Book recommendation: Mark Vail – THE SYNTHESIZER (2014)

In “The Synthesizer”, veteran music technology Journalist Mark Vail tells the complete story of the synthesizer: the origins of the many forms the instrument takes; crucial advancements in sound generation, musical control, and composition made with instruments that may have become best sellers or gone entirely unnoticed; and the basics and intricacies of acoustics and synthesized sound.

Mark-Vail-The-Synthesizer-01

Vail also describes how to successfully select, program, and play a synthesizer; what alternative controllers exist for creating electronic music; and how to stay focused and productive when faced with a room full of instruments.

Mark-Vail-The-Synthesizer-03

Mark-Vail-The-Synthesizer-04

Some of the photos are likely to be already known from “Vintage Synthesizers”, but most of the pictures are new, of course. Overall, “The Synthesizer” is an extremely useful, versatile and above all up-to-date book. Arturia’s Mini-Brute is here represented, as well as John Bowen’s Solaris and many other wonderful instruments.

Mark-Vail-The-Synthesizer-02

This book is a must have!

——————————————————

Mark Vail
“The Synthesizer”

Oxford University Press

ISBN: 978-0-19-539481-8

Price:

Hardback: 83 GBP
Paperback: 30 GBP

——————————————————

Links:

Oxford University Press – “The Synthesizer” (Hardback)
Oxford University Press – “The Synthesizer” (Paperback)

Amazon.com – “The Synthesizer” (Paperback)

Filed under 2014, Books

“Es genügt, einen Ton schön zu spielen” sagte der Komponist Arvo Pärt im Jahre 2005. Diese Aussage ist ebenso einfach wie ich auch exzellent: Es braucht kein Meer an Tönen, denn entscheidend ist der Klang. Dass so mancher Vintage-Synthesizer der 70er und 80er Jahre teils unerreicht hochwertige Klänge liefert, steht außer Frage. Doch tatsächlich leben wir “heute” in einer nahezu perfekten Zeit. Einerseits hat man – mehr oder weniger – noch Zugriff auf die Vintage Analogen, andererseits wird auch bei Neugeräten die wichtige Komponente des hochwertigen Klanges wieder zunehmend berücksichtigt. Doepfer, Cwejman, Synthesizers.com, MacBeth, Moog, GRP, Studio Electronics, COTK, John Bowen und andere Hersteller bauen hervorragende Synthesizer, die den “Klassikern” in nichts nachstehen. All diesen (alten wie neuen) “großartigen” Instrumenten ist Great Synthesizers gewidmet. _________________________________________________________ In 2005 composer Arvo Pärt said: “Playing one tone really well is enough”. In other words, it is sufficient to play one tone 'beautifully'. I agree with that. All musical efforts are focused on the sound itself. Although I studied classical music (piano and drums), it’s the electronic sound that inspires me. Synthesizers are the epitome of new sounds and exciting tonal spheres. Today, many companies produce high-quality - excellent! - synthesizers: Doepfer, Cwejman, MacBeth, Moog, GRP, Synthesizers.com, COTK, Studio Electronics, John Bowen and others. It's their products I'm really interested in ... apart from Vintage Synthesizers, which I have been collecting for 20 years. Subsequent to our former websites Bluesynths and Blogasys, Peter Mahr and I have now created GreatSynthesizers. We hope you like it.