If I Started Electronic Music in 2024, I’d Buy These Synthesizers

These are the best synths (hardware & VST) for 4 different budgets and my picks if I started making electronic music from scratch in 2024. Whether you are a beginner looking to dawless jam, or a professional producer, this list should help you choose which synths to buy!

$100 budget:

$1000 budget:

$3600 budet:
Or reverb pedals, if you want to stay in your DAW:

$10000 budget:

0:00 - intro & what the tier lists will include
1:52 - $100 budget
3:25 - $1000 budget
6:25 - $3600 budget
11:27 - $10000 budget
17:19 - final thoughts and notable exclusions

#synth #synthesizer #analogsynthesizer #synths #musicproduction #moog

[DorisDay-lwxs]

If I started I would buy just one synth and learn it back to front. Then learn it some more. And learn it until its like another limb. Don’t buy anything else until you’ve mastered it and have recorded at least an album’s worth of music.
Id also go steady with what DAW you get, if you’re going down that route. I wouldn’t touch Logic if I knew then what I know now.

[audiolego]

If I'm to start over, 3rdwave desktop, MOOG Muse and Quantum mk 2. CUBASE would be my DAW.

[crhkrebs]

To be fair, Reaper is not free. You can download a free evaluation version that is not crippled or does not cut out. But if you do enjoy the DAW you should spend the $60 to buy the full version. Support the software developers.

[WildernessMusic_GentleSerene]

I did have to start over, in 2006 I lost my vintage synth/recording studio in a divorce. Since then, have lived in poverty and the only instruments and recording gear I could afford was the lowest cheapest stuff, like Casio keyboards and Behringers little mixers. I made music with this stuff, but it never mixed down well, never sounded very good even though I had 30 years' experience in recording and audio engineering, it was just bad, muddy, undetailed, if not muddy then harsh. But I was at least making music.

In the last 3 years been able to replace all the garbage with good sounding synths and recording gear. Finally, I finished the new studio last year. I record Vangelis style, all in one take to a multi-track hardware 24 track recorder, so the studio is 100% hardware, no computer. I play music with both hands and feet, with a floor covered in pedals and MIDI running all over with keyboards controlling remote synths. In the new studio I decided to use analog for mono/monaural synths and digital for polysynths; and include 2 FM synths. This has worked out very well, and so here is my choices for the last 5 years, basically the premise of your video:

1) Roland RD-2000 for V-Piano.
2) Roland Fantom06 for launching pattern sequenced clips from the 4x4 pads.
3) Roland Gaia and Gaia2 for easy fast sound design and huge blending (24+ polyphony) chord changes.
4) Roland JunoDS for the vocoder rigged for choir, multi layer and layered with a Korg Triton synth.
5) Korg Minilogue, and MinilogueXD and Arturia MiniBrute for mono leads.
6) 1010Music BlackBox Sampler for playing in clips of acoustic instruments like guitar/drums/analog synths.
7) Korg Krome for multi-timbral addition layers.
8) A Kurtzweil synth for modular type sound design with FM and zone control of 4 Roland Boutiques.
9) Roland E-A7 for the powerful pattern sequencer MIDI controlling all the analog synths.
10) Korg Electribe2 for highly detailed percussion samples and control of sound design for percussion.
11) Yamaha DX, FM layered with the Gaia.

[MattUFO]

Lots of bang for the buck in the Hydrasynth Deluxe and it also does wavetable and VA synthesis. Love the 10K setup!

[Stratis]

How about a Nord Stage 4 88, OBX-8, 3rd Wave, TEO-5, Subsequent 37, Novation BassStation, Minibrute 2, and Moog Muse?

Nord Stage 4 88 and 3rd Wave are the centerpieces & cover large spans - a weighted keybed and anything piano, organ, etc. on the Nord and anything synth on the 3rd wave.

For the Oberheim characters, you have the TEO-5 (more modern) and OBX-8 (classic).

For Moog character, you have the Subsequent 37 and Moog Muse (which is said to have Matriach sounds as well).

Then throw in the Novation BassStation for small versatile portable monosynth and Minibrute 2 for a small portable and extendable Euro modular-compat. synth.

[bobcoover]

Great video! Thanks for reminding people about the depth of sound and the depth of what the 3rd Wave is capable of, especially for analog, the new sampling feature, and 4 part sequencing to play those drum samples. I love the OB6 and OBX8 too. And the Meris pedal has great reverb.

[JohnnyADi]

You are the reason á lot of people including me bought the 3rd wave, I got the desktop version for $3150 new. I pair it with a korg Kronos 2 88 and osmose expressive e, both Meris X pedals, and an Empress zoia to fill in the blanks and add granular and add some extra light voices, the red panda tensor is fun for DJ style effects, and a chase bliss generation loss MKII for any imperfections or vintage fx. All runs through an RME audio interface (cause rme is objectively the best), flux mentor amplifier for Mod House Tungsten DS headphones, and performance samples orchestral vsts + noire piano and strikeforce 2 cinematic percussion vsts all come together for ultimate flexibility. Recording and composing on Cubase.

Going to sell my montage 7 to just get the montage m plugin and buy a really good digital piano for a top notch piano keybed, which will be a flagship yamaha or kawai or Roland (got to research more). Even though the Korg Kronos is all digital, the HD-1 Sampling engine is the best synth sampler in hardware format plus the live set feature makes live play a breeze (3rd wave will add it eventually too), and upgrade the internals for an extra gigabite of ram and upgrades to 200 voices total on all engines (including the HD-1). It's also got the unique Korg DAC flavor for optional sound coloring, lovely midi controller, and better than their new instrument when you upgrade it plus all the hardware controls and ribbon controller they removed too, for a bonus it's got the most complex arpeggiator probably ever made (KARMA). Roland fantom and nord stuff doesn't give me anymore than I already have.

3rd wave on paper is a prophet filtered, better spec'd moog one (more voices, timbrality, wavetables, more envelopes, same amount of lfos, more room for big updates, same oscillators amount and more), best modeled oberheim sem filter probably ever made, and vintage PPG 80s synth all in one with modern features and vastly expanded and revolutionary. But for the filter sound, I am tempted by a moog muse. Polybrute doesn't sound as unique.

[padistedor]

I wish I could play piano. These keyboards look like so much fun to use.

[mack_solo]

Your channel, your rules. My comments are, that going to a store to find out the price of 3 favourite instruments and then calling it $3600 budget is highly arbitrary. And the $10000 budget is not a budget if effectively there is no financial constraint on purchasing any synth.
I do agree that one's personal tastes and desires to create particular sonic output are (and should be) the main driver in making selections for hardware setup. Had I had it my way with 10 grand, I know the big suitcase version of KARP 2600(FS) would be there with MS-20FS sidekick. However the more I think about it, the more I am convinced that I would have started diffrently. I think I would have gotten a workstation with graded weighted keys 1st (like Fanton 8EX, Montage M8x, Nautilus) and live with it for while to see what else I'd need. Or maybe even go more fundamental and just get something like Roland RD-2000 or Korg Grandstage or Yamaha whatever-they've-got, cos I've noticed as I get older the simplicity and immediacy of expression of weighted piano keys just doesn't age - and I am not even a pianist, nor keyboardist for that matter.

[Claude_van]

Good recommendations. I use the Waldorf Microwave 1, GS-E7, Behringer Model D and some Arturia Plugs like CS-80 V. Always wanted the OB-6 but decided for the E7

[dankeplace]

I'm actually culling a bit of gear, waiting on the 3rd Wave to arrive, recently got a PEAK, might get another, waiting on another synth to be released and will be moving stuff round to accommodate the new crew.
Rev 2 might need to go back in its box.
Still fun times, was actually speaking to someone about the 3rd Wave today as they're an importer, and the stories they had to tell were amazeballz.
I was only listening to Eurogliders last night, Heaven must be there, low and behold on the vid, a PPG 2.2.
Sounds glorious and I was told it was like one of the 1st presets on the 2.2 lol.
Bands using presets is hilarious.

[dizx]

My chose would be getting a second hand Virus Ti/Ti2, Summit, Bass Station2 and Subsequent 37

[swanofnutella]

You forgot to budget for cables and peripherals, monitors, headphones, that replacement wall wart, power strips, etc etc. that stuff adds up. Also, if you're really on a budget, the "evil" B is going to be part of your life.

[Jason_Drums_]

What a Fantastic Video 👌 Glad I had my headphones 🎧 on 😊 you made $100 - $10000 sound Incredible 💯 awesome demo tracks and I think the outro has some miles to go 🎶 🤩🤩😻🙌

[michaelmichael]

Great video - excellent guidance for beginners.

Personal view:


3w + Push 3 standalone + Live = all bases covered and total flexibility

[Strepite]

For that price it would be wiser to buy quality studio monitors, quality interface and do serious room treatment. And then buy a DAW and few plugins and you’re on your way

[cfs]

Maybe missing: Twin3 virtual analog software synth ($130), SE-02 ($450), GS e7 ($1600), SE-3X ($2400) at some different tiers.

[klstay]

A synth is a control surface with components (which may be virtual/digital) that produce a range of sounds. At the $1000 budget a 9th gen iPad, selection of apps, and 5 octave Keystage is a massive amount of "go" juice. If you do not care about/use full size keys a great condition Keystep Pro could save you $350 off that.

[arakaneuman]

You have a great taste in synths but I would go for the 10.000$ + budget, much money but cheap compared to what you would have to pay to get the originals.
3rd wave, Moog muse, Prophet 10, Jupiter X, oberheim OBX8, Moog matriarch, Prophet 6, Sequential pro 3, Waldorf M and a couple of good ol samlers like the Akai S3000 and maybe the equally good ol Roland D50.
I think this will cover most things, from cheesy Roland strings and brass to heavy metallic PPG roars.
You even get the awsome sounds of the Prophet vs with the 3rd wave.
More is more, is my philosophy.