View source for Music technology (electronic and digital)

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{{Hatnote|This article focuses on digital music technology and only references analog technology to provide historical context. For more detailed information on analog music technologies, see [[Music technology (electric)]]}}
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[[File:Peter Francken in his studio.jpg|thumb|upright=1.3|Music production using a [[digital audio workstation]] (DAW) with [[multi-monitor]] set-up]]

'''Digital music technology''' encompasses the use of digital instruments to produce, perform<ref>{{cite web|last=m:tech educational services|title=What is Music Technology?|url=http://www.mtechonline.co.uk/schools/what-is-music-technology.html|access-date=20 June 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110124001102/http://www.mtechonline.co.uk/schools/what-is-music-technology.html|archive-date=24 January 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref> or [[sound recording|record]] [[music]]. These instruments vary, including [[computer]]s, electronic [[effects unit]]s, [[software]], and [[digital audio]] equipment. Digital music technology is used in [[performance]], playback, recording, [[musical composition|composition]], [[Audio mixing (recorded music)|mixing]], [[Music informatics|analysis]] and [[Digital audio editor|editing]] of music, by professions in all parts of the [[music industry]].

==History==
In the late 19th century, [[Thaddeus Cahill]] introduced the [[Telharmonium]], which is commonly considered the first electromechanical musical instrument.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2013-09-20 |title=The 'Telharmonium' or 'Dynamophone' Thaddeus Cahill, USA 1897 |url=https://120years.net/the-telharmonium-thaddeus-cahill-usa-1897/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=120 Years of Electronic Music |language=en-GB}}</ref> In the early 20th century, [[Leon Theremin]] created the [[Theremin]], an early electronic instrument played without physical contact, creating a new form of sound creation.

In the mid-20th century, [[Sampling (music)|sampling]] emerged, with artists like [[Pierre Schaeffer]] and [[Karlheinz Stockhausen]] manipulating recorded sounds on tape to create entirely new compositions. This laid the foundation for future electronic music production techniques.

In the 1960s, the [[Moog synthesizer]], invented by [[Robert Moog]], popularized [[Analog synthesizer|analog synthesis]]. Musician [[Wendy Carlos]] demonstrated Robert's invention with the album ''[[Switched-On Bach]]'', which consisted of works composed by [[Johann Sebastian Bach]] interpreted with the [[Moog synthesizer]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Switched-On Bach: How the World Met Moog |url=https://www.moogmusic.com/media/switched-bach-how-world-met-moog |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=www.moogmusic.com}}</ref> Meanwhile, tape-based studios, like the [[BBC Radiophonic Workshop]], were at the forefront of electronic sound design.

The 1980s saw a major shift towards digital technology with the development of the Musical Instrument Digital Interface ([[MIDI]]) standard. This allowed electronic instruments to communicate with computers and each other, transforming music production. Digital synthesizers, such as the [[Yamaha DX7]], became widely popular.<ref name="Pinch2003">{{cite journal |last1=Pinch |first1=T. J. |last2=Bijsterveld |first2=Karin |author-link2=Karin Bijsterveld |date=July 2003 |title="Should One Applaud?" Breaches and Boundaries in the Reception of New Technology in Music |journal=Technology and Culture |volume=44 |issue=3 |pages=536–559 |doi=10.1353/tech.2003.0126 |s2cid=132403480 |quote=By the time the first commercially successful digital instrument, the Yamaha DX7 (lifetime sales of two hundred thousand), appeared in 1983 ...}} (Note: the above sales number seems about whole DX series)
</ref>

The 1990s and 2000s witnessed the explosive growth of [[electronic dance music]] and its various subgenres, driven by the accessibility of digital music production tools and the rise of computer-based software synthesizers.

==Education==

===Professional training===
{{see also|Audio engineer|Category:Audio engineering schools}}
Courses in music technology are offered at many different universities as part of degree programs focusing on performance, composition, music research at the undergraduate and graduate level. The study of music technology is usually concerned with the creative use of technology for creating new sounds, performing, [[Sound recording and reproduction|recording]], [[Programming (music)|programming]] [[Music sequencer|sequencers]] or other music-related electronic devices, and manipulating, mixing and reproducing music. Music technology programs train students for careers in "...sound engineering, computer music, audio-visual production and post-production, mastering, scoring for film and multimedia, audio for [[video games|games]], software development, and multimedia production."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://steinhardt.nyu.edu/music/technology|title=Music Technology|website=steinhardt.nyu.edu|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref> Those wishing to develop new music technologies often train to become an [[Audio engineers#Research and development|audio engineer working in research and development]].<ref name="wisegeek">{{cite web|last=wiseGeek|title=What Is Audio Engineering?|url=http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-audio-engineering.htm|access-date=17 May 2013}}</ref> Due to the increasing role of interdisciplinary work in music technology, individuals developing new music technologies may also have backgrounds or training in [[electrical engineering]], [[computer programming]], [[computer hardware]] design, [[acoustics]], [[record producer|record producing]] or other fields.

===Use of music technology in education===
[[File:Digital audio workstation classroom.webp|thumb|3D model of a [[digital audio workstation]] classroom]]

Digital music technologies are widely used to assist in [[music education]] for training students in the home, elementary school, middle school, high school, college and university music programs. [[Electronic keyboard]] labs are used for cost-effective beginner group piano instruction in high schools, colleges, and universities. Courses in music notation software and basic manipulation of audio and MIDI can be part of a student's core requirements for a music degree. Mobile and desktop applications are available to aid the study of [[music theory]] and [[ear training]]. Some [[digital piano]]s provide interactive lessons and games using the built-in features of the instrument to teach music fundamentals.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Wise |first1=Stuart |last2=Greenwood |first2=Janinka |author-link2=Janinka Greenwood |last3=Davis |first3=Niki |date=July 2011 |title=Teachers' use of digital technology in secondary music education: illustrations of changing classrooms |journal=British Journal of Music Education |volume=28 |issue=2 |pages=117–134 |doi=10.1017/S0265051711000039 |issn=0265-0517 |s2cid=145627220}}</ref>

==== Analog Synthesizers ====
Classic analog synthesizers include the [[Moog Minimoog]], [[ARP Odyssey]], [[Yamaha CS-80]], [[Korg MS-20]], [[Sequential Circuits Prophet-5]], [[Roland TB-303]], [[Roland Alpha Juno]].<ref name="factmag.com">{{cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2014/02/28/the-14-synthesizers-that-shaped-modern-music/|title=The 14 Synthesizers that Shaped Modern Music|last1=Twells|first1=John|website=Fact Music News|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306042725/http://www.factmag.com/2014/02/28/the-14-synthesizers-that-shaped-modern-music/|archive-date=2014-03-06|access-date=December 8, 2015}}</ref> One of the most iconic synthesizers is the [[Roland TB-303]], was widely used in [[acid house music]].

=== Digital synthesizer history ===
Classic digital synthesizers include the [[Fairlight CMI]], [[PPG Wave]], [[Nord Modular]] and [[Korg M1]].<ref name="factmag.com"/>

=== Computer music history ===
==== Max Mathews ====
Computer and synthesizer technology joining together changed the way music is made and is one of the fastest-changing aspects of music technology today. [[Max Mathews]], an acoustic researcher<ref>{{Cite web |title=Max Mathews Makes MUSIC - CHM Revolution |url=https://www.computerhistory.org/revolution/computer-graphics-music-and-art/15/222#:~:text=Mathews%20joined%20Bell%20Labs%20in,with%20a%2017-second%20composition. |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=www.computerhistory.org}}</ref> at [[Bell Telephone Laboratories]]' Acoustic and Behavioural Research Department, is responsible for some of the first digital music technology in the 1950s. Mathews also pioneered a cornerstone of music technology; [[analog-to-digital conversion]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=DuBois |first=R. Luke |date=2011-06-09 |title=The First Computer Musician |url=https://archive.nytimes.com/opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/08/the-first-computer-musician/ |access-date=2024-04-12 |website=Opinionator |language=en}}</ref>

At Bell Laboratories, Matthews conducted research to improve the telecommunications quality for long-distance phone calls. Owing to long-distance and low-bandwidth, audio quality over phone calls across the United States was poor. Thus, Matthews devised a method in which sound was synthesized via computer on the distant end rather than transmitted. Matthews was an amateur violinist, and during a conversation with his superior, John Pierce at Bell Labs, Pierce posed the idea of synthesizing music through a computer. Since Matthews had already synthesized speech, he agreed and wrote a series of programs known as MUSIC. MUSIC consisted of two files: an orchestra file containing data telling the computer how to synthesize sound, and a score file instructing the program what notes to play using the instruments defined in the orchestra file. Matthews wrote five iterations of MUSIC, calling them MUSIC I-V respectively. Subsequently, as the program was adapted and expanded to run on various platforms, its name changed to reflect its new changes. This series of programs became known as the [[MUSIC-N]] paradigm. The concept of the MUSIC now exists in the form of [[Csound]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|url=https://www.oxfordmusiconline.com/view/10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.001.0001/omo-9781561592630-e-1002256184|title=Computers and music {{!}} Grove Music|website=www.oxfordmusiconline.com|doi=10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2256184|access-date=2019-10-01|year=2014|last1=Strawn|first1=John|last2=Shockley|first2=Alan|isbn=978-1-56159-263-0}}</ref>

Later [[Max Matthews]] worked as an advisor to [[IRCAM]]in the late 1980s. There, he taught [[Miller Puckette]], a researcher. Puckette developed a program in which music could be programmed graphically. The program could transmit and receive MIDI messages to generate interactive music in real-time. Inspired by Matthews, Puckette named the program Max. Later, a researcher named David Zicarelli visited IRCAM, saw the capabilities of Max and felt it could be developed further. He took a copy of Max with him when he left and eventually added capabilities to process audio signals. Zicarelli named this new part of the program MSP after Miller Puckette. Zicarelli developed the commercial version of [[MaxMSP]] and sold it at his company, [[Cycling '74]], beginning in 1997. The company has since been acquired by [[Ableton]].<ref name=":0" />

==== Later history ====
The first generation of professional commercially available computer music instruments, or [[workstation]]s as some companies later called them, were very sophisticated elaborate systems that cost a great deal of money when they first appeared. They ranged from $25,000 to $200,000.<ref name="Electronic Music Pioneers" /> The two most popular were the [[Fairlight CMI|Fairlight]], and the [[Synclavier]].

It was not until the advent of [[MIDI]] that [[general-purpose computer]]s started to play a role in music production. Following the widespread adoption of MIDI, computer-based [[Comparison of MIDI editors and sequencers|MIDI editors and sequencers]] were developed. MIDI-to-[[CV/Gate]] converters were then used to enable [[analog synthesizer]]s to be controlled by a [[MIDI sequencer]].<ref name="russ2012" />

=== MIDI ===
At the [[NAMM Show]] of 1983 in Los Angeles, MIDI was released. A demonstration at the convention showed two previously incompatible [[analog synthesizer]]s, the [[Sequential Circuits|Prophet 600]] and [[Roland Jupiter-6]], communicating with each other, enabling a player to play one keyboard while getting the output from both of them. This development immediately allowed synths to be accurately layered in live shows and studio recordings. MIDI enables different electronic instruments and [[electronic music]] devices to communicate with each other and with computers. The advent of MIDI spurred a rapid expansion of the sales and production of electronic instruments and music software.

In 1985, several of the top keyboard manufacturers created the [[MIDI Manufacturers Association]] (MMA). This newly founded association standardized the MIDI protocol by generating and disseminating all the documents about it. With the development of the MIDI file format specification by [[Opcode]], every music software company's MIDI sequencer software could read and write each other's files.

Since the 1980s, [[personal computer]]s became the ideal system for utilizing the vast potential of MIDI. This has created a large consumer market for software such as MIDI-equipped [[electronic keyboard]]s, MIDI sequencers and [[digital audio workstation]]s. With universal MIDI protocols, electronic keyboards, sequencers, and drum machines can all be connected together.

=== Vocal synthesis history until 1980s ===
====VODER====
Coinciding with the history of computer music is the history of vocal synthesis. Prior to Max Matthews synthesizing speech with a computer, analog devices were used to recreate speech. In the 1930s, an engineer named [[Homer Dudley]] invented the [[Voice Operating Demonstrator]] (VODER), an electro-mechanical device which generated a sawtooth wave and white-noise. Various parts of the frequency spectrum of the waveforms could be filtered to generate the sounds of speech. Pitch was modulated via a bar on a wrist strap worn by the operator.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/the-voder-the-first-machine-to-create-human-speech|title=The Voder, the First Machine to Create Human Speech|last=Grundhauser|first=Eric|date=2017-01-16|website=Atlas Obscura|access-date=2019-10-01}}</ref> In the 1940s Dudley, invented the [[Voice Operated Coder]] (VOCODER). Rather than synthesizing speech from scratch, this machine operated by accepting incoming speech and breaking it into its spectral components. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, bands and solo artists began using the VOCODER to blend speech with notes played on a synthesizer.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.musictech.net/features/the-history-of-the-vocoder/|title=The History of the Vocoder – Putting It Into Words|last=Gale|first=Dave|date=2018-07-18|website=MusicTech|access-date=2019-10-01}}</ref>

====Singing computer====
{{See also|Articulatory synthesis}}
At Bell Laboratories, Max Matthews worked with researchers Kelly and Lochbaum to develop a model of the vocal tract to study how its properties contributed to speech generation. Using the model of the vocal tract,—a method, which would come to be known as [[physical modeling synthesis]], in which a computer estimates the formants and spectral content of each word based on information about the vocal model, including various applied filters representing the vocal tract—to make a computer (an IBM 704) sing for the first time in 1962. The computer performed a rendition of "Daisy Bell".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ccrma.stanford.edu/~jos/pasp/Singing_Kelly_Lochbaum_Vocal_Tract.html|title=Singing Kelly-Lochbaum Vocal Tract|website=ccrma.stanford.edu|access-date=2019-10-01}}</ref>

====CHANT at IRCAM====
At IRCAM in France, researchers developed software called CHANT (French for ''sing''), the first version of which ran between 1979 and 1983.<ref name="Rodet_1984">{{cite journal |last1=Rodet |first1=Xavier |last2=Potard |first2=Yves |last3=Barrière |first3=Jean-Baptiste |date= 1984 |title=The CHANT Project: From the Synthesis of the Singing Voice to Synthesis in General |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3679810 |journal=Computer Music Journal |volume=8 |issue=3 |pages= 30|doi= 10.2307/3679810 |jstor=3679810 |access-date=2024-02-08|url-access=subscription }}</ref> CHANT was based FOF ({{citation needed span|Fomant ond Formatique|date=February 2023}}) synthesis, in which the peak frequencies of a sound are created and shaped using granular synthesis—as opposed to filtering frequencies to create speech.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Rodet|first1=Xavier|last2=Potard|first2=Yves|last3=Barriere|first3=Jean-Baptiste|date=1984|title=The CHANT Project: From the Synthesis of the Singing Voice to Synthesis in General|journal=[[Computer Music Journal]]|volume=8|issue=3|pages=15|doi=10.2307/3679810|jstor=3679810|s2cid=15320133}}</ref>

====Concatenation synthesis using MIDI====
Through the 1980s and 1990s, as MIDI devices became commercially available, speech was generated by mapping MIDI data to samples of the components of speech stored in sample libraries.<ref>{{Cite conference|last1=Macon|first1=Michael|last2=Jensen-Link|first2=Leslie|last3=George|first3=E. Bryan|last4=Oliverio|first4=James|last5=Clements|first5=Mark|date=1997-09-01|title=Concatenation-Based MIDI-to-Singing Voice Synthesis|url=https://www.aes.org/e-lib/browse.cfm?elib=7188|publisher=[[Audio Engineering Society]]|conference=AES Convention 103|id=Paper 4591}}</ref>

=== Vocal synthesis after 2010s ===
In the 2010s, singing synthesis technology took advantage of the advances in artificial intelligence, deep listening and machine learning, to better represent the nuances of the human voice. New high-fidelity sample libraries combined with digital audio workstations facilitate editing in fine detail, such as shifting of formats, adjustment of vibrato, and adjustments to vowels and consonants. Sample libraries for various languages and various accents are available. With advancements in vocal synthesis, artists sometimes use sample libraries in lieu of backing singers.<ref>{{Cite thesis |title=Vocal Synthesis and Deep Listening |url=http://digitalcommons.fiu.edu/etd/1245 |publisher=Florida International University |date=2014-03-25 |degree=Master of Music Music |doi=10.25148/etd.fi14040802 |first=Chelsea A |last=Bruno |doi-access=free}}</ref>

==Synthesizers and drum machines==
===Synthesizers===
[[File:R.A.Moog minimoog 2.jpg|thumb|right|Early [[Minimoog]] synthesizer by R. A. Moog Inc. from 1970]]
{{Main|Synthesizer}}
A [[synthesizer]] is an [[electronic musical instrument]] that generates electric signals that are converted to sound through [[instrument amplifier]]s and [[loudspeaker]]s or [[headphones]]. Synthesizers may either imitate existing sounds (instruments, vocal, natural sounds, etc.), or generate new electronic [[timbres]] or sounds that did not exist before. They are often played with an electronic [[musical keyboard]], but they can be controlled via a variety of other input devices, including sequencers, [[MIDI controller|instrument controllers]], [[Continuum Fingerboard|fingerboards]], [[guitar synthesizer]]s, [[wind controller]]s, and [[electronic drum]]s. Synthesizers without built-in controllers are often called [[sound modules]], and are controlled using a controller device.

Synthesizers use various methods to generate a signal. Among the most popular waveform synthesis techniques are [[subtractive synthesis]], [[additive synthesis]], [[wavetable synthesis]], [[frequency modulation synthesis]], [[phase distortion synthesis]], [[physical modeling synthesis]] and [[sample-based synthesis]] or a variant, [[granular synthesis]]. Synthesizers are used in many genres of [[pop music|pop]], [[rock music|rock]] and [[dance music]]. Contemporary [[classical music composer]]s from the 20th and 21st centuries write compositions for synthesizer.
{{clear}}

===Drum machines===
{{Main|Drum machine}}
[[File:Yamaha RY30 front.png|thumb|[[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]] RY30 drum machine]]
A [[drum machine]] is an electronic musical instrument designed to imitate the [[sound]] of [[drum kit|drum]]s, [[cymbal]]s and other [[percussion instrument]]s. Drum machines generate drum and cymbal sounds in a rhythm and tempo that is programmed by a musician. Drum machines are most commonly associated with electronic dance music genres such as [[house music]], but are also used in many other genres. They are also used when [[session drummer]]s are not available or if the production cannot afford the cost of a professional drummer. In the 2010s, most modern drum machines are sequencers with a sample playback (often a [[rompler]]) or [[synthesizer]] component that specializes in the reproduction of drum [[timbre]]s.<!--[[User:Kvng/RTH]]-->

Electro-mechanical drum machines were first developed in 1949, with the invention of the [[Chamberlin|Chamberlin Rhythmate]]. Transistorized electronic drum machines [[Seeburg Corporation|Seeburg]] Select-A-Rhythm appeared in 1964.<ref>{{cite web
 | title     = Vintage Seeburg Rhythm Prince Drum Machine
 | url       = http://m.matrixsynth.com/2011/02/vintage-seeburg-rhythm-prince-drum.html
 | date      = 2 February 2011
 | publisher = MatrixSynth
}}</ref><ref name=uspat3358068>{{cite patent
 | country   = US
 | number    = 3358068
 | status    = patent
 | title     = Musical Instruments
 | inventor  = Richard H. Campbell Jr., Gilford, N.H. <!-- , assigner to The -->(Seeburg Corporation)
 | fdate     = 1964-06-26
 | gdate     = 1967-12-12
}} <br/> — When this patent was filed in 1964-06-26, also {{US patent|3,358,068|Automatic Rhythm Device}}, {{US patent|3,255,292|Automatic Repetitive Rhythm Instrument Timing Circuitry}}, and its sound circuits {{US patent|3,328,506|Snare Drum Instrument}} and {{US patent|3,325,578|Cow Bell Instrument}} were filed at the same time.
</ref><ref name=sarman>{{cite book
 | title     = Seeburg Portable Select-A-Rhythm Service Manual
 | url       = http://ericarcher.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/seeburg-sar-1-select-a-rhythm-service-manual.pdf
 | publisher = Seeburg Sales Corporation
 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20120425233730/http://ericarcher.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/seeburg-sar-1-select-a-rhythm-service-manual.pdf
 | archive-date=25 April 2012
}} — rhythm patterns were fully electronically generated by 48-step binary counter using 6-stage [[Flip-flop (electronics)|flip-flops]]
</ref><ref name=matrixsynth_sar1>{{cite web
 | title     = Seeburg Select-a-Rhythm Vintage Drum Machine
 | url       = http://m.matrixsynth.com/2011/05/seeburg-select-rhythm-vintage-drum.html
 | date      = 3 May 2011
 | publisher = MatrixSynth
}}</ref>

Classic drum machines include the [[Korg Mini Pops|Korg Mini Pops 120]], [[PAiA Electronics|PAiA]] Programmable Drum Set, [[Roland CR-78]], [[LinnDrum]], [[Roland TR-909]], [[Oberheim DMX]], [[E-mu|E-MU SP-12]], [[Alesis|Alesis HR-16]], and [[Elektron (company)|Elektron]] SPS1 Machinedrum (in chronological order).<ref>{{cite web|last1=Felton|first1=David|title=Top Ten Classic Drum Machines|url=http://www.attackmagazine.com/features/top-ten-classic-drum-machines/|website=Attack Magazine|date=August 2012|access-date=December 8, 2015}}</ref>

====Drum machines in Japan====
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In the late 1970s and 1980s, Japanese manufacturers, including [[Roland Corporation|Roland]] and [[Korg]], assumed pivotal roles in the transformation of the musical landscape. Roland's [[Roland TR-808|TR-808]] and [[Roland TR-909|TR-909]] significantly changed the landscape of rhythm production. shaping genres like hip-hop and electronic dance music. Korg's KPR-77 and DDD-1 also made an impact. These drum machines were known for their distinctive sound and affordability. Over time, Japanese companies continued to innovate, producing increasingly sophisticated and user-friendly drum machines, such as the Roland TR-8 and [[Korg Volca]] Beats. These instruments continue to influence contemporary music production and remain integral to the electronic music landscape worldwide.[[Sly and the Family Stone]]'s 1971 album ''[[There's a Riot Goin' On]]'' helped to popularize the sound of early drum machines, along with [[Timmy Thomas]]' 1972 [[Rhythm and blues|R&B]] hit "[[Why Can't We Live Together]]" and [[George McCrae]]'s 1974 [[disco]] hit "[[Rock Your Baby]]" which used early Roland rhythm machines.<ref name="collins">Mike Collins (2014), [https://books.google.com/books?id=tdEABAAAQBAJ&pg=PA320 ''In the Box Music Production: Advanced Tools and Techniques for Pro Tools'', page 320], [[CRC Press]]</ref>

Early drum machines sounded drastically different than the drum machines that gained their peak popularity in the 1980s and defined an entire decade of pop music. The most iconic drum machine was the [[Roland TR-808]], widely used in [[hip hop]] and [[dance music]].

==Sampling technology after 1980s==
{{see also|Sampler (musical instrument)|}}

Digital sampling technology, introduced in the 1970s,<ref name=Cockerell2013>
{{citation
 | first     = David |last=Cockerell
 | title     = Interview – David Cockerell
 | url       = http://www.radionz.co.nz/concert/programmes/hopefulmachines/audio/201812323/interview-david-cockerell
 | format    = <!-- interview -->
 | date      = 1 October 2013
 | url-status= live
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021163619/http://www.radionz.co.nz/concert/programmes/hopefulmachines/audio/201812323/interview-david-cockerell
 | archive-date=21 October 2017
}}<br/>on {{citation
 | title     = These Hopeful Machines
 | url       = http://www.radionz.co.nz/concert/programmes/hopefulmachines
 | url-status= live
 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171021111715/http://www.radionz.co.nz/concert/programmes/hopefulmachines
 | archive-date=21 October 2017
}}<br/>as a corner of radio program {{citation
 | title     = Sound Lounge
 | publisher = [[Radio New Zealand]]
 | quote     = {{smaller|[Q] ''...<!-- By the time you get to something like -->Chronometer [3], as I understand it, the sounds of the clock mechanisms and all the rest of it were effectively sampled by an ADC, stored and manipulated by the computer and then spat out again. What was the breakthrough ...<!-- that got you from this one second of sound to being able to put together a piece like that? -->'' [A] ''Peter kept buying the latest computers that came out and of course the memory increased. Then I built him a hard disc recorder so that one could store some of the sounds on this hard disc. ...''<!-- [Q] ''And you devised a filter and oscillator bank to deal with the inputs and outputs of that. ... It's a kind of vocoding idea rather than a sampling idea as we’d think of it now.'' [A] ''Indeed, That's exactly the principle of the vocoder.'' -->}}
}}</ref><ref name=Hall2015>
{{citation
 | first     = Tom |last=Hall
 | date      = 2015
 | chapter   = Before The Mask: Birtwistle's electronic music collaborations with Peter Zinovieff
 | chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vTFvBwAAQBAJ&q=Grogono%2C%20Peter%3B%20Musys%3A%20Software%20for%20an%20Electronic%20Music%20Studio%20in%20Software%3A%20Practice%20and%20Experience&pg=PA75
 | editor1   = Beard, David |editor2=Gloag, Kenneth |editor3=Jones, Nicholas
 | title     = Harrison Birtwistle Studies
 | publisher = [[Cambridge University Press]]
 | isbn      = 978-1-107-09374-4
 | pages     = 63–94
 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20171220052939/https://books.google.com/books?id=vTFvBwAAQBAJ&lpg=PA75&pg=PA75&dq=Grogono%2C%20Peter%3B%20Musys%3A%20Software%20for%20an%20Electronic%20Music%20Studio%20in%20Software%3A%20Practice%20and%20Experience
 | archive-date=20 December 2017
 }}</ref><ref name=Birtwistle|1975>
{{cite AV media | first     = Harrison | last = Birtwistle
 | author-link=Harrison Birtwistle
 | title     = Chronometer
 | date      = 1975
}} on {{cite AV media
 | title     = The Triumph Of Time / Chronometer (Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation Series #8)
 | url       = https://www.discogs.com/en/Harrison-Birtwistle-The-Triumph-Of-Time-Chronometer/release/1559264
 | medium    = Vinyl, LP, Album
 | publisher = Argo | location  = UK
 | id        = ZRG 790
}} ([https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmi3PT6-Tvo video] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171220052939/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmi3PT6-Tvo |date=20 December 2017 }} on YouTube)
* According to {{harvnb|Cockerell|2013}}, this piece was "''realised in 1971–72 by Peter Zinovieff at the Putney studio''".
</ref><ref name="KbdMag_June2010">
{{cite magazine
 | last      = Preve
 | first     = Francis
 | date      = 1 June 2010
 | title     = Sampler Evolution
 | url       = http://www.keyboardmag.com/gear/1183/sampler-evolution/27797
 | magazine  = Keyboard Magazine
 | quote     = {{smaller|''1976 / COMPUTER MUSIC MELODIAN / Based on a DEC PDP-8 computer, it had then-unheard-of 12-bit/22kHz resolution.''}}
 | url-status   = live
 | archive-url      = https://web.archive.org/web/20160918114118/http://www.keyboardmag.com/gear/1183/sampler-evolution/27797
 | archive-date      = 18 September 2016 }}
</ref><ref name="PennGazette_SeptOct2013">
{{cite magazine
 |last       = Chinen |first=Nate<!-- (C’97) -->
 |date       = 27 August 2013
 |title      = Synthesizing Music and Science
 |url        = http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/0913/arts02.html
 |department = ARTS
 |magazine   = The Pennsylvania Gazette
 |publisher  = University of Pennsylvania
 |issue      = Sept–Oct 2013
 |url-status = live
 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20140227213757/http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/0913/arts02.html
 |archive-date=27 February 2014
}} (see also [http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/0913/images/0913arts_mendell03.gif a photograph] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160113091559/http://www.upenn.edu/gazette/0913/images/0913arts_mendell03.gif |date=13 January 2016 }} of the Computer Music Melodian and Harry Mendell)<div style="margin-left:1em;font-size:90%;line-height:2.5ex;">"''...Mendell's pursuit of innovation, which brought some rather momentous results during his undergraduate years at Penn. / It was then, in the mid-1970s, that Mendell invented the world's first digital sampling synthesizer at an electronic-music laboratory that had been set up in the Annenberg Center. ... / Mendell licensed the Melodian technology to Yamaha, which used it to make a chip for commercial purposes. He also worked with Commodore. ... / A few days after our meeting, Mendell sends an email with the subject line "Exactly what I had in mind (in 1975)!"...''"</div>
</ref> {{citation needed span|has become a staple of [[music production]] in the 2000s.|date=February 2023|reason=Digital sampling was introduced in 1970s, and popularized at latest in the 1980s.}} Devices that use [[Sampler (musical instrument)|sampling]], record a sound digitally (often a musical instrument, such as a [[piano]] or [[flute]] being played), and replay it when a key or pad on a controller device (e.g., an [[electronic keyboard]], [[electronic drum]] pad, etc.) is pressed or triggered. Samplers can alter the sound using various [[effects unit|audio effects]] and audio processing. Sampling has its roots in France with the sound experiments carried out by [[musique concrète]] practitioners.

In the 1980s, when the technology was still in its infancy, digital samplers cost tens of thousands of dollars and they were only used by the top [[recording studio]]s and musicians. These were out of the price range of most musicians. Early samplers include the 8-bit [[Sampler (musical instrument)#History|Electronic Music Studios MUSYS-3]] circa 1970, [[Sampler (musical instrument)#Computer Music Melodian|Computer Music Melodian]] in 1976, [[Fairlight CMI]] in 1979, [[Emulator I]] in 1981, [[Synclavier#Black panel models|Synclavier II]] Sample-to-Memory (STM) option circa 1980, [[Ensoniq Mirage]] in 1984, and [[Akai#Digital Samplers (S, X, Z series)|Akai S612]] in 1985. The latter's successor, the [[Emulator II]] (released in 1984), listed for $8,000.<ref name="Electronic Music Pioneers">{{cite book
 | last = Kettlewell
 | first = Ben
 | title = Electronic Music Pioneers
 | publisher = Pro Music Press
 | location = USA
 | date = 2002}}</ref> Samplers were released during this period with high price tags, such as the [[Kurzweil Music Systems|K2000]] and [[K2500]].

Some important hardware samplers include the [[Kurzweil K250]], [[Akai MPC60]], [[Ensoniq Mirage]], [[Ensoniq ASR-10]], [[Akai S1000]], [[E-mu Emulator]], and [[Fairlight CMI]].<ref name="musicradar.com">{{cite web|last1=Solida|first1=Scot|title=The 10 most important hardware samplers in history|url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/the-10-most-important-hardware-samplers-in-history-361471|website=Music Radar|date=24 January 2011|access-date=December 8, 2015}}</ref>

One of the biggest uses of sampling technology was by [[hip-hop music]] [[DJ]]s and performers in the 1980s. Before affordable sampling technology was readily available, DJs would use a technique pioneered by [[Grandmaster Flash]] to manually repeat certain parts in a song by juggling between two separate turntables. This can be considered as an early precursor of sampling. In turn, this [[turntablism]] technique originates from Jamaican [[dub music]] in the 1960s and was introduced to American hip hop in the 1970s.

In the 2000s, most professional recording studios use digital technologies. In recent years, many samplers have only included digital technology. This new generation of digital samplers are capable of reproducing and manipulating sounds. Digital sampling plays an integral part in some genres of music, such as hip-hop and trap. Advanced sample libraries have made complete performances of [[orchestra]]l compositions possible that sound similar to a live performance.<ref name="Musical Instruments">
{{cite book |last1=Campbell |first1=Murray |url=https://archive.org/details/musicalinstrumen00dona |title=Musical Instruments |last2=Greated |first2=Clive |last3=Myers |first3=Arnold |publisher=Oxford University Press |year=2004 |location=New York |url-access=registration}}</ref> Modern sound libraries allow musicians to have the ability to use the sounds of almost any instrument in their productions.

===Sampling technology in Japan===
Early samplers include the 12-bit [[Toshiba]] {{ill|LMD-649|ja}} in 1981.<ref name="auto">''{{ill|Rockin'f|nl}}'', March 1982, [http://tokyosky.sub.jp/tokyosky_webmasters_blog/2011/02/f-19823-lmd-649-1982.html pp. 140–141]</ref>

The first affordable sampler in Japan was the [[Ensoniq Mirage]] in 1984. Also the [[Akai|AKAI S612]] became available in 1985, retailed for US$895. Other companies soon released affordable samplers, including [[Oberheim Electronics|Oberheim DPX-1]] in 1987, and more by [[Korg]], [[Casio]], [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]], and [[Roland Corporation|Roland]]. Some important hardware samplers in Japan include the [[Akai|Akai Z4/Z8]], Roland V-Synth, [[Casio FZ-1]].<ref name="musicradar.com"/>

==MIDI==
[[File:Synth rack @ Choking Sun Studio.jpg|thumb|alt=Several rack-mounted synthesizers that share a single controller|MIDI allows multiple instruments to be played from a single controller (often a keyboard, as pictured here), which makes stage setups much more portable. This system fits into a single rack case, but prior to the advent of MIDI. it would have required four separate, heavy full-size keyboard instruments, plus outboard mixing and [[effects unit]]s.]]
[[MIDI]] has been the musical instrument industry standard interface since the 1980s through to the present day.<ref name="fact">[http://www.factmag.com/2017/04/02/ikutaro-kakehashi-life/ The life and times of Ikutaro Kakehashi, the Roland pioneer modern music owes everything to], ''[[Fact (UK magazine)|Fact]]''</ref> It dates back to June 1981, when [[Roland Corporation]] founder [[Ikutaro Kakehashi]] proposed the concept of standardization between different manufacturers' instruments as well as computers, to [[Oberheim Electronics]] founder [[Tom Oberheim]] and [[Sequential Circuits]] president [[Dave Smith (engineer)|Dave Smith]]. In October 1981, Kakehashi, Oberheim and Smith discussed the concept with representatives from [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]], [[Korg]] and [[Kawai Musical Instruments|Kawai]].<ref name="chadab5100">{{cite journal|last=Chadabe|first=Joel|author-link=Joel Chadabe|date=1 May 2000|title=Part IV: The Seeds of the Future|journal=Electronic Musician|publisher=Penton Media|volume=XVI|issue=5|url=http://www.emusician.com/gear/0769/the-electronic-century-part-iv-the-seeds-of-the-future/145415|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120928230435/http://www.emusician.com/gear/0769/the-electronic-century-part-iv-the-seeds-of-the-future/145415|archive-date=28 September 2012}}</ref> In 1983, the MIDI standard was unveiled by Kakehashi and Smith.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/news/technical-grammy-award-ikutaro-kakehashi-and-dave-smith|title=Technical GRAMMY Award: Ikutaro Kakehashi And Dave Smith|date=29 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/videos/technical-grammy-award-recipients-ikutaro-kakehashi-and-dave-smith-at-special-merit-awards|title=Ikutaro Kakehashi, Dave Smith: Technical GRAMMY Award Acceptance|date=9 February 2013}}</ref>

Some universally accepted varieties of MIDI software applications include music instruction software, MIDI sequencing software, music notation software, [[hard disk]] recording/editing software, patch editor/sound library software, computer-assisted composition software, and [[Software synthesizer|virtual instruments]]. Current developments in computer hardware and specialized software continue to expand MIDI applications.

==Computers in music technology after 1980s==
Following the widespread adoption of MIDI, computer-based MIDI editors and sequencers were developed. MIDI-to-[[CV/Gate]] converters were then used to enable [[analogue synthesizer]]s to be controlled by a MIDI sequencer.<ref name="russ2012">{{cite book	 | last      = Russ         |first      = Martin	 | year      = 2012	 | title     = Sound Synthesis and Sampling	 | url       = https://books.google.com/books?id=X9h5AgAAQBAJ&pg=PA192	 | publisher = [[CRC Press]]	 | isbn     = 978-1136122149	 | page      = 192	 | access-date = 26 April 2017}}</ref>

Reduced prices in [[personal computer]]s caused the masses to turn away from the more expensive [[workstation]]s. Advancements in technology have increased the speed of hardware processing and the capacity of memory units. Software developers write new, more powerful programs for sequencing, recording, notating, and mastering music.

Digital audio workstation software, such as [[Pro Tools]], [[Logic Pro|Logic]], and many others, have gained popularity among the vast array of contemporary music technology in recent years. Such programs allow the user to record acoustic sounds with a [[microphone]] or software instrument, which may then be layered and organized along a timeline and edited on a [[flat-panel display]] of a [[computer]]. Recorded segments can be copied and duplicated ad infinitum, without any loss of fidelity or added noise (a major contrast from [[analog recording]], in which every copy leads to a loss of fidelity and added noise). Digital music can be edited and processed using a multitude of audio effects. [[Contemporary classical music]] sometimes uses computer-generated sounds—either pre-recorded or generated and manipulated live—in conjunction or juxtaposed on classical [[Acoustic music|acoustic instruments]] like the cello or violin. Music is scored with commercially available [[scorewriter|notation]] software.<ref>{{Cite journal|date=Autumn 2006|title=Digital Audio Workstation|author=Colby Leider|journal=[[Computer Music Journal]]|volume=30|issue=3|pages=106–107|issn=0148-9267|jstor=4617975}}</ref>

In addition to the digital audio workstations and music notation software, which facilitate the creation of fixed media (material that does not change each time it is performed), software facilitating interactive or generative music continues to emerge. Composition based on conditions or rules (algorithmic composition) has given rise to software which can automatically generate music based on input conditions or rules. Thus, the resulting music evolves each time conditions change. Examples of this technology include software designed for writing music for video games—where music evolves as a player advances through a level or when certain characters appear—or [[music and artificial intelligence|music generated from artificial intelligence]] trained to convert biometrics like EEG or ECG readings into music.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Miranda|first=Eduardo Reck|date=2011|title=Brain-computer music interface for composition and performance|journal=International Journal on Disability and Human Development|volume=5|issue=2|pages=119–126|doi=10.1515/IJDHD.2006.5.2.119|s2cid=6079751|issn=2191-0367}}</ref> Because this music is based on user interaction, it will be different each time it is heard. Other examples of generative music technology include the use of sensors connected to computer and artificial intelligence to generate music based on captured data, such as environmental factors, the movements of dancers, or physical inputs from a digital device such as a mouse or game controller. Software applications offering capabilities for generative and interactive music include SuperCollider, MaxMSP/Jitter, and Processing. Interactive music is made possible through physical computing, where the data from the physical world affects a computer's output and vice versa.<ref name=":0" />

==Timeline==
{{Promotional|section|date=February 2023}}
{{Main|Timeline of music technology}}

*{{Circa}}1920:<ref name="Holmes 2002 49">{{Cite book |last=Holmes |first=Thom |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Electronic_and_Experimental_Music/ILkquoGXEq0C?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=leon+theremin&pg=PA60&printsec=frontcover |title=Electronic and Experimental Music: Pioneers in Technology and Composition |date=2002 |publisher=Psychology Press |isbn=978-0-415-93644-6 |pages=49 |language=en}}</ref> [[Leon Theremin]] invented the prototype of the [[Theremin]]<ref name="Holmes 2002 49"/>
*1944 : [[Halim El-Dabh]] produces earliest [[Electroacoustic music|electroacoustic tape music]]<ref name="wire_2007">{{citation|title=The Wire, volumes 275–280|work=[[The Wire (magazine)|The Wire]]|year=2007|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=lvo4AQAAIAAJ|access-date=2011-06-05|page=24}}</ref><ref name="holmes_156">{{cite book|title=Electronic and experimental music: technology, music, and culture|first=Thom|last=Holmes|edition=3rd|publisher=Taylor & Francis|year=2008|isbn=978-0-415-95781-6|chapter=Early Synthesizers and Experimenters|page=156|chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hCthQ-bec-QC&pg=PA156|access-date=2011-06-04}}</ref>
*1952 : [[Harry F. Olson]] and Herbert Belar invent the [[RCA Synthesizer]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Holmes |first=Thom |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Electronic_and_Experimental_Music/aT5nAQAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=0 |title=Electronic and Experimental Music: Technology, Music, and Culture |date=2012-05-22 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-136-46895-7 |pages=113 |language=en}}</ref>
*1952 : Osmand Kendal develops the [[Composer-Tron]] for the Marconi Wireless Company<ref>{{Cite book |last=Graham |first=Gerald G. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Canadian_Film_Technology_1896_1986/lKKoJqjVn6QC?hl=en&gbpv=0 |title=Canadian Film Technology, 1896-1986 |date=1990 |publisher=University of Delaware Press |isbn=978-0-87413-347-9 |pages=152 |language=en}}</ref>
*1956 : [[Raymond Scott]] develops the [[Clavivox]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brend |first=Mark |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Sound_of_Tomorrow/oJHFAgAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=clavivox&pg=PA112&printsec=frontcover |title=The Sound of Tomorrow: How Electronic Music Was Smuggled into the Mainstream |date=2012-12-06 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-62356-153-6 |pages=112 |language=en}}</ref>
*1958 : [[Yevgeny Murzin]] along with several colleagues create the [[ANS synthesizer]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Adlington |first=Robert |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Sound_Commitments/cho6A5Je0tMC?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=ANS+synthesizer&pg=PA261&printsec=frontcover |title=Sound Commitments: Avant-Garde Music and the Sixties |date=2009-02-19 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-971436-0 |pages=258 |language=en}}</ref>
*1959 : [[Wurlitzer]] manufactures The Sideman, the first commercial electro-mechanical [[drum machine]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Brennan |first=Matt |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Kick_it/iqnDDwAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=wurlitzer+sideman&pg=PA285&printsec=frontcover |title=Kick it: A Social History of the Drum Kit |date=2020 |publisher=Oxford University Press |isbn=978-0-19-068386-3 |pages=285 |language=en}}</ref>
*1963 : The [[Mellotron]] starts to be manufactured in [[London]]<ref>{{Cite book |last=Perone |first=James E. |url=https://www.google.com/books/edition/Music_and_Technology/bkvEEAAAQBAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=mellotron&pg=PA131&printsec=frontcover |title=Music and Technology: A Historical Encyclopedia |date=2022-05-18 |publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA |isbn=978-1-4408-7830-5 |pages=130 |language=en}}</ref>
*1964 : The [[Moog synthesizer]] is released{{citation needed|date=February 2023|reason=Year 1963 was the year Robert Moog and Herb Deutsch started development, and the first modular was not completed. Full product release might be around the late 1960s}}<ref>Porcaro, A.  (2013, October 16). Moog, Robert A(rthur). ''Grove Music Online.'' {{doi|10.1093/gmo/9781561592630.article.A2250264}}.</ref>
*1968 : [[King Tubby]] pioneers [[dub music]], an early form of popular [[electronic music]]<ref name="veal">Michael Veal (2013), [https://books.google.com/books?id=kYtiAgAAQBAJ&pg=PP54 ''Dub: Soundscapes and Shattered Songs in Jamaican Reggae''], pp. 26–44, "Electronic Music in Jamaica", Wesleyan University Press</ref>
*1971 : [[ARP 2600]] is manufactured<ref>{{Cite web |title=ARP 2600 {{!}} Vintage Synth Explorer |url=https://www.vintagesynth.com/arp/2600 |access-date=2025-08-22 |website=Vintage Synth Explorer}}</ref>
*1982 : [[Sony]] and [[Philips]] introduce [[compact disc]]
*1982 : Introduction of MIDI<ref>Perone, J. E. (2022). MIDI. In ''Music and technology: A historical encyclopedia''. Bloomsbury Publishing USA.</ref><ref>Romo, Taylor, "MIDI: A Standard for Music in the Ever Changing Digital Age" (2018). ''Capstone Projects and Master's Theses''. 368. https://digitalcommons.csumb.edu/caps_thes_all/368</ref>
*1986 : The first [[Digital mixing console|digital consoles]] appear{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
*1987 : [[Digidesign]] markets [[Sound Tools]]{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}

===Timeline in Japan===
{{Promotional|section|date=February 2023}}
*1963 : Keio Electronics (later [[Korg]]) produces the [[DA-20]]{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
*1964 : [[Ikutaro Kakehashi]] debuts [[Ace Tone]] R-1 Rhythm Ace, the first [[electronic drum]]<ref name="sos_roland">{{citation |last=Reid |first=Gordon |year=2004 |title=The History Of Roland Part 1: 1930&ndash;1978 |journal=[[Sound on Sound]] |issue=November |url=http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/nov04/articles/roland.htm |access-date=19 June 2011 }}</ref><ref>Matt Dean (2011), [https://books.google.com/books?id=9RmN7w8kVpAC&pg=PA390 ''The Drum: A History'', page 390], [[Scarecrow Press]]</ref><ref name="fact2016">{{cite web|url=http://www.factmag.com/2016/09/22/the-14-drum-machines-that-shaped-modern-music/|title=The 14 drum machines that shaped modern music|date=22 September 2016|website=factmag.com|access-date=17 April 2018}}</ref>
*1965 : [[Nippon Columbia]] patents an early electronic [[drum machine]]<ref name=US3482027>{{cite web|url=http://www.google.ms/patents/US3482027|title=Automatic rhythm instrument}}</ref>
*1966 : [[Korg]] releases [[Korg Mini Pops|Donca-Matic DE-20]], an early electronic drum machine<ref name=DoncaMatic>
{{cite web | title     = Donca-Matic (1963) | url       = http://www.korg.co.jp/SoundMakeup/Museum/Doncamatic/ | work      = Korg Museum | publisher = [[Korg]]}}</ref>
*1967 : [[Ace Tone]] releases FR-1 Rhythm Ace, the first drum machine to enter [[popular music]]<ref name="cambridge">Russell Hartenberger (2016), [https://books.google.com/books?id=G2WSCwAAQBAJ&pg=PA84 ''The Cambridge Companion to Percussion'', page 84], [[Cambridge University Press]]</ref>
*1967 :  First [[PCM]] recorder developed by [[NHK]]<ref name="Fine">{{cite journal |last=Fine |first=Thomas |year=2008 |title=The dawn of commercial digital recording |journal=[[Association for Recorded Sound Collections|ARSC Journal]] |volume=39 |issue=1 |pages=1–17 |url=http://www.aes.org/aeshc/pdf/fine_dawn-of-digital.pdf}}</ref>
*1969 : [[Panasonic|Matsushita]] engineer Shuichi Obata invents first [[direct-drive turntable]], [[Technics (brand)|Technics SP-10]]<ref name="billboard">''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'', May 21, 1977, [https://books.google.com/books?id=XCMEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PT140 page 140]</ref>
*1973 : [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]] release{{citation needed|date=February 2023|reason=Year 1973 may be introduction in NAMM, but it might be not released as the product}} [[Yamaha GX-1]],<ref>Peter Manning, [https://books.google.com/books?id=ryet1i-8OlYC&pg=PA264 ''Electronic and Computer Music'', page 264], [[Oxford University Press]]</ref> the first [[polyphonic synthesizer]]<ref>[http://www.vintagesynth.com/yamaha/gx1.php Yamaha GX-1], Vintage Synth Explorer</ref>
*1974{{citation needed|date=February 2023|reason=Year 1974 may be the start year of development}} : Yamaha build first [[digital synthesizer]]<ref name=yamaha2014>{{cite web |ref={{sfnref|Yamaha|2014}} | title     = [Chapter 2] FM Tone Generators and the Dawn of Home Music Production | url       = http://usa.yamaha.com/products/music-production/synthesizers/synth_40th/history/chapter02/ | archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20141023140056/http://usa.yamaha.com/products/music-production/synthesizers/synth_40th/history/chapter02/ | archivedate=2014-10-23 | work      = Yamaha Synth 40th Anniversary – History | year      = 2014 | publisher = Yamaha Corporation}}</ref>
*1977 : [[Roland Corporation|Roland]] release [[Roland MC-8 Microcomposer|MC-8]], an early microprocessor-driven [[CV/Gate]] digital sequencer<ref name="sos_roland"/><ref name="russ2012"/>
*1978 : Roland releases [[Roland CR-78|CR-78]], the first microprocessor-driven [[drum machine]]<ref name="sos_roland"/>
*1979{{citation needed|date=February 2023|reason=It may be in 1981.}} : [[Casio]] releases [[Casio VL-1|VL-1]],<ref>Mark Vail, ''The Synthesizer: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding, Programming, Playing, and Recording the Ultimate Electronic Music Instrument'', page 277, [[Oxford University Press]]</ref> the first commercial [[digital synthesizer]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Zo0XAQAAIAAJ|title=Impact of MIDI on electroacoustic art music|first1=Alex|last1=Igoudin|first2=Stanford University Center for Computer Research in Music and|last2=Acoustics|first3=Stanford University Dept of|last3=Music|date=17 April 1997|publisher=CCRMA, Department of Music, Stanford University|access-date=17 April 2018|via=Google Books}}</ref>
*1980 : Roland releases [[Roland TR-808|TR-808]], the most widely used drum machine in popular music<ref>{{citation|title=A Beginner's Guide to Digital Video|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=stvOCfhc_igC&pg=PA18|year=2004|first=Peter | last=Wells|page=18|publisher=AVA Books|isbn=2-88479-037-3|access-date=2011-05-20}}</ref>
*1980 : Roland introduces [[Digital Control Bus|DCB]] protocol and [[DIN sync|DIN]] interface with TR-808{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
*1980 : [[Yamaha Corporation|Yamaha]] releases GS-1, the first [[FM synthesis|FM]] [[digital synthesizer]]{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
*1980 : Kazuo Morioka creates Firstman SQ-01, the first [[bass synth]] with a sequencer<ref>{{cite web | title = Firstman International | url = http://www.synrise.de/docs/types/f/firstman.htm | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20030420170643/http://www.synrise.de/docs/types/f/firstman.htm | archive-date = 2003-04-20 | language = de | work = SYNRISE | quote = FIRSTMAN existiert seit 1972 und hat seinen Ursprung in Japan. Dort ist die Firma unter dem Markennamen HILLWOOD bekannt. HILLWOOD baute dann auch 1973 den quasi ersten Synthesizer von FIRSTMAN. Die Firma MULTIVOX liess ihre Instrumente von 1976 bis 1980 bei HILLWOOD bauen.<!--  Siehe auch Hinweis unter SORKIN MUSIC CO.! Nach Europa gelangten die FIRSTMAN-Produkte über TAIYO. --> SQ-10 / mon syn kmi ? (1980) / Monophoner Synthesizer mit wahrscheinlich eingebautem Sequenzer. Die Tastatur umfasst 37 Tasten. Die Klangerzeugung beruht auf zwei VCOs. | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>Mark Jenkins (2009), [https://books.google.com/books?id=iI77AwAAQBAJ&pg=PA107 ''Analog Synthesizers''], pp. 107–108, [[CRC Press]]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050308154533/http://www.soundonsound.com/sos/Jul02/articles/retrozone0702.asp "A Tale of Two String Synths"], ''[[Sound on Sound]]'', July 2002</ref>
*1981 : Roland releases [[TB-303]], a [[bass synthesizer]] that lays foundations for [[Acid house|acid]] [[house music]]<ref name="guardian">{{cite web|last=Vine|first=Richard|title=Tadao Kikumoto invents the Roland TB-303|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2011/jun/15/tadao-kikumoto-roland|work=[[The Guardian]]|access-date=9 July 2011|date=15 June 2011}}</ref>
*1981 : [[Toshiba]]'s {{ill|LMD-649|ja}}, the first{{citation needed|date=February 2023}} [[PCM]] digital [[Sampler (musical instrument)|sampler]] in Japan, introduced with [[Yellow Magic Orchestra]]'s ''[[Technodelic]]''<ref name="auto"/>
*1982 : First MIDI [[synthesizer]]s released, [[Roland Jupiter-6]] and [[Sequential Circuits|Prophet 600]]<ref name="russ"/>
*1983 : Roland releases MSQ-700, the first MIDI sequencer<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.roland.com/ca/company/history/|title=Roland – Company – History – Our History}}</ref>
*1983 : Roland releases [[Roland TR-909|TR-909]], the first MIDI [[drum machine]]<ref name="russ">{{cite book |title=Sound synthesis and sampling |last=Russ |first=Martin |page=66 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_W9Ek2LmPNMC&pg=PA365|isbn=9780240516929 |year=2004 |publisher=Taylor & Francis }}</ref>
*1983 : Yamaha releases [[Yamaha DX7|DX7]], the first commercially successful [[digital synthesizer]]<ref name=Pinch2003/>
*1985 : [[Akai]] releases the [[Akai S900|Akai S612]], a digital [[Sampler (musical instrument)|sampler]]{{citation needed|date=February 2023}}
*1988 : Akai introduces the [[Akai MPC|Akai MPC 60]], the first of Akai's MPC series of sampler workstations<ref>{{Cite web |date=2017-02-22 |title=A Brief History of the Akai MPC |url=https://reverb.com/news/a-brief-history-of-the-akai-mpc |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=reverb.com |language=en}}</ref>
*1994 : Yamaha releases the ProMix 01 digital mixing console<ref>{{Cite web |last=Hawken |first=Dominic |author-link=Dominic Hawken |date=January 1995 |title=Yamaha Promix 01 |url=https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/yamaha-promix-01 |access-date=2025-04-01 |website=Sound On Sound}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Comparison of free software for audio]]
* [[List of music software]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

==Further reading==
*{{cite book
 | last = Cunningham
 | first = Mark
 | title = Good Vibrations: a History of Record Production
 | publisher = Sanctuary Publishing
 | location = London
 | date = 1998|ref=none}}
*{{cite book
 | last = Taylor
 | first = Timothy
 | title = Strange Sounds
 | url = https://archive.org/details/strangesoundsmus00tayl
 | url-access = registration
 | publisher = [[Routledge]]
 | location = New York
 | date = 2001|ref=none}}
*{{cite web|last1=Weir|first1=William|title=How the Drum Machine Changed Pop Music|url=http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2011/11/21/drum_machines_40_years_in_popular_music.html|website=[[Slate (magazine)|Slate]]|date=21 November 2011|access-date=December 9, 2015|ref=none}}
*{{cite web|title=An Audio Timeline|url=http://www.aes.org/aeshc/docs/audio.history.timeline.html|website=[[Audio Engineering Society]]|access-date=December 8, 2015}}

{{Music technology}}
{{Music topics}}

[[Category:Music technology| ]]
[[Category:Sound recording]]
[[Category:Audio electronics]]
[[Category:Audio software]]
[[Category:Music history]]
[[Category:Musical instruments]]