What is a video synthesizer?

Oftentimes, “glitch boxes” are confused for video synthesizers. In fact, there doesn’t seem to be an official term for glitch devices that solely process They are different, but work well together. A video synthesizer is a hardware device (or software application) designed to generate and manipulate visual signals in a manner similar to how an audio synthesizer produces and manipulates sound. They offer a hands-on and creative approach to generating dynamic and abstract visuals. They usually create geometric shapes, patterns, and colors. They may produce both static and moving imagery. Think of glitch boxes as being able to process an existing video source to make it “glitchy”, while video synthesizers are able to generate a totally new video source (that could then theoretically be processed by a glitch box). Video synthesizers exist in the form of analog hardware, digital hardware, and software. Like glitch boxes, they can have diverse features, including video mixing and layering, audio or MIDI integration, and modularity. Video synthesizers are often found in modular/Eurorack video setups, either as individual modules or a collection of modules.