The Official Sequential/Oberheim Forum

OTHER DISCUSSIONS => General Synthesis => Other Hardware/Software => Topic started by: LoboLives on May 03, 2020, 03:44:39 AM

Title: American Made Synths
Post by: LoboLives on May 03, 2020, 03:44:39 AM
I was talking with a friend earlier this week and he was really taken aback when I told him Emu, Kurzweil, Ensoniq and others were American made synths when they were active. He asked if there still were American made synths. I know Sequential and Moog are but for the life of me I really couldn’t think of any others off the top of my head. I know Doepfer and Waldorf are German (and I think the John Bowen Solaris is manufactured in Germany as well) and Killpatrick Audio is actually based here in Toronto and of course there’s a dozen Chinese manufactured synths from Arturia, ASM, Novation, Kurzweil and others. Without getting into an ethics or political debate is there a list of American manufactured synthesizers? Or even synth manufacturers based on country?  I’m actually genuinely curious.
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: Paul Dither on May 03, 2020, 07:08:53 AM
If you add the Eurorack format you get a couple of manufacturers based in the US: For example 1010music (Los Angeles, California), 4ms Company (Portland, Oregon), Acid Rain Technology (Seattle, Washington), Buchla (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Five12 (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Haken Audio (Champaign, Illinois), Industrial Music Electronics (Portland, Oregon), Make Noise (Asheville, North Carolina), Noise Engineering (Los Angeles, California) and Pittsburgh Modular (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). And then you have companies that are involved in audio technology and recording like Apogee Electronics (Santa Monica, California) or PreSonus Audio Electronics (Los Angeles, California). And then there's of course Spectrasonics (Burbank, California) in the purely digital realm.

However, no hardware synth manufacturer uses parts exclusively manufactured in one country, though, as not everything is manufactured everywhere. No matter where the synths or modules are assembled, the complete manufacturing process is typically a global affair that involves suppliers from all over the globe.
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: Manbird on May 03, 2020, 09:12:52 AM
Oberheim?
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: LoboLives on May 03, 2020, 11:06:31 AM
Oberheim?

Currently have ceased production from what I can tell.
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: LoboLives on May 03, 2020, 11:08:48 AM
If you add the Eurorack format you get a couple of manufacturers based in the US: For example 1010music (Los Angeles, California), 4ms Company (Portland, Oregon), Acid Rain Technology (Seattle, Washington), Buchla (Minneapolis, Minnesota), Five12 (Albuquerque, New Mexico), Haken Audio (Champaign, Illinois), Industrial Music Electronics (Portland, Oregon), Make Noise (Asheville, North Carolina), Noise Engineering (Los Angeles, California) and Pittsburgh Modular (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania). And then you have companies that are involved in audio technology and recording like Apogee Electronics (Santa Monica, California) or PreSonus Audio Electronics (Los Angeles, California). And then there's of course Spectrasonics (Burbank, California) in the purely digital realm.

However, no hardware synth manufacturer uses parts exclusively manufactured in one country, though, as not everything is manufactured everywhere. No matter where the synths or modules are assembled, the complete manufacturing process is typically a global affair that involves suppliers from all over the globe.

Oh yeah I'm not talking about the parts used but place of manufacturing. I think besides some Eurorack stuff and a few smaller things like 1010Music, Sequential and Moog are the only ones making full sized keyboard synths.
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: composerjk on May 03, 2020, 11:34:38 AM
Oberheim?

Currently have ceased production from what I can tell.

Tom Oberheim is still working on new gear and possibly a polyphonic synth, at least as of December 2019. Also, in July 2019, Gibson returned the Oberheim Electronics name and IP back to Tom.

Also, Roger Linn Design in Los Altos, CA with manufacturing done by Leemah Electronics in Brisbane, CA.

Since audio was mentioned, there's also Universal Audio headquartered in Scotts Valley, CA with their classic analog gear hand-built at Universal Audio Custom Shop in nearby Santa Cruz, CA.
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: LoboLives on May 03, 2020, 12:24:43 PM
Oberheim?

Currently have ceased production from what I can tell.

Tom Oberheim is still working on new gear and possibly a polyphonic synth, at least as of December 2019. Also, in July 2019, Gibson returned the Oberheim Electronics name and IP back to Tom.

Also, Roger Linn Design in Los Altos, CA with manufacturing done by Leemah Electronics in Brisbane, CA.

Since audio was mentioned, there's also Universal Audio headquartered in Scotts Valley, CA with their classic analog gear hand-built at Universal Audio Custom Shop in nearby Santa Cruz, CA.

Sadly with Tom's track record, I'll believe he's manufacturing synths when I can readily purchase one. I mean that with no disrespect to him as a person but I haven't seen anything to disprove my thoughts.

Roger is someone I completely forgot of. I know he's working on a new drum machine and I obviously Isla is as well with the SP2400. I never really considered the drum machine market in regards to my original post, I was thinking more in terms of synthesizers.
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: Paul Dither on May 03, 2020, 01:19:43 PM
Oh, and there's of course Dave Rossum with Rossum Electronics and also Sound Semiconductor.
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: Sacred Synthesis on May 04, 2020, 05:13:16 PM
Anyone remember the Synclavier?  It was made in Vermont, a couple of hours from where I live.
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: LoboLives on May 04, 2020, 07:59:01 PM
Anyone remember the Synclavier?  It was made in Vermont, a couple of hours from where I live.

Yup but this was in regards to current synth manufacturers. Unless I missed something I don’t think New England Digital has made a comeback. 
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: Paul Dither on May 05, 2020, 07:55:31 AM
Anyone remember the Synclavier?  It was made in Vermont, a couple of hours from where I live.

Yup but this was in regards to current synth manufacturers. Unless I missed something I don’t think New England Digital has made a comeback.

Sort of: https://www.synclavier.com/
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: chysn on May 05, 2020, 07:14:46 PM
Make Noise, Asheville. I love Make Noise so much.
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: guyaguy on May 06, 2020, 06:06:57 PM
Studio Electronics

Malekko makes stand alone devices as well as Euro and pedals
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: Woland on May 07, 2020, 12:53:23 PM
Pittsburgh Modular, Synthesizers.com...
Title: Re: American Made Synths
Post by: Kja on May 10, 2020, 06:05:14 PM
Artisan electronic instruments have successfully built and sold a synthesizer, working on a new one now that is almost done.