X

Appendix B Synthesizer Basics 498
The term was formally introduced in 1956 with the debut of the RCA Electronic Music Synthesizer
Mark I, developed by American engineers Harry F. Olson and Herbert Belar. Its dual-voice sound
generation system consisted of 12 tuning forks, which were stimulated electromagnetically. For
its time, the instrument oered relatively sophisticated signal-processing options. The output
signal of the sound generator could be monitored by loudspeakers and, amazingly, recorded
directly onto two records. A single motor powered both turntables and the control unit of
the Mark 1. The synthesizer was controlled by information punched onto a roll of paper tape,
enabling continuous automation of pitch, volume, timbre, and envelopes. It was extremely
complicated to use, it was unreliable, and spontaneous playing was impossible.
Early voltage-controlled synthesizers
With the exception of the Telharmonium, which was conceived prior to the advent of the
thermionic valve, the precursors to the modern-day synthesizer were all based on tube circuitry.
This made these instruments unwieldy and volatile. After the transistor became available in
1947/48, more rugged, smaller, and thus portable, instruments were soon to come.
At the end of 1963, American innovator R. A. (Bob) Moog met the composer Herbert Deutsch.
Deutsch inspired Moog to combine a voltage-controlled oscillator and amplier module with a
keyboard, and in 1964 the rst prototype of a voltage-controlled synthesizer was constructed.
This collaboration with the German musician prompted Moog to extend his range of modules
and to combine them into entire systems. It wasn’t until 1967, however, that Moog actually called
his diverse mix-and-match systems synthesizers.
Moog’s achievements spread by word of mouth, and Moog, always keen to elicit the feedback
of his customers, continued to add further modules to his line. Wendy Carlos’s LP release
Switched-On Bach (1968) was responsible for the breakthrough of Moog’s instruments.
The record featured Moog’s modular synthesizers and was one of the earliest commercial
multitrack recordings. The album’s success introduced the synthesizer to a wider audience and
made the name “Moog” synonymous with the instrument. Hoping to capitalize on the new
sounds that synthesizers made available, and match Carlos’s commercial success, numerous
studios, producers, and musicians acquired Moog modular synthesizers. In 1969, as many
as 42 employees produced two to three complete modular systems every week at Moog’s
production facility.
Working independently, an engineer named Donald Buchla had conceived and implemented the
concept for a modular, voltage-controlled synthesizer. This coincided with Moog’s version. Buchla
also developed his rst instruments in close cooperation with users. The inspiration for his rst
synthesizer originated with composers Morton Subotnik and Ramon Sender, of the San Francisco
Tape Music Center. Although he began working on this instrument in 1963, it didn’t make its
public debut until 1966. By design, Buchla’s instruments catered primarily to academia and avant-
garde musicians, so they never garnered the public attention and acclaim of Moog’s synthesizers.