Electronic Music Synthesis: Concepts, Facilities, Techniques

Among the most exciting developments in recent contemporary music has been the possibility of creating musical sounds directly on tape recordings by electronic means. Electronic music has opened up new areas of sound, new resources for the composer. Dr. Howe’s book is a lucid, thorough guide to the use of these new tools and techniques, and is intended for readers who are interested in gaining first-hand knowledge of how electronic music is created.

The book is divided into three major sections, Part I deals with basic information about the nature of sound and of hearing—acoustics and psychoacoustics. In Part II, the equipment and methods of synthesis are discussed in terms of the three primary techniques—studio work, integrated synthesizers, and computer generation. Part III examines some of the fundamental concepts of computer music in a manner designed to introduce the reader to the “state of the art” at the present time. Possibilities for the future are explored as well. Electronic Music Synthesis is the first book to explain all these techniques fully, and it will be the indispensable handbook for everyone working in this exciting field.