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A synthesizer which employs all analog circuits, at least in the audio signal path. The differences between analog and digital synthesis tend to produce different qualities in the sounds that they generate.The first music synthesizers had all analog signal paths; prior to about 1980 digital synthesis was very expensive and available to only a handful of performers. In the ‘80s, improving CPU technology resulted in the introduction of digital synthesizers that were affordable to most perfomers.That, and a fad for samplers, resulted in analog synthesizers going out of production.However, starting in the late’90s, performers who had grown up with the classic ‘70s analog synths such as the Minimoog and ARP Odyssey began seeking new equipment that used the methods that they were familiar with, and analog synthesis was reborn. The differences between analog and digital methods of synthesis are a flame war topic for some performers.


Nearly all analog synthesizers employ subtractive methods of synthesis, other methods [such as additive or resynthesis) being very difficult and expensive to implement with analog circuitry.

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