Synthesizers are quite different from portable electronic pianos but many people tend to think they are the same. Synthesizers can be defined as keyboard-based instruments that produce artificial sounds. They can produce the same sounds as the ordinary piano but their main purpose is to produce sounds that are not found in any other instrument.

Many of the available synthesizers are bought with existing sounds but others come with none. Creation of sounds for those without can be quite hard task sometimes. The process of producing sound is through knobs and dials each dedicated to different aspects such as delay, modulation, oscillation, or attack.

Those who are highly experienced in working with synthesizers can also create sound based on a patch bay. The patching principle is almost similar to the one used by old telephone operators who patched calls through based on inputs and cords.

These synthesizers also do not offer a saving option for the sound created, they require the user to remember every dial and knob placement. Creation of sounds on these types of synthesizers requires maintenance of perfect notes. Synthesizers were commonly used by famous rock bands around the 1970’s and 80’s to create special sounds.

This made them very popular. The only setback was that different devices from different companies were incompatible prompting the production of a digital interface to bridge connections. This device was called ‘midi’ an acronym for music instrument digital interface. This break through popularized the use of synthesizers since it allowed synthesizers from different manufacturers to work together smoothly.

The first affordable and usable synthesizer called ‘moog’ was created by a man named Bob Moog. Later on, other affordable brands such as Yamaha and Roland also rolled out. This led to the expansive use of the synthesizers to cover almost every genre of the 1980’s popular music before they were discarded. The association of synthesizers with the 1980’s bubblegum pop is probably why they became unpopular as punk and new rock bands, which were taking over, were against it.

However, the same underground punk and rock bands gave the synthesizers a partial comeback in the late 90’s and since then they have been completely accepted by the music industry.