Modular synthesis: the Moog to reacTable

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excerpt:
"The sound of generators
The synthesizer requires a module that is capable of generating some sort of initial sound on which amendments will be introduced later with other modules. The sound of generators, therefore, constitute the fundamental basis from which will synthesize a sound more complex. We could differentiate 4 basic types of sound generators:

* Oscillators: These are modules that allow generate a wave periodic simple. These were the essential element in the early analog electronic synthesizers, since there are electronic circuits capable of generating these waves simple (oscillators). In the world of electronics, these oscillators are called Voltage Controlled Oscilators (VCO), or voltage controlled oscillator, which let you control the pitch of the wave generated depending on the voltage of an external signal. I list below some examples of simple waves generated by the module oscillator Audio Architect.

* Table-wave oscillators (digital synthesis): The electronic analog only allows certain types of simple wave (sine waves, square, the sawtooth or triangular). In software synthesizers, however, it is possible to generate waves somewhat more complex simply "drawing" it with the mouse. The computer stores that drawing in what is called a "wave table" and then the module oscillator is capable of generating a wave of real agreement on how stored at that table. In the examples shown a subsequent wave of this kind.

* Schedule of waves or Samples: In electronic music, a "sample" is a piece of music or sound previously recorded, and also to be stored as a wavetable. Thus, we can record the sound of a drum battery or a musical note of a saxophone and incorporate them into our synthesizer, so that we can then use as a source of sound in our synthesizer, and apply changes of tone, phase, and so on. This is not unique to computers. The famous Mellotron (1960) and its precursor, the Chamberlin (1946) had a keyboard and a set of samples recorded on tape that was played by touching the keys of the instrument. These instruments were the parents of current samplers.

* Generators noise: Well, that generate noise, noise as it appeared acompañanado the "snow" in the old tels when it had not been tuned a program."