Swedish brand Teenage Engineering has been one of the hottest brands in music tech in the last five years. And this huge popularity has once again been reaffirmed by music gear marketplace Reverb, which has revealed the overall most-purchased synths and electronic gear (new and used) on its platform in 2023, with Teenage Engineering’s OP-1 topping the list for the fifth year in a row.
The synth and workstation, originally launched in 2011, is closely followed by the Roland SP-404MKII sampler, sampler/drum machine Elektron Digitakt and Arturia’s MicroFreak synth.
OP-1’s success could be partly thanks to the release of the more expensive and upgraded OP-1 Field, released in 2022, Reverb suggests, that helped distance the original from peak-pandemic pricing, leading to the OP-1’s average price dropping by more than $200 since January 2022.
It’s not as if the OP-1 Field hasn’t had its fair share of popularity in 2023, however, managing to just about make the overall list in the 20th position. Another interesting takeaway from the overall list is the introduction of the 2020-launched Polyend Tracker, sitting at 19th spot. The Polyend Tracker, which saw price reductions from Polyend after it launched the Tracker Mini in August, failed to make the list at all last year.
Elsewhere, the TE PO-33 reigns supreme on the list of new – as opposed to used – electronic gear sold on Reverb in 2023. The OP-1 is the overall winner based on both new and used sales.
A Teenage Engineering product that failed to make the list, however, is its $1,559 flat-pack Field Desk. Launched in March, the relatively basic-looking desk sparked debate among in the music tech community when it was revealed, due to its hefty price tag.
Here’s the full list of the overall best-selling synths & electronic gear to have been sold on Reverb in 2023:
- Teenage Engineering OP-1
- Roland SP-404MKII
- Elektron Digitakt
- Arturia MicroFreak
- Akai MPC One
- Teenage Engineering PO-33
- Elektron Digitone
- Native Instruments Maschine MKIII
- Make Noise Maths
- Akai MPK Mini MKIII
- Korg MicroKorg
- Elektron Octatrack MKII
- Roland TR-8S
- ALM/Busy Circuits ALM017 Pamela’s New Workout
- Korg Volca Beats
- Elektron Syntakt
- Korg Minilogue XD
- Moog Mother-32
- Polyend Tracker
- Teenage Engineering OP-1 Field
To see a breakdown of the most purchased used and new products on Reverb in 2023, head to Reverb.
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