This set of videos, from 1985, takes a look at The Secrets of Analog & Digital Synthesis.
It’s obviously dated, starting with the “Listen to the sound coming from your VCR right now.” Nevertheless, there’s some solid coverage of synth basics and the videos also offer a vintage look at synths.
Part II: Making Waves
This is pretty cool. The remarkable thing is that in 2012 when we can reproduce very “realistic” sounds using sampling and physical modeling, it’s the “electronic” character imparted by analog synthesis and grungy, low-resolution digital synthesis which gives these sounds and instruments their intriguing personality and flavor.
In the past, instruments (and voices) were stuck entirely in the acoustic domain, but now that we have electronics and computers we can make rather wonderful-sounding instruments out of analog and digital resonators and waveguides whose characteristics can be adjusted in ways that acoustic instruments only dream of.
Oh yeah, and the fact that there’s a TRS-80 Model III in the background only adds to the retro-tastic brilliance! Probably hasn’t maintained its value quite as well as the Memorymoog, Juno-8, Oberheim Xpander, etc, and it was almost an antique in 1985 anyway compared to the Macintosh, Amiga or Atari ST, but it’s a reminder of how interesting those quirky 8-bit “microcomputers” used to be in the bad old days! 😉
er, Jupiter-8, oops. I guess I’m dreaming of a cheaper version. 😉
OK, after watching part 4, I want a Prophet T-8. I think that’s the same great poly aftertouch keyboard that the Synclavier used. But the OB-8 (and Xpander) and Memorymoog sound beautiful. I don’t get the Polaris though. It’s bizarre that the CZ-101 is in such exalted company, but it has some nice qualities as well – I wish Casio would bring back phase distortion!
That hair pwns!