Analog synthesizer

An electronic musical instrument that generates and shapes sound using continuous electrical signals. Its characteristic circuits include oscillators, filters, and amplifiers.

Voltage-controlled oscillator: An oscillator whose frequency changes in response to an input control voltage. It generates the repeating waveform that establishes an analog synthesizer's pitch.
Waveform: A representation of how a signal's value changes over time. An oscillator's waveform determines the harmonic ingredients available for shaping.
Subtractive synthesis: A synthesis method that shapes harmonically rich sounds by filtering and controlling them over time. It is the characteristic approach used by many analog synthesizers.
Theremin: An electronic musical instrument played by moving the hands near two antennas without touching the instrument. It demonstrates an early electronic approach to continuous pitch and volume control.
Voltage-controlled filter: A filter whose cutoff frequency or resonance responds to a control voltage. It reshapes oscillator harmonics, producing changes in brightness and timbre.
Harmonic series: A sequence of frequencies that are integer multiples of a fundamental frequency. The balance of harmonics helps explain why oscillator waveforms sound different.
Arpeggiator: A device or function that plays the notes of a held chord in a repeating sequence. It turns held synthesizer chords into rhythmic melodic patterns.
Robert Moog: An American engineer and synthesizer designer who developed influential modular electronic instruments. His designs helped make voltage-controlled modular synthesis practical and widely known.
Voltage-controlled amplifier: An amplifier whose gain is controlled by an input voltage. It controls a sound's level over time, often following an envelope.
Signal flow: The path a signal takes through connected components of an electronic or audio system. Module order determines which stages alter the sound and how they interact.

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