When you think of the birth of the synthesizer, your mind probably recalls the work of pioneers like Bob Moog and Don Buchla. But what if I told you that you weren't going back far enough? In the video above, watch some of our best Reverb pals disseminate the true origin of the modern synthesizer—a story that starts with Thomas Edison.
In short, when the Father of Electricity, Thomas Edison, was working on creating a viable light bulb, his initial efforts resulted in some interesting side effects. But since they didn't pertain to his ultimate goal of making light, he made note of his side effect findings and moved on.
Later, physicist John Ambrose Fleming became interested in Edison's side effect (which became known The Edison Effect) and figured out how to use the technology to create a radio receiver. And as we well know, that was the only the beginning for this tech.
Be sure to check out the full video above to hear more about the origin of the modern synthesizer and all of the great (and some unsung) pioneers who made it happen.