Have synthesizers Improved in 35 years?

[madtheory]

How does something like, say, a Schmitt compare to those big analog synths of the past?

I like the sound of the adamstan synth myself

lmao, op just seems to want to have their established bias confirmed, rather than actually listening to counterxamples.

A common affliction on VSE it seems

[Sabaja]

I havent expressed an opinion either way. All I know is that in my 35 year sabbatical nothing has apparently improved. Which is kind of dissapointing in the Analogue world.

[xenia625]

All I know is that in my 35 year sabbatical nothing has apparently improved. Which is kind of dissapointing in the Analogue world.

That right there is a statement of opinion.

[JeEA]

Nord modular. Not an option 35 years ago

[meatballfulton]

I can understand the interface couplings. But when people rave about a Dave Smith analogue at £2k and then I see its the same as one or similar to one from the distant past im thinking is this just good marketing?

It's a market response to people who are nostalgic for old synths. That includes a lot of people who never had the opportunity to experience their limitations first hand. Now they do, good for them.

Dave Smith has always claimed he did not want to repeat himself. But the market has spoken, people are going gaga over the P6 and OB6.

What has definitely improved:

MIDI
Massive polyphony
Digital synthesis
Reliability, tuning stability
Lower prices
Velocity and aftertouch are now commonplace

[Sabaja]

Yes the stability is a good point as I had problems with the early synths going out of tune.

I guess the market dried up after 1986(pet shop boys). Yes it continued but after 19 86 synths became less important as groups like Oasis with more guitar and vocals. Cant believe Howard Jones and Nick Rhodes still plugging away. I once met John Foxx(underpass) and he let me have a go on stage with him way back. Those days are gone.

So the reinterest is a nostalgia thing then.

[salwa]

I guess the market dried up after 1986(pet shop boys). Yes it continued but after 19 86 synths became less important as groups like Oasis with more guitar and vocals.

1986 is a little early for Oasis. Not to mention all the electronic music that emerged in early 90's.

[Sabaja]

Oasis formed in 1991 and I said after 1986. Plus the electronic music of the 90's you mention had nowhere near the record sales of the synth music from 1980 onwards till 86.

[ppg_wavecomputer]

Oasis formed in 1991 and I said after 1986. Plus the electronic music of the 90's you mention had nowhere near the record sales of the synth music from 1980 onwards till 86.

What "synth music" are you referring to, just to be clear?

I seem to remember that some people -- at least over here in Germany -- could make some decent living from their techno albums in the 1990s. Some of them have even built up massive synthesiser collections as well. And I mean *massive*.

Now that's what I call a proper investment plan.

Stephen

[Percivale]

Improvement defined? I do not think sound per se can be improved other than those relating to technical aspects, i.e. fidelity, power output and being more reliable to use, etc. Features and frills, sampling and digital, sequencer and automation and more of the same - yeah. It is not like you are unable to enjoy music any more from synthesizers 35 years ago compared to today.

[griffin avid]

Not that I find this entire thread useful-....
I actually thought it was going to be dismissed as an easy trolling-bait type question.
VINTAGE synth forum = guys, what do you think about synths- better when they were VINTAGE or better now?
Cause gee, I dunno?

At any rate, to offer a different angle, I think there was a time in music when the SYNTH was the new sound and in many bands was a novel addition and was supposed to stand up, like any other instrument. It was featured and mixed to be as strong as guitar, piano, drums etc...

Then there's 'synth bands' and then there's music made almost entirely using synths/synthesis (electronic instruments) like a one-man-band. I don't know if the focus needs to be on the synths of yesterday or the popularity of music that 'requires' synths that sound like yesteryear.

In other words are we confusing the instruments with the 'sound' of current offerings?
Or if the two are so crucially linked that one is a direct result of the others evolution/devolution.

Or (another or) is it about what the modern musician (or abundance and interests of hobbyists) needs/prefers to make music. Cheap, entirely more portable, stable, reliable,modern connectivity, features, integration...workflow etc.. and that decides the swing

which is a bigger question than BETTER or WORSE.

[ninja6485]

I have a mini, 2 lb, 4 voice Jupiter 8 on my lap that runs on batteries, with midi and a sequencer. Improvement.

[recordbot]

was just thinking about how maybe a lot of this vintage festishism leans towards hogwash, hey more power to you if the vintages have to be where it's at for you,

just came back from watching Myron McKinley perform classic after classic on what looked like a pile of Jupiter 80s,

I'll post pictures later, but yeah if he can just crack out all those Earth Wind and Fire songs on a few Jupiter 80s, sure he's touring so you want to use new gear for that, less risk of failure, easy backup if there is a failure, but he's making music and entertaining a crowd, if it was some Dave Smith board instead I'm sure he'd nail all those same sounds with that,

and he's probably got all those vintages at home for recording, yes I know there are sonic differences between different units, and some musicians have favorite gear because they are more productive with it, but maybe more focus needs to be put on making music instead of fetishizing the tools used to make music.

just a thought, now back to the gear lust gassing after obscure vintage electronic keyboards that make weird bleep noises

[ppg_wavecomputer]

[...] I'll post pictures later, but yeah if he can just crack out all those Earth Wind and Fire songs on a few Jupiter 80s, sure he's touring so you want to use new gear for that, less risk of failure, easy backup if there is a failure, but he's making music and entertaining a crowd, if it was some Dave Smith board instead I'm sure he'd nail all those same sounds with that, [...]

EW&F is not exactly a band I would associate with highly complex synth textures and intricate synth programming -- in this case, almost anything would do the job.

There *is* a difference between Tangerine Dream now and Tangerine Dream 1984, however, and something tells me gear has got something to do with that.

Stephen

[db0451]

examples of how things have improved

All I know is that in my 35 year sabbatical nothing has apparently improved.

yes, when people say something to the contrary of the point you're trying to prove, just repeat yourself, louder. if you're not going to listen to people, why did you start a discussion? not that they should have to point out the obvious, if you were to actually read some spec sheets, covering a wider array of new synths than you apparently already have.