Synth

A synth, the colloquial short form for synthesizer, is an electronic musical keyboard that emits tones similar to a piano, when the keys are depressed. This musical instrument is manufactured by many companies across the world, some of which include Yamaha, Casio, Roland, Kramer and Korg. Contrary to the sound emission in a piano from which the sounds are produced due to the resonance created with the string’s vibrations, in the case of the synthesizer the sounds are electronically reproduced. An advantage of a synthesizer is its smaller size making it more portable than a piano. Depending on the mode of sound production, synths are broadly classified into two types: analogue synthesizers and digital synthesizers. Analogue instruments have analogue circuits using low-pass and high-pass filters. These circuits incorporate transistors in place of microchips and a potentiometer modulates the sound output. Digital synthesizers make use of digital signal processing to generate the sound output. These synthesizers usually have more varied features as compared to analogue synthesizers. Synthesizers offer numerous accompaniment options for the actual playing, like drum beats and other instrument sounds. Additionally, the tones emitted when the keys are pressed can be programmed to produce sounds of guitars, trumpets, violins and various other musical instruments. Some synthesizers have a MIDI port that allows connectivity to a computer and the Internet. Vacant bays enable floppies or CDs to be inserted within for added versatility.