Analog revival
The analog revival is a period in synthesizer history when analog synthesizers returned to commercial production and popular usage.
The revival has its roots in the late 20th century but began in earnest during the early 21st century, prompted by the release of several analog synthesizers by companies such as Korg and Moog. This followed a spell of companies producing digital synthesizers after the release of Yamaha's DX7, which was less expensive than analog synthesizers and led to many analog manufacturers going out of business in the 1980s. The emergence of electronic dance music in the late 1980s boosted the popularity of analog synthesizers on the second-hand market and created a demand for the resumed production that major manufacturers took until the early 21st century to capitalize on.
History[edit]
20th century: dance music revival[edit]
Despite the boom in digital synthesizers and their effect on manufacturers, analog synthesizers maintained some relevance throughout the late 20th century. Second-hand synthesizers enjoyed a small amount of use in the during this period;[6] during the early 2000s this was still the case, despite the increasing availability of new analog synthesizers.[7]
The mainstream emergence of electronic dance music in the summer of 1988 contributed to an "evolution of analog synth aesthetics".[8] The movement heavily relied on analog synthesizers and drum machines created by the Roland Corporation several years prior. Roland's TR-808 and TR-909 drum machines and TB-303 bass synth were commercial failures at release due to their lack of realism, but were crucial to this new scene due to their ease of access.[8] Units of these machines were available for resale at low prices on both sides of the Atlantic, making them an attractive entry point for amateur musicians.[8][5] These instruments saw use in house, techno, hip-hop and other genres, creating a wider interest in analog synthesizers.[9] However, mainstream music was still using digital synthesizers and samplers during this period.[5] Analog synthesizer manufacturers were unable to capitalize on demand since most were out of business; those that remained had embraced digital synthesis and did not want to return to analog.[10]
In the 1990s, some companies tried to appeal to the growing demand by releasing virtual analog synthesizers. Roland released their JD-800 in 1990: while digital, it marked a return to analog-like controls, oscillators and filters.[10] In 1993, American audio engineer and synth manufacturer Tom Oberheim released the Marion Systems MSR2, a rack-mount synthesizer with digitally controlled analog oscillators.[11] 1994 marked analog releases by Doepfer and Novation: the latter's Bass Station was one of many TB-303 inspired synthesizers released in this period.[12] Others entered the market towards the end of the century, with virtual analog offerings from Waldorf, Quasimidi and other smaller manufacturers appearing in lieu of major companies.[13]