synthesiser

Sound-generating keyboard

Synthesiser is the British spelling of synthesizer.

An electronic instrument that generates and manipulates sound waves to produce music.

Early synthesisers used analog circuits; modern ones are typically digital.

The word extends to any device that combines elements into a whole: a speech synthesiser.

To synthesise is to combine parts into something new.

sound

oscillator

Cyclic signal generator

LFO · modulation · resonance · cutoff · timbre · harmonics · frequency · amplitude · subtractive · additive

production

sequencer

Orders signals chronologically

  • MIDIElectronic music data standard
  • DAWAudio production software
  • samplingExtracting subset for study

mixing · arrangement · producer · programming · automation · quantize · arpeggiator · polyphony · monophonic · layering

genre

synthpop

Electronic keyboard-based music genre

trance · techno · house · electro · industrial · darkwave · chillwave · retrowave · new wave · electronica

instrument

keyboard

Array of input keys

prophet · poly · modular · rack · workstation · controller · keys · patch

Opposites
sound production method

synthesiseracoustic instrument

Music device needing no power

acoustic guitar · violin · cello · grand piano · upright bass

signal processing function

synthesiseranalyser

Tool that examines composition

sampler

musical authenticity/tradition

synthesisertraditional instrument

Music tool from heritage

folk instrument · orchestra · chamber ensemble · string quartet · Stradivarius

Phrases
Family

synthesis, biosynthesis, synthesise, synthesises, synthesisers

Familiarity
Top 500,000
Profile
Timeless · Concrete · Everyday, not technical · Rated G