The SH-3A is a monophonic
analog synthesizer
An analog (or analogue) synthesizer is a synthesizer that uses analog circuits and analog signals to generate sound electronically.
The earliest analog synthesizers in the 1920s and 1930s, such as the Trautonium, were built with a variety of ...
that was manufactured by
Roland from 1975 to 1981. It is unique in that it is capable of both the usual
subtractive synthesis
Subtractive synthesis is a method of sound synthesis in which partials of an audio signal (often one rich in harmonics) are attenuated by a filter to alter the timbre of the sound. While subtractive synthesis can be applied to any source audio ...
and also the less common
additive synthesis, offering mixable waveforms at different footages. Two LFOs and a unique sample-and-hold section provided capabilities not found in competing self-contained synthesizers of the time. The SH-3A was Roland's first non-preset based synth. The predecessor, the
Roland SH-1000
The Roland SH-1000, introduced in 1973, was the first compact synthesizer produced in Japan, and the first synthesizer produced by Roland Corporation, Roland. It resembles a home Organ (music), organ more than a commercial synth, with coloured ta ...
, could also do this but didn't offer as much control as on the SH-3A. The rhythmic pulsing in the
Blondie song "
Heart of Glass" is an example of its sound.
Contrary to common belief, the initial version "SH-3" did not infringe on the transistor ladder-filter patent of
Robert Moog
Robert Arthur Moog ( ; May 23, 1934 – August 21, 2005) was an American engineer and electronic music pioneer. He was the founder of the synthesizer manufacturer Moog Music and the inventor of the first commercial synthesizer, the Moog synthesi ...
. It used a diode filter like the
EMS VCS 3
The VCS 3 (or VCS3; an initialism for ''Voltage Controlled Studio, version #3'') is a portable analog synthesizer with a flexible modular voice architecture introduced by Electronic Music Studios (London) Limited (EMS) in 1969.
EMS release ...
. The SH-3A does use a transistor ladder-filter and as a result can generate
Moog-like sounds.
Notable SH-3A users
*
Blondie
*
Chris Carter
*
Covenant
Covenant may refer to:
Religion
* Covenant (religion), a formal alliance or agreement made by God with a religious community or with humanity in general
** Covenant (biblical), in the Hebrew Bible
** Covenant in Mormonism, a sacred agreement b ...
*
The Human League
The Human League are an English synth-pop band formed in Sheffield in 1977. Initially an experimental electronic outfit, the group signed to Virgin Records in 1979 and later attained widespread commercial success with their third album ''Dare' ...
*
Radio Massacre International
Radio Massacre International is a trio of British musicians, Steve Dinsdale (Keyboards and Drums), Duncan Goddard (Keyboards and Bass), and Gary Houghton (Guitar, Synth). They specialize in improvisational experimental electronic music, utilisin ...
*
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou ( el, Ευάγγελος Οδυσσέας Παπαθανασίου ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; el, Βαγγέλης, links=no ), was a Greek composer and arranger of ...
Image:roland_sh3a_controls.jpg, Close-up of SH-3A controls
References
External links
Roland SH-3A review by Bruce Gibbson ''
International Musician and Recording World
''International Musician and Recording World'' was a magazine published from 1975 to 1991. Originally launched in the UK, editions were created for the United States, Europe, Australia, and Japan.
Foundation
''International Musician and Recording ...
'' (December 1975)
Different Roland synthesizer filtersDemo of SH-3A on YouTube
SH-3A
Analog synthesizers
Monophonic synthesizers
Musical instruments invented in the 1970s
{{Electronic-musical-instrument-stub