ABSTRACT
The inevitable path to be taken by electronic music was combining what was learned from the field of computer music with what was accomplished with analog synthesizers. Experiments in Art and Technology was founded in 1966 by Swedish engineer Billy Kluver in the New York area, with the express purpose of “heralding a new era of potential collaborations between contemporary artists, technologists, and scientists.” The proving ground for digital synthesizers was in part the territory previously covered by analog synthesizers. The early functionality of digital instruments closely mirrored what was available for the existing market as defined by bop Moog, ARP, Experimental Music Studio, Buchla and others. The Synclavier set the early standard for computer-based synthesizers. The Fairlight Computer Music Instrument digital synthesizer was developed in Australia in the late 1970s and 1980s. Digital sampling was another special perk offered by Synclavier; it was the only sampler at the time that could handle up to 100 kHz, 16-bit polyphonic sampling.
