How do people feel about 1990s rack gear?
I deliberately avoided using the word “synths” in the title, because I mean the whole ecosystem of older 90s / 00s instruments and modules: everything from classic synths to ROMplers/workstations/rack units like the EMU Proteus 2000, JV/XV modules, old Akai gear, etc.
In many ways, modern instruments are objectively better: better sounding, easier to use, more reliable, and far more compatible with contemporary workflows.
But I run a music shop, and we constantly have people offering us 90s electronic gear. Part of me genuinely loves it, cos it's fun, but another part wonders whether I’m just romanticising obsolete tech because I grew up with it, and I'll end up with a shop full of old tat.
I’m curious where people here stand on this:
Do you think 90s electronic gear still offers something genuinely unique today, or is most of the appeal just nostalgia at this point?