Unfortunately, not every firm out there that sells synthesizers is a trustworthy brand. You should usually be able to tell quite easily when a provider is untrustworthy, so you can have that thought at night to comfort you. Nevertheless, it is critical that we stay safe and look at all the warning signs before making a big purchase. Who can you trust and who can you not trust? Things like this make people confused prior to making large purchases and this sometimes leads to poor decision making. Let’s take a look at the most reputable synthesizer brands that you can trust.
Roland
Based on my reviews it’s not hard to see that I’m a big fan of Roland products. I’ve reviewed keyboards like the DS61, JD-Xi, GAIA, and a few others – big fan of all of them. They don’t make synths that are great at everything, but nearly all of them are quite great as far as sounds go. Take any Roland synth and compare it head to head against competition in the same price range. You’ll find that Roland generally stomps them in the sound department. Sometimes there are exceptions, but it happens quite rarely.
Pros:
- Wonderful sound quality
- Premium build and aesthetics
- Relatively affordable in high-end synth sector
Cons:
- Not great at everything
Korg
Probably one of the oldest and most famous synthesizer manufacturers is Korg. They are known for making products like the Kronos, Krome, and Kross. Korg is really one of the most authoritative and well-known brands in the world of synths. We shouldn’t confuse them with the best manufacturers because that is something very subjective. Some of their products are world class and some of the greatest we’ve ever seen, yet other synthesizers from Korg are underwhelming to say the least. Unfortunately many of their products are quite expensive as well. They are more of an old-school company and newer, more innovative brands are slowly taking over the industry.
Pros:
- Highly reputable brand with great history
- Some of the best sound quality
- Vintage capabilities and features
Cons:
- Becoming outdated
- Pricing
Yamaha
Yamaha synths are becoming more and more dear to me with every review. They make synths such as the Montage 8, Montage 6, TYROS 5, and many others. What is always nice about Yamaha’s products are their abilities to produce such versatile sounds and how their capabilities know no bounds. They are highly innovative in this industry and it wouldn’t surprise me one bit to know that they will one day take over as the biggest brand (if they aren’t already there).
Pros:
- Highly innovative and versatile synthesizers
- Great at pretty much all aspects
- Long-lasting and very durable
Cons:
- Pricing
Moog
Moog is the smallest brand of all the firms we’ve listed. They are still quite a large brand, but compared to Yamaha they are miniscule. I would not yet put them in the same class as the tier 1 synthesizers – the quality just isn’t there yet. Surely though, if you’re in search of the best vintage bass and organ sounds then you can look no further. Moog makes some of the best vintage style instruments in the world and that is partly why they are still relevant in today’s day and age.
Pros:
- Great vintage sounds and features
- Premium feeling keyboards
- Rich history and reputation
Cons:
- Becoming outdated
- Less innovative than newer brands
Casio
Now, I haven’t yet had the chance to review a Casio synthesizer and I should really find some time to do that. What we do know is that these instruments aren’t on the level of the others we’ve reviewed and that is okay; there’s a time and place for every product. Casio synths are better for beginners. They don’t really seem to make any high-end professional synthesizers. What they excel at is simplicity and building good quality, long-lasting instruments.
Pros:
- Simple and easy products to work with
- Very affordable
Cons:
- Not very powerful
Conclusion
All of these companies are respectable in their own way. These five synthesizer brands are known around the world for making elite, world-class synthesizers apart from Casio. Are there other brands in the world that can compete? Probably so, it’s just that they aren’t so well known and/or reputable.