Is the Synth Renaissance Over? Why Today’s Gear Feels Stuck in Retro Limbo

Today, a bit of a personal one. My last post from April 1st was of course a joke, but it accidentally touched on a topic that probably bothers many of us a bit – new synthesizers.

I have the impression that many people (including me) are feeling increasingly dissatisfied and slightly disappointed with what manufacturers of musical equipment have been serving us lately. Recent years have been a festival of “ same old story ” – retro-clones that, instead of bringing something fresh, are heading towards miniaturization to the point of absurdity: microscopic dimensions, OLED screens the size of a stamp, and one LFO as consolation (with a few exceptions).

Don’t get me wrong – we all love vintage equipment with soul, but am I the only one who feels that modern synthesizers are experiencing some kind of creative collapse? Where are the new ideas? Is it a matter of lack of courage, technology, or maybe manufacturers have decided that “retro will sell, so why bother”?

I wonder what you think about it. Let me know.