Top Budget Hardware Synthesizers

Synthesizers are arguably the most versatile and expressive musical instruments ever created. Used either as an accompaniment to other acoustic or electronic instruments or to create entire pieces of music on their own, synthesizers have come to play an important role and even dominate a number of styles of modern music.

As a musician looking to incorporate sounds generated by a hardware synthesizer into your own music, there are a number of factors that will undoubtedly influence your decision on which model synthesizer to purchase. Perhaps most important is the sound you hope to achieve with the synthesizer, which to a great extent will depend on the style of music you wish to make.

Another unfortunate factor in the decision-making process of many musicians is the cost of a hardware synthesizer. Many of the best-sounding synths can easily cost thousands of dollars, though luckily, there are a number of quality hardware synthesizers available for those of us on a budget. Below are the top three hardware synthesizers widely available for a used price of under $400.

1. Roland Juno-106

The Roland Juno-106 has been around since 1984 but its sounds are anything but dated. It is a true analog synthesizer, which many would consider to be its best feature. Near the end of the 1980s, synthesizer manufacturers began a trend towards digital synthesis causing many older analogs to become valuable collector's items. Today, the Roland Juno-106 sells for around $360 used and this legendary synth has been used by such bands as Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, Autechre, Covenant, Celldweller, The Prodigy, Astral Projection and the Chemical Brothers.

2. Korg microKorg

A much more modern synthesizer is the Korg microKorg, which was released in 2002. It has only a 37 key keyboard but the sounds on this little synth speak for themselves. It features the same synthesis engine as the Korg MS2000, with both synthesizers relying on a virtual analog architecture - that is, virtual emulation of analog synthesis. The microKorg is available used for prices around just $280. This small but powerful keyboard has been used by Duran Duran, KMFDM, VNV Nation, The Prodigy and Pet Shop Boys.

3. Kurzweil K2000

Another completely different kind of synthesizer is the Kurzweil K2000, which was unleashed in 1991. The K2000 is capable of complex sounds and even has a built-in sequencer and sampler for creating entire pieces of music with just a single piece of music equipment. This synth is still widely used today and has been found in the studios of such bands as Pink Floyd, Depeche Mode, Duran Duran, Nitzer Ebb, Front Line Assembly, KMFDM, Nine Inch Nails, Massive Attack, Skinny Puppy and Wumpscut. The K2000 can be found for around $340.

For a complete list of the top ten hardware synthesizers under $400, visit Alternative Electronics and click the "articles" tab.