List of synthesizers capable of additive synthesis

[shinysign]

Hello, I would like to know of more synthesizers that can do additive synthesis. It seems that there are not too many synthesizers that can use additive synthesis and allow you edit the various harmonics.

The ones I know of:

Kawai K5 - (I just ordered one and am looking forward to trying it out)
Kawai K5000

[meatballfulton]

Kawai K3 and Kurzweil 150 are the only other hardware synths I know of but plenty of softsynths do additive.

The reason why should be obvious...it's way more complicated than subtractive synthesis. Trying to figure out which harmonics are important and how they should change over time is not very intuitive.

[dadek]

Synergy & Crumar GDS

[shinysign]

Interesting, yes they're aren't many hardware synthesizers that can do additive syntheis, that makes sense. It is fine to list software synthesizers as well, just list them as software, I do not know of any.

There doesn't seem to be any hardware additive synthesizer that you can just buy new that I know of, I'm not sure though. That's too bad because for anyone who wants to try additive synthesis, the synths are hard to find and difficult to replace and repair. But additive synthesis has not been 'in' for years as far as selling goes.

[Computer Controlled]

Hardware Additive is a thing of the past. The K5000 series were the last to try it, and it failed. Just like FM did.

[shinysign]

After the K5000, Kawai stopped making synthesizers due to low sales. This is a shame. Today, with all the high quality sample based workstations on the market, I think the K5000 would sell better now than it did then - there are plenty of other options to get realistic sampled sounds.

Any other hardware or software additive synthesizers anyone knows of?

[gs]

The Korg DSS1 has a simple additive facility onboard, however it doesn't work in real time. It is used to calculate and then shape/create a static PCM waveform.

The K3 has a similar facility, but only one out of its 32 waveforms can do this.

[masstronaut]

Casio SK-1

[tallowwaters]

Any drawbar organ, right?

Emax SE and Emax II.

[Micke]

NED Synclavier & Fairlight CMI

[crystalmsc]

software additive synthesizers?

Camel Audio Chameleon 5000. Takes up some power, but worth it.

[TRANSISTOR FACE]

I have an Alpha Syntauri system on the apple II that does additive... It's really more of a software synth though... kinda-ish I guess.

Never really used it all that much to tell you the truth. It's a real shame.

[stikygum]

Hardware Additive is a thing of the past. The K5000 series were the last to try it, and it failed. Just like FM did.

As far as production units sold. But in terms of sound and use, no. Tons of bands used FM synths and still do. I've actually never heard any mainstream band use the K5K for it's wild exotic leads and basses. It failed for the mainstream, but to many they are gems (except for the programming part).

Camel Audio Alchemy uses additive as one of it's synthesis engines.

[shinysign]

I think also FM synthesis is much more successful than additive synthesis. As you said, is has been used on more tracks, also, most digital "Analog Modeling" synths add FM synthesis to varying degrees, some add a little bit, some add a lot (they use subtractive sythesis as their base though). But none of those new synths to my knowledge have added any additive synthesis.

I actually think it would be quite easy now technology-wise for a company to make an additive synthesis keyboard - if they could make one in the late 80's then they can surely make one in the late 2000's. But they probably won't make one.

For synths there is success in sales, success in music, but I wish that all forms of synthesis were easily avalible to the average user. I can't go on to musicians friend and just buy an additive synthesizer new, and it is doubtful that I will be able to unless some musical trends happen to change.

Thanks for the list so far everyone, any other additive synthesizers you know of will be appreciated.

[Big Gnome]

Yamaha's DX synthesizers are capable of rudimentary additive synthesis--the DX7 gives you control of up to 6 partials (with algorithm #32), and the DX1 and -5 have up to 12. And of course although FM is a totally different animal from additive synthesis, the sound design principles are similar, namely building up sounds by generating harmonics with simple sine waves.