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On the one hand, I would love to own a Buchla synth. On the other hand, no way in hell would I want to maintain an analog synth. The closest I got was when I bo

On the one hand, I would love to own a Buchla synth. On the other hand, no way in hell would I want to maintain an analog synth. The closest I got was when I bought a second-hand Korg EX800, which was a digitally-controlled analog unit. Fun machine, but it was unreliable and I wasn't up to the task of taking care of it.

cyberferret 7y ago
As a big fan of 70's and 80's pop music, I had always wanted a vintage Sequential Circuits Prophet V synth, but when I saw the maintenance required on even that semi-modern synth, I think I will stick to the VST/AU equivalent!
- TheOtherHobbes 7y ago
  A company called Behringer are currently making modern ultra-cheap clones of as many vintage ultra-expensive vintage synthesizers as they can. Three models are complete and shipping, and there are rumoured to be another fifty or so in the pipeline - including the P5.
  - SmellyGeekBoy 7y ago
    Behringer get a lot of flak for being "cheap" but their guitar pedals at least are mainly just 1:1 clones of tried-and-tested vintage analog circuits. I wasn't aware of their synths - thanks for the heads-up.
- galaxyLogic 7y ago
  Not to talk about Mellotrons
sneak 7y ago
I own about a dozen 25-40 year old analog synths. It’s not quite as difficult as it sounds. Replacing jacks and button panels and switches and pots is straightforward soldering (it also helps that all the pads and traces are much larger and chunkier than modern gear), and anything more involved is not too expensive from various shops that specialize. I certainly don’t recommend moving them unnecessarily or traveling/touring with them, though. They’re fragile.
- dep_b 7y ago
  Actually the really analog ones aren't that bad, they just require a lot of time. The early digital ones including stuff like a polyphonic keyboard scanner for the CS-80 are things that are really problematic.

cyberferret 7y ago

As a big fan of 70's and 80's pop music, I had always wanted a vintage Sequential Circuits Prophet V synth, but when I saw the maintenance required on even that semi-modern synth, I think I will stick to the VST/AU equivalent!

TheOtherHobbes 7y ago
A company called Behringer are currently making modern ultra-cheap clones of as many vintage ultra-expensive vintage synthesizers as they can. Three models are complete and shipping, and there are rumoured to be another fifty or so in the pipeline - including the P5.
- SmellyGeekBoy 7y ago
  Behringer get a lot of flak for being "cheap" but their guitar pedals at least are mainly just 1:1 clones of tried-and-tested vintage analog circuits. I wasn't aware of their synths - thanks for the heads-up.
galaxyLogic 7y ago
Not to talk about Mellotrons

sneak 7y ago

I own about a dozen 25-40 year old analog synths. It’s not quite as difficult as it sounds. Replacing jacks and button panels and switches and pots is straightforward soldering (it also helps that all the pads and traces are much larger and chunkier than modern gear), and anything more involved is not too expensive from various shops that specialize. I certainly don’t recommend moving them unnecessarily or traveling/touring with them, though. They’re fragile.

dep_b 7y ago
Actually the really analog ones aren't that bad, they just require a lot of time. The early digital ones including stuff like a polyphonic keyboard scanner for the CS-80 are things that are really problematic.