Online gear marketplace Reverb is calling 2021 ‘the year of the keyboard’, reporting that searches for keyboard and synth products are up 34% year on year through to September.
It seems that the pandemic has seen both producers and aspiring players looking to buy new synth/keyboard hardware. With people stuck at home with more time on their hands, more of us have been taking the opportunity to learn to play the piano or upgrade our studio gear.
That said, it’s a portable keyboard that Reverb says is still proving particularly popular in searches - Teenage Engineering’s OP-1 synth/sampler remains a hot ticket item, despite celebrating its 10th birthday earlier this year.
We’re told that there’s also been an uptick in searches for ‘pro audio gear’, which Reverb classes as everything from DJ equipment to acoustic treatment. The company has picked out the Akai MPC One as being a particular draw in this market.
In the guitar market, searches have remained high; more than 30 million people have looked up guitars on Reverb this year. This is equivalent to 11% of the population of the US.
The PRS Silver Sky has proven to be a big hit with players - this John Mayer signature guitar was released in 2018.
Look out for MusicRadar’s own ‘best of 2021’ gear lists soon.
