A small, free tutorial and software package that will have you playing a simple synthesizer on your bog standard Windows computer within 5 minutes of downloading it. Getting into computer music will never have been easier and less techno-babbleish, or so I hope.
The synth in question is one of the simplest and most beginner-friendly synths ever created. In real life it appeared in 1982, and this is a software recreation made by yours truly lots of years later. In the piece below, I tried to demonstrate that if you layer enough of them — say 25 or so — you don't really need anything else to make a song.
And so, back to 1982:
12th Night's Dream of '82 by pethu
Hi there, I come by way of your sister, who is my blogging friend. We love lots of different kinds of music and have hundreds of C.D.'s. You are a very talented writer. I had no idea synths were around in the late twenties!! So far, I like your last posted song the best. You remind me of John Tesh with edge and a bit of jazz thrown in. Are you going to make a C.D. for retail sale? Please tell us a bit more about yourself, where do you work, areyou married, have kids, etc. Yes, I am your ssiter's curious follower. I always have questions for her. I have signed on as your follower, check out my blog if you feel like it.
ReplyDeleteHi and welcome!
ReplyDeleteThere'll be more about myself in upcoming posts, to be sure.
Just a quick remark re synth history: While the Yamaha CS01 - which this post is about - did not appear until 1982 (not 28!), the surprising fact is that a commercially viable synthesizer was on the market in 1939 already. It was made by Laurens Hammond (of Hammond organ fame), and you can read i bit more about it here amongst other places:
http://www.synthmuseum.com/hammond/hamnovachord01.html
Then World War II came in the way, and the synthesizer development didn't really pick up speed again until the late 50's or so...
Curiously enough, the Novachord has had a bit of an upswing very recently due to some ambitious restoration projects in the united states, and is present (albeit in sampled form) in the piece I'm currently composing!