Rob Rosen Reveals His Ultimate Synth Collection

I hope you enjoy this rare opportunity to visit with my close friend Rob Rosen for a deep dive into his ultimate vintage synth collection. Together, we’ll see inside some of the rarest synthesizers of all-time and learn from this master technician how synthesizers have evolved, what makes them tick and why synthesizers make such cool sounds!
I consider Rob’s shop @Rosen Sound ground zero for anything relating to synthesizers. It’s also the biggest wonderland of vintage synths in perfect working order that you’ll ever see .
Rob is a self-taught technician and is now the world leader for repair, restoration, custom manufacturing and sales of vintage synthesizers. He’s also quite an accomplished musician programmer and keyboard player as well.
00:00:01 Intro Anthony on the street in Burbank, CA
00:01:55 Entering Inside Rosen Sound
00:02:06 Meeting “P” from Chromeo and The Rosen Sound Team
00:03:06 Rob shows us his personal work space
00:11:42 Montage of Synths - Start
00:12:35 Montage of Synths - End
00:12:36 Anthony and Rob in “The Cabin” - a wonderland of vintage synths
00:13:42 Anthony explains and demonstrates features on the CS-80
00:20:36 CS-80 “Under the Hood” in-depth tour by Rob
00:53:31 Prophet 5 “Under the Hood” in-depth tour by Rob
01:12:50 Anthony Demonstrates some of the Juno 106 sounds
01:19:27 Juno-106 “Under the Hood” in-depth tour by Rob
01:28:54 One-of-a-Kind Oberheim Modular 8 Voice System tour by Rob
01:35:31 Anthony asks Rob 20 Questions about Synthesizers
01:39:09 Rob asks Anthony some Questions about Synthesizers
01:49:47 Bass Shootout: 1973 Moog System 55 VS ARP 2600
01:54:54 Shoot Out Conclusion and Bass Tips
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[@enricopallazzoofficial]

This channel is steadily becoming one of the best synths channel on KZbin. I really really enjoy Anthony and his knowledge on things. I'm learning a lot of things about synthesis and arrangment.

[@javd007]

Agreed. It’s getting good . Real good .

[@MrRandomposter]

Fantastic channel. Anthony has a great vibe!

[@jeffconley819]

Man your not kidding. I started messing with these things in the mid to late 70’s then gradually got into other things like Hammonds( b3). But still love synths and I find I’m getting back into them at 60plus years old.

[@pieceworkstudios]

Oh man, that Juno... 😭. I had one in beautiful shape and traded it... Definitely a regret 😞. Maybe I'll find another someday

[@e-conrecords4665]

Agreed. These behind the scenes & historical deep dives are compelling viewing.

[@skylermann]

Can confirm that this is one of the most magical rooms you’ll ever step foot in if you love synths.

[@russ254]

holy cow! This KZbin video is the future we were promised - television showing exactly what we want, instead of for the largest possible audience! Wunderbar!

[@christdolphin69]

I think about this all the time. Truly an amazing time to be alive

[@neilloughran4437]

This is one of the best synth videos I have ever seen. I remember coming across a cachet of 1970s magazines back in the 80s/90s and remember the initial UK reviews of the Prophet and CS80... the prices were similar to the price of a small terraced house in my town. I'd never really thought much of the CS80 until now... what an amazing timbre especially with the ring mod...

[@squareleg5757]

Possibly the best two hours I have ever spent on KZbin. Thanks, guys.

[@Scotty_Russell_Music]

My eyes teared up a little when they turned the OBX8 voice around to see the back of it. Stendhal syndrome moment for sure. So beautiful. A chaotic marvel. God bless the geniuses that make these gorgeous soulful instruments. It's easy to forget the miraculous human achievements in the technologies that surround us every day. What a time to be alive.

[@Swat-ed5bt]

Awesome ❤❤❤❤

[@anthonymarinellimusic]

Thank you! Cheers!

[@puppetsnob]

I expect to see little Sims people walking around and screaming when Rob pulls out the "city" cards with parks and warehouses. Thank you both, Anthony & Rob!! What a rare treat to see the synths inside out.

[@wado1942]

22:00 and I thought the inside of my Hammond looked like a nightmare! Mad respect to the people who designed and built those machines!

[@fuzz7boy]

What an utterly captivating 2 hours of informative video. To see the insides of these vintage analog synths, and hear from an expert on their inner workings, is pure entertainment.

[@officialmikethompson]

P-Thugg! Love Chromeo, that was cool 👍

[@falangistavaleroso9689]

I also own a EMS Sinthy A and a 909, sadly sold my mint 808 12 years ago and my 2600, yet own tons of jewels... and more to come. Prophet 2002+ coming from Germany now ( got 2 in the 90s), great trick yours with the 2600. I do with my Minimoog. Bob signed it for me in Barcelona one year before he passed away. Moog module with a real clock on it, funny!

[@Kili69]

Rosen Sounds Synth Cabin is amazing! I would also love to see a tour of your studio!

[@lundsweden]

There was this guy I bought a full Roland System 100 from in Sydney Australia, around 1997. His name was Dave... he honestly had 2 more full system 100's, Minimoogs, Korg PS-3100, Yamaha CS60... this was just the stuff I saw. The was a heap more there. He had a mixing desk from an radio station (Triple M), a massive wooden Marimba. At that time he lived in an old warehouse around the St. Peters area. He said he was in a band in the 80s that toured Japan.

[@kabirchoudhary1359]

SO much value. Thank you Anthony, I am 20 years old and only recently got into Michael Jackson and the 80s sound. You're truly a pioneer. As a musician, there is so much to unpack and to learn from and i'm very grateful to have firsthand access to this knowledge. I just wanted to acknowledge my appreciation for your stuff. Thank you. I hope this channel gets the platform it so deserves

[@TehSyneS]

Good luck dude!

[@TF242]

Officially one of my favorite videos on KZbin. full stop.

[@Bocmaxima79]

This is the most informative video I have ever seen on synthesis. I want to spend 8 hours talking with this guy! Freakin' guru!

[@culttelevision]

Your videos are getting more and more addictive Anthony! This was fascinatingly detailed and nostalgic.

[@TheBcoolGuy]

Anthonyl

[@wedream2]

Love the inside tour of the CS80, Prophet 5, and Juno 106. Surprising how well the ARP stands up to the Moog!

[@GeorgeAmodei21]

Love that GROWL!!! ( Edge )

[@oscillationcommunications709]

Ahhhh So great! I love that y’all started shooting from the street,walking with the crew,cables n all,that’s the real juice right there,everyone literally in creative motion. Keep em coming,Respect to you and the crew,as well and Rob and the Rosen fam. This is beautiful stuff man. Bravo.⚡️🤘🏻⚡️

[@JustinKosler]

Thank you, thank you, thank you, Rob and Anthony! Phenomenal video guys! Genuine friendship vibes, and the depth of knowledge in your respective areas of expertise, kept us glued to the screen.

[@ronycarrasco2039]

I understand only about 50% of the technical stuff they re talking about but it was a fascinating interview

[@MacXpert74]

Amazing collection of synths there. Basically a more or less complete collection of all major classic analog synths.

[@moogfooger]

"People want the long answers". Profound words Rob. This is the greatest thing I have seen on KZbin. Thank you Anthony!

[@marcusholder495]

Thank you for the video you are a rock star

[@eyeprod3101]

This ruled. The ARP 2600 sounded better to me than the Moog Modular. Both were nice, ARP just sounds cooler to my ears.

[@PracticalCat]

As someone who is currently designing my own synth I really love this! Yes the hakko fx 88d is the boss! And to all those diyers out there; you dont need an expensive scope. All I have is a crappy ebay kit scope and its been enough. And for my dmm im using a cheap Aldi multimeter from 2009 and its bang on :)

[@GlassTarantulah]

Another amazing watch! Thanks for these 💎💎💎

[@anthonymarinellimusic]

Glad you like them!

[@cortical1]

Watched this live and really enjoyed it. Thanks, Anthony! I'm a career neuroscientist and professor who's also a musician and synth enthusiast. Digging all your content from both artistic and technical depth. Cheers from San Diego. 🧠🤘🏻

[@samsonwoods5448]

What a collection, this is a great video, for the synthesizer junkie!!!!!!!

[@UcPhotos.Online]

Definitely do more videos like this . who would have imagined 200 years ago wires and voltage would lead to a whole new world of sound !!!!

[@neocollective5959]

How lucky we are to listen to you guys and witness your beautiful friendship too. Much love ! ❤ 🤗

[@AllieBomba]

this is the coolest thing to watch!!! Steffi the first lady of synthesis!

[@Luraka1978]

12:42 This looks like my studio actually 🤯 this tech guy knows his stuff

[@smartti1970]

Astounding work and knowledge ! Thanks for such a lucky opportunity for you guys spending so much time on sharing all this ! It has never been seen and explained so well.... a documentary that will stay forever in synths history !

[@peterhomfeldt7287]

Hi,Anthony ,I grew up in the eighties and had no oppertunities to buy any synth at that time until my grandpa made it possible to buy the korg monopoly. Before that i manipulatet the tape deck of my Sound System.I discovered that there was a little potentiometer that was Responsible for the motor Speed. So i recorded any kind of Sound in highspeed and later i slew down the speed of the recording in Play Mode.. Kraftwerk was one of the preferred musics to apply this experiments… Open mind curiosity,fantasy,peace and time to discover new things

[@toolman8269]

OH MAN, OH MAN, OH MAN! A two-hour video at RosenSound?!! I may have to watch in sections. This is gonna be epic! So happy to see this!

[@michaelspencer-arscott]

This person (Rob) is a bonafide galaxy brain. It takes a certain temperament to wade into deep waters like CS-80 repair/building - hats off to you!

[@GordonShumway-jf6lt]

Anthony, I love your style of interviewing and asking, and the questions your are asking! ❤

[@markr.devereux3385]

I've struck gold !! This is what actually made real history while I stumbled through guitar centers of the 70s and 80s. The black magic of analog and digital musical instrumenta

[@MarkoDeLaVoota]

now , do your own studio , this was really good show !

[@TheJanda777]

Holy man! This might be the best and most educational video. What a great moment where Rob shifted in his seat that he was self-taught. Because that is something to be so proud of. Having pride in one's work is so rare.

[@toolman8269]

OH WOW! So, I thought I would have to break the viewing of this into more than one session, but I just could not stop watching! Very engrossing video. I felt like I was just hanging out with two synth nerds. Although I am no expert player or tech, I was able to follow along fairly well, but I did learn quite a bit as well! Excellent content! I was grinning from ear to ear through the whole video and even clapping at times. Like Anthony stated, it's so great when you have someone with whom you can share the enthusiasm of a subject and really just roll on and on. I could have watched an even longer video and enjoyed every minute. The 20 questions section was great! The shoot-out at the end was incredible! I just gotta get the patch info for that 2600 bass sound! Looking forward to it, Anthony! Very much looking forward to more phenomenal content like this. A real treat for sure.

[@suadcokljat1045]

I'm also a self-taught synth/gear repairman from Europe (at rhe moment repairing Lexicon 480 and Prophet 3000) and I really really enjoyed this episode. Thank you. Cheers! S

[@davidjazay9248]

Superb interview / chat. Thank you so much, Anthony and Rob.

[@Joseph-l3d3j]

A dream synth studio! Amazing what is inside a CS80, mind blown.

[@obshaky]

I think this is one of the greatest synth videos Ive ever seen. Sitting 2 hours about mostly fixing synths and you guys made it great. Its remarkable. Congratulations.

[@boldstandard]

Around 30 minutes in, Mr. Marinelli asks how oscillators make sound, and I want to see if I understand it right. The VCO has a capacitor that gets charged, and quickly discharges when it hits a threshold. The amount of time it takes to get to that threshold is determined by the voltage coming in, which determines the pitch, but the amount of time it takes to discharge is constant (?), which is what determines the waveform- in the case of the CS80, sawtooth. This signal is then sent out of the oscillator and processed, but it’s not a sound until it is sent to a speaker. Once the signal gets to the speaker, it’s kind of similar to the capacitor, I think, but now it is a magnet that’s being driven back and forth by the signal. So, absent any other processing besides amplification, the speaker cone’s movement would mirror the charging and discharging of the capacitor in the VCO. As the signal ramps up, the speaker cone moves in one direction, and then when the signal drops, it quickly returns to its starting position. This in turn moves the air in the room or headphones as the case may be. When the cone moves out, air pressure increases, cone moves back, air pressure decreases. Our ear drums detect these fluctuations in air pressure and nerves in our inner ear actually convert it into a new electrical signal, and our brains then interpret it as a sound. And we can tell the waveform, pitch, frequency, and all that other stuff going on and deduce the whole process that created it, and troubleshoot if something goes wrong. Can anyone say if I got that all correctly?? Fascinating stuff..

[@gregorybolton]

Thanks both of you for an inspirational journey into the synthisiser world !!! Rob and Anthony,...it's been a pleasure!!!

[@peterkadarmusic9728]

You're doing the Lord's work. Thank you, Jedi Synth Master.

[@richardhess7313]

Amazing! Thank you!

[@francisseidel8014]

It's so cool seeing Rob talk about the Zilog Z-80 in the Prophet. My first experience writing machine language programs in the 1970s was on an Altair 8800 with an Intel 8008 at the college where my dad was a professor. Then soon afterwards I got a Radio Shack TRS80 Model I, which used the Z80 as a CPU. I dove head first into programming it. I wrote many assembly/machine language programs to solve problems back in the day, including a print queuing system so that I could still use the computer while printing, instead of having to wait for it to finish. The Z80 was such an incredible chip in its day. Even used in the space shuttle because it was so stable during liftoff. Brings back so many fun memories.

[@messybuttons7525]

Wow, I loved reading this story. Thanks for sharing!

[@issiewizzie]

Synthesiser has been my hobby for over 35 years and it's a rabbit hole. Thank God I have a Mrs that's understanding With reference to Rob, yes it's nice to have a soulmate who understands you in that world. And we the audience are with you on that journey.

[@harbars1]

beautiful!

[@benbauer1065]

This was some of the absolute best KZbin synth content iv ever seen!!! Thank you.

[@johnboothman1235]

magic stuff--keep it up

[@achtagon]

This is a masterclass from synth gods. Absolutely incredible! CS-80 down to the component, asking all the right questions, and they're just getting started.

[@TheGuitologist]

Wish I had a "team". :) Great production! Love this stuff.

[@KevinWheelerMusic]

Thank you so much for this episode! A few month I had the same idea and wanted to know how a analog synth makes sounds. I bought the DIY analog synth from Moritz Klein and Erica Synth. They delieverd the kit an a manual so I could learn step by step how this synth works. It was a amazing journey and I own a modular synth 😊

[@TehSyneS]

Rob seems so cool, thanks Anthony! Also, P-Thugg!!!

[@djdannydannthebeatmanndustyfin]

wow anthony what a great learning expereance thank you for making this video and the many others you done its brain food for me so thank you very much anthony for all your time and all your knowledge and wizdom ......Rob Rosen is amazing ......

[@tricevid]

Thanks for doing this guys! Amazing Stuff! Hugs from Italy!

[@pieceworkstudios]

I'm absolutely captivated. Also " this board is a neighborhood with a park and trees, and this one is an oil refinery with the tanks" 😂🤣. I love making scenery out of circuit boards

[@666Nightshift]

I watched it twice in the same day, very joyful to learn from top dogs within the industry, which are really humble ...thank you for the video!!!! :)

[@morganlundin5029]

This channel is a hidden gem. Hope you never stop doing this kind of work. Super interesting and very well made. Thank you so much! :)

[@Jacob-ur3lh]

This is such a great channel and video. You really go into a deep dive of why these older synthesizers are so special.

[@velosouk]

Such a great video. Thanks Anthony!!!

[@jmmar219]

Saludos desde Argentina Buenos Aires.

[@jjdekay6969]

THAT was AWESOME!!!!.............I WANT MORE!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@user-uq5qw1fk3d]

This video is so fascinating. Thanks Anthony and Rob for teaching us in this level of detail. It really helps to appreciate the complexity of synths.

[@gavingetsit]

Golden content, lets go dude!

[@jmmar219]

Rosen mi primo felicidades 👏

[@SPINNINGMYWHEELS777]

Anthony I can appreciate the method you take to stop and outline words that may be obscured by short-hand speaking. You are a natural teacher.

[@russell_szabados]

Thank you for this, Anthony. I bought & started using my first synth in 1984 and never learned any of the internal machinations either. I've long had a complex about that, but it's awesome to know that someone of your accomplishments is just like me. I appreciate your way with metaphors when seeking to understand the concepts presented, it really made things easier to follow. All the best!

[@carriersignal]

Another great video! Thank you so much to both of you! I would like to say that as a technician who works on synths myself, I find it interesting that Rob did not mention using manufacturer specific service manuals that are available for working on these instruments. They are imperative for really knowing what is going on including test procedures, test points, schematics, and well, pretty much everything. Without them you are mostly fumbling around in the dark with the complex problems. I wouldn't attempt to do some of the troubleshooting I have done without them. Again thank you!

[@RosenSound]

I do mention the use of service notes when discussing the 80. It’s also nearly impossible to service these without them :). I would hope the use of schematics and the like is certainly implied as a part of restoring these. Thanks for watching!

[@carriersignal]

@@RosenSound You most certainly did. Somehow I missed it. That seemed to be what Anthony was searching for, to me at least. Perhaps I was wrong. My apologies.

[@neonether]

So many crazy moments...and P thugg! Rosen is really such a legendary place, fortunate to have it close by!

[@tjebbevanderkooij276]

Wow this is just super thank u two so much you both are so sincere and honest love it, this is pure bliss

[@Soundpaintmusic]

Incredibly insightful video. Profound, enlightening, and unexpectedly moving ♥

[@maximilianmilf8653]

Omg so cool p was in the shop. Ofc he was!

[@lartisan6274]

its so cool and fresh, to see outside :D

[@mikegeary8056]

Cool!

[@FakthorX]

So inspiring thank you two for sharing!

[@stopinterview]

An absolutely amazing experience. Thank you both so much for this.

[@Paintopia_VR]

This was amazing, thank you so much for such a detailed and heart felt discussion. I hope you bring us many more like it in the future. Peace!

[@ItsWesSmithYo]

Dude, this is like watching music making left and right brain going deep…epic. Even more psyched I held on to my few Moog, Roland and Korg devices. I don’t use them much for actual projects, but they do feel good just making noise with abandon 😊 Thanks friends.

[@danielbrowne3973]

Anthony, this was such a joy to watch! Love your approach and look forward to watching all your videos!

[@n3ver3nd1ng]

Amazing people! Such a intresting stuff! Yamaha CS80 always makes goose pumps for me! Thank all of you!

[@domenicocaruso2153]

This was so cool! Thanks guys!❤

[@KickzNBeatz]

My favorite KZbin channel

[@rosalindwebb7729]

I love that you share beautiful things on here music is a wonderful thing thank you for sharing god bless.❤🙏.

[@oystercatcher943]

What an absolutely incredible video! As I hobby musician and day job software engineer who's also programmed Z80's and ARM chips and with some electronics knowledge. Absolutely fascinating to see what's under the hood and how the engineers designed the mix of analog and digital electronics. I'm compelled to learn more about the assignment of oscillators to keys since this was clearly a major challenge with only analog circuits

[@Rondo2ooo]

These clips are getting better and better. The knowledge being shared hands-on is incredible. Thank you so much for your efforts and for facilitating this to us!

[@freeman61]

Have just discovered you both. How bloody super awesome this has been. Thank you so much, I have learnt so much from both of you, and will continue to follow your channels. All the best from Downunder !!!

[@Keyboardnut99]

This video is one of the most interesting I have ever seen, I used to have a cs50

[@ReginatorNet]

This was amazing!! I watched the whole thing and enjoyed every minute. I have a few of those wonderful synths, some real and some are clones I built, and I love them all. I even have BlackCorp's Deckard's Dream & Expander, KIJIMI and ISE-NIN. Can't wait to see what you do with your Sherman Filterbank because I have one of those too... but I'm still learning how to use it. 🙂

[@robinsutcliffe-video_art]

wow. Thanks. It is really Awesome to see these rare beasts! After having taught myself electronics and fully restored and modified several Rolands, Juno 60, 106, MKS-70 (with PWM mod) Alpha Juno2, TR606 to name a few, it is so cool to see other craftsmen at work. Thanks again guys, great job, really enjoyable

[@rodneytorres8843]

Yes!!! do a full 2600 patch session....😀 Extreme Synth show down

[@rosalindwebb7729]

Omg I used to work with electronics wow this is fabulous ❤

[@SynthCatSpot]

This and the Casio frog bass video are so good. I like where this channel is going:) thank you

[@Nunchuckstraberry]

This is hands down the best video I’ve seen on the subject! Mad respect for Rob and the team and thanks for asking all of the in depth questions we begged to know. I’ve been to Rosens before and it truly is a wonderland. Thank you Anthony and co