An analog synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog signals to generate sound electronically.
Ensoniq ESQ-1 is a 61-key, velocity sensitive, eight-note polyphonic and multitimbral synthesizer released by Ensoniq in 1985. It was marketed as a "digital wave synthesizer" but was an early Music Workstation. Although its voice generation is typically subtractive in much the same fashion as most analog synthesizers that preceded it, its oscillators are neither voltage nor "digitally controlled", but true digital oscillators, provided by a custom Ensoniq wavetable chip. The signal path includes analog resonant low-pass filters and an analog amplifier.
The Korg Poly-800 is an 8-voice analog synthesizer released by Korg in 1983. Its initial list price of $795 made it the first fully programmable polyphonic synthesizer that sold for less than $1,000. It was designed for portability, featuring battery power and a lightweight design that allowed the user to play with it strapped around their neck. It utilized digitally controlled oscillators (DCOs), and was a paraphonic synth with a single filter shared between its eight voices.
The Yamaha AN1x is a DSP-based analog modeling synthesizer, produced by Yamaha Corporation from 1997 to 1998, and was marketed as an "analog physical modelling control synthesizer".
The Realistic Concertmate MG-1 is an analog synthesizer manufactured by Moog Music in 1981 and sold by Radio Shack from 1982 to 1983 under their "Realistic" brand name. It was produced without some standard Moog features, such as pitch and modulation wheels, as a cost-cutting measure aimed at achieving a lower price for the consumer market. The synthesizer also featured a pair of pass-through RCA jacks, which allowed users to mix radio or records into the final live synthesized sound output.
The Roland Jupiter-4 (JP-4) was an analog synthesizer manufactured by the Roland Corporation between 1978 and 1981. It was notable as the company's first self-contained polyphonic synthesizer, and for employing digital control of analog circuits, allowing for such features as programmable memory, voice assignment modes, an arpeggiator, polyphonic portamento and others.
The Korg Prophecy is a monophonic synthesizer released by Korg in 1995. Korg's first monophonic synthesizer since the Mono/Poly, the Prophecy employs Korg's Multi Oscillator Synthesis System (MOSS), which features digital oscillators capable of emulating synthesis techniques such as analog synthesis, FM and physical modelling. Emphasized for its portability, expressiveness, and engaging playability, a distinctive feature of the Prophecy is its multifunctional Wheel 3, nicknamed the 'log'.
The Korg Poly-61(PS-61) is an analog programmable polyphonic synthesizer released by Korg in 1982, as a successor to the Polysix. It was the first affordable synthesizer to feature two oscillators per voice, and was Korg's first largely "knobless" synthesizer, replacing the traditional knobs and switches found on the Polysix with a series of parameter selectors and two incrementing buttons that allowed the user to program sounds one section at a time.
The Korg MS2000 is a virtual analog synthesizer produced by the Japanese electronic musical instrument manufacturer Korg.
The Oberheim OB•12 is a Virtual Analog synthesizer, designed and realised by the Italian musical instrument manufacturer Viscount, in production between 2000 and 2005.
The Korg DSS-1 is a polyphonic sampling synthesizer released by Korg in 1986. As Korg's initial entry into the sampling market, the DSS-1 combines sampling, additive synthesis, and waveform drawing with an analog signal path. The DSS-1 was released a time when major synthesizer manufacturers like Yamaha and Casio were beginning to explore sampling, an area of sound design dominated by companies like Fairlight, E-mu, and Ensoniq. Korg did not stay long in the sampling arena; the DSS-1 was the company's only sampler until 1998 when Korg introduced sampling options on their Triton and Trinity series of workstations.
The Korg DS-8 is a digital eight-voice FM synthesizer released by Korg in 1987. Following an agreement with Yamaha for access to its research and development facilities, it was designed using Yamaha components and constructed under a licensing agreement. It introduced an analog-style interface for controlling FM sounds and could play different patches on each of its eight voices, marking it as Korg's first multi-timbral MIDI synthesizer. Accompanying its launch was the Korg 707, a more portable version of the DS-8, lacking digital effects but equipped with strap pegs for keytar performance.
The Korg Mono/Poly (MP-4) is a paraphonic analog synthesizer released by Korg in 1981, bridging the gap between monophonic and polyphonic synthesis. Released in the same year as the Korg Polysix, as a complementary synth, The Mono/Poly is equipped with four VCOs and can operate as a four-voice paraphonic synth with limited capabilities, or as a monophonic synth using all four oscillators. Upon its release, it was the only monophonic synthesizer with an integrated quad-VCO design available on the market.
The Korg DW-6000 is a polyphonic hybrid digital-analog synthesizer released in 1985. It blends digital waveforms with an analog filter and amplifier, also incorporating a chorus effect to create an enriched analog sound. The DW-6000 features six-note polyphony and was quickly succeeded by the DW-8000, also released in 1985, which introduced a velocity sensitive keyboard with aftertouch, a built-in arpeggiator, increased polyphony and waveforms, and substituted the chorus effect with a digital delay effect.
The AX60 is a polyphonic analogue keyboard synthesizer manufactured by Akai Professional in the mid-1980s. It was Akai's answer to the popular Roland Juno series synthesizers. The AX60 uses voltage-controlled analogue oscillators and filter circuitry based on the Curtis Electronics CEM 3394 integrated circuit.
The CZ series is a family of low-cost phase distortion synthesizers produced by Casio in the mid-1980s. Eight models of CZ synthesizers were released: the CZ-101, CZ-230S, CZ-1000, CZ-2000S, CZ-2600S, CZ-3000, CZ-5000, and the CZ-1. Additionally, the home-keyboard model CT-6500 used 48 phase distortion presets from the CZ line. The CZ synthesizers' price at the time of their introduction made programmable synthesizers affordable enough to be purchased by garage bands. Yamaha soon introduced their own low-cost digital synthesizers, including the DX-21 (1985) and Yamaha DX100, in light of the CZ series' success.
The Korg Minilogue is a polyphonic analog synthesizer released in 2016 by Korg. It offers users four-voice polyphony with two analog VCOs per-voice and was designed to be affordable. It was designed by Korg engineer and synthesizer designer Tatsuya Takahashi, who said "the concept of the Minilogue was to build an analog synthesizer that doesn't rely on the fame and success of an old synth".
The miniKORG 700 is a monophonic analog synthesizer released by Korg in 1973, marking their entry into mass-produced synthesizers and their first monophonic synthesizer. It was initially designed to be placed on top of an organ, so its controls are located below the keyboard facing towards the performer. An updated model, the miniKORG 700S, was launched in 1974, introducing a second oscillator that could be detuned, along with additional sustain and vibrato controls.
The Korg Trident is a polyphonic multi-section synthesizer released by Korg in 1980, combining three distinct synthesizers within a single instrument:: a polyphonic section with two VCOs, alongside dedicated String and Brass sections. The polyphonic synthesizer section allows for eight-note polyphony with dual oscillators. The String section offers an ensemble effect and simple attack/release envelope controls, whereas the Brass section features an independent filter and a dedicated ADSR envelope. These sections can be assigned to two different regions of the keyboard independently, and the Trident also offers a flanger effect along with a joystick for pitch bending and modulation.
The Volca Keys is a analogue synthesizer manufactured by the Japanese music technology company Korg. It was announced in April 2013 at MusikMesse and was at the time one of the few affordable analogue synthesizers available. The Volca Keys uses subtractive synthesis to create sounds and is three-note paraphonic, meaning that it can play chords with all voices sharing a single voltage-controlled filter (VCF).
