The Light Bulb Is The Origin of The Synthesizer | Astonishing History of Synthesizers EP1

[@kaitlyn__L]

A triode is a type of valve/tube, but minor quibble aside, this is a great introduction to the basic concepts for people new to the subject. Commenters claiming it has nothing to do with synthesis don’t understand that all explanations of electronic (analogue or digital) audio need to start with a description of what electrical sound and amplification even is. Musicians have thought of waves as transferable properties between mediums/media forever, but a lay-person may not have thought about how the electrical signals used for audio could be used for anything yet could still be rendered as an audible sound. Especially if they grew up after the age of dial-up! To add another quibble I would probably call tubes specialised applications of technology invented for the lightbulb, rather than lightbulbs themselves, but certainly there are a ton of similarities. In fact, even though I was aware of how analogue oscillator circuits incorporated feedback as a control mechanism to maintain stable pitch/frequency, I’d never thought about how a mic squeak is an electro-mechanical oscillator! I only expected to learn some of the pre-Moog and Theremin histories, but I also learned a new angle to look at mic squeal!

[@AlexBallMusic]

Fantastic you guys!

[@automaticgainsay]

Thank you, sir!

[@faithwyar]

It's fantastic to see Mr Doty again!

[@davidryle]

A great beginning to a series which I hope to see many more of. Very well done!

[@bardaccount5065]

It was Lewis Latimer, an African American inventor who worked with Alexander Bell and later with Edison, who made light bulbs practical to use. Latimer created a light bulb with a durable carbon filament and sold the patent to the U.S. Electric Co. in 1881.

[@dlvnmedia]

Modular tube filters and oscillators sound so good

[@boedye]

Interesting vid! I'd also point out that Metasonix is all about the Tubes and Korg just recently introduced their Nutube, and put it in a Volca! Tubes are neat and really give an atmosphere when warmed up properly. They have a different experience each time you turn them on!

[@PseudoPulse]

What a great idea for a series. Keep em coming in 2021

[@SongsFromMyHead]

I’ve been following your work for many years. Good to see you’re still at it. Great video!

[@videocurcuits]

There were electronic oscillators and electro mechanical mechanisms before audion tubes and amplification. See the 1874 musical telegraph, the electro magnetic Telharmonium 1897 and the Singing Arc 1899 as well as many non audio or music related patents.

[@kaitlyn__L]

Plus tonewheels!

[@videocurcuits]

@@kaitlyn__L Telharmonium was tone wheel based :3

[@moon-cyclist4565]

Super cool history, I never knew this stuff! Crazy how one invention leads to the next

[@BlackTomorrowMusic]

Great video! Looking forward to more.

[@lmello009]

I really though you were going to mention the light bulb used as a AGC (automatic gain control) element in certain oscillators such as the Wien Bridge oscillator.

[@globeflicker9216]

I was thinking wtf? Whut connection?! But darn it, there is one and it’s pretty cool! Thanks Reverb

[@DuquesneXavier]

Great serie Guys ! When I was a child I would dismantle every piece of technology that I was given ^^ sometimes(most of the time! Hahaha) I could not even put it back together bit I had to understand how it was working. Not because I wanted to do the same but I just wanted to figure it out :) Maybe your serie will keep me from tearing apart my synths 😅😅😅 because I am still very curious but still not very good at putting it back together 😅😅😅 Happy holidays to you all !

[@markowalski1]

That grandfather clock is awesome

[@automaticgainsay]

It’s a Howard Miller 610-199

[@JohnLozo]

Gonna need that Elektron Lightbulb soon

[@JohnLozo]

Parameter locked voltage plz

[@mathias841]

Theremin, trautonium, Hammond nova chord, RCA MKII, Bode audio system synthesizer

[@stevenbeechey]

Great video :)

[@mpmi7588]

Where's part 3?

[@madmac66]

What’s the correlation between the light bulb and the vacuum tube in valve amps? Similarities?

[@unfrostedpoptart]

Yes. It's explained in the video. Did you watch it?

[@madmac66]

@@unfrostedpoptart I did, a year ago.

[@madmac66]

@@unfrostedpoptart I don’t know why I wrote that comment back then. Just rewatched it and it’s perfectly obvious. Doh!

[@videocurcuits]

Weird not to mention Lee built the Audion Piano in 1914

[@DuquesneXavier]

I admit I thought about the theremin but electricity is indeed the first step !

[@sagesliverpinksage834]

Do the weekend on synth sounds mane

[@tuliofalcao]

Follow the origin of the components until you reach the lamp...!

[@CarsInDimension]

Thaddeus Cahill's Telharmonium had a lot more to do with the history of the synthesizer than Tom Edison's lightbulb.

[@automaticgainsay]

Hey, Cars! I’m glad you are aware of that crucial step in the development of synthesis! It’s a great story that I’ve written about for this series. Stay tuned! But in answer to your assertion: the importance of a device that was designed to generate new timbres through the creation of harmonics can’t be understated! But the actual history of the Telharmonium shows that the reason it fell out of favor was because it’s medium, the telephone... which was chosen because the crucial amplifier that the lightbulb provided hadn’t been invented yet... was not effective. Even the Telharmonium could have benefited from the result of the lightbulb!

[@neoncut]

Fastinating stuff. Unfortunately the music makes it all sound like an annoying KZbin ad. My brain tried to disassociate almost immediately and I had to stop myself from clicking "skip". Nevertheless, thank You for sharing the knowledge!

[@gerdpfeil]

Of course, the true origin of the synthesizer is the wheel, just look at your pitch...wheels, or the VCF knobs which in turn may have sparked the invention of wide base/low profile tres. The same proto-wheel led to the invention of many other useful things, and minus the divine spark, to the internet with its businesses posting far-fetched claims about the origin of anything making people think it wasn't the brightest idea to let the wheel or the light bulb develop that far.

[@IsraelRuizGodot]

The guy who ripped off Tesla and bought a light bulb patent.

[@kurisuaa.official]

Well didn't Nikola Tesla invent electricity.

[@kurisuaa.official]

I meant invent the light bulb

[@automaticgainsay]

Thomas Edison received a patent for his light bulb with a carbon filament in 1879, before Tesla was in the United States.@@kurisuaa.official

[@greencontact]

The guy who patented others inventions.

[@JesseJuup]

So it was the wizard of all things electricity, the genious Nikola Tesla then. He was the inventor who worked at Edison, who stole the glory because he then owned the patent. Correct me if I am wrong...

[@automaticgainsay]

Thomas Edison received a patent for his light bulb with a carbon filament in 1879, before Tesla was in the United States.