The first mass-produced synthesizer, the Yamaha DX7, was launched in 1983, popularizing digital synthesis. 1982 saw the introduction of MIDI, a standardized means of synchronizing electronic instruments that remains an industry standard. In 1970, the smaller, cheaper Minimoog standardized synthesizers as self-contained instruments with built-in keyboards, unlike the larger modular synthesizers before it. The Moog synthesizer, developed by Robert Moog and first sold in 1964, is credited for pioneering analog synthesis concepts such as voltage-controlled oscillators, envelopes, noise generators, filters, and sequencers.

Synthesizer-like instruments emerged in the United States in the mid-20th century with instruments such as the RCA Mark II, which was controlled with punch cards and used hundreds of vacuum tubes. A sample of several common synthesizers (Moog Model D, Juno 106, and TB-303) being played together.