
Regeneration: Synths Beyond Sustainability
Regeneration: Synths Beyond Sustainability
The recent climate change coverage in the media is a wake up call that we ignore at our peril (looking at you, President Trump). I've written about the importance of us educating and training new technicians to ensure the future of the classic instruments and gear that we all use and cherish, but is there also an environmental argument for doing so? Most modern synths, effects and amps are surely more energy efficient than their predecessors, but what is the cost of continuing to deplete precious resources by churning out an endless stream of ever-cheaper new products? On the surface, it’s great being able to purchase a new hardware synth for less than you’d have paid for a software version ten years ago. However, these cheap electronics are manufactured using SMT (surface mount technology) components which, due to the tiny scale of their circuits, are beyond the capabilities of most repair technicians (if you can find one) once they fail. The economies of keeping costs down often dictates that manufacturer support will evaporate once the warranty expires. If even a minor component fails on a modern synth it can be considered to be beyond economic repair. Can you imagine dropping your vintage Minimoog in the trash because an oscillator stops working? Less of a stretch to picture the same happening with Behringer Model Ds in five, ten or twenty years’ time…




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