A musical instrument is an object or material that is manipulated or adapted to make sounds in the form of rhythmic patterns, musical effects, and/or musical frequencies. This definition allows for the encompassment of a wide range of tools into the category of what is considered a musical instrument. Everything from rocks and sticks being used percussively, to more methodical instruments seen throughout history (those of which have gradually increased in sophistication, especially in modern times). There is a correlation that can be observed from the study of music in different societies and time periods. This correlation is between the music itself, and the technological parameters that influence it. The focus of this article will primarily be on that of digital and analogue synthesis throughout the twentieth century, and how it serves as a prime example of how music is affected by technological innovation.
In order to understand digital/analogue synthesis’ role in music’s development, a general understanding of how technological advancement affects music must be explored first. Prehistoric music was limited. Primarily in terms of its variation per cultural example. Not to say that it lacked quality or meaningfulness (as examples of this music are rare due to lack of notational abilities in prehistoric times), but prehistoric music was produced the best way that circumstances allowed for. For example, due to the lack of industrialization, resources were scarce among communities. This led to a prioritization of other tasks to allocate those resources towards, rather than the creation of music. When music was produced it was done with whatever was available to its creators at the time, such as flutes and pipes made from bones and wood, or the human voice. In more recent (but still ancient) times, examples of music and instruments start to appear that reflect civilization’s sophistication. For example, the earliest known trumpets discovered in ancient Egypt which are over 3000 years old made of silver and bronze/copper. These trumpets represent ancient Egypt’s ability to allocate more resources towards musical instruments because the material these instruments are made from is harder to obtain and mould into shape than what hunter-gatherer type civilizations were using for their instruments. The reward for this advancement in technology is an entirely unique sound that likely had not been heard before. Thus, variation and distinguishability come from innovation. This is just one of many examples.
In today’s musical age, at the peak of the world’s technological advancement in history (so far), there are a seemingly uncountable number of ways to make music. One of these ways is the electronic synthesis of sound. The first example of an analogue synthesizer being sold commercially was the Moog 900 Series modular system, developed by Robert Moog in 1964. It allowed for the creation of sounds by plugging or unplugging certain parameters to narrow down to a specific output, which could then be sequenced or played. The invention of frequency modulation (FM) synthesis in 1967 fundamentally changed the way music was made. FM synthesis uses the automation of signals to modulate frequency and timbre. This invention led to a limitless amount of new sounds that had never been heard before. Overall, innovation and progress with synthesis development have led to composers and musicians seeking out and exploring different sounds and possibilities when it comes to the capabilities of music production and instruments.
As computing power began to improve, so did musical synthesis. In the 1980s, digital synthesis emerged and was popularized by Yamaha. Yamaha is a Japanese corporation that is specialized in the manufacturing of musical instruments and related tools. The main difference between a digital synth and an analogue synthesizer is that the analogue synthesizer relies on electrical current to mechanically produce sound, while a digital synthesizer segments and computes information which is then output as a sound. It can be argued that digital synthesis is colder and less expressive than analogue because an analogue synthesizer produces a sound as one whole articulation while a digital synthesizer produces many small time intervals with individual sound fragments next to one another to resemble one whole articulation, based on the parameters set by the synthesizer’s user. This argument does prove that analogue synthesis is closer to traditional, non-electronic instruments. However, this is not a valid argument against the thesis of this article (being that digital and analogue synthesis are both examples of how music in a society reflects its status of technological advancement) as some may think. Digital synthesizers are generally cheaper/manufactured more often than their analogue equivalents and are therefore more available to music makers. When talking about how technological advancement affects musical diversity/variety: what the sounds that digital synthesizers produce may lack in substance, is made up for by accessibility. Because of the accessibility of digital synthesizers, many people who would otherwise not experiment with making music can now do so from the comfort of their bedrooms. Though the quality of output from digital synthesizers is debatably limited, the quantity of creative output that has resulted from their existence is significantly larger than/more than makes up for what is lost, due to how many previously unheard sounds and songs have been made because of digital synthesis.
There is currently software that allows for the arrangement and alteration of sounds made with synthesizers using MIDI, VSTs, and other useful tools. This software is called a digital audio workshop, or DAW. DAWs are one of the reasons why there are so many songs made today that rely on synthesis.
The conclusion that can be drawn from observing the phenomena of digital and analogue synthesis is that the state of music in a culture is directly affected by the technological capabilities of the culture. This is because the means of creating music in the first place depends on technological innovation for the instruments that make the music possible. Therefore, digital and analogue synthesis is a recent and widespread example of how the level of technological advancement in a culture is an allowance for different possibilities when it comes to music production.
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