Before electronic musical instruments were developed, live concerts and
most music recordings were made by traditional musical instruments.
However, the development of electronic instruments has dramatically
changed the way people think about music. The invention of the digital
synthesizer has had significant effects on music because of the
reduction in size and increased simplicity of electronic instruments,
the development of virtual instruments, and the growth of computer
music.
The first reason why the invention of digital
synthesizers has had significant effects on music is that many
electronic instruments are made smaller and simpler. Early electronic
musical instruments were so huge and complicated that most people did
not know how to use them or thought those instruments were impractical.
According to Wikipedia, as most new synthesizers have been digital
since the 1980s, digital synthesizers are targeted primarily at the
household market and have started replacing some big instruments, such
as the home organ. As a result, many electronic instruments nowadays
are made as small and as simple as possible in order to be widely
accepted by the public.
The second reason why the invention of
digital synthesizers has had significant effects on music is the
development of virtual instruments. Since the theory of digital
synthesizers is based on the way the sounds attack, decay, sustain, and
release, virtual instruments are being developed. In addition, the
theory of virtual instruments is the same as the theory of digital
synthesizers in that the frequency of sounds can be changed to imitate
thousands of traditional musical instruments, such as the grand piano
and strings. In the graphical user interface, virtual instruments can
actually substitute for actual additional knobs and button controls to
mimic the musical instruments and create new sounds variously.
In
addition to the changes in structure of instruments and the development
of virtual instruments, the growth of computer music has affected
music. Barry Truax said, “The borderline between composition and sound
synthesis is becoming increasingly blurred as sound synthesis becomes
more sophisticated and as composers begin to experiment with
compositional structures that are less related to traditional musical
syntax.” With digital synthesizers with MIDI devices as standard
equipment, composers can finish their compositions correctly and
efficiently in a studio or at home; as a result, the cost-efficient
usage stimulates the growth of computer music in the commercial media.
In conclusion, the invention of digital synthesizers has
resulted in smaller and simpler electronic instruments, the development
of virtual instruments, and the growth of computer music. The music
recording industry has been really changed by digital synthesizers;
however, live performances and instrumentalists are impossible to
replace with these electronic instruments. Composers should know that
musical and virtual instruments are just tools to compose music, to be
able to hear the music in their mind, and to write it down.
1. Synthesizers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synthesizers
2. Computer Music http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/183823/electronic-music/27522/Impact-of-technological-developments#
