A digital synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses digital signal processing (DSP) techniques to make musical sounds. This in contrast to older analog synthesizers, which produce music using analog electronics, and samplers, which play back digital recordings of acoustic, electric, or electronic instruments. Some digital synthesizers emulate analog synthesizers; others include sampling capability in addition to digital synthesis.
The Fairlight CMI is a digital synthesizer, sampler, and digital audio workstation introduced in 1979 by Fairlight. It was based on a commercial licence of the Qasar M8 developed by Tony Furse of Creative Strategies in Sydney, Australia. It was one of the earliest music workstations with an embedded sampler and is credited for coining the term sampling in music. It rose to prominence in the early 1980s and competed with the Synclavier from New England Digital.
A music workstation is an electronic musical instrument providing the facilities of:
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument that records and plays back samples. Samples may comprise elements such as rhythm, melody, speech, sound effects or longer portions of music.
Thunder Seven is the seventh studio album by Canadian hard rock band Triumph, released in November 1984. Three songs on the second half of the album follow a concept based on time-related themes.
"Can't Let Go" is a song recorded by American singer Mariah Carey for her second studio album, Emotions (1991). Columbia Records released it as the album's second single in November 1991. Featuring synthesizers and drum programming, "Can't Let Go" is a breakup song in the form of an R&B and pop slow jam. The lyrics, written by Carey, are about sadness after the end of a relationship. She composed the music and produced the song with Walter Afanasieff, who had previously worked on her 1990 single "Love Takes Time". Carey's vocal range spans more than three octaves; her delivery is predominately breathy and in a low register, with whistle notes featured in the song's introduction and ending.
“If It's Over” is a song written by American singers and songwriters Mariah Carey and Carole King, with the former and Walter Afanasieff helming its production. It was originally released on September 17, 1991, on Carey's second studio album, Emotions. Lyrically, the song tells of a romance that has withered, and finds the protagonist asking her lover, “if it's over, let me go”. Several months after the release of Emotions, Carey performed the song during her appearance on the television show MTV Unplugged.
"It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be" is a duet recorded between Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston, and appeared on Franklin's 1989 album Through the Storm. The song was released on June 10, 1989, as the second single from the album by Arista Records.
Celine Dion is the eleventh studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, and her second English-language album. It was released by Columbia Records and Epic Records on 30 March 1992, and features the Grammy and Academy Award-winning song "Beauty and the Beast", and other hits like "If You Asked Me To" and "Love Can Move Mountains". The album was produced by Walter Afanasieff, Ric Wake, Guy Roche and Humberto Gatica. It reached numbers one in Quebec and three in Canada, where it was certified Diamond for shipments of over one million copies. At the 35th Annual Grammy Awards, Celine Dion was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. The album has sold over five million copies worldwide.
Curtis Frasca is an American entrepreneur, real estate investor, record label owner, music publisher, and former multi-platinum award-winning record producer, songwriter, musician, studio owner and recording engineer.
Songs is the ninth studio album by American R&B/soul singer-songwriter Luther Vandross. It was released by Epic Records on September 20, 1994. The album, a collection of cover versions, produced the singles "Endless Love", "Always and Forever", and "Ain't No Stoppin' Us Now". According to an interview both Vandross and Mariah Carey gave in Japan following the release of their duet "Endless Love", there was mention that Carey had given advice as to what songs Vandross would cover on this album.
Incognito is the eighth French-language studio album by Canadian singer Celine Dion, and her first album on a major record label. It was released by CBS Records on 2 April 1987 in Quebec, Canada. The album features eight songs produced by Jean Roussel, Aldo Nova and Pierre Bazinet. Six songs were released as singles in Quebec and all of them reached the top five on the Quebec Airplay Chart, including four number ones: "Incognito", "Lolita ", "Comme un cœur froid" and "D'abord, c'est quoi l'amour". Incognito was certified two-times Platinum in Canada and has sold over 500,000 copies worldwide. It topped the chart in Quebec for five weeks.
"Nothing Broken but My Heart" is a song by Canadian singer Celine Dion, recorded for her second English-language album, Celine Dion (1992). It was released as the third single in Canada, United States and Japan in August 1992, and fourth in Australia in January 1993. Written by Diane Warren and produced by Walter Afanasieff, it topped the adult contemporary charts in both the United States and Canada. The song was the second Dion's single which reached number-one position on the US Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. It peaked at number three in Canada and number 29 in the United States. In 1994, "Nothing Broken but My Heart" won an ASCAP Pop Award for most performed song in the United States.
The Sport of Kings is the eighth studio album by the Canadian hard rock band Triumph, released in 1986. It was recorded at the band's home studio of Metalworks Studios from May to August 1986. A song from the album, "Somebody's Out There", was the band's biggest hit, reaching number 27 on the Billboard Hot 100 over a 15-week stay in the charts and hitting number 84 in the Canadian pop charts.
"Missing You Now" is a song by American singer-songwriter Michael Bolton. It was the fourth single released from his 1991 album, Time, Love & Tenderness, and features saxophone player Kenny G. The track was co-produced by Walter Afanasieff, who co-wrote the song with Bolton and Diane Warren.
"Time, Love and Tenderness" is a song written by Diane Warren and performed by American recording artist Michael Bolton. Released by Columbia as a single from his seventh album of the same title (1991), the song reached number seven on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, becoming Bolton's fifth top-ten single in the United States. It was also the singer's fourth song to top the Billboard Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks chart. Worldwide the song reached number four in Canada, number 27 in Sweden and number 28 in the United Kingdom.
Be Yourself is the ninth solo album by American singer-songwriter Patti LaBelle. It was released by MCA Records on June 26, 1989 in the United States. Her second album with the company following her 1986 platinum album Winner in You, it features the single, "If You Asked Me To" which was also featured on the soundtrack to the James Bond movie, Licence to Kill (1989), and the R&B top ten Prince-written hit "Yo Mister." The album marked LaBelle's foray into new jack swing music with the tracks "I Got It Like That", produced by Full Force, and "Love 89", another Prince contribution.
Trey Lorenz is the debut solo album by R&B singer-songwriter Trey Lorenz. It was released on Epic Records in 1992, and features 11 tracks, 8 of which Lorenz co-wrote.
The Chick Corea Elektric Band is an album by jazz and fusion keyboard player Chick Corea, released in 1986. It is the eponymous debut album of the Chick Corea Elektric Band, which at that time also featured drummer Dave Weckl, bass player John Patitucci and guitarists Scott Henderson and Carlos Rios.
Through the Fire is the sixteenth studio album by American singer Peabo Bryson. It was released by Columbia Records on June 14, 1994, in the United States and marked Bryson's first full-length album after the release of his number-one hit duets "Beauty and the Beast" (1991) and "A Whole New World" (1992). The singer reteamed with David Foster, Walter Afanasieff, and Dwight Watkins and consulted upcoming producers Keith Rawls, Keith Thomas and Marc Freeman to work with him on the majority of Through the Fire which was titled after Bryson's cover of the Foster-penned Chaka Khan song (1984).
