Yamaha’s VL1 launched physical modeling; it’s time to give it its due

What if an instrument revolutionized synthesis, but most folks didn’t notice? That’s the 1993 Yamaha VL1 in a nutshell. Its approach to modeling a range of instrumental vibrations, resonances, reflections, and articulations is deeply connected to instruments today. But most synthesists don’t know about it – apart from a handful of enthusiasts and people who read magazines in the early 90s. So it’s time to sing this unsung legend’s story.