Hardware Synthesizer Sales Figures/ Worst Selling Synths

[Old Iron Giant]

I'm sorry for not being clear enough that I thought it sounds terrible. That is, judged only by those youtube clips.

don't feel sorry.
all DarkStar units really do sound horrible.
I bought mine second-hand for $20, and thought the unit was busted.
after some research, i found out they all sound like cheap broken toys.

note: there is a DIY mod, to fatten up the sound- thus improving the darkstar from horrible to Ok'ish.

[chamomileshark]

How about the DX9? scaled down version of the DX7 but not astoundingly cheaper and then torpedoed by the next generation of Yamaha FM synths.

Who in their right mind would buy a DX9?

oh wait..

[tim gueguen]

All of the Kawai additive synths flopped. The K5 possibly moreso than the later K5000 range. All were sold-off at heavily discounted prices after fairly short sale periods.

Kurzweil K150 additive synth (I think there's a theme here - a limited market for additive)

Additive has FMs problem in spades, it's hard to program.

[MOS72]

About flopped synths.. or never marketed (at all/enough) or Unrrated.. I could menthion that after the success of FM mkg the DX7 gen. Yamaha was oriented to "pure synths" after that.. have to menthion its attemp on a new category: Workstation.
So, the YS100, YS200.. B200 and Yamaha's last attemp to deliver or "squeeze" more the FM success.. was this one I had till last year (2020) the v50. A pro version of the YS200. And this 1989 ws WAS the last FM and firts professional workstation pure FM. Sporting not 8op (DX7) But 6op FM. But with PCM drum kits and 8 part sequencer. And I think never had a chance.. coz in 1990 Korg released its best world selling workstation: The M1. then FM "fever" decreased. Who'd know.. FM is very "alive & kicking" today.. and a must sound engine in high end synths.. flagships as Kronos, K2700 and Montage.

[SciNote]

Yamaha DX-7 is 6 operators, not 8. I think the newer Montage includes an 8 operator FM section.

[meatballfulton]

Right...Montage is 8 op, DX7 is 6 op and V-50 is 4 op.

[meatballfulton]

Worst selling synths?

The bass synth in this one wouldn't even play in tune and the kick drum sounded like a wet noodle, even at only $299 that's pretty bad.



OK, now the synths play in tune but it was still a disaster at $499, almost immediately it was fire-saled.



Less than 10 ever made, it cost over $50,000 in 1973

[blueknob]

It goes to show even the big Japanese companies don't always get it right. I'd be interested to know what happens to these boxes, do they stockplile in warehouses until they get pushed into landfill? No doubt it will be a decision for the Accountants.

The way hobby electroincs has moved on, there's many a technically minded person sat at home who would have fun experimenting, tweaking, re-purpose this kind of unit.

I'd buy a bunch at £10 a pop. Tech people are buying the messed Behringer RD8 to mod and hack up.

[ppg_wavecomputer]

[...]

Less than 10 ever made, it cost over $50,000 in 1973

Less than ten GX-1 units ever made?

Seems highly unlikely.

Stephen

[steveman]

[...]

Less than 10 ever made, it cost over $50,000 in 1973

Less than ten GX-1 units ever made?

Seems highly unlikely.

Stephen

It is, no way were less than 10 made. While I don't regard Wikipedia as the definitive source, there are more than 10 known owners listed on there, Keith Emerson owned 2 as did Stevie Wonder. I'm sure there are more in private hands we don't know about.
Someone on GS acquired one a couple of years ago, and Gordon Reid of SOS has one as he detailed his trails in buying one when he did his retro article on it a few years ago. That was bought from a private owner in Australia. The article also speculates less than 50 sold.
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ya ... zer-part-1

Wikipedia's less than 100 made sounds about right.

I don't think limited edition protoypes really should be included under 'flops / poor selling'

[ppg_wavecomputer]

[...]

Less than 10 ever made, it cost over $50,000 in 1973

Less than ten GX-1 units ever made?

Seems highly unlikely.

Stephen

It is, no way were less than 10 made. While I don't regard Wikipedia as the definitive source, there are more than 10 known owners listed on there, Keith Emerson owned 2 as did Stevie Wonder. I'm sure there are more in private hands we don't know about.
Someone on GS acquired one a couple of years ago, and Gordon Reid of SOS has one as he detailed his trails in buying one when he did his retro article on it a few years ago. That was bought from a private owner in Australia. The article also speculates less than 50 sold.
https://www.soundonsound.com/reviews/ya ... zer-part-1

Wikipedia's less than 100 made sounds about right.

I don't think limited edition protoypes really should be included under 'flops / poor selling'

There is this Japanese collector who seems to have three GX-1 in his collection, there is the second Australian machine that some fellow who restored pinball machines tried to sell for, if I recall correctly, 125,000 US$ some years ago, there is the unit that was on display at Yamaha's German headquarters in Rellingen back in the day (presumably used by a variety of people on their albums), there were multiple units used when Yamaha were celebrating their Electone play-offs in Japan (and Europe) in the 1970s, there was George Fleury demoing it...

Stephen

[cornutt]

Four pages and 11 years, and none of us have ever thought to mention the Polymoog.

[meatballfulton]

Four pages and 11 years, and none of us have ever thought to mention the Polymoog.

Back in the mid 80s, I saw the Boston-based punk band Gang Green destroy a Polymoog on stage with a sledgehammer while the members shouted "We hate synthesizers!"



I'm sure that's sugar, I doubt they had th emoney for real cocaine.