history of keyboard synthesizers

Introduction

the MIDI standard was agreed upon in 1981 and 1st demonstrated in 1983 revolutionised the way synths and keyboards could interact

Electric and electronic organs

1890's: experimental electric organs but none worked well and sounded poorly
1935-1975: Hammond dominated the electric tone wheel organ markets¹⁾ after inventing the tone wheel in 1934 and when doing a blind trial with a church pipe organ, most of the audience couldn't tell the difference - he had created a much smaller, much easier to install, no maintenance, no ongoing re-tuning, at 1/75th the cost of a pipe organ - it was reliable, compact, and versatile, although the sound volume from the tone wheels became inadequate for churches with over 500 people - he sold over 1800 organs in the first year
- in 1941, Leslie invented his Leslie speaker and by 1945 professionals were demanding it be included in the organs, Hammond finally gave in an endorsed then in 1946
- during WWII, Hammond gained a military contract to sell his organs “to maintain military morale”
- in 1948, Count Bassie's organist Wild Bill Davis started using Hammond B2's in his performances which opened up a new market - jazz musicians
  - the drawbar system allowed real time tone manipulation, the percussion settings created attack and decay that mimicked horns while the Leslie speaker added movement and it could be played hard and this culminated in Jimmy Smith's album in 1956 using the B3 as a jazz voice
- 1954: Hammond B3
  - 85% of churches would use Hammond B3 organs as their organ as would funeral homes, radio for live performances and jazz musicians
- 1964: the rock and roll band The Animals used a studio Hammond B3 organ to record House of the Rising Sun followed by The Beatles, and the organ gained a massive part of 60's and 70's rock music as well - particularly as by then, most studios and entertainment venue had one
  - The Doors built their entire sound around Ray Manzarek's Hammond organ bass lines
  - Keith Emerson of Emerson Lake and Palmer made the Hammond organ a lead instrument in their progressive rock
- 1964-1974: Hammond sold over 200,000 organs, controlling 85% of the professional organ market and 60% of the home organ market with production and employment peaking in 1972 but this would soon come to an end with the introduction of the MiniMoog synthesizer in 1970 and finally the nail in the coffin were the new polyphonic analog synths - the Yamaha GX-1 and the Poly Moog in 1975 (see below)
- 1972: Hammond Concord organ - a B3 with extra features but it sold poorly
- 1975: Hammond X5 organ which added synthesizer like features but was too expensive and too complicated
- 1975: Hammond T500 series - 1st fully electronic Hammond organs with no tone wheels in an attempt to compete with Yamaha electronic organs but were too expensive
- 1976: Hammond organ sales were flat and the home organ market started collapsing as synth sales were increasing at a rate of 30% per annum
- 1977: Hammond revenues start to decline but then Japanese manufacturers flooded the US home market with much cheaper alternatives
- 1978-1982: music market completely changed and now dominated by Yamaha, Kawai, Korg and Roland who were creating new product categories that made graditional organs obsolete
- 1982: Hammond home organ division closes
- 1984: Hammond factory now running at 30% capacity as new musicians bought digital synths or 2nd hand organs - the market for new organs had evaporated
- 1985: Hammond Aurora electronic organ - used digital synthesis to recreate the B3 sound but at $US14,000 was just too expensive (a used B3 cost under $2000) - only 500 were sold and by early 1986, the company began losing money
- 1986: Suzuki Musical Japan buys the Hammond name, technology and intellectual property for $US5m and the Chicago factory was closed and Suzuki continued manufacture in Japan focusing on digital recreations of tone wheel organs
  - 2001: Hammond XK3 used digital modelling to approximate the B3 sound
  - 2002: Suzuki sold the Hammond brand to Hammond Suzuki USA which was focused on the American market meanwhile the second hand market for B3's has gone up in value with each decade creating a restoration industry
Lowrey Organs
- 1918: Developer Frederick Lowrey builds his first working model of an electronic organ, beginning decades of tone-generation experiments
- Late 1940s: Lowrey adopts the stable Eccles-Jordan multivibrator circuit as its primary electronic tone generator
- 1955: The commercially successful Model S Spinet (Berkshire) hits the market shortly after Frederick Lowrey’s death
- 1959: The flagship Festival (Model FL) series debuts, establishing Lowrey as a powerhouse in full-sized institutional and home organs
- 1960s–1970s: Lowrey grows into one of the largest electronic organ manufacturers globally under Chicago Musical Instruments (later Norlin Corp.), introducing automatic rhythm features in 1968
- 1970: The Genie model introduces automated left-hand chords and pedal accompaniment
- 1979: The advanced and historic Lowrey MX1 synthesizer-styled organ is released
Wurlitzer electric and electronic organs:
- 1947: Wurlitzer introduced electric reed-action organs utilizing electronic amplification.
- 1959: The company launched its first fully electronic master-oscillator organs alongside the pioneering “Side Man” automatic rhythm unit
- 1964: Vacuum tubes were phased out in favor of all-transistor circuitry, incorporating integrated rotating speaker effects (Spectra-Tone
- Early 1970s: Integration of Orbit synthesizers into standard two-manual home spinet models.
- 1980: Introduction of hybrid “analog-digital” microprocessor-controlled organs
- 1988: The Wurlitzer brand and remaining U.S. manufacturing assets were acquired by the Baldwin Piano & Organ Company, closing out independent organ production lines
Conn electronic organs
- 1947: C. G. Conn manufactured their first electronic organ, the Model 2D Connsonata
  - one of the earliest all-electronic organs, with a unit famously gifted to President Harry S. Truman.
- 1951: produced their first major commercially successful volume models
- 1955: introduced the Model 700 Artist model featuring two 61-note manuals and 25 pedals, utilizing harmonic synthesis design concepts
- 1960s: expanded aggressively into home, church, and institutional electronic organ markets, utilizing separate oscillators for individual notes to mimic true pipe organ acoustics rather than cheap frequency dividers
- 1969: Conn was sold to Crowell-Collier-MacMillan publishing
- 1970: Macmillan closed the primary Elkhart, Indiana organ and instrument production facility, shifting assembly to satellite and contractor locations
- 1980s: organ production phased down entirely as ownership shifted through subsequent corporate sales (Daniel Henkin, UMI) to focus strictly on band and orchestral instruments

Analog synths

1963:
- Moog Modular & Buchla 100:
  - independently, Robert Moog (USA) and Don Buchla (USA) create the first transistor-based voltage‑controlled modular analog systems, establishing VCO/VCF/VCA architecture still used today.
1964:
- Moog Modular (commercial): First commercially successful modular analog synth, with patchable modules for oscillators, filters, envelopes, and more; used in avant‑garde and film music.
1969:
- EMS VCS3 (“The Putney”): First compact, semi‑modular analog synth with a pin‑matrix instead of full patch cables; influential in UK rock and electronic music.
  - compact, semi‑modular analog synth with a pin‑matrix instead of patch cables
  - often used by Pink Floyd for effects, sweeps, and atmospheric textures along with Synthi A / Synthi AKS
1970:
- Moog Minimoog Model D: First widely adopted portable analog synth; monophonic hard‑wired architecture (no patch cables), three oscillators, iconic bass and lead sounds; used across rock, funk, and early electronic music.
Early 1970s:
- ARP 2500 / 2600, EML ElectroComp: Large modular/semi‑modular analog systems competing with Moog; the ARP 2600 becomes a staple in studios and on stage.
- bands like Pink Floyd used splicing and looping of recorded audio tape to create special effect sounds such as in Money or Time but getting these to work well with the new quadrophonic speaker outputs was not easy
1973:
- ARP Odyssey: Duophonic portable analog synth with flexible modulation; widely used in prog rock and pop.
1974:
- ARP Solina String Ensemble
  - polyphonic string synth; used by Pink Floyd in Wish You Were Here and Animals for lush string pads
- Yamaha CS‑80: high‑end polyphonic analog synth with 8 voices, rich expression, and heavy use in film and pop; one of the most powerful analog polys of the decade.
1975:
- Roland RS‑101 - Roland's 1st dedicated string synth
1976:
- Roland RS‑202 - added features like user‑controlled vibrato delay and the famous Ensemble chorus effect
1978:
- Sequential Circuits Prophet‑5: First fully programmable polyphonic analog synth with patch memory; microprocessor‑controlled but still analog signal path; sets the template for modern analog polys.
1980/81: Yamaha PS-20: Yamaha's 1st digital keyboard (49key, 8 voice polyphony, rhythm, auto bass chord, analog synth inside - analog filter and divider-based organ/synth circuitry (often referred to as Pulse Analog Synthesis or PAS) rather than digital microprocessors or FM chips)
1981: Roland HP70 analog electronic piano: $AU960; 76keys velocity sensitive; 4 presets that can be layered (Piano I, Piano II, Harpsichord I, Harpsichord II); no MIDI;
Early 1980s:
- Roland Jupiter‑8, Juno‑6/60/106: flagship polyphonic analogs (Jupiter‑8) and later cost‑reduced classics (Juno‑60, Juno‑106) with chorus and simple interfaces; mainstays in pop, new wave, and early house.
1982:
- Roland Jupiter‑6 & Prophet‑600: First synths with MIDI (1983 standard), still analog; enables integration with emerging digital gear.
Mid‑1980s the late‑stage of classic analog design before FM and sampling dominate
- 1984: Oberheim Xpander
  - 6‑voice, keyboardless analog synth module, essentially the rack version of what later became the Matrix‑12 (released in 1985)
- 1984: Roland MKS-80 Super Jupiter ~$AU6000 flagship level MIDI rack module; True Voltage Controlled Analog VCOs not DCOs; 8 voice polyphony; 2 patches at a time; 2 ADSRs per voice (independent VCF/VCA); after touch; premium hybrid circuit heavily based on the professional Roland Jupiter-6 and Jupiter-8 flagships;
- 1984: Roland MKS-30 Planet S ~$AU1300 mid level MIDI rack module version of the popular Roland JX-3P keyboard; 6 voices; 2 DCOs per voice; one patch at a time; 64 programmable internal patches plus 64 via optional memory cartridge; Resonant low-pass filter and non-resonant high-pass filter; 1 shared ADSR envelope generator per voice for VCA and VCF; no aftertouch; despite having more pitch stable DCOs, the pitch was still unstable, evolving sound for the first 10 to 15 minutes while it warmed up as the the master oscillators and Digital-to-Analog Converters (DAC) rely on internal reference voltages which had variable electrical conductivity while cold.
- 1986: Roland JX-10 (Super JX) succeeded the JX‑8P and was effectively a “double JX‑8P” architecture, offering 12‑voice polyphony and two DCOs per voice - rack module Roland MKS‑70

Digital synths

1979:
- Fairlight CMI (II/III) digital sampler designed to capture audio, edit and map them for playback on keyboards
1980:
- Casio Casiotone VL‑1: often cited as the first commercial all‑digital synthesizer keyboard (albeit a home/consumer instrument)
1981:
- E‑mu Emulator: more affordable 8‑bit sampling keyboards; captured audio and played it back polyphonically, but again as multi‑sample instruments, not strict wavetables
- PPG Wave 2 / 2.2 / 2.3 (1981–87): came with many factory wavetables
1982:
- PPG Waveterm A was effectively unique as a dedicated audio‑capture‑to‑wavetable workstation for keyboard synths
1983:
- Yamaha DX7 introduced digital FM synthesis which revolutionized synths and most popular music in the 1980s was based on this technology
  - it was much cleaner and brighter than analog and did not suffer pitch drift
  - 12‑bit DACs with 6 sine‑wave operators arranged in 32 preset algorithms with 16‑voice polyphony and 32 internal patches
1984:
- Casio CZ‑101 / CZ‑1000: First widely available “phase distortion” digital synths, a cheaper FM‑like alternative to the DX7
- Kurzweil K250: First fully digital workstation with high‑quality sampling and playback; influential in studios and film scoring.
- Yamaha PS-6100 keyboard: 61key; uses the DX-7 FM synthesis tone generator; MIDI;
- E‑mu Emulator II - update of the 8‑bit sampling keyboard
1985
- Yamaha KX 88 MIDI Keyboard controller $AU2500 professional roadies 88 velocity sensitive weighted keys with AT; no inbuilt sounds; MIDI; Play (Single, Dual, Split), Controller Assign (CA), and Parameter Assign (PA); Pitch bend wheel, modulation wheel, breath controller input, and assignable sliders/buttons; 28.5kg;
- Korg DW‑8000: Digital wavetable‑style synth with analog filters; part of the mid‑80s shift toward hybrid digital/analogue designs.
- early prosumer digital samplers designed to capture audio, edit and map them for playback on keyboards
1986:
- Korg DSS‑1: combined digital sampling with some wavetable‑like manipulation
- Yamaha PSR-6300 keyboard: adds velocity sensitivity; LED display; RAM packs;
1987:
- Roland D‑50: “Linear Arithmetic” (sample + synthesis) digital synth; best‑selling digital synth of the late 80s and a major shift away from pure FM.
- Roland D-550 - rack module version
- Yamaha DX7II - adds significant architectural (eg. 16‑bit DACs, 64 internal patches, bi‑timbral (dual/split) mode, 3.5“ floppy disk storage, more complex SysEx MIDI format) and implementation improvements (eg. mono aftertouch, mechanical (raised) buttons, larger display, each voice can now store its own performance characteristics) that affect sound quality, programming, and performance
  - Yamaha TX802 - an 8‑part multitimbral rack module version of the DX7II FM synth engine, and became one of the definitive FM tone generators of the late 1980s
1988
- Korg M1: Sample‑and‑synthesis “music workstation”; one of the best‑selling synths ever, with iconic ROM presets (e.g., “Universe”, “Piano 16”).
- ** Sequential Prophet VS: **Vector synthesis digital synth (joystick cross‑fade between waveforms), later influential in software synths.
1989/early 90s:
- E‑mu Proteus series: Dedicated ROMpler modules (sample‑playback keyboards/modules) that dominated studios and film/TV scoring.
- Yamaha PSR-4500 keyboard: DASS tone generator with 1st time sampling, pitch bend roll bar controller, numeric selection of voices and styles
1990:
- Korg Wavestation: 61‑note keyboard with inbuilt digital wavetables - a performance‑oriented keyboard using PCM samples with vector synthesis and wave sequencing
1991: Korg 01/W - AI² (Advanced Integrated Squared) 32 voice early, highly compressed 16-bit PCM digital sample playback; 6Mb ROM;
1991: Yamaha PSR-6700 keyboard: 1st Yamaha 76key keyboard with inbuilt tones; AWM tone generator; 40 voice polyphony; interactive auto-accompaniment; floppy disk, LCD display; pitch bend back to wheels not the prior roll bar;
1992: Yamaha PSR-5700 keyboard: 61key velocity sensitive; AWM2 tone generator for much better piano sounds; 38 voice polyphony; General MIDI standard (GM) floppy disk can now play back GM Midi files;
1993:
- Roland JD-800 (rack version - JD‑990) added FXM (Frequency Cross‑Modulation), a form of FM‑style modulation on top of PCM waveforms, giving more aggressive, bell‑like and metallic tones
early–mid 1990s: expanded sample‑based synthesis, multitimbrality, and onboard sequencing
- Roland JV/XV series
  - PCM‑based with complex structures and some FM‑type modulation options, but not pure FM synths
- Korg T‑series
- Yamaha SY/TG/TYROS
1994:
- Yamaha VL1: First commercial physical‑modelling synth (mathematical modeling of real instruments rather than samples), marking a new digital synthesis paradigm.
1995: Yamaha PSR-7000 HD keyboard: 61 key velocity sens with AT; 64 voice polyphony; 473 preset voices; adds draw bar organ flutes, mic input with effects, hard disk drive ready
1995: first wave of virtual analog modeling synthesizers (VA synths)
- Korg Prophecy: Early “analog modeling” synth using DSP to emulate analog circuits digitally.
- Clavia Nord Lead: One of the first “virtual analog” keyboards, digitally emulating classic analog synth behavior.
1997: Roland JP-8000: 49 key virtual analog synthesizer; widely used in 1990s and 2000s electronic dance music, especially trance; the digital incarnation of the classic Roland Jupiter-8 (1981) while the programming interface, synthesis options and general tone were very similar to Roland's Jupiter-6 but lacked some of the warmth; added RPS (Realtime Phrase Sequencing) and introduced the “Supersaw” oscillator;
1997: Korg Z1: world's first multi-timbral physical modeling synthesizer; 12-voice polyphony, 6-part multi-timbrality, an XY touchpad, and a polyphonic arpeggiator
1998: Yamaha PSR-8000 keyboard: 61 key velocity sens with AT; 64 voice polyphony; 741 preset voices incl. XG tone generation, sweet voices, vocal harmony; LCD can now also display lyrics from files; opt. SIMM memory expansion as well as HD;
1998: Ensoniq's last synth - the Fizmo a transwave synth with arpeggiator; 8 oscillators - each can be assigned a wave - 58 waves are available, mostly transwaves - only ~2000 were made (only ~100 of the rack version were made)
Late 1990s–2000s — Software synths & VST:
- Steinberg’s VST (1996) and instruments like ReBirth (1997) shifted much digital synthesis into computers, while hardware remained strong for performance.
1999: Korg Triton - single engine; 62 voice; HI (Hyper Integrated) PCM sample playback; 16 track MIDI sequencer; 32Mb ROM; smartmedia cards;
1999: Yamaha PSR-9000 keyboard: 61 key velocity sens with AT; 64 voice polyphony; 811 preset voices incl. Cool! & Live!; voices, sampler, AI fingered, video out, powerful speaker system; new music database / XG SongBox for Portatone on floppy disks; opt. SCSI connectivity
2000s — Access Virus, Dave Smith/Sequential, Korg, Roland digital synths:
- instruments like the Access Virus (late 90s/2000s) and later Korg Kronos, Roland Fantom, and Yamaha Motif/Montage blended sample playback, virtual analog, and advanced digital engines in workstation keyboards.
- 2000: Korg MS2000: 41 key, 4-voice polyphony, a 16-step analog-style sequencer, and real-time control knobs;
- 2001: Roland XV-88 keyboard synth 88 note hammer-action keyboard synth with after touch and D-Beam controller; 128 voice; 16part multitimbral; 64Mb memory; all sounds from JV-2080 and a collection of waveforms from the JD-990 Super JD; new SRX-Series 64MB wave expansion boards; reverb and effects derived from Roland SRV-3030, V-Studios, and RSS technology; SmartMedia cards;
- 2001: Yamaha 9000 Pro keyboard: as for the PSR-9000 but designed for stage: no speakers, adds 76 weighted keys, 16 track sequencer, organ flutes now have modelling, bridge to Tyros
- 2001: original Absinth VST: software virtual synth; shocked the industry by combining subtractive, FM, wavetable, and granular synthesis into a single semi-modular interface;
- 2001: Roland Fantom FA-76: their initial answer to the Korg Triton;
- 2001: Yamaha Motif Classic: their initial answer to the Korg Triton;
- 2002: Yamaha Tyros 1 keyboard: completely new design; guitar and bass based MegaVoices; optional speakers; VGA color display; last with floppy disk;
- 2002: microKORG Synthesizer/Vocoder: 4-voice MS2000 engine, mini-keys, a gooseneck microphone, and a distinct retro-wood design that defies the workstation-heavy market of the era
- 2002: Spectrasonics released Atmosphere, a pad-focused ambient virtual instrument that laid the conceptual groundwork for a massive, multi-sampled powerhouse synth that would become Omnisphere
- 2003: Yamaha Motif ES: huge expansions in polyphony and waveform size
- 2004: Roland Fantom-X color screen and massive sampling pads, heavily rivalled the Triton Extreme, and became a staple in hip-hop and R&B production
- 2005: Yamaha Tyros 2 keyboard: adds Super Articulation voices, SIMM expansion for voices, FSX keyboard, hard disk recorder for recording digital audio data, MegaVoices based on wind and string instruments; no more floppy disk - now replaced by USB;
- 2005: original Nord Stage keyboard combining organ, acoustic/electric piano, and synth sounds with external effects
- 2007: Yamaha Motif XS: massive color screen
- 2007: original Nord Wave - blended standard virtual analog synthesis with digital sample playback, allowing musicians to use user-created or factory samples as oscillator waveforms; 49 key, 4-part multi-timbral, 18-voice polyphony, and 180 MB of dedicated flash memory for samples;
- 2008: Yamaha Tyros 3 keyboard: added Style File format Guitar Edition, Super Articulation 2, TFT screen, expandability via Premium packs, 80Gb HDD, sliders
- 2008: Nord Stage EX - increased the dedicated flash memory for the piano library
- 2008: Omnisphere 1.0 VST: moving away from previous software constraints of Atmosphere to debut Spectrasonics' proprietary STEAM Engine. It shipped with a massive 40 GB core sound library
- 2009: Absinth 5 VST: major update that brought the iconic Aetherizer granular effect, the Cloud Filter, and the “Mutator” feature for evolutionary patch randomization
- 2009: Korg microKORG XL: replaced the MS2000 engine in favour of Korg's MMT (Multi-Modeling Technology) derived from the Radias; 8 voice polyphony, upgrades the vocoder to 16 bands, and features vintage electric piano models;
2010s — modern digital flagships:
- Yamaha Montage (FM‑X + sample), Korg Kronos (multi‑engine), Roland FA/Fantom (sample + modeling), and Nord Stage/ Electro (sample + virtual analog) represent the current mainstream digital keyboard synth paradigm
- 2010: Yamaha Tyros 4 keyboard: added Vocal Harmony 2, vocal voices, 250Gb HDD, optional 1Gb/512Mb flash memory board
- 2010: Yamaha Motif XF: final generation of the Motif. It added flash memory expansion, allowing users to load custom samples that stayed in the keyboard even after powering down;
- 2011: Korg Kronos: 9 engines; 200voices; 21Gb+; Karma algorithmic phrase generator; 16-track MIDI sequencer plus 16-track studio-grade audio recording (24-bit/48kHz);
- 2011: Nord Stage 2 - added the synth engine from the Nord Wave, support for the Nord Sample Library, and improved USB MIDI capabilities
- 2012: Korg microKORG XL+: updated PCM instruments (like the Korg SGproX piano) and distinct vintage genre sound-banks
- 2012: Korg Krome (midbudget version of Kronos) single EDS-X (Enhanced Definition Synthesis-eXpanded) PCM engine instead of 9 engines; Triton-like;
- 2013: Yamaha Tyros 5 keyboard: added Ensemble Voices, Organ World, cross-fader, Yamaha Expansion Manager
- 2015: Korg Kronos 2: Berlin Grand piano model featuring full string resonance and dedicated una corda (soft pedal) samples; 64GB internal SSD; slow 2minute start up;
- 2015: Nord Stage 2 EX - doubled the piano memory (to 1GB) and brought lightweight hammer-action options to the 73-key variant
- 2015: Omnisphere 2.0 VST: introduced user audio import, allowing musicians to use their own sounds as synthesis sources. The update also drastically expanded the wavetable engine, added 3,000 new sounds, and redesigned the interface
- 2016: Korg microKORG S: keeps the original 2002 MS2000-based engine but introduces a built-in 2.1 speaker system, an updated white chassis, and double the memory presets
- 2016: Yamaha Montage: replaced the Motif XF. It combined a massive PCM engine (AWM2) with a powerful 8-operator FM synthesis engine (FM-X), controlled by a glowing “Super Knob” to morph sounds in real time;
- 2017: Nord Stage 3 — added OLED displays, seamless transitions when changing programs, double the memory, and an expanded synth section powered by the Nord Lead A1 engine
- 2018: Arturia Pigments 1.0: software only virtual synth, introducing a twin-engine design combining virtual analog and wavetable synthesis with a highly visual, color-coded modulation matrix
- 2018: Omnisphere 2.5 VST: free update; introduced groundbreaking Hardware Synth Integration. It allowed users to map physical dials and sliders of over 60 physical hardware synthesizers seamlessly to Omnisphere's software parameters;
- 2018: Yamaha ModX: budget version of the Montage; AWM2 (128-note stereo polyphony) and FM-X (64-note polyphony) engines, Motion Control, and the Super Knob
- 2019: Korg Krome EX - updated version; added modern EDM and hip-hop sound libraries;
- 2019: Roland Fantom 6/7/8: complete ground-up reboot designed to challenge the Kronos. It abandoned traditional patch switching for seamless “Scenes” and fluid, computer-free clip launching;
2020s — updated workstations, VSTs & hybrids:
- instruments like Roland Fantom (and later updates), Yamaha MODX+/Montage M, and Nord Stage 4 continue the digital keyboard lineage with deeper sampling, better modeling, and tighter computer integration
- 2020: Nord Wave 2: major update, 61 key 4-layer performance synthesizer with dedicated faders for each layer; 48-voice polyphony, 1 GB of memory for the Nord Sample Library 3.0/4.0, and advanced grouping/morphing options; OLED display;
- 2021: Korg Nautilus keyboard synth - cut down version of Kronos 2 (no after touch, many of the physical controls removed so lost popularity with diehards, no Karma) slightly faster startup and with some extras such as new EDM/modern presets and Italian Grand.
- 2021: Arturia Pigments 3.0 VST: added a third Utility engine (with a sub-oscillator and dual noise sources), a Harmonic engine for additive synthesis, and an emulation of the iconic Jupiter-8 filter
- 2022: Arturia Pigments 4.0 VST: overhauled the user interface with a simplified “Play Mode”, a dark theme option, a new MS-20 filter, and premium studio effects like Shimmer Reverb
- 2022: Yamaha MODX+: upgrading FM-X polyphony to 128 notes and expanding user flash memory access to 1.75 GB to match the original Montage specifications
- 2023: Yamaha Genos 2 keyboard: replaced the Tyros series; added AWM and FM tone generators, Ambient Drums, Style Dynamics Control, REVelation Reverb, chord looper, HDMI, WiFi, Bluetooth
- 2023: Yamaha Montage M: added a third sound engine (AN-X) for authentic vintage virtual analog synthesis
- 2023: Korg Nautilus AT: essentially the same as the original Nautilus but adds after touch
- 2023: Nord Stage 4 redesigned panel layout with dedicated LED physical drawbars, a vastly upgraded synth section (based on the Wave 2), and advanced dynamic effects.
- 2024: Roland Fantom EX: upgrading the internal modeling engines (adding ACR pianos and analog recreations like the Jupiter-8)
- 2024: Korg microKORG 2: a brand-new 8-voice analog modeling engine, a 2.8-inch color IPS LCD screen, a built-in audio/MIDI loop recorder, and modern vocal processing additions like hard-tune pitch correction
- 2025: Arturia Pigments 6.0 VST: added dedicated Modal Engine for physical modeling textures, enhanced granular functionalities, and a brand-new built-in vocoder effect
- 2025: Arturia Pigments 7.0 VST: added fully redesigned Play View for a completely tab-less performance interface. It introduced audio-rate engine cross-modulation (FM), three unique filters (Rage, Ripple, Reverb), and the Corroder distortion effect module.
- 2025: Absinth 6 VST: the Absinth VST was resurrected and rebuilt from scratch by its original creator; added a fully scalable HiDPI interface, full MPE support, an AI-powered 2D Preset Explorer, and curated signature patches from artists like Brian Eno and Richard Devine;
- 2025: Omnisphere 3.0 VST: expanded the factory library to over 26,000 patches, added comprehensive MIDI Polyphonic Expression (MPE) support, introduced Quadzone Synthesis, and added 36 vintage component-modeled filter types;
- 2025: Yamaha MODX M: inheriting the powerful DNA from the Montage M, including the addition of the AN-X virtual analog engine and MIDI 2.0 support
- 2026: Korg Kronos 3 120-128Gb SSD; startup now under 50sec; 256+ new presets built-in (including the Italian Grand and Nautilus's Tine EP)
- vintage re‑issues & clones:
  - digital re‑creations and hardware clones (e.g., Korg re‑issues of classic analog designs, Behringer/Cringe clones, and software emulations of DX7, D‑50, M1, etc.) keep 80s/90s digital voices in active use
- 2026: Yamaha MODX software integration: Expanded Softsynth Plugin (ESP) for the MODX M, letting users run full hardware functionality natively inside a DAW

¹⁾

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y4EhUAvaE6E

Table of Contents

history of keyboard synthesizers

Introduction

Electric and electronic organs

Analog synths

Digital synths