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35-476: Until the early 1980s, the tonal palette of commercial synthesizers was limited to that which could be obtained by combining a few simple waveforms such as sine, sawtooth, pulse. The result was shaped with VCFs and VCAs . Wolfgang Palm transcended this limitation by pioneering the concept of wavetable synthesis , where single cycle waveforms of differing harmonic spectra were stored in adjacent memory slots. Dynamic spectral shifts were achieved by scanning through

70-593: A 1987 issue of Keyboard . Eno used the DX7 on records he produced by U2 and Coldplay . In later years, the DX sounds came to be seen as dated or clichéd, and interest in FM synthesis declined, with second-hand digital synthesizers selling for less than analog. The development of software synthesizers such as Native Instruments FM8 led to a resurgence in the popularity of FM synthesis. According to Sound on Sound , throughout

105-463: A decade of analog waveforms". It was praised for its accuracy in reproducing tubular bells , metallophones and the harpsichord , and took over the electric piano market. With complex submenus displayed on an LCD and no knobs and sliders to adjust the sound, many found the DX7 difficult to program. MusicRadar described its interface as "nearly impenetrable", with "operators, algorithms and unusual envelopes ... accessed through tedious menus and

140-575: A diminutive display". Rather than create their own sounds, most users used the presets. The presets were widely used in 1980s pop music. The "BASS 1" preset was used on songs such as " Take On Me " by A-ha , " Danger Zone " by Kenny Loggins , and " Fresh " by Kool & the Gang . The "E PIANO 1" preset became particularly famous, especially for power ballads , and was used by artists including Whitney Houston , Chicago , Phil Collins , Luther Vandross , Billy Ocean and Celine Dion . In 1986, it

175-464: A more familiar arrangement of knobs. Also added to the Wave series was an onboard sequencer that is capable of recording filtering and wavetable changes in real time. At the core of the Wave's processing unit is a Motorola 6809 CPU, and a variety of 6500 and 6800-series support ICs . MIDI support was added in 1984, via a 6840/6850 daughtercard. The PPG Wave was produced in three successive variants,

210-411: A particular VCF depends on both its linear (small-signal) frequency response and its non-linear response to larger amplitude inputs. Yamaha DX7 The Yamaha DX7 is a synthesizer manufactured by Yamaha Corporation from 1983 to 1989. It was the first successful digital synthesizer and is one of the best-selling synthesizers in history, selling more than 200,000 units. In the early 1980s,

245-466: A sine-wave source. ARP Instruments made a multifunction voltage-controlled filter module capable of stable operation at a Q over 100; it could be shock-excited to ring like a vibraphone bar. Q was voltage-controllable, in part by a panel-mounted control. Its internal circuit was a classic analog computer state variable "loop", which provided outputs in quadrature. A VCF is an example of an active non-linear filter . The characteristic musical sound of

280-686: Is referred to as the "PPG Wave System", which with its sampling ad sequencing was intended to compete with the more expensive Fairlight CMI . The PPG Wave quickly earned distinction from traditional analog synthesizers. Notable artists which used the Wave included: a-ha , Alphaville , Bronski Beat , David Bowie , Diane Arkenstone , the Fixx , Go West , Hall & Oates , Trevor Horn , Steven Halpern , Propaganda , Laza Ristovski , Marillion , Journey , Level 42 , Art of Noise , Michael Omartian , Saga , Rush , Depeche Mode , Gary Numan , Robert Palmer , Gary Stadler , Kitaro , Jean-Benoit Dunckel ,

315-564: The Emu Emulator II (1984), Ensoniq Mirage (1984), and Sequential Prophet 2000 (1985). PPG's dwindling market share and the high development cost of new products created financial difficulties, that resulted in the cessation of company operations in 1987. The end of PPG saw the beginning of Waldorf GmbH (later Waldorf Music ), which used PPG's technology to create the Microwave (1989), a streamlined, rack-mounted approximation of

350-458: The keyboard expression allows for velocity sensitivity and aftertouch. The DX7 has 16-note polyphony , meaning 16 notes can sound simultaneously. It has 32 sound-generating algorithms, each a different arrangement of its six sine wave operators. The DX7 was the first synthesizer with a liquid-crystal display , and the first to allow users to name patches. The DX7 was the first commercially successful digital synthesizer and remains one of

385-711: The CSDX in reference to the Yamaha CS range of analog synthesizers. In late 1982, Dave Bristow and Gary Leuenberger, experts on the Yamaha CS-80 , flew to Japan to develop the DX7's voices . They had less than four days to create the DX7's 128 preset patches. Compared to the "warm" and "fuzzy" sounds of analog synthesizers , the digital DX7 sounds "harsh", "glassy" and "chilly", with a richer, brighter sound. Its presets constitute "struck" and "plucked" sounds with complex transients . Its keyboard spans five octaves , and

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420-571: The DX7 sound chip , such as the YM2612 , were used in technologies such as the Sega Genesis game console. The DX7 was succeeded by FM synthesizers including the DX1 , DX21 , DX27 and DX100 . In later years, the DX7 sounds came to be seen as dated or clichéd and its use declined. By the mid-20th century, frequency modulation (FM), a means of carrying sound, had been understood for decades and

455-469: The DX7 in depth. However, its preset sounds became staples of 1980s pop music ; in 1986, it was used in 40% of the number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 . Its electric piano sound was particularly widely used, especially in power ballads . The English producer Brian Eno was proficient at programming his own sounds, and it was instrumental to his work in ambient music . Chips based on

490-689: The PPG Wave 2.3 with original wavetables and analog filters. Further evolutions of the original theme would appear in later years, including the extensive WAVE synthesizer (1993), the DSP-driven Microwave II (1997), and the knob-laden Microwave II variants, the XT and XTk (1998–1999). After PPG, other manufacturers also produced Wavetable 'look-up' synthesizers, such as Sequential's Prophet VS (1986) and Ensoniq's VFX series(1989) and later models such as SD and Fizmo which used Transwaves. Later came

525-599: The Psychedelic Furs , Tangerine Dream , the Stranglers , Talk Talk , Tears for Fears , Michelle Tumes , the Twins , Silent Circle , Steve Winwood , Stevie Nicks , Styx , Thomas Dolby , Ultravox , Wang Chung , Eurogliders , Stevie Wonder and Ilan Chester . PPG's innovation in the realm of digital synthesizer technology impacted the industry. The PPG Wave synthesizer's price in its initial few years

560-467: The apparent shortcomings of the Wavecomputer 360 would result in the creation of PPG's Wave series of synthesizers. PPG's Wave series represents an evolution of its predecessor by combining its digital sound engine with analog VCAs and 24db per octave VCFs, featuring 8-voice polyphony; and by replacing its nontraditional series of push buttons and sliders with a control panel consisting of an LCD and

595-526: The arrival of synthesizers such as the Access Virus Ti (2005), Waldorf Blofeld (2007), which included 64 wavetables. None of these designs are exactly like the 'wave-scanning' and interpolation that occurs from adjacent waves, in a table, as with the PPG. The Waldorf Quantum (2018) comes closer to the PPG in wavetable capabilities. More recent advancements in personal computing technology made possible

630-415: The attack transients of natural or acoustic instruments. Historically, musical VCFs have included variable feedback which creates a response peak (Q) at the cutoff frequency. This peak can be quite prominent, and when the filter's frequency is swept by a control, partials present in the input signal resonate. Some filters are designed to provide enough feedback to go into self-oscillation, and it can serve as

665-473: The bestselling synthesizers in history. According to Bristow, Yamaha had hoped to sell more than 20,000 units. Within a year, orders exceeded 150,000 units, and Yamaha had sold 200,000 units after three years. The DX7 was the first synthesizer to sell more than 100,000 units. Yamaha manufactured units on a scale American competitors could not match; by comparison, Moog sold 12,000 Minimoog synthesizers in 11 years, and could not meet demand. The FM patent

700-449: The control panels of which were all liveried in distinctive ultramarine RAL 5002 blue: The PPG Wave can be connected to multiple peripheral PPG components simultaneously, via a custom bus, such as a "smart" keyboard controller (PRK), 8-voice expansion units (EVU), and a wave computer called Waveterm A (later B version arrived) for sampling, audio manipulation, editing, sequencing and creating user defined wavetables. Collectively, this setup

735-531: The cutoff frequency), to be continuously varied. The filter outputs often include a lowpass response, and sometimes highpass , bandpass or notch responses. Some musical VCFs offer a variable slope which determines the rate of attenuation outside the bandpass, often at 6 dB/octave, 12 dB/octave, 18 dB/octave or 24 dB/octave (one-, two-, three- and four-pole filters, respectively). In modular analog synthesizers , VCFs receive signal input from signal sources, including oscillators and noise, or

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770-467: The deal. Kakehashi later said Yamaha were the natural partners in the venture, as they had the resources to make FM synthesis commercially viable. Yamaha created the first hardware implementation of FM synthesis. The first commercial FM synthesizer was the Yamaha GS1, released in 1980, which was expensive to manufacture due to its integrated circuit chips. At the same time, Yamaha was developing

805-500: The digital domain, so he knew exactly what I was saying." Yamaha licensed the technology for one year to determine its commercial viability, and in 1973 its organ division began developing a prototype FM monophonic synthesizer . In 1975, Yamaha negotiated exclusive rights for the technology. Ikutaro Kakehashi , the founder of the Japanese company Roland , was also interested, but met Chowning six months after Yamaha had agreed to

840-465: The means to manufacture very-large-scale integration chips. These allowed the DX7 to use only two chips, compared to the GS1's 50. Yamaha also altered the implementation of the FM algorithms in the DX7 for efficiency and speed, producing a sampling rate higher than Stanford's synthesizers. Chowning felt this produced a noticeable "brilliant" sound. Yamaha displayed a prototype of the DX7 in 1982, branded

875-508: The mid-1980s, "Yamaha flooded the market with a plethora of low-cost FM synths." In 1987, Yamaha released the DX7II, which did not match the success of the DX7. Further successors included the TX81Z , DX1 , DX11, and DX21 . Yamaha manufactured reduced versions of the DX7 sound chip , such as the YM2612 , for use in technologies such as the Sega Genesis game console. In 2015, Yamaha released

910-519: The output of other processors. By varying the cutoff frequency , the filter passes or attenuates partials of the input signal. In some popular electronic music styles, "filter sweeps" have become a common effect. These sweeps are created by varying the cutoff frequency of the VCF (sometimes very slowly). Controlling the cutoff by means of a transient voltage control, such as an envelope generator , especially with relatively fast attack settings, may simulate

945-644: The release of VST plugin models of the original PPG Wave series, including Waldorf's Wave 2.V (2000), and Wave 3.V (2011). The latter was co-developed with Palm, and more accurately replicates the familiar aliasing and filtering characteristics of both the Wave 2.2 and 2.3. Voltage controlled filter A voltage-controlled filter ( VCF ) is an electronic filter whose operating characteristics (primarily cutoff frequency ) can be set by an input control voltage . Voltage-controlled filters are widely used in synthesizers . A music synthesizer VCF allows its cutoff frequency, and sometimes its Q factor (resonance at

980-538: The synthesizer market was dominated by analog synthesizers . FM synthesis , a means of generating sounds via frequency modulation , was developed by John Chowning at Stanford University , California. FM synthesis created brighter, glassier sounds, and could better imitate acoustic sounds such as brass and bells. Yamaha licensed the technology to create the DX7, combining it with very-large-scale integration chips to lower manufacturing costs. With its complex menus and lack of conventional controls, few learned to program

1015-476: The waveforms, with interpolation used to avoid noticeable 'jumps' between the adjacent waveforms. Palm's efforts resulted in PPG's first wavetable synthesizer, the Wavecomputer 360 (1978), which provides the user with 30 different wavetables consisting of 64 waves each. While the expansive range of sound is evident, the absence of filters results in the Wavecomputer 360 sounding buzzy and thin, which hampered its original commercial viability. Palm's efforts to resolve

1050-473: Was US$ 7,000 -10,000. Within a few years, digital synthesizers, such as the Yamaha DX7 (1983), Korg DW-8000 (1985), Ensoniq ESQ-1 (1986), and Sequential Prophet VS (1986), would be launched at lower prices. Furthermore, the rapidly evolving development of digital sampling technology and reductions in memory prices facilitated the emergence of a new generation of standalone, easy-to-use samplers, such as

1085-470: Was for years one of Stanford's highest earning. Chowning received royalties for all of Yamaha's FM synthesizers. According to Dave Smith , the founder of the synthesizer company Sequential , "The synthesizer market was tiny in the late 70s. No one was selling 50,000 of these things. It wasn't until the Yamaha DX7 came out that a company shipped 100,000-plus synths." Smith said the DX7 sold well as it

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1120-505: Was reasonably priced, had keyboard expression and 16 voices, and was better at emulating acoustic sounds than competing products. Chowning credited the success to the combination of his FM patent with Yamaha's chip technology. At the time of release, the DX7 was the first digital synthesizer most musicians had used. It was very different from the analog synthesizers that had dominated the market. According to MusicRadar , its "spiky" and "crystalline" sounds made it "the perfect antidote to

1155-518: Was turned down by American companies including Hammond and Wurlitzer . Chowning felt their engineers did not understand FM. At the time, the Japanese company Yamaha was the world's largest manufacturer of musical instruments but had little market share in the United States. One of their chief engineers visited Stanford to view the technology. According to Chowning, "In ten minutes he understood ... I guess Yamaha had already been working in

1190-598: Was used in 40% of the number-one singles on the US Billboard Hot 100 , 40% of country number ones, and 60% of RnB number ones. The preset imitates a Rhodes piano , prompting some to abandon the Rhodes in favor of the DX7. A few musicians skilled at programming the DX7 found employment creating sounds for other acts. The English musician Brian Eno learned to program the DX7 in depth and used it to create ambient music on his 1983 album Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks . He shared instructions for recreating his patches in

1225-404: Was widely used to broadcast radio transmissions . In the 1960s, at Stanford University , California, John Chowning developed FM synthesis , a means of using FM to generate sounds different from analog synthesis . In 1971, to demonstrate its commercial potential, Chowning used FM to emulate acoustic sounds such as organs and brass. Stanford patented the technology and hoped to license it, but

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