Types of Synthesizers
An analog (or analogue) synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog signals to generate sound electronically. The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s, such as the Trautonium, were built with a variety of vacuum-tube (thermionic valve) and electro-mechanical technologies.
Hardware Synthesizers vs Software Synthesizers Hardware Synthesizers vs Software Synthesizers Around fifteen years ago or so I recall reading an article in KEYBOARD magazine about how our favorite synthesizers will be recreated as software in our computers.
No longer the preserve of men in laboratories or capes, the modular synth business is thriving, and it's now easier to go modular than ever before.
One notable early polyphonic synthesizer, the Prophet 5 released in 1978, had five-voice polyphony. Another notable polyphonic synth, the Yamaha CS-80 released in 1976, had eight-voice polyphony, as did the Yamaha GX-1 with total 18 voice polyphony, released in 1973. Six-voice polyphony was standard by the mid-1980s.