Every now and then, we like to do a survey to see what people like you are thinking. We recently wrapped up our most recent survey and we learned a lot about you. From the silly to the mundane to the really thoughtful, y’all delivered. We read every single answer.

We promised we’d share some of the results with you, so without further ado…

Demographics

We had almost 400 replies to the survey. We learned that the vast majority of people (at least those who could spare the time to do the survey) are between 35-54 years old.

We also asked what country you live in. The vast majority of respondents (62%) live in the United States. The UK, Germany, the Netherlands, and Canada each had about 5-7% of our responses. The remaining folks were from all over the world, from Argentina to South Korea to the United Arab Emirates and more. It’s really cool to see how global this community is!

I meet more vegans in this community, but I was surprised to see that 69% of you identified as omnivorous, while only 14% said they were vegan or vegetarian. (and yes, 12% claimed to be carnivores, though the biologist in me suggests that may not be completely true…unless we had cats filling out the survey. Come to think of it, I didn’t ask if respondents were human).

When asked to describe your level of musical training, a little over ¼ of you have studied music extensively while 45% have had some instruction along the way. I loved that about a quarter of you have never had any training, lessons, nothing and you’re just figuring it out as you go! What a fun exploration.

Bucking the stereotype of synthcats, 49% of you said you had dogs, which only 47% had cats (or maybe cats had only 47% of you?). The “other” section on this question was by far my favorite though. A smattering of the answers: a 27-year-old ficus, rabbits, lots of fish tanks, some snakeys, a jumping spider, tarantulas, an axolotl (squeeeeee!), sheep, and more. Several of you mentioned the wildlife that you share your yard / area with, like deer and bears and turkeys and squirrels. We encouraged folks to include pet photos in emails to us, though one thoughtful respondent pointed out that we should have allowed pet photo submissions with the form. What a missed opportunity! Next time.

We also asked about text marketing. About 14% of you were all for it, but a plurality said no way (the rest didn’t care either way). This was a relief, to be honest, because that’s one less thing we have to think about setting up. For the record, we’re all team No way! As well.

But what about the synth questions?

Your answers to our questions about synths were so helpful! 

First, about 84% of you use your gear more in the studio than out on tour. I’m not sure what we would have predicted to be the answer there, but I don’t think I expected that! Another answer that really surprised me: 44% of you prefer synths without keybeds (and 50% said give me any synth). Only 5% of you preferred synths with keybeds! I was pro-keybed for a long time, but I’ve come around to the any synth way of thinking, myself.

Echoing my expectation, a plurality of you use Ableton Live as your primary DAW. Logic and “I don’t use a DAW” were neck-and-neck for second place with about 12-13% each.

While about 7% of you sent a clear signal that MIDI isn’t for you, those of you who did care about MIDI were definitively pro-5-pin (65%) with 29% preferring 3.5mm MIDI.

You are all a resourceful bunch. When it comes to learning about new products, over 90% of you turn to YouTube. A lot of you (73%) also get your information directly from brands (e.g., our newsletter, product manuals, etc.). ModularGrid took third place with social media of various flavors each being used by less than half of you.

When it’s time to make a purchase, about ¾ of you go to a retailer (either brick and mortar or online). We’re happy to have a great network of retailers who do great work, and we’re so happy you support them! About 64% like to purchase direct from a company, and about 44% are buying from Reverb (which may be new, used, or the Reverb page of a retailer you already know and trust!). A few of you had specific preferences for which shop, and various used marketplaces were popular too.

You said that the sound quality and user interface were Essential when considering a new purchase, with price, size, and aesthetics being Moderately Important. Manufacturer reputation was ranked at Very Important.

What synths and drum machines are you fans of? Not a lot of surprises here! Make Noise’s Strega, the Moog DFAM, and Elektron products were among the most popular. The Roland TR series was also frequently mentioned, along with Arturia and ASM products. 

Our final question is one I always like to include: is there anything else you want to tell us? 

Folks, we were overwhelmed by the responses. A majority of you took a moment to say something really sweet and kind about our work and about us personally. We love what we do, but knowing that it makes a difference to users means so much. Several people commented on our conservation initiatives and were so happy we continued to stand by that core value. Lots of people shared great ideas and input. Overall, it was a resounding success!

Thanks to everyone who answered our survey!