Magesy

Once upon a time, a 'pad' was a simple analogue synth sound - typically a smooth, rounded string patch with the filter reduced. The term 'pad' was used as it was used to pad out the track - there but not there... you're not aware of its presence but the track sounds empty without it. However, with advances in synth technology and functionality, the term took on new proportions as samples were layered to create hybrids and instead of simple analogue oscillators, it was possible to layer almost any sound on top of another.