Which year had the most synths/samplers produced?

[astroidmist]

I was looking at the synth timeline and i'm wonderning which year or cluster of years had the most synths and samplers produced?

[Ashe37]

Synths? probably '85 or '86. Samplers? somewhere in the early 90s... I'd say '92 or '93.

[shaft9000]

this year probably
eurorack is exploding

[cornutt]

this year probably
eurorack is exploding

I'm not sure that counts, although this year or last year may well be a record for most modules ever sold for modular synths. As far as the original question, I'd go with sometime in the mid-'80s when Yamaha was cranking out DX7s by the tens of thousands per year.

[GuyaGuy]

Judging by how many Microkorgs I see on CL, this year might just be right.

[Alex E]

I think synth production did hit a peak in the mid 80's, mainly with DCO or wave-based synthesizers without lots of knobs.

However, if you jump ahead to like eh... 1989-1991, there were quite a handful of generally unexciting matte-black digital things made for budding home studio musicians that couldn't afford super expensive gear.

[StepLogik]

However, if you jump ahead to like eh... 1989-1991, there were quite a handful of generally unexciting matte-black digital things made for budding home studio musicians that couldn't afford super expensive gear.

I agree. Seems like there was a period around that time, and maybe even into the mid 90's, where there were just tons and tons of modules and ROMplers hitting the market. Roland was cranking out JV stuff by the truckload. Korg was selling the successors to the M1 in massive numbers with a new model every week it seemed. There were modules and drum machines piled high in every guitar center.

[Stab Frenzy]

What are the three biggest selling synths ever? It used to be the DX7, M1 and D-50. Don't know how the uK has changed that, but it's been produced for 10 years so might be more of a slow burner than a big spike in sales in one year. So anyway, I'd be guessing 88/89 when D-50/M1 came out.

All you're gonna get in this thread is guesses, at least people should be showing the logic behind them.

[astroidmist]

What are the three biggest selling synths ever? It used to be the DX7, M1 and D-50. Don't know how the uK has changed that, but it's been produced for 10 years so might be more of a slow burner than a big spike in sales in one year. So anyway, I'd be guessing 88/89 when D-50/M1 came out.

All you're gonna get in this thread is guesses, at least people should be showing the logic behind them.

Good call.

/thread

[Ashe37]

What are the three biggest selling synths ever? It used to be the DX7, M1 and D-50. Don't know how the uK has changed that, but it's been produced for 10 years so might be more of a slow burner than a big spike in sales in one year. So anyway, I'd be guessing 88/89 when D-50/M1 came out.

All you're gonna get in this thread is guesses, at least people should be showing the logic behind them.

Good call.

/thread

[thread]

My reasoning for '85-'86 was the juno 106 (supposedly one of Roland's top sellers of all time), combined with the propensity of other synth models available during that time including alot of budget models.

[Stab Frenzy]

The D-50 was Roland's biggest seller of all time.

[meatballfulton]

I'd go with Stab's guess...turn of the decade from 80s to 90s with the DX7, M1 and D50 and low-cost samplers (compared to E-Mu, Fairlight, etc.) from Ensoniq and Akai.

[gordonmerrick]

According to Paul Thebérge's research (a great book, really), the opening up of the bottom of the synth/sampler 'price pyramid' is dramatic in the 80s--"for the entire decade of the 70s, the Minimoog sold about 12,000 units, whereas … the DX7 sold 200K in just over three years… Casio's successes were even more spectacular… [after launching a music instruments division in '78], by the end of the decade [1980s] Casio had sold some 15 million instruments" (73-4).

Not quite the answer to your question, but some numbers and a place to keep looking.

[Nannerfan]

hmmm.. I thought the OP meant different models made .. not sales.

It's got to be 1986.
Interesting thread.,.. would like to know the answer.

[astroidmist]

Hmmm...

Both questions are worthy.