Table of Contents

Foreword by Michelle Moog-Koussa
Preface
About the Companion Website

1. Trendsetting All-Stars
Control
Sound
Performance
Interface
Composition

2. Acoustics & Synthesis Basics
Real-World Acoustics
Types of Synthesis
Audio Sources: Oscillators, Noise, & More
VCAs, Envelopes, & LFOs
Envelope Followers & Pitch-to-Voltage Converters
Filters
EQs & Filter Banks
Analog Sequencers
Arpeggiators
Reverb
Analog Delay
Digital Delay
Loopers
Other Effects

3. Choosing Your Synthesizer(s)
What's Your Budget?
Musical Tastes & Goals
Hardware vs. Software
Portability & Power
Programmability: Pros & Cons
Expandability
As Others Have Done
Perspective
Modular Synthesizers in the 21st Century
An Overview
Modular Synth Shopping
More on Eurorack Modular
More on FracRak Modular
More on Serge Modular
Connectivity
Convincing Analog & MIDI Synths to Coexist
MIDI-to-CV Conversion
CV-to-MIDI Conversion
Controllers
Synths & Controllers with Keyboards
Alternative Controllers
Wind Controllers
Touch Controllers
Hand-Held Controllers
Struck Controllers
Controllers for Microtonal Tunings

4. Composition, Programming, & Performance Techniques
Composition
Scoring to Picture
Composing for Living Art
Following Through on a Thought
Sage Advice from a Master
Scoring with Intent, Even When Intimidated
Patching, a.k.a. Programming
Encouraging Synthesists' Creativity
When & How to Experiment with Sounds
The Good & Bad of Non-Programmability
Programming for Progress
Fun with Modular Synths
Layering Synth Sounds
Programming for Expression
Performance
Tools of the Trade
Dependence on the Tried & True, but Moving Forward
Modular Apparitions
Defying the Dependence on Visuals

5. Recording the Synthesizer
As It Was & How It's Become for the Switched-On Innovator
Serial vs. Random-Access Media
Strategies for Recording Film & TV Scores
Harnessing the Power of Modular Synths with Ableton Live
Automated Mixing
Outboard Processing: Preparing Audio for Recording
Recording Direct & Expanding for Surround-Sound

Appendix: Selected Bibliography, Museums & Films, Manufacturers, Blogs, Dealers & Stores

Index

About the Author

Building on his life-long interest in music, Mark Vail discovered synthesizers in 1973 and bought his first in 1976. After earning an MFA in electronic music in 1983, he served on the editorial staff at Keyboard magazine from 1988 to 2001. The author of Vintage Synthesizers and The Hammond Organ: Beauty in the B, Mark is internationally acknowledged as a foremost authority on synthesizers.

Reviews

"Synthesizers are wonderful musical instruments that cover a very wide range of implementations and uses. Mark Vail's The Synthesizer is a must-read for anyone who has interest in learning about these engineering marvels. It is a great introduction if you are new to synths, but also very informative and up-to-date for the seasoned synth player." --Dave Smith, Dave Smith Instruments
"A hugely detailed, exhaustively researched and splendidly idiosyncratic work which nails its extensive subject matter. Mark Vail enthusiastically charts the development of the synthesizer from the Trautonium to the latest software instruments, and also gives us valuable insights and tips from leading electronic composers, including legendary synth pioneer Wendy Carlos." --Dave Stewart, Keyboardist
"In the past few decades, the synthesizer has finally come of age. Mark Vail's extensive work documents this journey from its austere and rarified beginnings to its present technologically sophisticated state. His well-illustrated book is filled with anecdotes and insights, amazing successes and ridiculous flops, expert advice on how to roll your own, lots of commentary on artists, their gear and their methodology, and finally, a guide to recording and
disseminating your own musical masterpieces. Stash this volume where it's easy to get to; you'll be using it a lot." --Don Buchla, Composer and Instrument Designer, Berkeley, California
"Mark Vail is the best explainer and historian of music synthesizers that I know. I highly recommend this book, which is a whole lot of fun to read." --Roger Linn
"If it has anything to do with synthesis or processing synthetic sounds, it's in here!" -- Tape Op Magazine