The Synthesizer : a versatile active learning tool for electrical engineering

Abstract

This paper presents a project-based course for Electrical Engineering (EE) freshman students, that is based on a modular analog synthesizer. The project topic creates high motivation and lends itself to basic EE concepts and skills, to which students are introduced gradually as they build the electronic modules collectively with the teachers’ guidance. Once the basic modules are built and tested, interesting sound effects can be created while understanding the relationship between the different circuit parameters and the sound characteristics. This creates good conditions for an intuitive exploration of abstract concepts like time-domain, frequency-domain, frequency-spectrum, filtering, etc. Finally, students are presented with the challenge of creating a controller to play the synthesizer as a musical instrument. The results after our first experience are very positive, both in terms of students’ motivation and achievement.