Best Synthesizer For Live Performance In 2024

Synthesizers have been being used in live music ever since they were created in the 1970s. Over the years I have picked up my fair share of synths and have had the pleasure of touring with them as well. In this post, we’re going to break down the hardware synthesizer and get into which synths are the best and worthy to check out in 2024.

The best synthesizer for live performance is going to be a synthesizer that is light-weight, easy to program, has a lot of pre-sets and of course sounds good. You want to have a synth that is versatile and can cover leads as well as cover the low-end. 

*To put this list together, I tested 22 different synths.

Note: If you’re looking to spend a little less, check out this guide on the best synthesizers under $500 here.

Best Synths For Live – Quick Overview

I have been touring for about 6 years now and I always bring a hardware synthesizer with me on tour. I have recently switched over to using MIDI controllers, but I love having a hardware synth with me as well.

The purpose of this post is to talk about synths specifically for live purposes and not for studio purposes. You don’t want to be lugging around a super expensive synth that is built for studio use.

Best Performance Synthesizers

1) Korg Minilogue XD

The Korg Minilogue XD is an incredible synthesizer that is actually not crazy expensive. It has 4 voices and it is analog, all for well under $1,000. This is really tough to do in a legit synthesizer.

If you run this synth through some FX pedals, you can create some absolutely amazing sounds.

Overall, I have been recommending this option for months as it is great for pretty much all genres of music. You can add this to your keyboard rig quite easily as it is portable.

2) Roland JD-Xi

I am a big fan of this synthesizer because it is really portable and easy to use. It is also pretty affordable compared to some synths out there. You can navigate through the different patches very easily while performing live.

This synth is comparable to the Korg Micro-Korg, but I actually like the JD-Xi more. You can read more about the Roland JD-Xi in our post about Roland keyboards here.

There is an analog synth engine as well as a digital one. This gives you a nice variety and gives you more options ultimately. Roland makes great synths that are durable and last well on the road.

I have used their keyboards for about 6 years now on the road and I have yet to have any serious problems with them. The key-beds are reliable and don’t break very easily.

*This synth is polyphonic

3) Moog Sub 37Analog Synth

The Moog Sub 37is an extremely popular synth in the professional touring level. This is known for its ridiculously fat bass tones. Moog made this as a more affordable option for touring bands. Musicians don’t want to be traveling around with the Voyager due to its price and weight.

Everything on this is analog, meaning you’re going to get that warm sound in the lows and highs. Some people are very picky will not use digital oscillators because they find them harsh on the ears. It is relatively light at 16.5 pounds and it comes with 25 keys.

*Favorite synth for bass sounds around its price

4) Dave Smith Instruments Prophet 12

I currently tour with this synthesizer in my keyboard rig. Versatility and durability are the first things that come to mind. I was hesitant to bring this out on the road due to it being very expensive. However, this synth is very common amongst touring bands and it was built to be able to handle the road.

There is a live mode feature with this synth that allows you to set up a live set. This to me was a lifesaver and it really saved me so much time in between songs. You can program all of your synths and save them so you can easily change to them at your liking.

The oscillators are digital and the filters are analog. I think the Prophet 12 sounds extremely warm. There is a learning curve, however, if you’re not very familiar with synths, this will definitely take you a long time then to get comfortable with. I’m still learning new things every day with the Prophet 12.

Overall I love this synthesizer. It has everything you need from massive low-end to crazy verbed out guitar-like leads.

I will say that the original models of this synth had a few faulty key-beds that would break easily. I actually had one of these and Dave Smith Instruments immediately sent me out a new key-bed and was very helpful.

5) Behringer VC-340 Analog Vocoder

The Behringer VC-340 is a great look at a vintage 80s string machine and vocoder. I recommend this synth for musicians who are heavily into the late 70s and 80s bands.

The biggest plus of this synth is that it’s extremely easy to use. All of the buttons are quite large and are laid out right in front of you.

I recently did a full on review of the Behringer VC-340 that you can read here.

Overall, I think this is Behringers best synth and easily one of the better ones available for its price range. If you’re into pads and human vocal sounds, this synth will give you some serious fun.

*Both Polyphonic and Monophonic options

Polyphonic Vs Monophonic Synthesizers

Polyphonic: These synthesizers have the ability to play multiple notes at once. The polyphony on each synth varies depending on its engine. Polyphony simply refers to how many notes you can press down at the same time.

Monophonic: These are synths that cannot play multiple notes at once. You typically will see people using these to lay down bass parts or play some leads. They can only play one note at a time.

Conclusion

These are some of my favorite go-to synths for the live musician. There are a lot of different synthesizers and I hope this guide gave you some insight into the synth world.