Having previously flogged off a load of stuff in a Reverb sale, Nine Inch Nails’ Alessandro Cortini is now getting rid of another prized studio possession: His Buchla 406 synth.
This is a hard-to-find evolution of the Buchla 400, an instrument that was released in 1982. Although this took inspiration from Buchla’s previous ‘West coast’ modular instruments, it was a less confusing machine that featured digital oscillators and analogue filters, and was programmed and sequenced by hooking it up to a computer monitor.
You could argue that the instrument was ahead of its time, giving us a taste of how electronic music would be made in the future.
Cortini’s 406 model is a hard-to-find evolution of the 400 that features a weighted keyboard for greater playability (the 400 had a potentially frustrating pressure-sensitive touchplate keyboard). This being the case, we’d expect it to sell for a significant sum, though we’re sure that there’ll be a synth collector out there who’s willing to pay.
Cortini has revealed that the synth is in the process of being restored, saying on Facebook: “If you know what this is and you’re interested, DM me!” Don’t do it without consulting your bank manager/spouse/parents first, though.
