The One That Got Away

Nils · 2023-02-12T17:24:44.029Z

It was 1993: I couldn’t afford a complete Roland System-100 with sequencer, mixer, speakers, the lot. It was €260…… I ended up with an MS-10 for €140. Earlier that year I bought my first synth, OSCar, for €150. Still have it

Karl_Joseph · 2023-02-12T17:29:12.786Z

It was the summer of 1995, her name was Stacy. She was moving to Florida the next day so she mustered the courage to tell me she had a crush on me and wanted to hang out one time before she left forever. We spent all day together, holding hands, laughing, walking the streets of our home town. At some point in the evening, swinging on a porch swing watching the sunset, we had a heavy make out session. I was too young to know what to even do but I was 14 and in love. She had to be home for curfew so we parted ways and I ended up sleeping beneath an abandoned trailer in a large inner tube tire. I never saw her again.

chiasticon · 2023-02-12T17:52:50.099Z

I guess I’d have to say Monomachine, because I re-purchased it at a stupid price.

also the MaxiKorg DV800. sold about five years ago, for WAY less than they go for these days. mainly because it lacked midi or even cv/gate and I lacked the skills/resources to have either of those conversion done. the good news is I eventually got a miniKorg 700FS (with cv/gate, midi and USB!) which is half a MaxiKorg. so again… missed it enough to buy it again. it can’t do everything the MaxiKorg can of course, but it’s still incredible.

another would be the Roland Jupiter 4. I love it so much but mine was temperamental, lacked midi, and had various functional issues that made it fairly unreliable. I got a decent return on it (but not as much as good ones go for now) and it went to someone who knows how to fix it. three years later, he still says he has the hood up a lot, to work on it. so it was a wise decision, but I still miss it. would consider buying a good one again, at the right price.

Flymo · 2023-02-12T18:39:09.378Z

I’ve kept most of my best ancient gear. In the late 90s I was obsessed with gear but had no money. I had to turn down an EMS Polysynth for £500. To be fair they’re beautiful but huge, space is stupidly expensive in the UK, and I’m not sure they sound that great.

Flymo · 2023-02-12T18:48:09.652Z

Tbf I think the doldrum times for synth lovers were about 2005-2010, when modern analogue was much less of a thing (and costly) and old analogue was stupid prices. Now old analogue is priced at ludicrous levels, but you can buy modern so cheaply, eg a microbrute second hand for £150. I guess in the 90s you could buy maybe an sh3a for that (old but honestly bland), a powertran transcendent (of uncertain DIY quality) but you couldn’t buy something good like an ms20. And allowing for inflation £150 today would be much more then.

Ok I’m having a sudden moment of insight into what an old fart I have become. Time, it passes so fast, old fartness will come to us all, so quickly.

marigosa · 2023-02-12T18:48:51.191Z

BLUE Anniversary Edition Monomachine
RED Anniversary Edition Machinedrum

Had both and sold them like a doofus.
Regret it everyday.

Also a Fender Rhodes 88 Key Suitcase piano. Doesn’t hurt as bad, since I sold it to get a rare Wurlitzer 112, which sounds delightful.

g3o2 · 2023-02-13T00:57:54.584Z

I used to own a Roland D-50, JD-800 and JP-8000 until 2000. With the recent boutique editions (D05, JD08), I was tempted (portability) despite a Kronos and a Kurzweil still in my setup. Since I’ve got a Prophet, I do not look back at all. I’ve got enough gear for now, that is until I sell my K2600r.

metalfalcon · 2023-02-13T17:39:44.993Z

Poly evolver. Traded for an Analog Keys +$200 (this was based on the new price of the analog keys at the time being like $1699). Stupid stupid stupid.

HoldMyBeer · 2023-02-13T18:40:32.584Z

About 6 years ago I was in a local music shop, and they had a vintage Prophet 5, in good shape and good working order. They wanted $3200 for it, which was a decent price at the time. It didn’t last long. A couple of years later I decided it was time to get one, but in that time the prices had doubled. It wasn’t the one that got away, but the one that I never had. The massive jump in vintage synths in recent years have been crazy. It’s wild to see what people will pay for a Juno now.

g3o2 · 2023-02-13T19:28:19.425Z

You’d be better off with a Rev 4.

HoldMyBeer · 2023-02-13T19:32:45.288Z

Certainly. Sounds great and no maintenance issues.

Kraus · 2023-02-13T19:44:04.205Z

Emu E5000 Ultra sampler. Got it free in 2017 from the university I was teaching at (they were throwing it away). I mainly played guitar at the time and didn’t even have a MIDI keyboard to trigger it with. A year later I had to move house and gave it to a friend. I eventually realised what I had done and tried to get it back but the guy said no.

dedersen · 2023-02-13T20:22:29.284Z

I have parted with a machinedrum AND a monomachine. Still not entirely sure what got into me at the time, but I sorely regret it now. The MM was sold quite cheaply as well, before the crazy price hikes.

Dibek · 2023-02-13T21:02:20.848Z

They’re relatively cheap in the used market here in Europe, 200-300 Euros should buy you one.

Annihilation_Squares · 2023-02-14T00:07:51.558Z

HoldMyBeer:

The massive jump in vintage synths in recent years have been crazy.

Really crazy. I paid an eighth of weed each for the SH101 and Arp Solus mentioned in the opening post in 1995. I’d keep the 101 but for the prices they go for I’d love to be able to sell that ARP now!

Kraus · 2023-02-14T00:08:37.209Z

Unfortunately I’m in New Zealand ^___^
So I would probably have to spend more like 5-600 Euro, if I could find one.

But really I just feel dumb for giving it away, rather than actually wanting to have one now. If that makes sense.

HoldMyBeer · 2023-02-14T00:37:41.426Z

Wow, that’s the best SH-101 trade I’ve ever heard of! I remember about 7 years ago a friend offered me a red one for $350, and I was like, nah, too steep. Now they go for like 5 times that, haha.

palm · 2023-02-14T00:47:29.136Z

sold shitloads of stuff…

wish I kept the A4

Annihilation_Squares · 2023-02-14T00:48:12.996Z

@HoldMyBeer I sold that dang 101 for $100

Can’t remember what I got for the ARP but it was definitely something dumb like that.

HoldMyBeer · 2023-02-14T00:52:22.498Z

Dang. Well, those SH-101’s were practically given away for so long. I swear I saw a promotion one time at a gas station for a free 101 with a fill-up of gas. It may have been a dream.

Had we all known, we all would have stocked up when they were being given away and enjoying reitirement now!