End of an era

[Xoo]

I've just sold the last of my hardware synths (an old Korg Wavestation SR) as I can't justify the space for something I never use: I'm not gigging any more and never turn it on (and have the softsynth version anyway).

I'll miss it but times change!

[Amberwolf]

Funny, I just "upgraded" my ancient Ensoniq ASR88 by replacing the floppy drive with a GOTEK HXR2001 floppy emulator (uses a usb stick instead)

https://hxc2001.com/floppy_drive_emulator/

so I can use it as my primary input keyboard again (having to either keep a working floppy disk in the drive, or powering up the ancient scsi hdd and hoping it still spins up, and waiting and waiting and waiting for it to spin up and load the OS, etc....kinda deterred me from using it much the last few years).  

I can still use the sounds and effects it has by powering up that scsi hdd, but almost always I'm using hte softsynths inside SONAR, so.... just nice to have the 88keys all at once instead of the couple of octaves of the rockband keytar thing I often use, or the poorer-mechanics MK-49 generic midi keyboard.... 

 

The TG33, FB01, Emu6400, etc, haven't even been turned on in a long while....   

 

 

[Notes_Norton]

I'm still gigging (happily).

The oldest synth I still own is the Yamaha TX81z.  I believe that was from the 1980s. FM synthesis, a lot of the sounds are dated, but a few of them are still usable, and not as good on more modern synths.

[Byron Dickens]

I still use my Korg X3.

[Shane_B.]

3 hours ago, Byron Dickens said:

I still use my Korg X3.

Korg X5 here.

It started displaying funky characters on the screen and wouldnt work about 10 years ago, maybe more.

I ripped it apart and found the memory backup battery died. It was a round surface mount 2023 battery. I removed it and soldered in a battery holder so the next time I can just pop a new one in.