Synthesizers are musical instruments capable of producing a myriad of tones and sounds. Vintage synthesizers were more limited in capability than their modern counterparts. The appearance and size of synthesizers have also changed dramatically since they were initially introduced.

The first synthesizer was invented in 1876 by Elisa Gray, the inventor of the telephone. Called the musical telegraph, it was a single note oscillator which used the same technology as a telephone. The synthesizer was discovered accidentally, when Elisa Gray discovered that sound can be manipulated with vibrating electromagnetic circuit. Following this invention, other synthesizers were invented. The technology of vintage synthesizers was derived from early musical instruments, analogue computers, and some laboratory test instruments.

In 1937 Ivor Darreg made a single microtonal electronic keyboard oboe. After this Evgeny Murzin made an ANS synthesizer. A big Mark 2 Music Synthesizer was made in 1958. It was placed at the Princeton Electronic Music centre situated in New York. The trick with the synthesizer was it could only be played after making the whole programming of the machine. There was a no air tube system. It had to be used with effort while making any type of new noise.

In 1958 Daphne Oram also invented a synthesizer. It was invented at BBC radiophonic Workshop. She used a method called Oramics method to invent this instrument. BBC used this synthesizer for many years. In the late 1940s and early 50s many automated music controllers were made. Raymond Scott, John Hanert, Hugh el Caine and few others invented these kinds of controllers.

Synthesizers that could be played in real time were available by 1960, but were so enormous that they filled entire sound studios. Most had limited features, which sometimes included a simulated tone similar that that of an acoustic piano, but usually very little else.

We can try many tones on old age synthesizers. Actually they were devices made in a unique way. The mechanics had to be supported on the meaning of modularity. Robert Moog made a synthesizer which was very famous at that time. The synthesizer helped a lot of pop musicians. The attraction about this instrument was that it was compact than the previous instruments and it looked different from a machine.

Micky Dolenz of “The Monkees” was the first to buy this synthesizer. Their fourth album, called Pisces, Aquarius, Capricorn and Jones Ltd, released in 1967, was the first album to feature a synthesizer. This album marked the beginning of the synthesizers popularity with musicians.

Though modern synthesizers have eclipsed their vintage counterparts in usability, function, and features, early synthesizers must be recognized for the vital role they played in the develop of this unique musical instrument.