This volume is the first of a series of three than have been conceived as a listening and practical guide to the history of electronic instrument design. Examples made with Max/MSP, available online, help the reader-listener understand main acoustic phenomena: synthesis and signal processing, spanning the analogue era up to the digital present time. At the same time, readers and MaxMSP learners can see how to make an instrument, thanks to the numerous patches available on the website connected to the book.