With all the advancements in synthesizer software, there’s one aspect the best synthesizer keyboard setups have offered for decades now. It’s the moment-by-moment experience of sound design.
We are now all in an era of plugin-based synthesizers. With every release, there are about a hundred ways to twist a sawtooth wave and a thousand more to route them within the DAW. In many ways, you could argue that plugin synths have everything you need. Right?
However, this comes with a disadvantage. While you could assign MIDI controller knobs to the best synthesizer plugins, nothing replaces the focused workflow and tactility of the best synth keyboard setups. After all, sound synthesis used to be a present-moment experience.
Even in this era of digital music production, hardware synthesizers are still a staple instrument in modern music production. They continue to play big roles in different styles of music, including pop, hip-hop, disco, electronic, rock, and more.
Here we take a closer look at the market’s best synthesizer keyboard units, based on current reviews and ratings data. We’ve written this for the enthusiast seeking to expand their “DAW-less” sonic palette.
Like the previous edition, this guide is divided into two sections – sub $500 and sub $1000, to make it easier for you to pick a suitable high synth that’s within your budget.