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Wall Street Journal

December 5, 1974
Synthesizers succeed in gaining greater acceptance in the music world.

A growing market develops for the electronic instruments that produce a wide variety of sounds. The American Music Conference figures 7,000 synthesizers valued at $8 million were sold in 1973, the first year the trade group considered it worthwhile to tabulate the total. Before the economy's present slump, sales had been expected to double this year. Still, they'll show gains. ARP Instruments Inc., one of two major synthesizer producers, expects its sales to rise about 13% to "around $3 million" in fiscal 1974.
Until the late 1960s, universities were prime purchasers of early, costly synthesizers. Now, less-expensive units find general use. Moog Music Inc. says 75% of its income is from smaller, self-contained instruments for live performances. Says an ARP official, "It's pretty hard to find any major rock group not using our equipment." By one estimate, 4% of the country's high schools use synthesizers in their music programs.
Synthesizer makers approach the home market. Moog, for example, introduced a $595 unit Last year (professional Systems cost $3,000o or more).