What is a Synthesizer?

If you have ever seen a Keyboard Synthesizer, you would have observed that it looks very much like the usual arranger keyboard or musical keyboard. But then that is where the comparison actually ends. A Synthesizer is a far more superior musical instrument and is meant for the professional musician.

Though they look like keyboards and most of them have 61 keys, they include sound generating elements which can be used to create professional sounds and patterns. Synthesizers are much more expensive instruments and they give you the capability to manipulate various parameters of the built-in sounds. Basically, it is used in studios for recording purposes.

Since they are professional instruments, they usually do not have built-in speakers. You are supposed to connect it to external speakers, also known as monitors to hear what you are playing. These instruments do not have built-in accompaniment patterns as well.

You will find that the sounds from synthesizers are used as sound effects in background scores and lot of keyboardists also use them in bands because of their stunning sounds and effects.

It is not that these are used only for techno sounds, these instruments contain many melody and percussion sounds as well. But then these instruments have huge fan following because of their ability to create completely new sounds from scratch.

You have the ability to program and save these sounds in the instrument itself for later use or you can even choose to play these sounds in real time.  For that reason, these instruments are used both in studios as well as for live performances.