From the pages of "Keyboard" magazine, "Keyboard Presents Synth Gods" spotlights artists who did much more than just play synthesizers: they changed the course of music history and inspired generations. Featuring in-depth profiles of leading synthesists such as Jan Hammer, Wendy Carlos, Rick Wakeman, and Stevie Wonder, this book delves into how these new, untested boxes of circuitry captured the imagination of these legendary artists. You can read about the design of some of the most famous synthesizers ever made, models from masterminds such as Dr. Robert Moog, Dave Smith, and Ray Kurzweil. You can get the details on what made them sound unique, what timeless music was created on them, and how you can re-create some of these sounds using synths you already have! Related titles: "In the Studio with Michael Jackson" (978-1-42346-495-2); and "Behind the Glass" (978-0-87930-614-4). Ernie Rideout (San Francisco, CA), as the former editor in chief of "Keyboard" magazine, got to spend a lot of quality time with many of the greatest synth players, synth designers, and synthesizers of all time. When he's not tweaking sounds on his beloved collection of analog and virtual synthesizers, he enjoys writing about music and video technology and participating in the music scene in the San Francisco Bay Area.

From the swelling synths of Depeche Mode to the dance-friendly grooves of Thomas Dolby and from the power ballads of Journey to the New Power Generation of Prince the music of the '80s was infused with the sound of keyboards. You'll learn:THU How technological developments in keyboards helped artists such as Erasure Human League Peter Gabriel Kraftwerk Bruce Hornsby Frank Zappa and Jam and Lewis create entirely new sounds a and how their production tricks can help you make great music today.THU How to recreate the sounds of the '80s using the soft synths and recording software you already have on your computer.THU The breakdowns of the piano and keyboard parts for stadium rockers by Night Ranger Journey and Bon Jovi.