5 Synths That Need a Remake
Classic synths that Roland, Yamaha, Moog, KORG and Alesis need to reissue!
5,0 / 5,0 | 
Forget clones, it’s time for the original manufacturers to step up and give the people what they want: official synthesizer reissues. These are the five synths that need a remake right now.
Synths That Need a Remake
Clones are all well and good but there’s something special about an official reissue. KORG showed everyone how it’s done back in 2013 with the MS-20 Mini. Yes, it was slightly smaller, but that didn’t have any bearing on the sound. The company then followed the Mini up with the FS model (that’s Full Size to you and me), with miniKORG 700S and PS-3300 models soon following. Excellent and amazing all around, but we need more.
Here then are five synths that need a remake, like, yesterday. As these are to be official reissues, I’m restricting the choices to companies that still exist. Some of these I’m sure you’ll agree with, while others may be fairly controversial. Let me know what you’d like to see get the remake treatment in the comments below.
Synths That Need a Remake: KORG MS2000
The year 2000 was 26 years ago. That makes the KORG MS2000, which came out in the year that the Y2K bug didn’t destroy the world, officially vintage. And ripe for a reissue. And here’s why.
We all love the microKORG. It’s cute and affordable, and the sound cuts through a mix like no other VA. And yet it’s a PITA to program. If only it had more knobs. Well, it can. Ladies and gentlemen, may I present the MS2000. The father of the microKORG, the MS2000 has essentially the same VA engine but with the added bonus of a sequencer, 16-band vocoder, and that great, big, beautiful interface with lots and lots of knobs.
With virtual analog back in a big way, it’s also time to bring back the big ol’ MS2000.
Synths That Need a Remake: Moog Minimoog Voyager
I miss Bob. Back in the early 2000s, I bumped into Bob Moog at NAMM. Being starstruck, I’m sure I said something stupid to him. But he was friendly and gracious, and it’s a memory that I cherish. With Moog Music now part of the inMusic empire, the company feels further away from the man than ever. Which is why I’d love to see Moog the company bring back the Minimoog Voyager, the last synth designed start to finish by the man himself.
In 2002, after finally getting the Moog company name back, Bob put out the Voyager, a modern successor to the classic Minimoog Model D. There were a number of different model releases over the years, culminating in the ultimate Minimoog Voyager XL, which was the last Voyager to go out of production in 2017.
It may seem like overkill to want a new version of the Minimoog Voyager when the 2022 re-release of the original Minimoog is still available, but I’m not a business guy. I’m just a synth fan who thinks the world could use a little more Bob energy.
Synths That Need a Remake: Roland Jupiter-8
You knew this was coming. Roland’s classic eight-voice Jupiter-8 was released in 1981 and was immediately recognized for its brilliance. There’s a reason it’s all over records from the 1980s: it sounds gorgeous on just about anything and manages to always sit comfortably in the mix, making it a studio favorite. Synth nerds have been clamoring for a remake from Roland since, well, forever. And I feel like if it’s ever going to happen, it might actually happen now.
OK, hear me out. I don’t have any insider information or anything. But now that Roland has reopened the analog box with its TR-1000, the time is right for a new true analog poly. And the one everyone wants is the Jupiter with its two oscillators, filter with 12dB and 24dB/Oct modes, polyphonic unison, and everything else that makes it so special. We shall see.
Although there are lots of virtual analog and software versions available, if you really want an analog approximation, check out Black Corporation’s ISE-NIN. It’s a beautiful synth.
Synths That Need a Remake: Yamaha CS-80
In 2019, Yamaha asked if any of its customers were interested in a new analog CS-80. The internet collectively exploded. Nothing seems to have come from it, but it does indicate that Yamaha is very much aware of the desire for a remake of its 1977 classic, the beautiful eight-voice poly that Vangelis famously used on the Blade Runner soundtrack and Paul McCartney abused on “Wonderful Christmastime.”
Why is the CS-80 so special? Aside from the beautiful sound that comes from having two synthesizers in one, there’s the polyphonic aftertouch and other expressive tools like the long ribbon controller that Vangelis loved so much.
Will we ever see a proper Yamaha CS-80? I doubt it, but it would be amazing. Until the time that pigs take to the skies, console yourself with one of the many CS-80 alternatives available, including the gob-smackingly beautiful Deckard’s Dream from Black Corporation.
Synths That Need a Remake: Alesis Andromeda A6
In the year 2000, Alesis bucked the digital trend and released the Andromeda A6, a 16-voice analog poly with a big American sound. Lead by Erick Norlander, the Andromeda offered two VCOs per voice as well as two filters per voice, a SEM-style 2-pole resonant multimode and a Moog-style 4-pole. It also had three LFOs plus three six-stage envelopes as well as effects (both digital and analog), all in a big chassis with a unique Axel Hartmann-designed panel. (There’s a great story on Axel’s site about how he came to work on the A6.)
Of all of the synths that need a remake here, this one is probably the least likely, if just because Alesis no longer makes synthesizers (and hasn’t since the release of the Micron in 2004). However, Alesis is part of inMusic, which also owns Moog… I think you can see where I’m going with this. Psst, hey inMusic, why not assign some Moog engineers to a top-secret new Alesis project?
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