sensory device, Léon Theremin developed an instrument that could be played using your hands to control the pitch and amplitude of the generated sound. It became an instantly recognizable sound, being featured heavily in Films and often associated with scenes of a supernatural nature, because of its otherworldly sound.
50 ZONE-MAGAZINE.COM
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