Vintage Synths - A dream come true or a total nightmare?

[@AlexBallMusic]

Really enjoyed the format you took for this one, very creative. You've got some nice bits hiding away there, including the PE-2000 with its famous "caliblation" knob. That 700S is beauty too. It's all about knowing techs, because a lot of it needs work of some kind, but it's suprising what's fixable as they did make them to last back then and the schematics are usually available. Ironically, yt's actually not uncommon that a vintage synth is easier to fix than a more recent synth with propriatory digital chips or boards or the like. I've known a few 10-year-old synths have to be binned because the only way to fix them was to get another unit and take the parts out of it and breaking a working one to fix a broken one makes no sense. I've then had numerous 40+ year old synths fixed pretty easily. I'd bet all of yours could be sorted out. But.....then I guess you have to ask whether you can be bothered, as you said. I was over the moon that Prophet was reissued because I could buy a brand new one when I'd given up on the idea of spending 4-5k on a 40-year-old one that would need ongoing work. I press the power switch each day without a concern that I'll be met by an ominious nothing.

[@Ellende]

I agree on both the repair-ability of vintage synths but also on the re-issues by Sequential and Korg. I really wish Roland was taking notes though.

[@markusfuller]

I’m getting tired of repairing vintage synths, just getting hold of the correct components for them is getting increasingly difficult. the majority of synths that I personally own are under 5 years old and theres so many good modern analog synthesizers available to us today. don’t get me wrong I love old vintage synths but I’d rather be making music on something reliable than spending time fault finding and trying to find replacement parts.

[@soupforare]

Def. For me it's the death from a thousand cuts, especially pots and jacks.

[@PORRFNK]

Whatever vintage synths, well also newer, I always make sure to check the internet for most common faults and make sure to have some component stock, It was easier back in the days where most could be found on ebay, synthparts or Syntaur, but sadly that is no longer the case really, and the prices have gone up, waaaay up. Whenever I buy something I make sure that it's in pristine condition, that way I save a lot of hassle down the road, but one good thing is that I learned to fix my own gear, while it has lead to some frustration it was definitely worth the trouble to get a basic understanding. I watched a lot of your videos Markus and they are great, just wondering if that fader/pot trick with the pencil was actually worth it HAHA ;)

[@user-rv8wb1nl1b]

there is a day when everything will break and be unfixable, entropy . But i will fight to keep my CS15 going !

[@meneerjansen00]

Wow! If even you get tired of it and have difficulties I'm getting worried. I've watched many of your video's and I think you're not only good at repairing electronic stuff, but I thought you liked it very much too.

[@DestroyER82]

@@user-rv8wb1nl1b Keeping CS15 going is good fight, worth it.

[@RobertMatichak]

Very entertaining … funny!! The message came through loud and clear. Thanks for going the extra distance on making this video.

[@SRDhain]

I've owned a lot of vintage synths when they were cheap enough to buy on ebay and not feel queasy when they didn't quite do what they were supposed to. I was fortunate that a good friend of mine is one of the best techs in the business, otherwise studio life would have been difficult at the time. All of them need an overhaul from time to time. The time taken (and the subsequent cost) varies depending on everything you can think of regarding the instrument(s). Even 5 years ago, I'd have said go for it. But with the increasing plethora of newer analog (and hybrid) synths sounding so good, and costing much less to buy and own (they'll be good to go for at least 5 to10 years), it's a 'have a think' before you shell out for a vintage synth, imo. They're similar to vintage cars; beautiful to look at, and great to take for a spin, but you'll need the time, energy & money /tech to keep them going.

[@emdotambient]

Me? Minimoog: dead; two ARP Axxes: functioning-ish (need to replace all capacitors and rebuild power supplies; both need their sliders refurbished/replaced); Ensoniq EPS: floppy drive knackered and replacements are pretty much unobtanium; Roland JX-3P: fully functional but someone stole my PG-200 and it's not the same w/out it; Roland RS-202 string ensemble: last time I checked it almost worked but had a strange warble sometimes; Crumar Performer string ensemble: dead; ARP Sequencer: dunno, the sliders are frozen and the thing just acts crazy, not sure if it's just the bad pots or if there are other issues ... Roland MC-303 and Yamaha DX-200: last I checked they both still work fine. Roland TR-606: still going strong! Vintage gear can be like an albatross hanging from your neck. I love all these things but just don't know of anyone nearby that I'd trust messing with them and haven't mustered the courage to completely tackle repairs myself (partially repaired one of the ARP Axxes--new key bushings, fixed the sample & hold with a new capacitor, cleaned the circuit board and sliders, which still are a bit sticky), nor the cash to ship them to someone qualified. Look, right now is the golden age of synths. There are so many new and fabulous synths available--more than at any one time in the past really--that it makes no sense to take a chance on old gear unless you're talented at electronics repair and/or have tons of cash and money/time/headache is not an issue.

[@emdotambient]

@null Well, it did last me a long time and was in kind of rough shape physically even when I bought it off a friend in about 1983. It had been toured pretty heavily. Actually seems to have been built pretty well ... just age got to it.

[@Howdy606]

I will add a positive notion to vintage synths. Mostly they are a hell of a lot easier to repair than mid age synths using small SMT technology as they use large easier to get at components. However as others have said, it is in some cases hard to find parts now. Unfortunately I doubt this vid will stop the onslaught of prices continuing to skyrocket though. Tim, I bet that DW is a fairly easy fix. Worth it as its a gorgeous sounding under-rated board.

[@anoniconoclast2030]

The Korg DW8000 is so worth getting fixed.

[@wolfpackpresets]

Nice, DW-8000 was my first synth :)

[@thegood9]

I've owned them all...and now have none (well I do still have my JX-8P). Because...compared to their more modern day counterparts---they ARE a nightmare, and the sound quality today is just----better. The tuning is always on, and they don't need to be babied. I miss my OB8, my Jupiter 8 and 4 , Juno 106 and juno 60, and MKS-80 and -20, and I miss my old prophet 5, and my DX7 (well, i don't miss that one tto much, lol) and My korg DS8 and poly 800, and prophet 600 and JD-800, etc. But...I don't miss the weird sonic issues, the bad tuning, the heaviness, the inconsistency from instrument to instrument, and the power consumption and heat!

[@marsmediapro]

Quite humorous, and yet, informative. Thank you!

[@Fallingoverbackwards]

Now that prices are up 300% in some cases plus the hassle and expense of repair it is a sad state of affairs. However, the emotional attachment that can form with vintage anything is not replaceable with modern gear or vsts. I think everyone should own one needy problem child piece of gear, and know the love that comes from that. Imperfection and limitation can be a wonderful thing. Look at pugs or bull dogs, they are adorable, expensive, prone to health problems and worth every minute you can spend with them.

[@progwaver]

Yeah, totally agree, I own my life ( together with my brother ) many vintage synths , from minimoog D, memorymoog, rogue, prodigy, to pro one, prophet 5, ppg 2.3, ob 8, Hohner String Synth, dw 8000, Polysix, Juno 106, Juno 2, MKS 50,..... d 10, d 50, d 550, wavestation EX and AD, 01w fd, jd 800 ( this are sure only half vintage but makes them not really better ).... Maybe some fogotten.... anyway You might wonder why so many, yeah, i wonder that too haha Condition was on mostly everyone good as we bought them in the late 80s.. We had much fun my favorites, ob 8, minimoog, pro one, dw 8000, d 50, jd 800, juno 2, wavestation... The biggest desaster was the memorymoog, guys never buy a memorymoog, I promise you you come to the day you throw that ( I pay 3000 bucks for it ) piece out of the window.. IT NEVER, YOU HEAR NEVER WORKED RIGHT, TUNING ISSUES WICH IS KNOWN FOR IT included.. and a few other terrible bugs made it impossible to play something without a side effect modulation on the sound, every sound... I had luck I could sell it for 2000 again to one needed replacement parts his own Memorymoog , also not work, haha.. He was willing to pay me that in hope he get some things out of mine wich in his not work.. Well there was quite other vintage come to desaster, Juno 106, Polysix, Juno 2, Wavestation AD had all damages somewhen... On the Juno 106 one the 6 DCO had an issue make him less sound than the other 5.. And the funny thing was, I had later another one and the Hohner HS wich is a 106 with speakers under my fingers, and they BOTH !! had the same issue... Polysix was the one I fear one day to set on, cause it smells so curious... Pro one had cool sound, but a Brumm circle in the sound.... caused from the earth connector pin... if off that wire no brumm, but thats life dangerous in a metallchassis... PPG, never work like it should do Prophet 5 we had only 2 days, then we give back the seller about technical isues he not told us... he knew it haha... Whats more ? ... All the above synths are NOT more in my property... I only have new ones here, many of the behringers remakes I love, cheap and quite cool sounding... cause one thing I can say, I invest too much money in vintage synths and get at the end loss and disaster back...

[@alanphil]

I have a Minimoog model D that I purchased new in 1978. It's still working, but I have a bag of parts I need to install to fix the issue with the keyboard bushings. I keep putting it off as the minimoog is so heavy it's like wrestling a small alligator to take it apart. Tim - really enjoy your videos. Would recommend a can of electrical contact cleaner on that Korg ensemble as I think the cracking could lessen if you clean out the dust.

[@77advanced]

Interesting, i also had cs15 and it was totally flawless, not a single malfunction. Also my vintage rolands are in a very good state, only installation of midi was needed, but i had numerous problems with korgs)

[@FrankyGun]

As I can see by the computer voice comments, Tim, you actually have a sense of humor. That is very refreshing to see since most of your (content wise fantastic and excellent) videos come across so serious and dry that it hurts. Adding a smile from time to time or giving the audience a good laugh to light up your content would make your videos so much more enjoyable. Love and light from sunny Khao Lak, Thailand 🇹🇭❤️☀️🏖🌴🥥🐘🌈

[@paulallen8777]

Great video. I've had many with problems. Solina with fault on note repeating down keyboard plus ensemble problem, Wurlitzer EP200 with amp fault, 1978 Minimoog busbar problem, Arp Odyssey Mk3 has keyboard problem plus slider fault, and an Arp Omni Mk2 that was dead then burst into life, but then bellowed smoke from a burning tantalum capacitor! Some newer ones had faults too, Moog Anniversary Voyager touch pad not working anymore, Behringer Monopoly with VCA bleed, MPC Live with dead battery plus a Korg Prophecy where the wheel collapsed into it but fixed that. Then again on a positive note I got a working Yamaha CS5!!

[@tomrobinson3956]

LOL. Very entertaining Tim. Loved it from start to finish. Well worth the watch.

[@laurencevanhelsuwe3052]

Love the humor in this video :)

[@carlbdfrd]

BRILLIANT TIM, Loved this video and completely agree with your conclusion. I sold 4 of my very vintage synths and bought a new studio with the money:. Thanks for a very entertaining video.

[@vksoundstudiokokow3236]

Thanks Tim. A certain magic and openness of vintage things, "honest" sound and understandable operations push us on this coveted, but very expensive path.

[@MrC_5150]

Great video! Love the format. Hope to see more content done in this style.

[@infindebula]

I’ve been a lot more fortunate I guess. I do have a couple of dead synths on the bench right now, but I own many vintage synths that have needed little more than a potentiometer here, a battery there. By the way: I am loving seeing Tim Shoebridge cutting himself off for being long-winded. I do love your videos Tim, and I appreciate the detail, but you have such a soothing, mellow voice I do sometimes find myself falling asleep. This made me smile.

[@TimShoebridge]

I'm considering becoming a hypnotist in my spare time

[@soepil]

Good video. Every time I turn on my Korg Polysix, I pray it is still working. So far it has been okay, apart from some key contact issues in the upper register.

[@TheSynthacon]

I wrote an article in Sound on Sound years ago about this. Not all chips are available, some of the Yamaha stuff is unobtainable for instance. The reissues of the CEM and some SSM stuff will help with others, but generally there will be bits you simply can not find, and it is something that needs to he factored in. You could be purchasing something that soon after becomes unusable. Not all techs are equal... I trust one, and he only recommends one other. Investments... something is only worth what someone will pay for it. Having owned more synths than I care to remember I'd say most vintages are now way over priced for what they are and can do. I'd also say most are awful too, just because it is "old" does not make it good. "Rare" is also a tricky term, some are rare because they did not sell many because they were not good. Look and read reviews of the stuff that were written at the time and you maybe surprised at the fact things were not well received or thought of in a positive light 30 odd years ago and I'd say that assessment nearly always is still valid and true now. Do not get sucked in, vintage synths are a minefield.

[@agerven]

First of all: hot topic and great video Tim! Also nice of you to keep timeouts for the subtopics, which really helps to the overall video content. Quality of Vintage Gear over a long period of time depends a lot on manufacturer and on model type. Virtually all suffer from capacitor and power supply aging problems. Fortunately these are usually easy fixed unless you have some extreme tight PCBs and huge number of capacitors. Floppy drives all suffer from end-of-life problems. The drives are extremely difficult to come by, fortunately drive belts are fairly easy and cheap to obtain. What is extremely nice is that thanks to Dave Smith (call him DSI or sequential) and Behringer the original CEM and SSM synthesizer IC's are well available again. Some of my experience: Korg MS20 (35 year first owner, gone now): Really good, only once replaced capacitors and resoldered PCB myself; Crumar Multiman S: Fantastic, never had a problem EMS Synthy A (20 year, 2nd owner, gone now): Looks terrible inside, but never a problem; PPG Wave 2.3: (Late owner, worked when tried on site, problems from the start once home, never got it working, gone now) Yamaha SY99 (1st owner, 30 years; Complex to control, fantastic in features). Had some official repairs, changed flopyy drive belt myself, but need for complete haulover now: PCB resoldering, capacitor replacements, LCD (backlight) replacement. Prophet 2000 (3rd owner, 30 years;) Works like a breeze, still, except for the floppy drive which is an essential part of that system.

[@InvertedPopesMusic]

Pretty much agree with you Tim. For me is comes down to nostalgia. I still have a couple of vintage synths Korg MS10, Korg Poly61 but I don't think I will be buying any vintage synths again. I sold my beloved Minimoog a couple of years ago due to desperate times, now wish I hadn't as made no difference in the end. The Minimoog is the only vintage synth now that I would consider purchasing and that is purely as I say, nostalgia.

[@SpikesStudio3]

Thanks Tim. I bet most people agree. Me for certain, as there was never an ms-20 in GREEN!!!!! until this year. Synths might be relatively disposable nowdays, but their affordability and variation is worth the trade. Imo. Cheers bro, keep up the good work.

[@performtransform]

I'm guessing this is a fairly representative mix of what vintage looks like. Thanks for shaing!

[@aegis3d]

Fun video! Unique and engaging style.

[@stephenanthonythomas3533]

I babysat 2 Monopoly’s in the late 80s and mid 90s and just loved that synth. Tried to get owners to sell but they wouldn't part with them. Glad you kept yours! The other synth I really wish I had been more persistent with the owner was a Yamaha SY2. Really weird preset synth but man it sounded great-kinda like a large version of the reface CS. And I totally empathize with the Pianet T. I had one that needed the little stickie pads. Just had to let it go. I'm down to a minimoog. Its been in the shop for a year. Complete refurb. Selling it immediately when I get it back. It was a good run.

[@technodrone313]

I went with the cheapo behringer clones for the 303 and minimoog. Only saved about 7 grand.

[@DavideCerriGA]

Or lost few hundred bucks.

[@technodrone313]

@@DavideCerriGA kzbin.info/www/bejne/paSroqevYtaZe80

[@DavideCerriGA]

@@technodrone313 i have the behringer 303 myself. It's excellent. Lol.

[@technodrone313]

@@DavideCerriGA hell yes it is. I might buy one or two more eventually

[@paulburkhart2619]

"Positively ancient" aka my birth year, heeheehee! Enjoyed the vintage synth tour, thank you.

[@80ssynthfan48]

For those (like me) who are fairly new to vintage synths, then bear in mind to think outside the legendary models. For example, if you want to delve into FM, then a DX100 or DX21 can still be got at reasonable prices. Non-FM options could be, say a Korg Poly 800 or moving up, an alpha Juno. Sure, they're not a Juno 106 or DX7, but they're something vintage, and they're quite compact. But may be worth finding out how easy they are to get serviced first.

[@eyeprod3101]

I've owned many since the late 90's. Only had to repair about a third of them. Of those times it was mostly only simple cleaning that was required. Now I only keep two or three keyboard synths and one of those is a CS-15. It's very reliable. I did have to replace the chip that drives the sine shape on the LFO. That was around $100 usd and It took many months on a wait list to get it. Gotta have that sine wave.

[@Mchannemann]

Well thought through and we'll produced video which simply states realities. The only thing I add is that vintage parts are getting rarer especially cs80s parts...

[@jeffevansmusic]

I recently rebuilt a Korg DW8000 but I am very experienced with electronics and also tracking parts down. The power supplies are still available for this as are some of the boards inside. I was able to source all the switches new, sliders, output sockets etc. New last updated OS. I had to get the parts from about 4 different places all spread out across the world. The labour costs would be very high. This is something that an electronics person who happens to be into synths such as myself can do. Not for most. It is one fantastic sounding synth though. The software is great today emulating some of these things. Once you realise that the music is far more important than the synth doing it then you don't have to get bogged down in vintage instruments. Also the current hardware releases of a lot of these things are also great too. They sound excellent and cost far less.

[@LukezyM]

What do you think about the upcoming Korg Modwave, will it have something in common with the DW8000?

[@jeffevansmusic]

@@LukezyM Thanks for that did not know about it. Well the filters are not actually analog in the Modwave. Filters are digital and modelled on analog filters. Thing I love about the DW8000 is from the oscillator onwards it is an all analog signal path. Its a hard sound to describe. When you choose more complex waves in the oscillators, you get this very distinct digital sound BUT its big and warm and fat and so smooth and you can feel it in the floor though. Its like the smoothest warmest digital synth you will ever hear. I wonder if Modwave will have the same appeal. While many of these new Korg synths are very complex sounding, when you dial up a straight out fat analog sound they are not quite so fat at all. Although that is not their intention I think. I have got a Moog Voyager and that is another whole story though! What is good is putting fat analog sounds from either the Voyager or the DW8000 on the bottom end and have the complex sounds from the modern synths doing the top parts.

[@LukezyM]

@@jeffevansmusic Thanks. Yeah, I know about the filter being digital. It would be cool if they made it hybrid. Oh well, let’s wait and see how it sounds. I’ll decide between this and the Hydrasynth when I hear it.

[@jeffevansmusic]

@@LukezyM The only recent machine that was actually a bit hybrid analog was the Roland JDXa with its analog filter section. But it was only 4 voices though which is a bit useless. Some of the Dave Smith synths feature digital and analog oscillators with the rest being all analog though. I bet they sound great.

[@newignis]

@@jeffevansmusic if you lok for contemporary analog: the ob-6 is great as it is based on analog vco’s followed by a sem filter. You might also be pleased by the Novation peak or Summit: digital oscillators followed by analog filters and amp. Korg has their xxxlogue range, but I have no experience with those.

[@davidvochocjr1005]

Tim, thanks for making your video much shorter than usual. I love your videos, but I don´t have simply enough time to watch it 100% (e.g. the Poly-D serie :-D). TOP video quality as usual and +++great new format!

[@JimmiG84]

Love the presentation :) The only vintage synth I've had was a JX-8P, which worked OK (the aftertouch strip needed cleaning, as is almost always the case with those synths). However I'm glad I sold it before it started developing more problems. Nowadays I only use a few modern synths and plugins, since keeping my studio minimal and low-maintenance lets me focus more on making tunes.

[@bobcatt2294]

On the Korg DW 8000 and may I add, most other synths, suffer from capacitors shorting out. Take a look at those caps and see if they are indeed swelling. Even though they are no longer made or available, you can swap to the equivalent. AT: 6:40 - crackling sound = dirty pot. Solution= contact cleaner. If we were close by, I would fix them suckers.

[@joelgrumblatt2747]

Wish I had seen this sooner, having just purchased a Yamaha SK30 that was supposedly "completely overhauled" and arrived to me DOA (doesn't produce any sound). Now I have to decide whether I want to spend the time and money to fix it, or just return it and lose money on shipping both ways. I suppose that's what I get for spending too much time watching vintage synth demos on KZbin lol.

[@matt_phistopheles]

Nice video and nice collection. I also have a small vintage collection and most of them had some issues over the years. The good news is that most problems can easily be fixed because of the simple tech, good documentation and use of more discrete components. That said, my CS-15 is also in perfect working condition even though it has been used a lot in it's 40+ years. It is still my go to instrument when I just want to fool around with some mono synth sounds. And that pitch bender is just sexy.

[@ogasi1798]

very smart presentation - well humoured

[@DoctorJezz]

I'm luckier I guess; I've got quite a few analogue classics and have had my entire life, but never had many problems, but then again, I've always bought them in the best condition, just like cars. I had a CS60 for 40 years, with no issues other than the inherent round robin tuning design which some people thing is the key to its sound (not sure I entirely agree on that one). My Monopoly was upgraded with midi, a new power supply and wooden case. It feels like new pretty much. Jupiter 8 just feels like it could last forever (known to be very reliable). The list goes on really, but they've been looked after. My Prophet 5 rev 3 was the only synth that had issues and even that worked perfectly 90% of the time and just dumped all its memories a couple of times really, but still had a couple of trips to Cyberwave to fix her. I have everything I really want now and probably won't be buying much more, so I'll just keep treating them well and crossing my fingers. Well worth it to me and, as an unintended side effect, the increase in value while owning in the current craziness offsets any costs at the moment, whereas buying new stuff will drop in price on purchase (just like any cars again). I like new gear too, though much of that is in the box. I'm not trying to be smug, I'm just another synth geek who's been lucky maybe, and it's just another perspective 👍☺️

[@GlennJobson]

Interesting what you say about vintage synths. Most of the vintage synths I own I actually bought new or nearly new, Korg Poly 800, EX800 and a CS-5, they have become vintage with me.

[@amsynths]

Great video and love the different format. Vintage analog (and digital) does means having a good local tech or making some DIY repairs. There are some great bargains to be had with simple repairs, for example a S-50 for £50. I would avoid vintage unless you can budget for maintenance, and some are nightmares - like an EIII. My studio rule is the gear must be fully operational, fix it or it gets sold. No dodo’s☺️☺️

[@apislapis]

I love Tim's videos. They're excellent. Unfortunately, they've not been to kind to my wallet - 15 Behhringer System 100 modules later. Like Tim, I have a modest vintage synth collection with models in various states of health. I made the mistake of buying a Basstation mk I in lockdown on the 4 letter word site, but left it too long to test it. It was on it's last legs but couldn't return it and I was shielding also. However, I bought an oldish (not sure it's vintage) Alesis Micron from Andertons in good working order. If you do decide to go vintage keep money to one side for repairs and maintenance, and have Kent Spong Restorations on speed dial. Brilliant as ever Tim, thank you.

[@pawnotdaw4559]

I think I’ve been lucky. I own a Juno6, Jx3p, Roland System 101, Sequential Six Trak, Roland RS09 and all of them have been working fine for years. I’ve had the Juno since 1996 with no probs.

[@electrowayne2918]

Same here .. the trick is to buy mint condition and only buy the ones with a history of the least amount of issues . There are just some I won’t go near with the current prices. Juno 106 being one of them. From the Roland the jx and alpha series I’ve had the least amount to zero issues. This videos does make me want to not invest anymore money into vintage synths as he makes some good points on going modern. I got a prophet rev 4 that sounds great and is reliable. Most vintage repairs are expensive and just not worth it in the end.

[@pawnotdaw4559]

@@electrowayne2918 yeah he’s made me think about the Yamaha cs30 I’m watching on eBay at the mo. Don’t need any more synths...

[@RTCLR123]

That system 101 kinda interest me for some reason more than the others. Great collection btw!

[@pawnotdaw4559]

@@RTCLR123 it’s very sexy

[@phils9333]

Great video Tim, made me laugh out loud. I personally don't own any vintage synths. Failure of 70/80’s components forbids it. 😁

[@magikhead8055]

These videos are quality content..Greetings from Argentina !

[@synthseeker]

LOL - I love your mechanism for time-boxing your synth stories for each vintage unit! Very funny. "...dream or nightmare..." - I suppose it depends on your tolerance/appreciation for fetishism and minutiae as well as your goals as a collector and/or performer. I respect the effort people put into their collections but try to minimize the time I spend on synth upkeep. Thanks for the entertaining thoughts!

[@skummelkatt]

I’ve owned about 25 different vintage analog synths during my 20 somewhat years as a synth head. Loved the sounds but they were always one or more problems with them. Double trigging, crackle, noise (like filter leak), broken components, battery leak, sticky buttons and bad capacitors were reoccurring stuf. They weren’t reliable and that is understandable after so many years. But I couldn’t fix them myself and to get someone to fix them was a nightmare at times and it never came cheap. Besides that it was always some struggle to get the midi to cv/gate converter work with my daw.

[@TheSynthnut]

Very nicely produced Tim, very funny too. I started buying gear back in the early 90's when analoge (and early digital) was still affordable. Keeping them going is much like the painting of the Fourth Bridge used to be, I just need me some of that new-fangled paint they now use. To anyone considering buying vintage, it's much like buying a boat of classic car, you need to budget for upkeep. You will have lucky ones, like your Yamaha, but many will have failures, components were never designed to last 40 years! It's actually a miracle if an old synth that age works, it's way outside the envelope really. If you need to ask the question about affording it, then like the item without a pricetag, then no, you probably can't afford it! All that said, new gear can be just as frustrating, mostly due to software, so it's not totally clear cut I guess.

[@IanWaugh]

Ha! Ha! Hi Tim - Brilliant video. Love your helpers although I think they should have given you more time to tell us what you think :-) Have you tried the Behringer MonoPoly? Would love to know what you think. Also, would like a MonoPoly and/or a Poly d but torn. Would love to hear your thoughts about the two

[@TimShoebridge]

I haven’t got my hands on the Behringer version yet. I’m sure I will at some stage, just hope my Korg original lasts until then so I get the chance to compare them 😏

[@GertBoers]

Hahaha, you've made me laugh out loud many times, in this video. Man, I love your humor!

[@nabooka316]

Well I used to have a Mono/poly, Prophet 600, Matrix 6 & Moog Source, but as everyone else I got bored with them back in the 90's - I've just got a Moog Sub 25 and Prophet rev2 and they are much better as they benefit from 4 decades of refinements

[@unclemick-synths]

The only vintage _analogue_ synth I own is the Clef B30 Microsynth I built from a kit in 1985. The keyboard contact springs were a problem from the start and long before Maplin stopped selling them I got fed up replacing them. I started converting it to a module when I bought a Korg SQ-1 but still haven't got round to finishing the job.

[@TimShoebridge]

Keyboards definitely seem to be the weak link with all my vintage gear, except the CS-15 which is in perfect working order! ;)

[@HarryRauer]

Very cool video - fun to watch! Thanks for posting!! I still have my Yamaha CS20M which was my first synth back in 1985 (never any issues), my wurlitzer A200 which I got in the early nineties (only repaired Power Supply when I got it - working fine ever since) and my beloved memorymoog (Linntronic version) - that‘s a bit of a Diva ...... but the sound 😻 Besides that - I love the reissues: Minimoog, Odyssey - and of course (.....god bless they‘re back....) the modern moogs and DSI/sequentials!! Never was into Japanese - analogs though (....besides my Yamaha...) - always loved the „american sound“.

[@helge666]

I have a Mono/Poly, PolySix, JX-3P, Hohner Logan String Melody II, Simmons SDS-8 and a Yamaha TX-802. All of these are in perfect working order right now, but they all required extensive and expensive repairs. I also had them recapped and tuned. For the JX-3P, the maintenance cost was twice of what the unit had cost in the first place. Some where at the synth tech more than once. I have a Poly-800 lined up for maintenance, but that's very likely the last vintage synth that I bought. What if my synth tech retires? He's not the youngest anymore. I'm dreading that day...

[@doordedeur]

I have a Roland Juno 60 here. It works fine. But my main point is that the Juno is a one-trick pony. It can do a single patch of certain kinds very good. But for less money than the Juno will deliver, I can get a Korg Kronos which can do so much more. Even if the analog modelling of the Kronos is 80% as good as a Juno, I can layer it, put effects on it, sequence it, you name it. On stage a multitimbral workstation is much more effective and efficient. When needed, I can always sample the Juno into the Kronos.

[@renezayas9578]

Tim was really great show make me laugh and think 🤔 thanks 🙏

[@nectariosm]

I sold an Andromeda A6 last year. It was working just fine, but I got cold feet with the whole board failing stories. I enjoyed the hell out of it and I think its one of the best sounding synths, ever, period. After that I said no more vintage synths, but a cheap JX8P with the ipad programmer (I don't use it, I just use Ctrlr in my DAW), popped up. It works fine and my local shop can fix it and it sounds, really great actually. I think having one vintage synth to cure the vintage synth GAS is good, especially if its a great deal, servicable and has some sort of integration into the modern way of controlling synths. But I am fine not owning any of the insanely priced vintage synths. There's plenty great sounding synths with a warranty these days.

[@sarahhey8654]

Love my Juno 60! ❤

[@mallery7]

Very creative presentation!

[@horatiotimewaster5755]

Very entertaining! I will now drop my romantic notions of the Junk6 I sold back in the 80s. My Model D going out of tune every few months is enough for me.

[@horatiotimewaster5755]

Juno-6

[@static-san]

I don't have hardware quite that old, but I do have an Ensoniq TS-10 and an Ensoniq ASR-10 bought second-hand, roughly at the time Ensoniq would've (should've) been selling the next generation. Due to Ensoniq's design being essentially a specialised computer that happens to play music (heck - the ASR-10 even boots off a floppy disk!), they have not aged particularly well, although once working they are still extremely capable machines. My TS-10 has a problem, though, that I'm sure will be impossible to repair and I haven't tried to use them in years once I left the situation I was playing them in. I think the ASR-10 booted last time I powered it on. Their main problem is that they held me back from developments in synthesizors and electronic music. Were I to go back to the type of live-playing I once did, I would not use them. I would instead use a middle-of-the-range laptop with a DAW and a couple of good plugins coupled with a MIDI keyboard. I know people keep old Ensoniq synths alive but it strikes me as quite a lot of work I don't want to do. Too much like keeping old computers going.

[@philmarsh5593]

I have several - and they all work ok and I love them - but I agree, I also wouldn't buy another. When bought within the UK they all needed work on purchase; even one supposedly "restored" (died within hours). Buying from someone like Ko at Modeless Music in Japan - totally different experience. A CS15, an SH2 and SH3A arrived as "as new" as it's possible to get with a 40+ year old synth. And they're perfect several years later. But otherwise, with synths not well looked after previously, silly little faults can pop up at any time, it can be a bit of a lottery and can get in the way of bring creative. They can be fixed relatively easily if you know what you're doing, or know someone who does. Otherwise best staying away. New subscriber. Enjoying the channel. 👍

[@moresynths]

Lovely synths, great video format

[@DestroyER82]

Vintage synths are passion, not fashion. Personally my rig is still mostly vintage and im quite lucky, since most my of pieces work pretty well. Anyways I'd recommend to everyone to rather go for new made models. With Behringer smashing market with affordable stuff and others forced to adapt.. There is really no more any need for real vintage pieces, especially when overpriced. Only expections are some of those really special sounding pieces like Tim's CS-15 (CS serie sound hasnt been yet replicated well enough), but be aware, it can go wrong and there is no warranty.

[@tonywharton5220]

What would you consider a future classic please Tim? I can definitely think of the Deepmind 12. Argon 8 and a strange one, Korg Monologue.

[@TimShoebridge]

Wow, that's a difficult question, we have so many to choose these days don't we. Yes I like your choices. I'd like to think one of the Dreadbox synths could be a contender, maybe the Typhon? And the Abyss is already almost a collectors' item as they did not make very many. The Medusa also, it only has limited popularity, maybe it's ahead of its time and will become lusted after in the years to come like the TB-303 eventually did....!

[@tonywharton5220]

@@TimShoebridge The 303 is crazy money for what it is but again Behringer have made an amazing replica. I've never owned a Dreadbox and there isn't many videos around the Medusa unfortunately but like you say, it's definitely a contender. I suppose mass production has really driven prices down. Especially Korg. Like yourself, I'm a big korg fan but there is nothing vintage that takes my fancy. I still have 3 old Casio synths with rom cartridges. Don't laugh 😜

[@silverqumera]

Amazing concept! Like the interruptions on your comments, so funny!!

[@johndeaux3703]

I've had vintage analogs die or develop defects even though I never abused them, never gigged with them and kept them in a temperature controlled spare bedroom that they never left. I sold the rest of my old analogs while they were still working before they could die on me.

[@nightglyph867]

I feel your pain Tim , it can be difficult to let go of the 'magic dust' of old gear and all the promise it once held. Personally I no longer have the patience , time or money to be arsed with it when there's so much interesting new stuff around these days. I have an original Waldorf microwave and a SE -Se1 in sick bay at the moment awaiting a good doctor.

[@russellbutterfield1419]

Good video Tim. I think this is the main reason why I have not gone down the vintage synth road. My oldest piece of kit is the Roland Integra 7. A friend of mine spends a heck of a lot of time getting his Synthex working, and if you've seen inside of one, it is very scary to look at. He has a Prophet % which works, an ARP Ody white face which also works, but funnily enough he has a Yamaha CS-15 like you, and he has never had a problem with it. which is rather interesting, because I also know another person who has a CS15 and he has never had a problem with his either.

[@crhkrebs]

That was a clever and funny video. I own 8 synths and samplers. I only have one modern synth, a Matrixbrute. I seem to have better luck with my vintage stuff. Currently, the only issue is that the vibrato control on my JD-800 doesn’t work, even though the pitch portion of the controller does. Not that big an issue, truth be told. I do love my vintage stuff but I can’t disagree with any of your comments. As for the DW-8000, if it was working one evening and the next morning it won’t turn on, a good guess would be the power supply and a blown capacitor or two. If that’s the case, it is a simple fix. Keep us up to date on how it goes.

[@crhkrebs]

Wow, since I wrote that the encoder on my E4X broke.

[@_P_M_]

When you could buy them for cheap, yes.

[@pfmmodule5144]

My Prophet X is back at Sequential (again). The Juno 60 (no maintenance) is going strong. You never know.

[@VisionsMusicGroup]

Imagine my joy to see a DW8000 appear in this video. I've had mine since late 1985 (history: I paid for a DW6000, but by the time it arrived, the 8000 came out... so I upgraded at the counter 😁) My DW8000 is in near perfect working order, aside from crackles on the volume slider that cleaning does not seem to fix. What's "nackered" is my DX7. Who hard-solders a battery onto the freakin motherboard? 🤦‍♂ Other than these 2 mid-80s synths, I also have an Alesis QS8 and QS6.1, though late-90s may not qualify as "vintage"; the latter in perfect working order. Thank you, Rosie and Arthur ❣

[@blackarrowmedia8471]

I heard from an old band mate that his JX10 and Moog Source were still going strong after many years of use.

[@fiddlestickzmuzik]

The CS15 is the only vintage I'm ever really interested in. Only a CS10 has ever come up for sale near me ( Australia ) and i'm not interested in importing from overseas for obvious reasons.

[@AndyVonal]

Great video! I am so sad that your DW8000 has died, but it should be reasonably straightforward to fix, surely (note of desperation in voice???). I have a bundle of "vintage" gear too and most of it is is pretty poor shape. Is it worth the hassle getting it repaired, I wonder? Will anyone be interested in a DW6000 (the poorer version of the 8000) - I doubt it! Good luck with the old beauties, Tim!

[@stevew4910]

For longevity, maintenance is second only to initial build quality; after that it's care/handling. Consider: - Voyager probes (launched 1977): now in interstellar space, still sending data (no maintenance, ever. Wow!) - B-52s (aircraft not band): >50 years of well-serviced lethality, no end-of-service date yet (constant and costly maintenance and upgrades) - my Mum's fridge (English Electric, 1967): still chilling (one careful owner) Music electronics suffers most from heat, contamination (dust, cigarette/"other" smoke, and the stage/FX kind) and shocks/vibration - keep kit cool, clean and cosseted. Keyboards get knocked a lot when gigged, rack-mount gear less-so and hardly at all if life spent in studio (better to get an EX-8000 than a DW-8000). LCD backlights will fade, button batteries will leak and corrode PCBs and surrounding components; they don't know or care if they're in an analogue synth or a pinball machine. Even if kept cool, electrolytic capacitors need replacing after ~15 years (max), at which point it's worth replacing moving/mechanical parts (encoders, switches, pots, jacks etc) and giving it a good clean. Analogue or digital, a proper overhaul every decade is part of ownership, and should be assumed when buying second hand. "Vintage digital" is becoming hard to maintain, just like analogue but with a ~20-year delay. The Hydrasynths and Summits will get there soon enough...

[@nativeVS]

That's a great collection of slightly more quirky synths/keyboards. Seeing this I'm really gutted that I didn't pull the trigger on a really cheap Pianet lately, as they just have such a lovely sound and force different playing due to the lack of sustain pedal. Also thanks for getting me to listen to some of Tony Banks' great uses of the Pianet again (even if he used the very different sounding Pianet N, before replacing it with the RMI).

[@TonySway]

Good video, I own one Vintage Synth the (Oberheim Matrix 12) the funny thing, is its the most functional synth out of all my new gear, never any issues, it's maybe just the luck of the draw, previous owner took great care of it and had it checked on a regular basis, it's funny cause I thought it would have some faults but to my surprise it runs smoother than of my other new synths, for instance my moog one and waldorf quantum get stuck on patches constantly, my quantum, will malfunction while doing to much tweaking and sometimes give off a loud noise and almost burst my ears lol my Prophets have been very reliable though, anyways great video, I guess it just depends, it's like buying a old car, some last for years, others breakdown constantly

[@Syntox]

End a video with a perfect Roxy Music quote (CHEF KISS)

[@danielpirone8028]

Alex Ball would be proud…. Well done!

[@cucucuchetecucuhete4096]

Nice vídeo Tim

[@ChrisLee-dz3uc]

Thanks again or an informative video that saves us all money and frustration Tim! I understand Korg is re-releasing the 700S this year. I would be interested to know if you have had a chance to compare your Korg Monopoly to Behringer's version? Your Behringer Poly D videos finally convinced me to order a Poly D. I also noticed in one clip you have some Behringer System 55 Eurorack modules alongside their 100 and 2500 series counterparts, any chance you will be doing a video on your impression of those System 55 modules? I am very happy with the 100 series modules I picked up and have started receiving some of the 2500 series ones I ordered lately, so I suspect the System 55 series will be equally good for the relative cost. Again, thanks for all the time and effort you spend putting these videos together; it is like we all get to join Tim Showbridge in a Master Class of synths and the multiple ways to use them!

[@TimShoebridge]

You're very welcome. No I have not had the opportunity to get a Behringer monopoly remake, I'm intrigued as to how close it will sound to my original. Yes a System 55 video is definitely in the works but taking time as I'm trying to put together some sequenced music examples that I'm happy with but also remember to have the cameras rolling at the same time..!

[@Pepijn_a.k.a._Akikaze]

You used a text to speech programme right? Lighthearted is is. I like it! I used two of these programmes to make dialogues for my latest cd. I share your opinion on not buying any more vintage gear. I still own the ones that can be fixed (Korg MS series, Korg Sigma, Minimoog, Arp Axxe, Solina String-Ensemble, Korg KR-55), and I will probably keep the PPG Wave 2.3, which was a pain to fix after having been inoperable for over a year. There are some good clones nowadays. I bought some clones whose originals I used to have (Arp Odyssey, Sequential Pro-One, Roland SH-101). There are also great new synths that can compete with vintage or will become vintage, e.g. Moog One and Sequential OB-6. Then again, as new stuff can break as well, I agree with Alex Ball that gear collectors like us should know the right technicians to fix things. I am lucky to be able to call one of them a friend. He owns a music shop, sold me the Moog One, among other instruments, and taught me some basic things, such as soldering and using the right tools to open and close a piece of gear. I would like to add that vintage gear won't make you a better musician nor will most listeners hear the difference. Using vintage synths is part of a musician's trademark. They can give you that spark of inspiration you need to set you apart from others. But in the end, it all comes down to what you do with your gear.

[@levonatkinson]

Damn that Honer sounds awesome.

[@zookiebudeck3428]

Hi Tim! This is very special and entertaining. Love your style of Videos and this is creativity at its best! The sound of the Hohner is incredible - Fender Rhodes was allways my dream. Just one question: what‘s the first Hohner song you‘re playing? Cheers from Germany

[@TimShoebridge]

Hey thanks. Those chords were just something I made up at the time, though listening back they remind me a little bit of the intro to an old Genesis track called Aisle of Plenty... 😏

[@DogdaySunrise]

That's why I always sell my synths after a while...so they don't break on me. May also be the lack of impulse control. I'll have to do a long-term study on this. Maybe another two dozens synths will solve this mystery.

[@goodboid]

How long till my Nord 2x Rack and Korg Radias are considered vintage? They still work fine.

[@globeflicker9216]

Buying a vintage keyboard is like … Finding a French Fry under the couch and expecting it still to be good when you eat it.

[@djdigital3806]

I ate D-50, D-70 and a DX7s🎹😃 My W-30 is on life support. My favorite the Krog Wavestation 🌊 EX 🎹 Synthenzier is 100%. Very hard to program.

[@globeflicker9216]

DJ Digital Lol! My circa 1989 Korg M1 (bought new) looks great! Doesn’t play though 🤬 oh well 🥲😂 Those Wavestations were awesome, gotta admit. 👍

[@alfr83]

Well, that's exactly why the clones market has bright days ahead. Speaking of clones, once again my eyes were staring at your growing Behringer system 100 rack, I would be more than happy to have an update video about it with all these VCOs and envelopes !

[@inkpapers-1]

Hmm.. Maybe it's worth the premium buying already serviced synths from boutique companies after all... Hard to say. I do know a lot of electronics guys who have repaired old gear and am learning a little more myself. Well, when I started out I tried to keep everything in the box, but to get that sound you still have to go outside the box sometimes. Now I'm doing cable management.. it just explodes.. well where am I going with this. I forget. Love that CS-15! I've wanted one of those! More affordable than a CS-80.. I should get one of those early CS series someday.. unless Yamaha finally comes out with that reissue they were hinting at.. or sigh.. Behringer..

[@7177YT]

Love this channel! A lot. (:

[@nicolasg.1601]

Thank's Tim, this vidéo is excellent and funny...

[@sneakyBEANZmusic]

The coin battery in the Korg DW-8000 might've just died, a common but simple problem to fix for a synth it's age. You can easily buy another CR2032 battery from CVS/Walgreens. Hopefully that fixes it.

[@TimShoebridge]

Thanks. Will check it out 👍

[@earthhuman5448]

Keeping my MPC60 alive and kicking can be such a frustrating endeavor. Right now its on the shelf, the disk drive went, and I replaced it with one of USB emulators as I couldn't find a floppydrive. I got it working, threw on that Winstons 45 and sampled Amen. About 10 minutes later the tact switch to access the diskdrive died! Now gotta rip that board out and get to surgery. And if im replacing 1 tact switch i should really do all 50! Sigh. Itll happen this year, i promise Tim. Cuz it sounds amazing and the timing locks like no other, imo.

[@mr.irrelevant3588]

I replaced all of my tact switches and it feels like a new machine. They are the kind of switch that snaps in so i just cut the legs. It was the gentler option for removing them.

[@stephenanthonythomas3533]

Oh and don't feel bad about the DW-8000. I kinda think Korg was going for a Working-Man's PPG at 1/4 cost.