Editing Subtractive synthesis (section)

==Overview==
Subtractive synthesis relies on source sounds that have overtones, such as [[Sine wave|non-sinusoidal waveforms]] like [[Square wave (waveform)|square]] and [[triangle wave|triangle waves]], or [[white noise|white]] and [[pink noise]]. These overtones are then [[Modulation|modulated]] to alter the source sound. This modulation can happen in a wide variety of ways, such as [[Voltage-controlled filter|voltage-controlled]] or [[low-pass filter|low-pass filters]].<ref name="JMR"/>

The technology developed in experimental electronic studios which were primarily focused on [[telecommunications]] and military applications.<ref>Iverson, Jennifer. “Fraught Adjacencies: The Politics of German Electronic Music.” ''Acta Musicologica'', vol. 92, no. 1, 2020. 94f.</ref> Early examples include [[Bell Labs]]' [[Voder]] (1937–8).<ref>Dudley, Homer, Richard R. Riesz, and Stanley S. A. Watkins. “A Synthetic Speaker.” ''Journal of the Franklin Institute'' 227, no. 6 (1939): 739–64.</ref> Composers began applying the concept of subtractive synthesis beyond the recording studio in concert music. [[Henri Pousseur]]'s ''[[Scambi]]'' (1957) subjects white noise to filters and uses the resulting sounds to create montages. ''[[Mikrophonie_(Stockhausen)#Mikrophonie_I|Mikrophonie I]]'' (1964) by [[Karlheinz Stockhausen]] uses a tam-tam and a microphone as the primary sound source which is then filtered extensively by two sound projectionists.<ref>Manning, Peter. ''Electronic and Computer Music'', Oxford University Press, Incorporated, 2004. 70, 158.</ref>

Until the advent of [[digital synthesizer]]s, subtractive synthesis was the nearly universal electronic method of sound production.<ref>Bates, Jon. "The History of the World: Part One, Subtractive Synthesis". ''[[Amiga Format]]'', no. 4, 1989 Nov 01, 1989/11/01/, pp. 98.</ref> Its popularity was due largely to its relative simplicity.<ref>Lane, John, et al. “Modeling Analog Synthesis with DSPs.” ''Computer Music Journal'', vol. 21, no. 4, 1997. 23.</ref> Subtractive synthesis was so prevalent in [[Analog synthesizer|analog synthesizers]] that it is sometimes called "analog synthesis".<ref name=KC>{{cite book|last1=Collins|first1=Karen|title=Game Sound: An Introduction to the History, Theory, and Practice of Video Game Music and Sound Design|publisher=MIT Press|isbn=9780262033787|page=10|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gnw0Zb4St-wC&pg=PA10|language=en}}</ref> It was the method of sound production in instruments like the [[Trautonium]] (1930), [[Novachord]] (1939), [[Buchla_Electronic_Musical_Instruments#Buchla_100_series_(1960s)|Buchla 100]] (1960s), [[EMS VCS 3]] (1969), [[Minimoog]] (1970), [[ARP 2600]] (1971), [[Oberheim OB-1]] (1978), and [[Korg MS-20 ]](1978).<ref name=JMR>Réveillac, Jean-Michel. ''Synthesizers and Subtractive Synthesis 1''. [[Wiley (publisher)|John Wiley & Sons]], 2024.</ref>{{rp|71–4}} [[Programmable sound generator]]s (PSG) relied heavily on subtractive synthesis. PSGs were used in many personal computers, arcade games, and home consoles such as the [[Commodore 64]], [[Atari ST]], [[Mattel]]'s [[Intellivision]], [[Sega]]'s [[Master System]], and the [[ZX Spectrum]].<ref name=KC/>