Why You Shouldn’t Buy Vintage Synths: 5 Compelling Reasons
Do yourself a favor and abandon your vintage synth man cave dreams.
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Save yourself the hassle and expense and stick with modern recreations. These and three more reasons why you shouldn’t buy vintage synths.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Vintage Synths
I’ll be honest. I love vintage synths. My studio is full of them, stacked high, leaning against the walls and even spilling out of the closet. So it may seem strange that I’m writing a story called “Why You Shouldn’t Buy Vintage Synths.” But take it from me: I know what I’m talking about.
If you’re not ready, vintage synths can be a trap. Sure, it’s all fun and excitement and Facebook likes when you pick up your first Roland SH-101 but pretty soon your bank account is empty, you’ve got more synths at the repair shop than in your studio, and you’re up to your elbows in red glue from that drunken 2 a.m. Roland JD-800 eBay purchase.
Unless you’re ready to be a complete vintage synth guy and let them take over your life (and possibly even ruin your marriage), it’s probably better to just say no. M1: not even once.
Still not convinced? Here are five reasons why you shouldn’t buy vintage synths.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Vintage Synths Reason 1: Maintenance
Vintage synths break down. All the time. It makes sense; they’re old. You may have a notion of this but it won’t really sink in just how often they’ll need to be fixed until you have to rely on them to make music. It never fails. You finally get some time to make music and at least one will suddenly be on the fritz.
Getting vintage synths fixed can be a hassle. First, you need to find a good tech, then ship the synth, and then wait forever for it to be your turn because everyone else with this same stupid fetish is in front of you in the queue. You could learn to fix them yourself but then you’ll find that your hobby of making music has turned into synth repair. The only reason I could afford a Juno-106 is because I bought it broken and spent a whole summer restoring it.
And whether you’re sending them away or fixing them yourself there’s going to be money out of pocket. Which leads me to reason number two.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Vintage Synths Reason 2: Expense
Psst. Hey, I hear you like vintage synths. Can I interest you in this Yamaha CS-80? If you sell your house, you may just be able to afford it. You won’t have any place to put it but that’s the price to pay for vintage synths.
Probably the biggest reason why you shouldn’t buy vintage synths is just how much money they cost. Aside from the purchase price (which can be soul-stabbingly high) there’s the cost to ship that heavy thing to your house and the ongoing costs associated with maintenance (see above).
But, I hear you say, it’s an investment and the resale price is sure to go up too. Tell that to all the dupes on Reverb still trying to unload the gear they bought during COVID at pandemic prices.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Vintage Synths Reason 3: Limited Functionality
Synthesizer technology has improved in leaps and bounds over the decades. Twenty-first-century synths are wonders of modern manufacturing and truly inhabit Isaac Asimov’s saying, “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” The Hydrasynth series from ASM? I’d call them magic. Groove Synthesis’ incredible 3rd Wave? Even Doug Henning agrees it’s magic.
Vintage synths may sound great but – with a few exceptions – they’re mainly simple affairs when it comes to synthesis. Roland’s Juno-60 and 106? Lovely sound but only a single LFO and envelope each. Korg MS-20? Amazing filters but they couldn’t even be bothered to put in pulse width modulation. And the Moog Minimoog Model D? If you want to use its single LFO you have to sacrifice an entire oscillator.
If complicated synthesis is important to you, stick with modern instruments. Preferably digital.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Vintage Synths Reason 4: The Sound Is Dated
I have a lot of synthesizers from the 1980s. It’s when I grew up and I have a lot of wonderful memories associated with the music from that era. I also like the sound of ‘80s synths. However, I don’t make ‘80s music. I make synth-heavy ambient. But whenever I turn in an album, the label invariably talks about the ‘80s sound in promotional materials. I’m never aiming for an ‘80s sound but that’s what happens when you use a lot of vintage synths.
Reason four why you shouldn’t buy vintage synths is the dated sound. You might be tempted to throw a DX7 patch into your latest banger. Even without trying, however, your music will sound like it’s from the ‘80s. Moog Minimoog or ARP Odyssey? Grab a cape because that’s the ‘70s. Korg Prophecy? Yo, the ‘90s are beeping you. Unless you’re a retro musician, you’re better off investing in a modern synth with a modern – or at least a more flexible – sound. You can always turn on vintage mode for analog slop. Better to keep your options open rather than going through life with a Flock of Seagulls haircut.
Why You Shouldn’t Buy Vintage Synths Reason 5: Clones Are Readily Available
The last reason why you shouldn’t buy vintage synths is because modern clones, remakes, and emulations are so readily available. We live in an incredible time for synthesizers. You want hardware clones? You’ve got them, and often at a fraction of the price of the vintage version. Prefer to work in the box? Companies like Arturia, Cherry Audio and U-he have entire catalogs of incredible-sounding soft synth emulations of most any synth you could want. Heck, you’re even covered in the modular realm.
Take, for example, the Sequential Circuits Prophet-5. Dave Smith’s world-beating poly had three revisions throughout its original lifetime, with some differences in sound due to the change in chips. You could buy all three revs (and deal with the massive maintenance hassle of keeping the notoriously unreliable early revs alive) or you could just pick up Sequential’s modern recreation, which features all three revs plus a new rev 4 in one single (and reliable) unit. Too expensive? There are excellent software versions out there too from Arturia and U-he.
Too far gone? Got a studio full of vintage synths and a wallet full of cobwebs? Let us know all about your pain in the comments below.
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7 responses to “Why You Shouldn’t Buy Vintage Synths: 5 Compelling Reasons”
6. Time marches on and your brand new synth will be vintage before you even realise two decades have passed.
Robbie doesn’t agree 🙂
There could be a better and more valid discussion of vintage vs new, yet like all articles on Gearnews, it is nothing more than an advert.
Of course, the biggest reason not to buy a vintage synth is because Thomann won’t make money from the sale and having people spend money at Thomann is the entire reason for the existence of this website.
Because vintage synths aren’t available at Thomann?
I only have one remark and because I’m a petty twat I have to make it known; it wasn’t Asimov that said “ Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”, it was Arthur C Clarke.
The article is well-written, but there are a few potential flaws or limitations:
1. Bias Against Vintage Synths: While the author acknowledges a personal love for vintage synths, the article focuses heavily on the negatives without much balance. There could be a more nuanced discussion about why some musicians still prefer vintage synths despite their drawbacks—such as their unique character, tactile experience, or emotional attachment.
2. Overgeneralization: Some of the arguments, like “the sound is dated” or “limited functionality,” could be seen as overgeneralizations. Not all vintage synths have limited functionality, and many musicians intentionally seek out their “dated” sounds for specific genres or retro projects.
3. Modern Clones Comparison: The article emphasizes the advantages of modern clones, but it doesn’t fully explore some of the limitations of these clones. While they can replicate the sound closely, some purists argue that clones lack the authentic feel or slight imperfections of the originals, which can be a key reason people opt for vintage gear.
4. Assumed Audience: The tone assumes the reader is mostly interested in practical and financial concerns, but there are musicians who care more about the artistic value, nostalgia, or “soul” of vintage synths, even at the cost of the practical issues outlined.
5. Narrow Scope: The article focuses on classic reasons not to buy vintage synths (maintenance, expense, etc.), but it doesn’t mention any other modern alternatives like hybrid analog-digital synths, or how tech-savvy musicians might be able to overcome the maintenance hurdles more easily today with online resources.
Addressing these points could have made the article more balanced and inclusive of different perspectives.
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