So funny watching you guys explore. I've lived near here for many years so to me its just Five g- local synth shop. Also there is a less obscure and probably less interesting entrance which is funnily enough the front entrance of the building :D Great segment!
I was just there last weekend, I made the pilgrimage too.. 2 Jupiter 8, prophet 10, 3 x emulators, a couple of CS15, monopoly, vocoder plus and to top it off I think I spotted a DX1 in there... mind blowing!!!!
I had no idea this was there when I visited that part of Tokyo. Amazing to see both the synths and Japan again. Great video - hope the jet lag wasn’t too bad.
i remember in 2009 i was wandering around shinjuku backstreets and discovered a little shop where three old guys were siting at their benches repairing various synths etc, what caught my eye initial was seeing three origional 808s sitting on a bench awaiting repair.. i tried to find the shop again on later visits to tokyo but was never able to retrace my initial footsteps properly
Wow 😮!! The Triton still sounds good!! Korg has a formula that has proven to be timeless. Saw an SP1200 in there too. And the Prophet 6 was lovely. Great job Nick, Thanks! I probably would not have another opportunity in my life to see this store.
I hope you wear the dress for the next Sonic Talk, Nick :) Not sure exactly what that Ace Tone at the end was, but they're Roland before they became Roland.. oldschool!
I only one been in a shop in Amsterdam that was close to this, only close. Yet in the 90s I met a guy that had a MemoryMoog, the whole Korg MS line up including sequencer and vocoder, a Matrix12 and Expander, Moog Liberation, Moog The Source and prolly ten or so synths that I forgotten about in his basement studio, including 48 channel mixer. His name was Karel and was 100% hobbyist.
I found this den of iniquity while living in Japan 2002-ish. Wow! It has not changed a bit! It still has many of the same synths (or they've been replaced by same). One of the only places in Japan where I felt truly at home. I bought a Studio Electronics Omega 8, SE 1X, and a Juno 6 there. The quality of their vintage products is probably the best you'll find anywhere in the world. I really miss that place!!!! Thank you SO MUCH for this perfect trip down RAMemory lane. ❤️🎹😀😉
Haut Strange Osaka to Tokyo is about 3 hours by Shinkansen, then from Tokyo station (or Shinagawa if you want to be more efficient) you’d be about 20-30 minutes the easy way (the JR Yamanote line) to Harajuku station and it’s prettt much right there. You’d need a day trip at least from Osaka and you’d probably want to see a few more sights as well. Hope that helps!
I'm surprised you guys got away with filming there! I thought they had a no cameras policy, but then again last time I was there was 5 years ago, or maybe they just don't care :D
Ahhh the Five G. My Jupiter 8 came from that exact spot in the shop where the JP-6 sits now. Too bad it doesn't have speakers and harmonica patch. I will probably just dump it.
The awesome thing about all those cheap Roland sounds (or any cheap synthesis sound really) is how great they can sound with a good reverb. I only JUST put out a video about the awesomeness of reverb yesterday, and when you were pressing the keys there and commenting on how cheesy they sound, all I could think was "I bet that'd sound quite nice with a good reverb on it." 11:15 in the video, if anyone's curious what I'm talking about.
In a weird kind of way I would feel starstruck seeing these keyboards in person. If I had to pick one thing to take away I think it would be a MemoryMoog although I'd be happy with pretty much anything in there. Great video Nick!
Great video. Been there and bought there. Nicest people. He didn’t show the work benches behind the counter which take as much space as the display area. Everything is warrantied. For reference 1¥ = ~ $.01. Just add a decimal point two digits in from the right. There is a modern synth and audio shop nearby called Rock On. Worth a visit also, but just a few legacy instruments
This place is legendary indeed. Last time I was there (it's literally 50m from my hairdresser, so I go there once a month hehe) they were in the process of fixing a LinnDrum by ear... Also, if you are in the area, Echigoya music (えちごやミュージック) is smaller, but they have some interesting pieces of gear too.
I have family in Japan (Osaka) and my aunt and uncle go yearly and invited me next trip. Definitely gonna save up to stop by here. Even if I only buy one thing. The experience will be priceless. There’s a whole mess of gear in the video I’ve ever seen in person before.
Wow! Maybe the Waldorf Blofeld Desktop in 3:40 is what I bought at Five G on September 27, 2019. It was in the same place on the showcase. Waldorf Quantum is so expensive that I can't buy it, but Blofeld sounds great! Five G staff were friendly and polite and I did a good shopping.
Five-G and Echigoya Music both definitely worth the visit. Like many places in Tokyo, those shops are located on upper-floors of common buildings, with no indication from the outside. Enter the building until you spot the shops on the floor guide.
Nick, you lucky son of a gun! My wife and I went to Japan last week. I wanted to go to Tokyo (to look at synths, of couse) but my wife said Osaka is cheaper and has just as much "stuff" as Tokyo. First of all, Osaka is beautiful, it was a wonderful place to visit. That said, I couldn't for the life of me find anywhere to look at synths (or buy them), aside from the occasional Yamaha store that only had some of those obscure electronic concert pianos that seem to be so popular in Japan. (Not sure if you know what I mean, silver double decker synths that place a huge emphasis on performances and no synthesis). Anyway, you're a lucky man, you got to do exactly what I was hoping I could do. The unfortunate thing is, I'd planned to go to Japan for months, and for the very purpose of seeing Japan's amazing synth market. Turns out, it just became a great time of brand-name shopping for my wife. :P Thanks for sharing this awesome video.
Great tour, thanks Nick! Right after you were talking about the SH-1 "...amazing bottom end, you're probably not going to be able to hear this..." very next key press the fuse in my shitty home cinema amp kicks in - no sound. Talking about proving a point there. 😉
Is Kurzweil not old enough or classic enough? I noticed that none popped up. All in all, I felt it a privilege to see all the ancestors of sound design on one show. Thank you. Dozo!
WOW, WOW, WOW............OMG Where would you start??? So much crammed in there. Like I remember Richer Sounds Hifi Shop in London, packed but in a tiny space back in the eighties......WOW. 😧
That was a impressive collection of current and vintage. Question, anyone recognize the adjustable shelving they are using with the Manfrotto Autopoles?
@@ScottWozniak Thanks for the response Scott, the commercial kitchen shelving I recognize, got some of that in my own kitchen. The shelving I'm referring to [one example is at 7:25], is using Manfrotto Autopoles for the uprights, floor to ceiling and what could be a custom adjustable system that can tilt forward with two poles underneath the keyboard for support. Also note the tilt system is attached to a metal bar with multiple holes for different heights and to have several keyboards hanging from the same two pole system.
approaching it looks like another famous synth store, Schneiders Laden in Berlin, in the city, but somehow secluded. you would never expect such paradises awaiting you.
They've got loads of jupiter 8's that look mint, and they've got a handful of matrix 12s. Another day in paradise 😎 The sh1 has A LOT of bottom end. I think it's cause it shares circuitry with the system 700. I've had 3 191j cabinets of system 100m & they're delicious. You need a handful of oscillators to get a juicy sound, but they're stable, compared to what was around then. I think the stability is in part based around the use of CEM chips. In fact, the CEM 3340 is used in the sh101 as well, (its a single vco). There's also a module which has a vco, vcf and vca in it (the 110), which is based around the CEM 3394.
I cannot believe how expensive some of those items are in that shop. The TB-303 for example is over 6 times the price of one I can find where I am living, albeit this one is probably never used vs the secondhand price I am referencing.
Easiest conversion for yen to USD. 100yen = about a dollar. (the USD is doing quite well at the moment, so it's more like 110 or so to 1 dollar, but you are at least in the right ballpark by thinking 75,000yen is $750 or slightly less than. A lot of those drinks in the vending machines are about 100yen, some being 120, some being slightly more or slightly less. So, they're about a buck or a buck fifty a drink. (When I was in Japan last week, I was enjoying the hell out of how useful all my coins were. I bought SO many energy drinks from those machines because I always had a pocket full of change.)
Justin Jehoshaphat Fortunately not so much anymore since Korg and Arturia really spearheaded the affordable analog boom. I’ve moved on from the budget and entry level gear myself (not that there’s anything wrong with it) but the fact that someone can buy an analogue mono synth, poly synth, and a drum machine/sampler all for under $1000 is miraculous.
Justin Jehoshaphat If you think $1000 is a mini synth then you’re foolish. There are hoards of synths cheaper than the Model D that are also “the real thing”. Stop being a pretentious knob.
Once I get over the ocean and there's nothing to look at, I down a few drinks and sleep. Then I'm ready to blend in with the new time zone for a few days.
Tokyo! My favourite place- unfortunately 5G is not my favourite shop there. Amazing stock but prices are very High and, unusually for a Japanese store, never found the staff helpful at all. Nick You should try Echogoya music. Just up the road in Shibuya, much smaller but often have interesting stuff!
‘Oh look, there’s a Korg Volca Mix.’
Imagine going there and meeting Nick batt. That would be the complete experience.😃
I ran into him at a London music production show at the Emirates a few years ago, really lovely guy.
So funny watching you guys explore. I've lived near here for many years so to me its just Five g- local synth shop. Also there is a less obscure and probably less interesting entrance which is funnily enough the front entrance of the building :D Great segment!
Those videos in Japan are representative of what dream sonicstate means to me. Cheers. All my best wishes for this new year.
You're welcome, we would love to go back one day
What an Aladdin's cave of synths, so many rare and common synths mixed together right from the early 70's to modern day stuff, amazing!
I actually love how they have it all mixed together like that. Really puts thing into perspective.
I was just there last weekend, I made the pilgrimage too.. 2 Jupiter 8, prophet 10, 3 x emulators, a couple of CS15, monopoly, vocoder plus and to top it off I think I spotted a DX1 in there... mind blowing!!!!
Wow! Out of all your videos, this is one of the most exciting! You really went through synthesizer-alice's rabbit hole
Tokyo is an insane maze so congrats on finding the place, and thanks for the tour as well.
It's just opposite the station. Easiest to find imho
I really enjoyed this video! Felt like I was hanging out with Nick and chums in Tokyo, would love to see more super down-to-earth videos like this. :D
I had no idea this was there when I visited that part of Tokyo. Amazing to see both the synths and Japan again. Great video - hope the jet lag wasn’t too bad.
i remember in 2009 i was wandering around shinjuku backstreets and discovered a little shop where three old guys were siting at their benches repairing various synths etc, what caught my eye initial was seeing three origional 808s sitting on a bench awaiting repair.. i tried to find the shop again on later visits to tokyo but was never able to retrace my initial footsteps properly
Nightmare not finding again man 😖
I think you walked to the next station
Thanks for the tour! Nice reminder of how Tokyo streets feel in the beginning too. Have a good nap! :)
Awesome, thanks for the tour!
Fantastic place!
You know you are famous when you are recognised in Tokyo haha!
The wobbly video did give me motion sickness though ha!
Many thanks for the tour of this fantastic shop!
Good work fellas, enjoyed that tour. Jet lags’ a bugger.
Wow 😮!! The Triton still sounds good!! Korg has a formula that has proven to be timeless.
Saw an SP1200 in there too. And the Prophet 6 was lovely. Great job Nick, Thanks! I probably would not have another opportunity in my life to see this store.
Thank you for this awesome tour!
Also: very nice to see how respectful people are. Not trying to photobomb the video or interrupt the video making process. That's nice.
Take a shot every time Nick says "Crikey!"
K thanks got alcohol poisoning. Writing this from the hospital 👍
@@HotStrange I hope you learned something. Drinking the HARD stuff is only for the BIG BOYS. Stick to the FRUITY mixed drinks and you should be okay.
I hope you wear the dress for the next Sonic Talk, Nick :) Not sure exactly what that Ace Tone at the end was, but they're Roland before they became Roland.. oldschool!
I only one been in a shop in Amsterdam that was close to this, only close.
Yet in the 90s I met a guy that had a MemoryMoog, the whole Korg MS line up including sequencer and vocoder, a Matrix12 and Expander, Moog Liberation, Moog The Source and prolly ten or so synths that I forgotten about in his basement studio, including 48 channel mixer.
His name was Karel and was 100% hobbyist.
What is the shop in Amsterdam?
I was wondering too where the shop was
Awesome video Nick. First class in all aspects. Thanks for posting.
Stopped by when I bought my Ondomo. Wifey said nope to the Buchla. Love fiveG. Love Tokyo!
Have fun Nick, that was amazing!
Nice homage to the Michael Myers jump scare at the 08:30 mark.
Awesome ! All of a sudden I have a desire to take a trip to Tokyo ! Dream store !
I found this den of iniquity while living in Japan 2002-ish. Wow! It has not changed a bit! It still has many of the same synths (or they've been replaced by same). One of the only places in Japan where I felt truly at home. I bought a Studio Electronics Omega 8, SE 1X, and a Juno 6 there. The quality of their vintage products is probably the best you'll find anywhere in the world. I really miss that place!!!! Thank you SO MUCH for this perfect trip down RAMemory lane. ❤️🎹😀😉
Thanks for the tour
"Anyway, that's kinda pretty much the sh- OOH! What's this guy here!?" 😂
Thanks Nick and Andy! Really enjoyed this!
Wow! Thanks for bringing us along!
I love that place; I’m in Osaka right now but I’ll be making my return pilgrimage next week. Glad you found the place!
Kevin B if you are in Osaka, have you visited implant4? I stayed in Osaka for a couple days and that shop was definitely worth a visit.
Kyle Young not yet, but now I’ve got a spot to visit tomorrow! Many thanks for the heads up!
Could you tell me how far it is to travel? I have family in Osaka and may be going next year and I’d love to make it out to Five G.
Haut Strange Osaka to Tokyo is about 3 hours by Shinkansen, then from Tokyo station (or Shinagawa if you want to be more efficient) you’d be about 20-30 minutes the easy way (the JR Yamanote line) to Harajuku station and it’s prettt much right there. You’d need a day trip at least from Osaka and you’d probably want to see a few more sights as well. Hope that helps!
Kevin B definitely helps! Thanks so much!
I'm surprised you guys got away with filming there! I thought they had a no cameras policy, but then again last time I was there was 5 years ago, or maybe they just don't care :D
I'm guessing RUclips's popularity has something to do with it. Lots of free advertising to be had lol
Indeed
Ahhh the Five G. My Jupiter 8 came from that exact spot in the shop where the JP-6 sits now. Too bad it doesn't have speakers and harmonica patch. I will probably just dump it.
"The System 100 is considered to be the Dog's dangly bits..." That is ace!
Thanks for sharing Nick.
~ Truly a place of dreams and memories ~
Exclusively! Thank you!
The awesome thing about all those cheap Roland sounds (or any cheap synthesis sound really) is how great they can sound with a good reverb. I only JUST put out a video about the awesomeness of reverb yesterday, and when you were pressing the keys there and commenting on how cheesy they sound, all I could think was "I bet that'd sound quite nice with a good reverb on it."
11:15 in the video, if anyone's curious what I'm talking about.
Fantastic!!! Have a wonderful visit!
Best 5G visit I have seen. The wide angle here really helps! Helps ignite GAS.
Great synth tour thanks
Enjoyed the tour, thank you!
In a weird kind of way I would feel starstruck seeing these keyboards in person. If I had to pick one thing to take away I think it would be a MemoryMoog although I'd be happy with pretty much anything in there. Great video Nick!
George Kay i felt the same and would grab the Jupiter 8.
@@matthewcody1757 Good choice!
Excellent walk through....and instruction on how to find the place!
Great video. Been there and bought there. Nicest people. He didn’t show the work benches behind the counter which take as much space as the display area. Everything is warrantied. For reference 1¥ = ~ $.01. Just add a decimal point two digits in from the right. There is a modern synth and audio shop nearby called Rock On. Worth a visit also, but just a few legacy instruments
That's where all of our old synths went! I've heard many of the classics end up in Japan.
Thanks for showing how to find it too! I'll be sure to visit one day!
This place is legendary indeed. Last time I was there (it's literally 50m from my hairdresser, so I go there once a month hehe) they were in the process of fixing a LinnDrum by ear...
Also, if you are in the area, Echigoya music (えちごやミュージック) is smaller, but they have some interesting pieces of gear too.
Echigoya music is a hidden gem in Shibuya. I've seen three SP-1200 pass through that place.
I have family in Japan (Osaka) and my aunt and uncle go yearly and invited me next trip. Definitely gonna save up to stop by here. Even if I only buy one thing. The experience will be priceless. There’s a whole mess of gear in the video I’ve ever seen in person before.
Wow! Maybe the Waldorf Blofeld Desktop in 3:40 is what I bought at Five G on September 27, 2019. It was in the same place on the showcase.
Waldorf Quantum is so expensive that I can't buy it, but Blofeld sounds great!
Five G staff were friendly and polite and I did a good shopping.
Thank You for this great video
Five-G and Echigoya Music both definitely worth the visit.
Like many places in Tokyo, those shops are located on upper-floors of common buildings, with no indication from the outside. Enter the building until you spot the shops on the floor guide.
Nick, you lucky son of a gun!
My wife and I went to Japan last week. I wanted to go to Tokyo (to look at synths, of couse) but my wife said Osaka is cheaper and has just as much "stuff" as Tokyo.
First of all, Osaka is beautiful, it was a wonderful place to visit.
That said, I couldn't for the life of me find anywhere to look at synths (or buy them), aside from the occasional Yamaha store that only had some of those obscure electronic concert pianos that seem to be so popular in Japan. (Not sure if you know what I mean, silver double decker synths that place a huge emphasis on performances and no synthesis).
Anyway, you're a lucky man, you got to do exactly what I was hoping I could do. The unfortunate thing is, I'd planned to go to Japan for months, and for the very purpose of seeing Japan's amazing synth market.
Turns out, it just became a great time of brand-name shopping for my wife. :P
Thanks for sharing this awesome video.
Osaka beautiful?! Are you absolutely sure it was Osaka you visited?
Soft map and Creators midi land is also in Osaka
That is such a cool shop. I also spied a Buchla Easel in the background there.
Great tour, thanks Nick! Right after you were talking about the SH-1 "...amazing bottom end, you're probably not going to be able to hear this..." very next key press the fuse in my shitty home cinema amp kicks in - no sound. Talking about proving a point there. 😉
Thanks for showing us round!
That was like a trip through Santa's Grotto. I felt your excitement. Amazing.
Thanks for this, guys! A suitably geeky way to speed my busride home after work.😁
Is Kurzweil not old enough or classic enough? I noticed that none popped up. All in all, I felt it a privilege to see all the ancestors of sound design on one show. Thank you. Dozo!
Seoul Korea is full of Kurzweils
I swapped an Alesis HR16 for an SH101!!!
WOW, WOW, WOW............OMG
Where would you start???
So much crammed in there. Like I remember Richer Sounds Hifi Shop in London, packed but in a tiny space back in the eighties......WOW. 😧
WOW what a candy store full of fun. I wish we just had a music store in my town.
That was a impressive collection of current and vintage. Question, anyone recognize the adjustable shelving they are using with the Manfrotto Autopoles?
www.containerstore.com/s/shelving/metro-commercial/metro-commercial-industrial-6-shelf-solution/12d?productId=10005363
@@ScottWozniak Thanks for the response Scott, the commercial kitchen shelving I recognize, got some of that in my own kitchen. The shelving I'm referring to [one example is at 7:25], is using Manfrotto Autopoles for the uprights, floor to ceiling and what could be a custom adjustable system that can tilt forward with two poles underneath the keyboard for support. Also note the tilt system is attached to a metal bar with multiple holes for different heights and to have several keyboards hanging from the same two pole system.
@@CBG Ah, sorry. Don't know about those.
So short, I hope it is part 1 :)
fantastic video, thank you
"That's where the drummer exploded!". 😄
approaching it looks like another famous synth store, Schneiders Laden in Berlin, in the city, but somehow secluded. you would never expect such paradises awaiting you.
haha i was there LAST WEEK (from Canada). We are like two ships that passed through the night :)
Was that Katsunori Ujiie from MusicTrackJP 13:48 ... This place is like a miniature Keyboard NAMM get together... Great Tour Sonic State!
That was really cool. You're making me miss Japan.
I
They've got loads of jupiter 8's that look mint, and they've got a handful of matrix 12s.
Another day in paradise 😎
The sh1 has A LOT of bottom end. I think it's cause it shares circuitry with the system 700.
I've had 3 191j cabinets of system 100m & they're delicious. You need a handful of oscillators to get a juicy sound, but they're stable, compared to what was around then.
I think the stability is in part based around the use of CEM chips. In fact, the CEM 3340 is used in the sh101 as well, (its a single vco). There's also a module which has a vco, vcf and vca in it (the 110), which is based around the CEM 3394.
walked right by that entrance last year not knowing it was just upstairs! Damn.
Nick, I'm quite sure you are gonna dream well after this visit to the synth heaven.
Ive been there. That place is crazy. Creators Land used to be pretty wild too.
Awesome, I could spend all day in there!
I cannot believe how expensive some of those items are in that shop. The TB-303 for example is over 6 times the price of one I can find where I am living, albeit this one is probably never used vs the secondhand price I am referencing.
Easiest conversion for yen to USD. 100yen = about a dollar. (the USD is doing quite well at the moment, so it's more like 110 or so to 1 dollar, but you are at least in the right ballpark by thinking 75,000yen is $750 or slightly less than.
A lot of those drinks in the vending machines are about 100yen, some being 120, some being slightly more or slightly less.
So, they're about a buck or a buck fifty a drink. (When I was in Japan last week, I was enjoying the hell out of how useful all my coins were. I bought SO many energy drinks from those machines because I always had a pocket full of change.)
I have dreams of stores like this.
Justin Jehoshaphat Fortunately not so much anymore since Korg and Arturia really spearheaded the affordable analog boom. I’ve moved on from the budget and entry level gear myself (not that there’s anything wrong with it) but the fact that someone can buy an analogue mono synth, poly synth, and a drum machine/sampler all for under $1000 is miraculous.
Justin Jehoshaphat If you think $1000 is a mini synth then you’re foolish. There are hoards of synths cheaper than the Model D that are also “the real thing”. Stop being a pretentious knob.
Justin Jehoshaphat You’re not a “purist” for shaming people for not buying a MiniMoog. You’re an asshole lmao.
Justin Jehoshaphat LMAO. Nice trolling mate 👍
Teh SparX Probably all in the key of C except he doesn’t know what the key of C is, or any notes are for that matter.
This is so good Nick,and i think you gonna buy some new old stuff sone,i almost can hear you drooling ;)
I have the same racking too LOL. One Chrome, one black (because they were out of chrome when I went to buy another)
You should also get to Echigoya in Shibuya. Also good stuff :)
I love that shop! Next time i go to Tokyo I will get something vintage from there! :)
12:30
The elevator guy is stalking you
He's either gone back, or the impromptu meeting was actually scripted.
He's been to the cash machine
@@Phil-1
LOL
Once I get over the ocean and there's nothing to look at, I down a few drinks and sleep. Then I'm ready to blend in with the new time zone for a few days.
Tokyo! My favourite place- unfortunately 5G is not my favourite shop there. Amazing stock but prices are very High and, unusually for a Japanese store, never found the staff helpful at all. Nick You should try Echogoya music. Just up the road in Shibuya, much smaller but often have interesting stuff!
Next time....
Correct
Proper synthshops are rare these days!
Even in Tokyo, its really just this place, Echigoya, and then, errr, soft map in AKB?
A synth meca but there does not seem to be any organization to the shop. "Where should we put this rare synth" ... " toss it next to the casio"
as it should be?
@@supercompooper yeah i kinda feel that but guess i expected a bit less pawn shop although beautiful synths and love that they did the video
Great place! if you get a chance one day, in Seoul, a music shops building (around 200 shops in the same building) with a lot of oldies too...
You mean Nakwon Music Arcade in Seoul? Yeah, not so much sythesizers over there, but cool place anyhow...
Jongno 3 ga isn't it?! Pricier than Tokyo tho coz all the synths are japanese anyway
Astounding. That place looks like heaven.
Nick, there is a new (not used) membrane replacement available for the Chroma Polaris.
whoa at 7:27 a Jupiter-8 for Y1,382,400 or $10,502 in 2019, price has doubled to tripled in 4 years
Missed the CS-80 right at the front of the shop (it has a cover on it in this vid)
Been there twice, incredible place!
Business trip Nick, or catching up on the Rugby ??
Are all the PWM knobs/sliders on the synths now worn out there???
Hahaha. That killed me! ;)
Great video :) the little smile when Nick said: "there is a Korg Volca Mix" is great, haha ;)
You notice it was unsold :😄
@@sonicstate :) btw: I do not think all synthesizers with a "reserved" sign are reserved. When I was there, almost the same instruments were reserved.
That was great!
Favorite place in the world!
Some of those Rolands such as the promars are cheesy until you detune the oscillators and then add reverb or delay. Then BOOOM!
Very good video would love more in this style just for fun lol
Oh man this is great. Wish I was there