10/12/2025
https://trans-future.blogspot.com/2024/06/history-of-electronic-music-by-tf-radio_17.html
The 1970s stand as the decade when electronic music technology truly began its march toward mass adoption and user-friendliness, moving beyond the specialized, complex modular systems of the 1960s. This shift was driven by a demand from professional musicians for instruments that were more stable, portable, and capable of being used in live performance settings without extensive setup and calibration. Crucially, the era saw the emergence of the integrated synthesizer, a pre-patched, self-contained unit that eliminated the need for cumbersome patch cables, thereby making synthesis immediately accessible to a wider audience. The MiniMoog Model D, first released at the end of the previous decade but hitting its stride in the 70s, exemplified this trend, offering a powerful, characteristic sound and a simplified interface that made it the first truly iconic and gig-friendly keyboard synthesizer. This popularity established the fundamental architecture of synthesis—VCOs (Voltage-Controlled Oscillators), VCFs (Voltage-Controlled Filters), and VCAs (Voltage-Controlled Amplifiers)—as the standard model for years to come. However, the most significant technological leap of the decade was the transition from monophony (playing one note at a time) to polyphony (playing multiple notes simultaneously). Early Moogs and ARP synthesizers, while expressive, were limited to single melodies or basslines, forcing composers to overdub to create chords. This limitation was shattered by instruments like the Oberheim Four-Voice (1975) and, more successfully, the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5 (1978), which introduced memory storage for sounds, a revolutionary feature that allowed musicians to save and instantly recall their carefully crafted patches. This programmability was a game-changer, making complex sound design a practical part of studio and stage work, rather than a fleeting, one-time affair. Meanwhile, a parallel revolution was occurring in the realm of rhythm: the emergence of programmable drum machines. While the 60s had offered simple, preset rhythm boxes, the 70s delivered the first user-friendly devices that allowed musicians to create and store their own unique beat patterns. Instruments like the E-mu Drumulator and later, the programmable Roland CR-78 CompuRhythm (1978), started to provide realistic, loop-based rhythmic foundations for electronic, pop, and disco music, serving as the immediate predecessors to the legendary machines of the 1980s. Another notable development was the growing sophistication of the sequencer, moving from simple, fragile analog devices to more reliable digital units. Sequencers allowed for the precise, automatic repetition of musical phrases, essential for the hypnotic, repetitive structures of early Krautrock and electronic dance music progenitors. Furthermore, the decade saw the maturation of tape-based effects like the tape echo and the rise of digital signal processing in effects units, though truly powerful digital synthesis and sampling technology were still on the near horizon. The 1970s was thus a pivotal time of refinement, standardization, and a clear move toward polyphony and digital control, setting the stage perfectly for the MIDI and digital explosions that would define the subsequent decade.
AVANT-GARDE AND ALTERNATIVE ELECTRONIC MUSIC RADIO
