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HomeExploreMusicClassic Synthesizers and Drum Machines
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Look closely at the original hardware behind decades of electronic music, from patch-cord synthesizers and tape keyboards to digital workstations and drum machines. The panels tell their own story. Some give every sound a knob, while others make a few buttons do the work.

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1
Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer
Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer: The colored step buttons along the front are where patterns take shape. Roland introduced…
2
Moog IIIp Modular Synthesizer
Moog IIIp Modular Synthesizer: A row of separate modules and a web of patch cords make the Moog IIIp’s signal path visible…
3
Minimoog Model D
Minimoog Model D: The hinged control panel puts three oscillator sections above the keyboard. This early-1970s Model D at…
4
ARP 2600 Series
ARP 2600 Series: A patch cable can redirect the signal in this ARP, while internal connections let it make sound without a…
5
EMS VCS3
EMS VCS3: The square pin matrix in the middle of the Putney routes signals without a tangle of patch cords. A joystick sits…
6
Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer
Roland TR-909 Rhythm Composer: The 909 pairs analog percussion with sampled cymbals. Its row of step buttons still gives…
7
Roland TB-303 Bass Line
Roland TB-303 Bass Line: The small silver unit puts a bass synthesizer and pattern sequencer in the same box. Its slide and…
8
Yamaha DX7
Yamaha DX7: The slim row of buttons tells you how different this was from a knob-heavy analog keyboard. Yamaha introduced…
9
Sequential Circuits Prophet-5
Sequential Circuits Prophet-5: The numbered buttons recall stored sounds, so a player could change patches without…
10
Fairlight CMI Series III
Fairlight CMI Series III: The monitor and separate computer controls give the Fairlight the look of a workstation. On this…
11
Mellotron M400
Mellotron M400: Under the lifted lid of this Mellotron M400 sit strips of prerecorded tape. Pressing a key plays its tape…
12
Oberheim OB-X
Oberheim OB-X: The front panel puts a row of sound controls within reach of the keyboard. This OB-X at the Swiss Museum for…
13
Korg MS-20
Korg MS-20: The vertical patch bay at the right lets a player reroute the signal, while dedicated knobs put the filters…
14
Roland Juno-106
Roland Juno-106: The sliders lay out the instrument’s signal path, with buttons to switch on its built-in chorus. The 1984…
15
Roland Jupiter-8
Roland Jupiter-8: The broad control panel and colored buttons make the Jupiter-8 easy to recognize. Its split and layer…
16
Linn LM-1 Drum Computer
Linn LM-1 Drum Computer: The instrument’s buttons trigger recordings of real percussion, one of the features that made…
17
LinnDrum LM-2
LinnDrum LM-2: The LinnDrum kept the approach of using sampled percussion while making the machine more affordable than the…
18
Oberheim DMX
Oberheim DMX: The rows of labeled controls belong to Oberheim’s sample-based drum machine. The faders make it possible to…
19
E-mu Emulator II
E-mu Emulator II: The floppy drives and controls sit to the left of the playing keys. The Emulator II brought digital…
20
PPG Wave 2.2
PPG Wave 2.2: The blue panel belongs to a synthesizer that moves through tables of digital waveforms. Analog filtering…
21
Korg M1
Korg M1: The display and buttons give away the M1’s workstation design. Korg combined sample-based sounds with a sequencer…

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