Nine Inch Nails’ Alessandro Cortini is selling his ultra-rare Buchla 406 synth: “If you know what this is and you’re interested, DM me!”

Buchla 406
(Image credit: Buchla 406)

Having previously flogged off a load of stuff in a Reverb sale, Nine Inch Nails’ Alessandro Cortini is now getting rid of another prized studio possession: His Buchla 406 synth.

This is a hard-to-find evolution of the Buchla 400, an instrument that was released in 1982. Although this took inspiration from Buchla’s previous ‘West coast’ modular instruments, it was a less confusing machine that featured digital oscillators and analogue filters, and was programmed and sequenced by hooking it up to a computer monitor.

You could argue that the instrument was ahead of its time, giving us a taste of how electronic music would be made in the future.

Cortini’s 406 model is a hard-to-find evolution of the 400 that features a weighted keyboard for greater playability (the 400 had a potentially frustrating pressure-sensitive touchplate keyboard). This being the case, we’d expect it to sell for a significant sum, though we’re sure that there’ll be a synth collector out there who’s willing to pay. 

Cortini has revealed that the synth is in the process of being restored, saying on Facebook: “If you know what this is and you’re interested, DM me!” Don’t do it without consulting your bank manager/spouse/parents first, though. 

Ben Rogerson

I’m the Deputy Editor of MusicRadar, having worked on the site since its launch in 2007. I previously spent eight years working on our sister magazine, Computer Music. I’ve been playing the piano, gigging in bands and failing to finish tracks at home for more than 30 years, 24 of which I’ve also spent writing about music and the ever-changing technology used to make it. 

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