36 thoughts on “Ken MacBeth Intros The New MacBeth Elements Analog Synthesizer”

    1. The Elements Synthesizer is £3995.00GBP
      The half sized rack version is £1795.00GBP

      Of course Nick was too busy giggling like a school girl whilst being bromanced to notice, enquire or challenge.

  4. A MacBeth or a Buchla is like a cello. You don’t drop 2 to 4 large on one just to add bling to your rig. Its a serious passion. You shouldn’t dis something until you have a better grip on what it’s ultimately for. If you feel drawn to modulars, you start with MS20s and desktop-y, smaller tools like Doepfer’s Dark Energy, for example. This MacBeth is the kind of synth you buy at the end of a certain trail, which includes understanding why capacitance plates and area sensing are boss here. You can play “Freebird” on standard keys, but try it on a modular and you deserve to have Bob Moog come back long enough to whack you in the head with the thickest manual possible.

  6. This is one monstrous synth. Ken Macbeth is obviously very passionate about the things he makes. This synth is a modern classic, as was the M5x. How many other manufacturers achieved that in the last 10 years? I don’t understand the criticisms of the price… If you are passionate about your music and synthesizers, this is like owning a Voyager XL, CS-80, ARP 2600, EMS, etc…

    Guitarists don’t grumble so much about why a 4k PRS costs what it does, or why you have to spend 5k+ to buy a decent wedding ring for your lady. It’s about passion and commitment and being seriously in love…The Elements is like that. Put your money where your mouth is people…

    1. Goku, I’m sorry yet you’re full of crap. “A modern classic” really? And you’ve made this determination based on 4 minute video at a trade show, based on a cursory demonstration? And furthermore this apparently is evidenced by Ken’s past creations and we all know that you think he’s a “cool” bloke, right?

      I for one have no qualms with his pricing. I am well aware of the cost structures for a small operation as his and furthermore he is entitled to charge as much as he wishes. Yet enthusiasts are entitled to deride him and his pricing regardless of whether they comprehend the perceived quality or perhaps they simply find this offering limited and therefore find the price obscene.

      Yet for you or anyone to claim and state that somehow being as synth enthusiast we must all aspire to own an instrument such as this that somehow this is on par with some of the greatest synths of all time says more about your limited prism and ridiculous posturing that has become your emblem.

      1. Look man. You can moan about the price all you want… it’s your right… but I think it’s safe to say that musicians want the best gear they can get their hands on. Nothing limited in that concept.

        For the most part, I’d think the majority of analog synth guys see gear like this as a prime example of a great sounding, high quality instrument. I’d call it a modern classic, which is my opinion based on Ken’s previous products, their scarcity, and the feature set. I’d go as far as to say that if given the choice between the Element and one of the mass market cheaper Analogs, most people would want the element. As an M3x owner, I can attest to the build quality and I trust my ears.

        I suggest you take my comment for what it is: my opinion, informed by my personal experience with a very large number of synths. Yours may vary, and I’d love to revisit this conversation 10 years from now to see what became of the Element (hopefully in a friendlier manner).

        Now, I do see your point that “the best instrument” varies from person to person. My comment about people moaning over price is more about value than anything else. If people complained that Ferrari wasn’t making a 20k car and then Ferrari buckled and released one… would it still be a true Ferrari?

        I don’t come from money, and yet buying all these synths and compressors and pres and whatnot was important enough for me to sacrifice to obtain them because they mean that much to me. I’m talking over 50k in debt to get my first (small) studio off the ground. The history, my love of sounds, the inspiration that comes from owning the same instruments that my heroes played… paying the money for high-end gear is worth it to me.

        You can call it a prism, or posturing… I don’t see it that way. I’m focused, I know what I like. No need for character assassination man.

        1. Goku,

          I wish you well on your new venture and I shall hope your investment proves worthy of your passion.

          I was perhaps a bit harsh with my words yet where you and I have are aligned is in our love for well made high quality equipment and instruments. Yet whilst sound is subjective, quality follows a more stringent path. That said, again I’m not dismayed by the price of the Element yet it does not appeal to me at all for reasons that are too numerous to detail.

          Best of luck again.

      2. LOL I think it’s a much safer assumption for modular gear heads to say this looks amazing-taking into account this guys previous, smaller-scale creations- than it is for you to say ‘it’s ridiculously expensive/prove to me it’s worth the asking price.’ As if everyone with normally critical minds had agreed to turn the other cheek and let JUST this one guy’s products slip by with an inflated asking price. Cause, you know, he’s so darn cool, what with the accent and the smoking and the clandestine funding of military-industrial organizations and all!

        LOL, but props for at least attempting a little self-righteous indignation- one gets so few chances to play the honorable whistleblower these days…mostly cause almost every comment forum comes with a complimentary cacophony of whistles blown by concerned/clueless netizens such as yourself who are MAD dammit and they AINT gonna take it NO MORE!!!

        Wait, what were we talking about? Doesn’t matter now…for some reason after that video my only feeling is that I’m suddenly dying for an ice cold Foster’s Lager

      3. Eh? As if everyone with normally critical minds had agreed to turn the other cheek and let JUST this one guy’s products slip by with an inflated asking price? Cause, you know, he’s so darn cool, what with the accent and the smoking and the clandestine funding of military-industrial organizations and all!

        LOL, but props for at least attempting a little self-righteous indignation- one gets so few chances to play the honorable whistleblower these days…mostly cause almost every comment forum comes with a complimentary cacophony of whistles blown by concerned/clueless netizens such as yourself who are MAD dammit and they AINT gonna take it NO MORE!!!

        Wait, what were we talking about? Doesn’t matter now…for some reason after that video my only feeling is that I’m suddenly dying for an ice cold Foster’s Lager

  7. Don’t quite get why people bitch about the price, what did you expect. Macbeth are a small company, they were never going to release something like this at the price of a sub phatty! As for compromise with the keyboard it’s features like this that make at instrument unique if thought out properly this adds an extra dimension to the sound through your playing technique, you take it for what it is. Hasn’t that always been one of the attractions to companies like EMS, there not moog and they make there own products with there own merits.

    2. Have you been by the Moog factory? It’s not what one would call “large.” All of their stuff is produced in limited runs, in house.

      I think the price of this thing is down to parts. It looks like a fun synth, but it also looks like a sturdy piece of kit. The gold plating surely doesn’t help bring the cost down. He probably could bring the cost down to around Sub Phatty prices if he compromised a bit on some of the construction.

      But should he do that? I don’t think so. I can’t afford one of these things, and I’d love to get my hands on one. Part of that is due to reputation, part to the construction quality, and the rest, well, it looks like a damn fun synth. So I wish it were more affordable, but he definitely has a market and won’t have any sitting around on the shelves in a year. Can’t begrudge that.

  8. Damn, MacBeth has got to be the coolest muthafukka in the synth game. This dude is pure entertainment, he should have his own show.

  10. The Mel Gibson of synth manufactures, love it, we need more people with dynamic or creative individual character such as MacBeth in the synth manufacturing bizz.

  11. Wow! This looks amazing, and to top it off he seems like he’d be such an interesting dude to sit down with and just watch him work, You could probably learn so much from a guy like that. Awesome. Thanks Nic.

  12. This is weird praise. Let Macbeth publish is sales reports then we will see how many items he sells, and how many ‘real synthesists’ are buying his gear.
    I am one of many hardware synth users , me and a good size gang of mates , get loads of vinyl out, no one has any Macbeth synths or shows the least passing interest in such expensive weird gear.
    The idea we are inedaquates and we don’t understand the ‘quality ‘ of his products is an absolute laugh. What is the point of such a synth when it has no patch memories.
    I love all those praising his gear. Lets see them show off Macbeths gear in their studios.
    I have ever only seen one Macbeth synth in Berlin at Sneidersburo.
    I have no desire to use his gear let alone buy any.

    1. If the point of the synth was to have patch memories then it would, but it doesn’t so it’s not the point. The technology is there for pretty much any synth to have patch memories, they could have added an oscillaitor or reverb effect but they haven’t , I don’t see what’s so hard to work out with products like this, again you take each product for what it is!
      There are cars more expensive than my own that I would like to own but I can’t, same goes for synths, I don’t bitch about the quality or unaffordability if them! And as for value, it all comes down to sound. I use a micromac rack as the main body of my eurorack and it was worth every penny.

      1. If it’s sound is so good , you would want to store them for tracks you may want to play live, or record/recall. Claiming this isn’t an issue is stupid .For most work musicians we need instant recall of sounds. It is 2014, not 1979.
        Again I love the idea , that those of us who find this astounding do nit know our music history/synth history etc .
        That is some lame lame line to pull.

        1. I play live and learning your instrument is enough to program live it isn’t easy and sometimes does go wrong. i use a concert mate mg-1,I also rely on my microkorg live. The point here is more that you take each instrument for what it is. Guitarists tune between song and twisting pots and pushing sliders isn’t much harder if you know where your going!!

  18. if you have 5000 € , buy a car not a synth (especially this piece of snobbery from overrated old farts such t oberheim, dave smith , schnmidt etc ).. fight back your GAS and take a beer ..

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