Reverb reveals its best-selling synths and drum machines of 2019, and the results are surprising

Best of 2019: Reverb has crunched the numbers and revealed its best-selling synths and drum machines of 2019, and the results are kind of surprising.

In the combined chart, which includes both new and used gear, we were shocked to see Teenage Engineering’s OP-1 in the top spot. This time last year, the synth had temporarily fallen out of production, forcing TE to advise potential purchasers against paying over the odds on the second-hand market. Nonetheless, Reverb reports that the average price paid for a used OP-1 this year was a whopping $1,106.92.

• Our pick of the best synthesizers you can buy today
• These are the best drum machines around

When the OP-1 did arrive back in stores, it was at a significantly increased price. Again, that doesn’t seem to have affected its popularity, though, with lots of people prepared to fork out $1299/£1199/€1399 for one. 

Looking down the best sellers list there’s good news for Korg, too. It took the second and third spots for the Minilogue and Monologue respectively, and has a further four entries in there as well - the MicroKorg, Volca Beats, Volca FM and Volca Sample.

Both Behringer and Elektron also made their presence felt in 2019, the former with the Model D and Neutron, and the latter with the Digitakt and Digitone.

What about Roland?

What is surprising is that Roland doesn’t appear anywhere on the overall list, though its classic Juno-106 does have the distinction of being the best-selling vintage synth, going for an average price of $1351,75. Its Juno-60, JV-1080, TR-505 and MC-303 instruments appear here, too, suggesting that electronic musicians may be keener on Roland’s old gear than its new stuff, which probably isn’t what the company wants to hear.

Roland can take some comfort in the fact that it’s ranked as Reverb’s number one synth brand, though, ahead of Korg, Moog and Yamaha.

Finally, in the list of the best-selling new synths of 2019 (ones that were released this year, in other words), Korg’s Minilogue XD takes the prize, ahead of the quirky Arturia MicroFreak and Korg's Volca Drum and Volca Modular.

Of course, it’s worth bearing in mind that these results come from just one company, so aren’t conclusive (Reverb admits that it probably doesn’t sell as many Behringer synths as other retailers, for example), but they make interesting reading nonetheless.

Check out all the full lists below. You can find more details and analysis on the Reverb website.

Reverb's best-selling synths and drum machines of 2019

1. Teenage Engineering OP-1
2. Korg Minilogue
3. Korg Monologue
4. Elektron Digitakt 
5. Moog Mother-32 
6. Behringer Model D
7. Korg microKORG 
8. Korg Volca Beats 
9. Teenage Engineering OP-Z 
10. Make Noise Maths 
11. Korg Volca FM 
12. Teenage Engineering PO-33 
13. Korg Volca Sample 
14. Behringer Neutron 
15. Elektron Digitone

Reverb's best-selling vintage synths and drum machines of 2019

1. Roland Juno-106
2. Casio SK-1
3. Yamaha DX7
4. Roland Juno-60
5. Roland JV-1080
6. Boss SP-202 Dr. Sample
7. Roland TR-707
8. Yamaha TX81Z
9. Suzuki Omnichord OM-84
10. Yamaha SHS-10R Keytar
11. Alesis HR-16
12. Suzuki Omnichord OM-27
13. Roland TR-505
14. Korg M1
15. Roland MC-303

Reverb's best-selling new synths and drum machines of 2019

• Korg Minilogue XD
• Arturia MicroFreak
• Korg Volca Drum
• Korg Volca Modular
• Elektron Model:Samples
• Behringer MS-1 / MS-101
• Behringer RD-8
• Korg Minilogue XD Module
• Pioneer Toraiz Squid
• Roland FP-10 Portable Digital Piano

• What is the best Korg Volca? Every drum machine and synth ranked

Reverb's top synth brands of 2019

1. Roland
2. Korg
3. Moog
4. Yamaha
5. Sequential / DSI
6. Nord 
7. Teenage Engineering 
8. Make Noise 
9. Arturia 
10. Behringer
11. Mutable Instruments
12. Elektron 
13. Akai 
14. Intellijel 
15. Novation