1Yr In a hobby and Net £0 Spend

I have more or less been in the “Synth” Hobby for a year now. And looking at my spread sheet I have a net spend of ~£0!

Of course I have spent a fair bit of money on Sam’s Modules, Components, Tools, My own PCB’s, more Components, Duinos, DAW PC build… Etc… Which has racked up a fair few quid.

But the “Hobby” got me properly interested in vintage synths. where 12 months ago I could probably say a MOOG, DX7 and an EMU2 were cool… I now know about the real picture of the many wonders of the Analog, FM and Rompler world… As part of that learning journey I started buying synths ( It started with a DX21 and M1 ). Some working, some not… I tried each out, fixed faulty ones where I could and then flipped them on. Had fun with each one.

They have gone all over the world too, USA, South America, Australia.

This morning my DX7 MK2D which was my Uneducated mythical beast ( yeah it’s not great really ) has sold and I have achieved that £0 status that I never even set out to do.

There’s a Korg wave station which was also on my Mythical Beast list (the 01W is better in my opinoion. It’s undergoing surgery at present that will be the cherry on the cake.

Through the year I have seen prices rise and rise on these old machines…

Lets see how 2021 goes, but I would really like a Keeper of a Juno 106 or Real MS20…

Yet to own a proper Roland :frowning:

Hello and Goodby
Yamaha DX21
Korg M1 ( DUD :frowning: )
Yamaha MU90R
Yamaha RX17
Yamaha DX 9 ( Sh…t )
Yamaha FB10
Yamaha CV10
Korg T3
Korg N5EX
Korg X5D
Yamaha CS1X
Roland D110
Korg 01/W
Yamaha DX27
Yamaha CS2X
Yamaha DX11
Yamaha TG100
Korg Phropecy
Yamaha DX7 2D
Korg MS20
Korg 01/W
Yamaha EMT-10
Korg Wavestation
Roland Boutique JX-03

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Does this list show what you owned, repaired and managed to sell in one year?

Indeed… ( it’s missing an AXIOM49 controller as I don’t class that as a Synth )

Some like the DX9 were ill informed purchases.
Some were simply just in need of a little clean up and check over had a little fun.
The DX27 needed required more time to find an output issue.
One was sold as faulty, but postage must have been kind as it worked on arrival.

I think I have learned a little form each one in terms of how they are constructed, how they operate and function.

Most are just far to complex for my needs, but experiencing them briefly has been real fun on most of them ( Don’t buy a DX9 )

I do keep ending up with nothing to play, presently that WaveStation is in bits awaiting a C key so that’s not going to get any action soon.

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I guess what should be worrying is how much I have made proffit on the synths to cover what I have spent on other stuff :dizzy_face:

But hey, its been great fun so far…

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2 Years on and the hobby has probaby cost me ~£300…

Continue to buy Sams modules an the components to build them, and do some of my own and aapted builds…

More Gear came and went
DX Reface ( nice enough but too much money with no asthetics )
Bheringer K2, prefer this to the MS20 Mini…
Roland JU-06, Good but made a proffit.
Roland JP-08, never quite got to grips with it
Bheringer K2 again :wink:
CS2x, I enjoy them briefly when cheap
CS1x, as above
MicroKorg & TD-3 swapped thes for something , not much interest. Proffit though.
CS1x Anotehr One!!

Some stayed

BSP
MAX49
SR16 Drums
Focusrite Interface
JV-30

Effectively I could sell the “Manufactured Gear” and be ~£0 …

I still can’t play

20% of the modular is none functional, and there’s a backlog of builds.

But hey it’s randomly kept me interested for over 3 years.

the JV30 needs to go as its not that interesting, would buy an MS20FS but they are a big investment.

Have a good 2023!

Rob

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I think over the last 3 years…

The MS20mini and K2 I have been fond of. Out of everything else the Korg Phrophcy sticks in my mind as the most accessible fun of the later generation, The DX7 still has a place in my heart even though it’s really not that great…

any one got a PPGwave for ~£50???