-Analog synth market sees nearly 20% growth in total retail sales since 2010-
CARLSBAD, Calif. – December 6, 2016 – Following three decades of digital interfaces and sampler dominance, a new generation of musicians desiring
a return to warm, pure sounds are fueling a resurgence in analog synthesizer retail sales.
In the past five years alone, Moog Inc., Korg USA Inc., WMD and other
brands who will present their synths and electronic products at the 2017
global music products
NAMM Show, have helped drive the analog synth market to a 19.9% growth
in total retail sales.
The
data, provided by 2016 NAMM Global Report, underscores a re-emergence
of players captivated by the tactile playing experience of analog
control
surfaces as musicians favor working knobs, faders and other features in
lieu of digital displays and computer interfaces.
“Players
are realizing that an analog synth is much more of a real,
honest-to-goodness musical instrument,” says Dave Smith, founder of San
Francisco-based
Dave Smith Instruments. Nate Tschetter, Manager of Music Product
Marketing at Yamaha adds, "Many are choosing analog because it’s
immediate, and while analog is definitely ‘in,’ it’s more about the
ability to create unique sound and having it sound good."
Tatsuya
Takahashi, Korg Synthesis Chief Engineer and designer of the company’s
minilogue synth, understands the importance of unparalleled usability
and musicality. “Whenever I design a synth I try to break down
barriers between man and machine - the musician needs to be inspired
physically and emotionally to create their own music. It's evident that
this thinking has resonated with current trends
that turn away from difficult and complicated systems, often inside of
computers, in favour for dedicated hardware that often do less
functionally, but are great at what they do in a musical way.”
With
professional-grade analog synths ranging from the low-hundreds to
several thousands of dollars, Korg and several other makers of
electronic
instruments are also continuing to meet the demand by releasing new and
redesigned synths at price points that are very accessible to a variety
of musicians of wide-ranging backgrounds. “The power-to-affordability
ratio is also phenomenally-favorable to the
synth enthusiast,” says James Sajeva, director of technology brands at
Korg’s Melville, NY headquarters. “In the case of a reissue [synth] you
can get ‘the’ sound and workflow for a fraction of what an original - in
even remotely good condition - would fetch.”
For
synth pioneer Moog, Inc., the boom in sales at retail is no surprise.
The company’s list of legendary synth music-makers have included The
Beatles,
Keith Emerson and Led Zeppelin, who utilized Moog’s music machines
designed for a “particular sound and feel that hasn't been duplicated
and is musically-desirable.” In a departure from the typical trade show
approach, Moog Music will use their booth space
at NAMM 2017 to honor the staggering number of guiding lights the synth
community has lost in 2016.Through a unique digital interactive
experience, Moog will encourage reflection and celebration of artists
like Pauline Oliveros, Keith Emerson, Bernie Worrell,
Jean Jacques Perrey, Isao Tomita, and Don Buchla.
On
the whole, electronic music products were one of the strongest
performing music product segments in 2015, posting near double-digit
retail growth
in 2015 at 9.9%. The electronic music products category, comprised of
keyboard synthesizers, controller keyboards, electronic pianos, rhythm
machines and electronic drums, touted a retail value of $238.3 million
in 2015, and this year, the category has already
reached more than $155 million through Q3. Additionally, digital pianos
are enjoying a renaissance and are up 24.38% in retail sales and 13.1%
in units sold over the past 10 years.
The
NAMM 2016 Global Report is designed to offer the music products
industry discerning industry trends and opportunities for businesses to
shape
their vision, business strategies, and seek out new markets. The report
is compiled from independent data sources from around the world
including
The Music Trades magazine and the U.S. Census Bureau. This year’s
Global Report compiled data from 24 countries, including Argentina,
Australia, Austria,
Brazil,
Canada, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary,
India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, the Netherlands, Norway, Russia, South
Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United
States.
Dave
Smith Instruments, Yamaha, Roland, Korg USA, Inc. Moog Inc., Verbos
Electronics, Make Noise and other multiline product manufacturers will
be among the more than 75 exhibitors presenting 260 different
synthesizers and related equipment at The NAMM Show, being held in
Anaheim, California, January 19-22.
The
NAMM Show gathers 100,000 members of the music product industry from
around the world to preview new products from every category of music
making.
Register for badges to experience more than 6,000 music
product, instrument and technology brands, special events, and live entertainment. Free badge deadline is January 4, 2017, at 11:59 pm PST.
