Every week in 2023, we've shared our weekly Most Watched roundup. Now, we're compiling all the museum-quality models, unique finds, and straight-up great deals that Reverbers have Watched the most this year.
Check out our cross-category The Most Watched Gear of the Year, and below, find the Top 20 synths, keys & electronic gear in 2023. Or, separately, dive into the Top 20 electric guitars, acoustics & basses—and come back all week for soon-to-be-published lists for recording gear, pedals & amps, and drums.
Click any link below to visit the listing and learn more. Please note: All lists in this series exclude new gear from this year that Reverb helped market via launch campaigns.
Two of the same type of avocado green Fender Rhodes student keyboards—frequently referred to as the "Jetsons" model for its spiffy, space-age presentation—can be found at the top of our list (No. 1 and No. 17). Following up in second place is a bright orange "pre-CBS" Rhodes Piano Bass, destined for the rig of your dad's Doors cover band.
A UK-based seller sold a serviced Sankei TCH-8800, an all-in-one combo organ, drum machine, cassette player and shortwave radio.
For those with DIY desires, this kit converts Korg's innovative and highly affordable NTS-1 digital monosynth into a Eurorack-ready module that can serve as a stereo effects processor with a syncable clock.
A few modified synths also show their face: one circuit-bender known as S-CAT turned this Casio PT-30 into a wooden-framed noisemaker capable of sculpting all sorts of squelches and screams. Meanwhile, other shoppers had their eyes on this modded Realistic Concertmate MG-1, a Moog-manufactured monosynth that was sold in Radio Shacks in the early '80s.
There are also two of Roland's classic Juno-106 polysynths: one with a Prince-like purple-and-gold paint job, the other with built-in stereo speakers. An Australian seller's monolithic semi-modular System 100 has already found a new owner, but as of writing, this highly sought-after Jupiter-8 in mint "time capsule condition" is still waiting to be sold.
Elsewhere, West Coast wizards have yet to pull the trigger on this fully-calibrated Buchla 200 system being sold in California, and a rare 203A Polymoog still sits with its legs—and foot controller—still intact.
But the products watched weren't just limited to the old school: since it was released late last year, Arturia's 6-voice hybrid Mini Freak has earned its reputation as a compact synth with colossal sound-shaping capabilities. A Therevox ET-4, which combines the ribbon interface of the Ondes Martenot with analog circuitry and a spring reverb unit, also found a new home.
Interestingly enough, this year proved to be a good time for vintage combo organs: a Vox Continental and a Farfisa VIP-200 were both listed in excellent condition.
Topping off the list are a Yamaha CS-80 upgraded with programmable presets and MIDI support, Oberheim's powerful OB-12 modeling synth, as well as a fully-serviced wavetable wonder—a PPG Wave 2.2 loaded with its latest operating system.
This year, shoppers also had their eyes on drum machines and samplers of all stripes. Coming up on top was a mint condition Drumlogue, the analog/hybrid drum machine that Korg introduced last year—it was just one of several of the 16-pad machines that landed on this list.
There were also quite a few Akai MPC3000s listed—No. 2 in the classic gray and No. 8 in the limited all-black—providing further proof that it's still the de facto weapon of choice of beatmakers worldwide nearly three decades on from its release.
They weren't the only old-school MPCs that made repeat appearances here: a number of standard-edition MPC2000XLs (No. 4 and No. 7) and MPC2000s (No. 14 and No. 20) also showed up, not to mention an MPC1000 with upgraded RAM, as well as an MPC60 with wood sides and added ports. Meanwhile, a newer model—the standalone MPC X introduced in 2017—was also listed several times.
One lucky buyer got their hands on the highly rare Vestax Faderboard, a sampler and modular instrument developed alongside Korg that operates exclusively on faders. Those that love dirt on their drum samples had their eyes on a number of E-MU SP-1200s.
Many kept close tabs on the LinnDrum's classic LM-2, including a fully-restored model complete with its original box. Elsewhere, there was a fully refurbished Linn LM-1, a newly-serviced Oberheim DSX, a boxy Roland TR-66, and a rare Amdek RMK-100 Rhythm Machine.
Newer samplers also had a moment: a mint-condition Roland SP-404MKII and the more portable Sonicware SmplTrek managed to find new homes. Those that wanted to keep the beat in their pocket got their hands on a Roland AIRA T-8.
Selectors searched for a wide range of DJ gear on Reverb this past year. While this vintage mixer console built by Italian engineer Romano Lombardi ended up at No. 1, it's still searching for a buyer at half its original price. Right behind it was the Technics SL-1200MK7—the 50th anniversary edition of the legendary direct drive turntable—and a B-Stock Native Instruments Traktor Kontrol S3.
A few Pioneer CDJ models were sold in sets of two, with (No. 4 and No. 9) or without (No. 10) an accompanying mixer. Perhaps they could have gone with this 4-channel Pioneer DJM-750-K, or if they wanted to add more Kaoss into the mix, opted for this Korg KM-402 loaded with on-board effects. Maybe they just wanted something a little more transparent—such as this see-through Pioneer DJM 350 2-channel rotary mixer.
There are a few other turntables apart from the aforementioned industry standard: this Pioneer PLX-1000 is still for sale, as are these portable Numark PT01 designed with built-in speakers for scratching on the go. Other watchers had their eyes on this rare Vestax QFO—a hybrid turntable and mixer unit designed alongside DJ Q-Bert that, true to its name, looks something like a spacecraft.
The list also reveals a heavy presence of rotary mixers: this audiophile-friendly Isonoe ISO420 was sold by a Berlin-based seller, while Brooklyn's Turntable Lab continues to sell the more affordable 2-channel Ecler WARM2Pioneer DDJ-FLX10 and the more minimal MIDI Fighter Twister. A few watchers also had their eyes on this Pioneer EFX-500 live performance effects unit.
Elsewhere, this Akai Force music production and DJ performance system is still for sale at below the average price, as well as two other boutique rotary mixers—a Dark Bahamas XONE:99 and an Alpha Recording System 9900.