“There’s a freedom of thought that doesn’t exist elsewhere”: How and why California became the heart of the synthesizer world

Synth.

California has been - and remains - home to a surprisingly large number of synthesizer companies, from Buchla to Oberheim to Sequential and many more. But why is the Golden State so verdant with technological innovators?

Here’s the story of how California turned into a synth Mecca - and why so many of its major players ended up working together.