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INTRODUCTION TO SYNTHESIZERS - hol.gr

INTRODUCTION TO SYNTHESIZERS - hol.gr

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and even eight-voice polyphonic synthesizers were available for those who could afford them. A synthesizer with<br />

eight voices can play eight tones at the same time.<br />

This may seem enough, but a modern synthesizer is usually equipped with 32, 64 or even 128 voices. One could<br />

ask, why anybody would need an instrument capable of playing 64 voices at once - nobody in the right mind<br />

would want to play (and listen to) huge 64-note chords.<br />

Well, first of all, voices can be stacked on top of each other to create a more complex sound. A single key<br />

depression could for instance trigger a piano voice, a string voice and a choir voice at the same time. It's easy<br />

to realize that the available voices are quickly gobbled up when playing with such a complex voice stack.<br />

But the main reason for having lots of available voices in one synth is the possibility to use this one synthesizer<br />

to play more than one part in a musical piece.<br />

Nearly all modern synthesizers are so called multi-timbral instruments, meaning that they can play several<br />

different sounds at once. If the synthesizer is connected to a computer, it can for instance play drums, strings,<br />

brass, bass and guitar parts - all at once, like a big one-man-band.<br />

Now, it is important to understand the difference between polyphony and multi-timbrality.<br />

If a synthesizer can play more than one note simultaneously, then it is polyphonic.<br />

If it can produce a an acoustic bass sound, a piano sound and a string sound at the same time, then it is also<br />

multi-timbral.<br />

A 32-polyphonic, 8-timbral synthesizer can thus synthesize the sound of a 8 piece band or orchestra, as long as<br />

there are no more than 32 notes playing at the same time. It's easy to realize that a 32-voice synthesizer is<br />

much better suited for complex compositions than an eight-voice synth.<br />

The polyphony of a multi-timbral synthesizer is usually allocated dynamically among the different parts<br />

(timbres) being used. As an example, say that we have an eight-voice multi-timbral synthesizer. If at a given<br />

instant five voices are being used for the piano part and two voices for the bass, then only one voice is left free<br />

for an additional instrument.<br />

However, you may not need all five allocated voices for the piano part all the time - when a voice is not being<br />

used, it is free to be allocated to another instrument.<br />

So what happens if you try to play more notes than what's available? Well, it depends on the internal<br />

architecture of the synthesizer, but most synthesizers will simply turn off a voice that's already playing and<br />

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