Hardwired synthesiser
A hardwired synthesiser is a synthesiser with a hardwired signal path that cannot be overridden.
This path may still be switchable between multiple preset configurations using switches. It may still have various inputs and outputs (such as CV/gate and audio), but these are all at a beginning or end of the signal path. The inner path cannot be redirected to or from anywhere of the user's choosing, because it has no patch points.
It's more restrictive than a modular or even semi-modular synthesiser, making it less versatile. The tradeoff is that it's simpler, making it easier to learn and quicker to use. This makes it a good choice if you only want bread-and-butter sounds.
Since the 1970s onwards, the vast majority of synthesisers are hardwired.
Example implementations
- Moog Minimoog
- Roland SH-101
Hardwired synthesisers: CZ-101 | Juno-6 | Juno-106 | MS-1 | Polivoks | SH-101 | TB-303 | VC340 | VP-330