This massive study compares 2,368 synths, samplers and drum machines from 1896 to the present day – and the results might surprise you [Video]

Artist, content creator and head of Sade Microphones Iftah Gabbai has compiled a vast dataset of synths, samplers and drum machines, and his analysis of that data reveals some fascinating insights into the history of electronic instruments, while confirming many things we already knew. 

In creating his dataset, Gabbai collected information on 2368 devices ranging from the world’s first electromechanical instrument – the Telharmonium, designed in 1896 – all the way through to instruments released in 2024. Though it comprises samplers, drum machines, MIDI controllers and sequencers in addition to hardware synths, Gabbai has chosen to omit Eurorack and Buchla-format modules.

Gabbai kicks off by tracing the evolution of the synth through from its explosion in popularity in the ‘70s and ‘80s to the modern day; noting a decline in the early ‘90s, he attributes this to the rise of guitar-based music, before the late ‘90s sees a resurgence …