Electronic music instruments werent called synthesizers until the 1950s; but their lineage began in 1919 with Russian inventor Lev Sergeyevich Termens development of the Etherphone; now known as the Theremin. From that point; synthesizers have undergone a remarkable evolution from prohibitively large mid-century models confined to university laboratories to the development of musical synthesis software that runs on tablet computers and portable media devices.Throughout its history; the synthesizer has always been at the forefront of technology for the arts. In The Synthesizer: A Comprehensive Guide to Understanding; Programming; Playing; and Recording the Ultimate Electronic Music Instrument; veteran music technology journalist; educator; and performer Mark Vail tells the complete story of the synthesizer: the origins of the many forms the instrument takes; crucial advancements in sound generation; musical control; and composition made with instruments that may have become best sellers or gone entirely unnoticed; and the basics and intricacies of acoustics and synthesized sound. Vail also describes how to successfully select; program; and play a synthesizer; what alternative controllers exist for creating electronic music; and how to stay focused and productive when faced with a room full of instruments. This one-stop reference guide on all things synthesizer also offers tips on encouraging creativity; layering sounds; performance; composing and recording for film and television; and much more.
#509841 in eBooks 2014-01-21 2014-01-21File Name: B00HUDO0B0
Review
0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Outdated but useful.By abbyrowedIt was a good read with excellent concrete ideas. It was interesting to read a book that doesnt concentrate on outreach through social media (though Im sure it would if written today) and think about how to use techniques that are certainly still valid today; if thought of less.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Five StarsBy Robbie S.Quick delivery; product as promised.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. A great book for a graphic designer looking to understand marketingBy EmilyThe Graphic Designerrsquo;s Guide to Creative Marketing by Linda Cooper Bowen is a must read for every graphic designer. The book supplies readers with information about how to sell oneself to clients. This is particularly important for business owners; who always need to bring in and retain as many customers as possible. However; the book is not just aimed at business owners; but at graphic designers in general. Designers always need to impress clients and sell their skills in order to get jobs. Most of the persuasion that designers undergo to receive a project is a form of personal marketing. The Graphic Designerrsquo;s Guide can teach designers how to improve their personal marketing sales pitch to clients.This guide also explains general marketing principles which can be invaluable to designers. The job of a graphic designer is to use visuals to sell an idea or product. In order to create the most successful designs; graphic designers must be aware of the tactics and logistics of marketing. Some may erroneously think that the marketing knowledge needed in graphic design is mostly common sense. There is a lot more that needs to be understood in order to be a truly successful designer. The Graphic Designerrsquo;s Guide to Creative Marketing is the perfect book to acquaint graphic designers with essential marketing principles. Author Linda Cooper Bowen is a successful graphic designer and marketing consultant. Through this book she imparts her vast knowledge of both subjects. Marketing principles that she covers include: researching prospective clients; creating effective marketing materials; developing and implementing a marketing plan; and effective communication. Bowen successfully relates these concepts to real world situations to make marketing relevant to every graphic designer. This technique is a great way to introduce marketing to those designers who have no experience with the subject. General marketing trade books can introduce marketing concepts to a graphic designer; but they must then try to comprehend and relate the concepts to their own professional experiences. The Graphic Designerrsquo;s Guide to Creative Marketing simplifies the process by making explicit references to daily graphic design marketing situations. The main argument that The Graphic Designerrsquo;s Guide to Creative Marketing makes is that marketing is an essential tool for any graphic designer. Bowen uses a guide format to further persuade designers of the necessities of specific marketing practices. One practice that she advocates for is the importance of cross-selling. The book explains how many clients believe that the only skill that designers have is ldquo;the only specialty that they had hired them for; and were often unaware of the designerrsquo;s range of capabilitiesrdquo; (Bowen 53). In order to maintain clients it is imperative that designers market all of their talents. The designer and the client may both be surprised that an additional service that the designer can supply is one that the client needs. The remarkable nature of cross-selling is that the client may have never realized that the service is one that they needed until the designer presents it as a possibility. The author provides very good support for all of her arguments. Most of the support that she presents is testimonies from actual designers and clients. This is a great persuasive approach because it gives first hand accounts to prove the relevance of marketing in the graphic design world. These testimonies come from real life situations that designers can immediately relate to. Bowen also consults marketing experts to help confirm her claims. There is no discrepancy as to the validity of the claims that Bowen makes because she includes statements from the appropriate professionals. One marketing professional; Mark Oliver; principal; Mark Oliver; Inc.; explains that ldquo;Marketing forces us to focus on questions like; lsquo;What makes us special?rsquo; lsquo;What is our unique selling proposition?rsquo; lsquo;Why should someone choose to work with us?rsquo;rdquo; (Bowen 4). This is relevant to graphic designers because they have to remember that they are selling a service. Finding a unique selling proposition is a great way to market anything including a design firm. A successful designer will inform potential clients of the special services and benefits that only they can provide. One of the only issues that I had with this book is that it is a little outdated. The book was published in 1999 and while many of the marketing principles are still relevant today there are some more recent developments that are missing. The most obvious difference between when the book was written and today is the way in which designers find and keep in contact with their clients. The book suggests that the best way to locate potential clients is through reading newspapers and magazines to determine which companies may have a need for a graphic designer. While keeping updated with current happenings is still important; the way in which people today achieve this is slightly different. Instead of conventional newspapers designers are better off following news sites and blogs to stay informed. It is also much more important for a designer today to have a web presence. A website dedicated to a designerrsquo;s work is a great public relations vehicle to attract new customers. A portfolio site displays what a designer has to offer without the need to pay to advertise. All in all; I was very pleased with The Graphic Designerrsquo;s Guide to Creative Marketing. Linda Cooper Bowen is very perceptive and knowledgeable on the subject. In addition to her own personal experiences and insights Bowen provides a great deal of perspectives from designers; clients; and marketing experts. The various testimonials are a great persuasive tool to convince graphic designers of the necessity of understanding marketing. Bowen very successfully relates marketing principles to daily graphic design situations. I would recommend this book to designers whose knowledge of marketing ranges from nonexistent to average. It is a great book to get familiar with important marketing principles.
