Comment by SwellJoe | Hacker News Reader

Comment by SwellJoe | Hacker News Reader

Parent Full thread

I don't think I buy that argument (that there aren't enough people interested in it).

It's not quite in the ball park of something like the DX 7 or several of the better known analog synths, which have nearly all seen re-issues, mini-versions, software emulations, etc., often several. Damned near every Roland synth from that era has seen a re-issue and official plugin. Yamaha has been more measured in their re-issue plays, but the DX did get a reface DX, along with the CS, CP and YC. FM synthesis has been wildly successful in nostalgia synths as well as novel takes on the idea (e.g. the Elektron FM groove box) and Korg's Opsix (I have two of them, the first gen small one and the big expensive one made in Japan), and Yamaha still ships FM synthesis engines in their high end workstations. And, there's at least four plugins that emulate the CZ (I'm working on a fifth to be released in another month or two).

I don't think all that would exist without some demand. I have a soft spot for early digital synths, and I think a lot of other folks do, too. I don't like to buy from Behringer, but it's the only hardware option out there right now aside from the real thing (I own a real CZ 101, but I wouldn't want to take it out of the studio).

AudioPilz (Bad Gear) even made a video demanding it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kb8nMZE-bb0

>I don't think I buy that argument (that there aren't enough people interested in it). >I don't think all that would exist without some demand.

What we old synth nerds need to understand is that there are always new synth nerds leaving the worlds music schools, quite often with a fat wad of disposable income/parents cash, and they want to build their own little studios to make the next mega-hit.

This is the driving force behind Behringer and all the re-issuing goings-on and such.

But the synth world is a fashion scene. Devices and techniques and engines go in and out of fashion.

The recent Gearmulator releases have lit a serious fire under the DSP-synth world precisely because folks really want these old synths, and I suppose its quite fun to take the real DSP firmware and emulate them:

https://github.com/dsp56300/gearmulator

(Disclaimer: have worked professionally in the synth world for decades, I have my biases and also new releases on the horizon ..)

Hell you can often even find the Korg Volca FM for under 100 bucks and it’s a patch compatible DX7 clone.

I have a Casio CZ-5000, the 61 key version with sequencer. It’s well made but given its age I’m not sure I’d want to take that to a gig either.

> I don't think I buy that argument (that there aren't enough people interested in it).

That you can buy them on ebay all day long for less than most cheap synths costs new argues against it being viable.

The prices are pretty similar to Yamaha DX series synths on eBay right now (starting at about $300 and going on up to $700 for working specimens, depending on model and condition).

Not really. XZ1000 $300-600. DX7 $700-1000.

According to what I can dig up, the original MSRP of the DX7 was $1995. The original MSRP of the Casio CZ 101 was $395. So, by my reckoning, the CZ has a higher collector value than the DX7 based on relative price change over the years.

Edit: But also, the CZ was generally more comparable to lower-end DX synths, like the DX27 or DX9. It was a budget synth in its day, while the DX7 was the pinnacle of digital synthesis for at least a year or two after release, everyone had to have one.

The core of the vintage remake market is "Always wanted this, still can only afford a clone" which is where Behringer lives.

There's also a "Always wanted this, can finally afford it now that I'm rich" niche for the high-end remakes from Korg and occasionally Moog etc.

There isn't a huge "Bought this forty years ago because I couldn't afford anything better and would quite like a modern remake" segment.

Casio do still make pianos and Casiotone keys which include samples and some CZ and VZ series sounds. (I don't know if they're sampled or DSP.)

There is always https://busycircuits.com/pages/alm042

Reply on news.ycombinator.com