What is the draw of "Vintage" Synths?

"Safety."

I think it is because the synths have more experience, and have probably learned by now how to make a pleasing sound.

I don't own a vintage synth, but I can draw parallels between that and buying other vintage gear.

I bought a '65 Fender Bassman because the current Line 6/whatever emulation sounds like {censored}, and nothing beats old tubes with old components. Plus - its easy enough to fix. No computer chips. And it sounds GOOD.

I debated whether to go with a Nord Electro or a Hammond M3. In the end, the feel, sound, and SMELL of the Hammond + Leslie did me in. Some people just like having a certain vibe and sound, others don't mind having emulations. I fit in the first category.

My opionions...

Sonically synths of today can produce sounds similar to the vintage synths but they will never copy the originals. Similar to B3 and Rhodes simulations.

Another reason is the coolness factor. Nothing like tweaking the knobs on a Jupiter 8 or Prophet 5 while playing. Yes, I know, you can do the same thing on a lot of today's synths. But unless they are truly analog, they are not as smooth while changing settings.

Similarly, why do some people love to buy cars from the 40's, 50's, and 60's? (a) They are collectors items, (b) they are fun to play with, and © they look really cool!

J

Hello.

I have been thinking about an answer for about 2 minutes. I will list my answers below. These answers are not as long as some others may be. There may be a large number of posts from other humans. Try to realize that this is a human answer and that it is not absolute.

1. Evidently not to the satisfaction of the vintage synth enthusiast. When you want That Sound, you wans the exact thing, not something close, or even "better", which is subjective anyway.

2. Yes.

3. For the same reason people will spend tons of cash for classic cars.

4. Warm fuzzies.

You're welcome.

Do you talk like this in real life? If you do, I'm intrigued

A panel full of dedicated knobs and switches is better than a 40x2 LCD and +/- buttons.

While Moog filter clones are widely available, no one has yet matched the sonority of the Oberheim SEM filter, the ARP filters, or the SSM204x filters.

Producing an Oberheim OB-X, Prophet-5, or Memorymoog in today's labor environment would price them out of the market. Vintage is cheaper by comparision.

They sound better and were designed by people who loved their art. Besides component engineering, the circuits must be 'voiced' by the human ear. Do the VCOs sound good? What impact do different opamps have on the recovery stage of the differential outputs of the filter? What impact do passive components like resistors and caps have on the audio chain? Does the EG->VCA connection sound better using linear or log control? Does filter modulation sound better using linear or log control? Should the EG slopes be linear, log, or exponential?

With a modular you can experiment with different configurations other than the standard VCO->VCF->VCA chain.

A vintage synth that is not popular yet trades at huge prices?

Buchla.

Vintage synths have a different and therefore special character to them. The insides of electronics have changed and are of different quality from then until now. For example, some analog synths back then had a raw sound that some analogs of today don't have.

"I would like to know if you know so that I could then know."

Chas, that was the best phrase ever uttered here at HC. :D

There are too many reasons why people are attracted to vintage synths.

Build quality

Sound

Tweakability

Some features not found on later synths (PWM, RingMod...)

You grew up watching [insert synth hero here] as a kid, and you wanted one badly

Hip factor

etc.

For me, it's all about the era I love big old 80s rock band setups with loads of different keyboards... I can nail the sound just as well with a good workstation for playing live, but when it comes to looking cool (or as cool as a keyboard player CAN look ) you can't beat a big-ass setup with about 5 or 6 different vintage boards.

Nevermind... I edited my post because I misunderstood your question. I thought you were asking about cheap gear not expensive. Nevermind.

Simple - The Sound...

Moog music fortunately updated the Minimoog with the Voyager... and hopefully Roland will do the same with the Jupiter 8 one day. Dave Smith is still making great products as well as other companies.

Virtual Analog instruments sound good & some sound great - but they sound different than true analog machines.

I guess one could compare this question with: What is the draw of "Vintage" automobiles? Why would anyone pay so much for a car that's 30,40,50 years old when the technology is so much better today? It's all a matter of taste, desire, opinion, and means...

1. The same quality and often better, but not the *same*.

2. Initially yes.

3. Because they were only made in small quantities and are made no more. It's a supply and demand driven market.

4. It differs among vintage gear owners. For some, mostly collectors, it's because it was on a prominent classic song or featured on a classic video played by someone famous. For others, it's the simplicity of using gear made in a simpler time. For others, it's the sound. For most, it's all of the above.

Hammond M3's are everywhere. I'm kinda shocked actually - throw a rock, hit an M3 pretty much. I wish A-100's were that plentiful where I live. Its finding M3's already hooked up with a Leslie 147 thats tough, if not nearly impossible where I live. I've seen one with a Leslie 25, but with no upper horn, you don't have much. I looked in craigslist for about 2 years, before I found an ad apparently nobody else saw

What is the appeal of anything vintage?

-- uniqueness

-- in many cases relatively lower cost when compared to new products

-- lusted after product when it was originally sold but couldn't afford it

-- nostalgia

While vintage synths may be popular to a certain set of buyers, I suspect the actual volume sold is miniscule when compared to the volume of new products or "used" new products. This low volume, combined with a group of very enthusiastic people, can help explain why prices sometimes escalate quickly. It only takes two people who feel an item is a "must have" to start a bidding war.

The original success of eBay was due to enthusiasm regarding collectibles.

This explains quite a bit, actually.

MYSTERY SOLVED.

1. Nostalgia and familiarity... "I knows what I knows."

2. Bragging rights. "I can afford/find this thing that other people can't; that makes me special."

3. Insecurity.