The Invention of the Modern Synthesizer

The invention and development of the modern, commercial synthesizer is an interesting story, and while I am not going to tell you the whole story I will tell you a tale about how and why the synthesizer looks the way it does today. If you want an interesting take on the early days of the synthesizer, you should read, Analog Days: The Invention and Impact of the Moog Synthesizer by Trevor Pinch and Frank Trocco.

The two men credited for inventing the modern synthesizer, Bob Moog and Don Buchla were from opposite sides of the country; Buchla from California and Moog from New York. At virtually the same time these two men managed to design their own synthesizers that would change electronic music forever.

Moog and Buchla had a few similarities: they both learned to play piano as children, loved electronics, and they both studied physics. As for the similarities, that is where they end. The differences between the two men possibly could have stemmed from their environments and the time (mid 60’s), and it was these differences that controlled the destiny of the synthesizer.

When you think of synthesizers what is the first thing you think of? When I was just getting into electronic music I would have said it was a keyboard. Well, we have Bob Moog to thank for that. Synthesizers are not keyboards, keyboards are just a way to control the synthesizer, but Moog used the keyboard as a way to market his synthesizer and make it relatable to the public. Moog’s thought was that he just created a new instrument, but to control it, give the public something familiar.

Robert Moog with an early synthesizer. Notice the hand on the keyboard, that was an early Moog marketing ploy to clue you in that what was behind him was a musical instrument.

Buchla on the other hand saw his new invention as a way to start fresh musically. As a result, Buchla did not want any pre-existing controller such as a keyboard to control his revolutionary instrument. Sadly, for this reason, Moog’s instrument grew in popularity fairly quickly and easily, while Buchla had a harder time reaching the public. Buchla didn’t do too badly for himself though, in fact he had his own following within the electronic music community, but Moog had everyone else.

Don Buchla with some of his early synthesizers.

Amazing how a simple marketing ploy shaped the way we think about an instrument. To this day, the keyboard is seen as an integral part of the synthesizer, when in fact there are so many more interesting and fun ways to control the synthesizer than with a keyboard.

...My mistake in "Player Piano" was my failure as a futurist. I did not foresee transistors, and so imagined that super computers would have to be huge, with bulky vacuum tubes taking up a lot of space. -Kurt Vonnegut in "Letters"