Retro Rigs: The Best Electronic Instrument Reissues

As exciting and groundbreaking gear emerges by the day, it’s important to remember the instruments and equipment that laid the foundation for these modern musical marvels. While having access to an array of vintage synths, samplers, DJ equipment, and more may seem an impossible task, many of today’s top manufacturers have taken it upon themselves to re-create some of the most iconic offerings alongside newer products, taking the best of the old and optimizing it for today’s recording and gigging needs. Read on for more about these retro reissues setting the vintage world ablaze with incredible accuracy and top-of-the-line performance.

Sequential Prophet-5 and Prophet-10 Analog Synthesizers

Synthesists the world over owe a lot to Dave Smith. While many know him best as the founder of Sequential, Smith’s original Prophet-5 was the first commercially available polyphonic synth, not to mention his integral role in developing MIDI. Fast-forward to today, and Smith returns once again for Sequential’s newest iterations of the Prophet-5 and Prophet-10 synthesizers, the most powerful to date, designed to capture the essence of every preceding model for incredible sonic variety. To start, you get Dave Curtis’s incredibly stable analog VCOs found in Version 3 with a Dave Rossum–designed filter and a Curtis-designed filter to channel dirty bass lines all the way to razor-sharp leads and everything in between. If you’re a vintage-synth fan, then the Prophet-5 and Prophet-10 contain all the modulation tools necessary to create vintage-sounding presets with incredible textures and effects. An LFO provides simultaneous sawtooth, triangle, and square waves — great for pitch modulation and PWM of Oscillators A and B. There’s even a Poly-Mod section that allows you to use the filter envelope and Oscillator B as mod sources that affect Oscillator A’s frequency, pulse width, and filter cutoff. We’re only scratching the surface of Sequential’s Prophet-5 and Prophet-10 synthesizers; grab yours today and immerse yourself in analog-synth magic!

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ARP 2600 M Semi-modular Analog Synthesizer

During its initial run from 1971 to 1980, the ARP 2600 reigned supreme — considered a pillar of analog synthesis by many players and employed by game changers of the time including Weather Report’s Joe Zawinul, Stevie Wonder (with a custom control panel printed in Braille), and even sound designer Ben Burtt, who used the 2600 to create R2-D2’s voice in Star Wars. Rather than dish out countless dollars for a vintage original, the ARP 2600 M semi-modular analog synthesizer takes everything that makes the classic 2600 special and packages it into a space-saving unit. Don’t fret over sound quality or versatility; from the spring reverb and built-in speakers to the trio of oscillators and patch points, it’s all there, just streamlined in a compact chassis with USB and MIDI connectivity for easy integration into modern setups. Optimizations like top-quality sliders and improved attack and release time ratios only sweeten the pot, and an included protective case ensures your synth makes it safely from point A to gig B. Ever dreamed of owning a legendary synth? Make it a reality with the ARP 2600 M.

Korg miniKORG 700FS Monophonic Analog Synthesizer

The original Korg miniKORG 700 set a new precedent for monophonic synths when it was released in 1973, and 1974’s miniKORG 700S took its impressive functionality even further by adding a second oscillator. With that, a new powerhouse synth for lead and bass was born. Nearly a half century later, and this rare synth is still highly coveted and sought out by collectors everywhere. Your quest for vintage mono synthesis ends with Korg’s miniKORG 700FS analog synthesizer, an authentic re-creation with updated components and added functionality to match today’s connectivity needs. Its dual VCOs deliver the full-spectrum synth sound of the original, taking you from soft and sweet to massive and mean in the same instrument. One-of-a-kind switch-enabled parameters handle expand, bright, sustain, and bender functions, among many others, with three modulators, two noise generators, and two chorus modes for fine-tuning your sounds. As for the upgrades? MIDI and CV/Gate In add a level of functionality not found on the original with a 2-axis joystick to handle pitch bend, modulation, aftertouch, and arpeggiation. Everything is housed in a sturdy metal chassis with a sleek and stylish custom travel case for safe storage between uses. Act fast — this blast-from-the-past monosynth is here for a limited time!

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Roland JUNO-X Synthesizer

Though not a reissue per se, Roland’s JUNO-X synthesizer packs the best of the manufacturer’s beloved JUNO series into a state-of-the-art synth, a “greatest hits” of sounds and functionality from some of music history’s most beloved JUNO models. From the DCO-driven sounds of the JUNO-60 to the classic polyphonic sounds of the JUNO-106, Sweetwater synthesists found a wide sonic palette to explore when first booting up the JUNO-X. The 900 PCM-based presets taken from the XV-5080 will arm you with acoustic and world instruments of all kinds, and atmospheric patches taken from the RD series of pianos channel any mood imaginable. Top-quality sliders give the JUNO-X a premium feel and silky response with an LCD screen for easy sound design and instant preset recall. Need even more variety? The JUNO-X is ready to impress, ditching the single-DCO design of earlier models in favor of Roland’s Model Expansions to imbue this synthesizer with more of the Roland and JUNO sounds you love for maximum creativity and nearly limitless variety.

Roland SP-404MKII Linear Wave Sampler

When the Roland SP-404 was released in 2005, it built on the company’s wildly popular SP-303 with functionality that belied its ease of use and portable design. Over 15 years later, the SP-404MKII linear wave sampler continues this trend with several optimizations to form Roland’s most feature-filled sampler to date. Boot up the SP-404MKII, and you’ll see 144 samples and patterns to get you started with 16GB of internal memory and support for 32GB SD cards to store all your sounds and samples. A multifunction USB-C port connects to mobile devices as well as to your computer via the SP app, allowing you to sample audio from apps and videos as well as to edit samples and manage your projects respectively. If you’re a fan of the incredible effects found across the SP series, then the SP-404MKII is sure to meet all your needs with newly added Lo-fi, Cassette Simulation, and Resonator effects as well as Vocoder, Auto-Tune, and even Guitar Amp Simulator. Interested in gigging with your sampler? The SP-404MKII’s DJ mode lets you mix and edit two audio files with eight pad controllers per side as well as manually chain patterns, save sequences for playback, and link multiple pads to be triggered by a single pad.

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Erica Synths Syntrx Analog Synthesizer

Inspired by the design and ingenuity of the trailblazing EMS Synthi AKS, the Erica Synths Syntrx is a fully analog platform for sound designers and anyone in need of a powerful synthesis tool. A whopping 256-point patch matrix is a blank canvas for your creations with three VCOs, a resonant VCF, a trapezoid envelope generator, and plentiful modulation sources to experiment with. Each oscillator brings its own unique flavor: Oscillator 1 generates adjustable sine and sawtooth waveforms, while Oscillators 2 and 3 offer square and triangle waveshapes with Oscillator 3 functioning as an LFO. The Syntrx’s unique trapezoid looping envelope is like the one found in the Synthi AKS with Attack/Decay and Attack/Sustain/Release modes for wide-ranging sonic options. Modulation comes in the form of a noise generator, a Sample & Hold module, and a Ring Mod module, adding richness and a more dynamic feel to all your creations with built-in spring reverb for dialing in splashy, drippy echoes to taste. Though clearly inspired by the past, the Erica Synths Syntrx is a perfect fit in any synthesist’s arsenal.

Yamaha Reface Series

The Yamaha Reface series makes it easier than ever to own multiple pieces of gear from the manufacturer’s illustrious history at a price that won’t break the bank. Four unique models arm you with everything from classic synth and piano sounds to incredible organ sounds and so much more. The Yamaha Reface DX FM is like having a vintage 4-operator FM synth on standby with everything from retro piano and bell sounds all the way to contemporary EDM patches and more to explore and inspire. Turn to the Yamaha Reface YC for all your organ needs with a full assortment of drawbars, rotary speaker, percussion, and effects for a shockingly realistic playing experience. The Yamaha Reface CP aims to channel the bright and edgy sound of the CP-80 electric grand piano in a much more portable unit complete with six keyboard types, including Tine, Reed, Clavi, and Toy. Rounding out the set is the Yamaha Reface CS, inspired by the CS-80 — one of Japan’s first standout synths — and delivering the same legendary pads, basses, and leads you love. Best of all, you can own the entire Yamaha Reface series for considerably less than their larger, older siblings, making it a no-brainer for collectors and vintage-synth fiends.

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Moog Model 10 Limited-edition Reissue Modular Synthesizer

Moog spared no expense in crafting their jaw-droppingly accurate re-creation of the Model 10, considered the first compact modular-synthesizer system and designed by Dr. Robert Moog himself in 1971. The result of the manufacturer’s meticulous attention to detail is the Model 10 limited-edition reissue modular synth, lovingly handcrafted and comprised of 11 discrete analog modules including three 901-series VCOs (considered by many to be the pinnacle of oscillators), the 902 voltage-controlled amplifier, and the beloved 904A ladder filter. Everything is housed in a durable, Tolex-covered cabinet that’s visually stunning yet sturdy enough to protect your Model 10 from bumps, dings, and the elements. No modern-day optimizations to be found here — the Moog Model 10 reissue is the time-capsule modular synth vintage purists crave.

Buchla Easel Command

Sound designers and experimental synthesists flocked to Buchla’s Music Easel when it released in 1973, combining a 218 Touch Keyboard Controller and a 208 Stored Program Sound Source into a single unit. The Buchla Easel Command takes the same 208c module from the Music Easel and optimizes it for full MIDI and DAW compatibility, combining the curious and exploratory nature of Buchla designs with a streamlined form factor. Through its pair of oscillators, additive FM signals, and waveshaping options, the Easel Command is more than capable of replacing a modular setup, allowing for nearly unlimited tweaking and editing through control-voltage regulation of most parameters. Onboard spring reverb and digital stereo are your secret weapons for adding ambience and manipulating stereo spread with true stereo output to deliver a thoroughly immersive synth experience.

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Own a Piece of Music History!

Adding any of these retro reissues to your stable is a surefire way to scratch that vintage itch. In addition to each item on our list delivering the sound and feel of decades of electronic-instrument ingenuity, they are much more readily available and, in some cases, are just a fraction of the cost of an original. Have your eyes set on the next piece of kit for your collection? Be sure to call your Sweetwater Sales Engineer at (800) 222-4700 and make it yours today!
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