Legendary synthesizer maker Moog’s recently re-released Model D synthesizer retailed for around $4,000. Moog also makes an iPad app version of the same device, but for $14.99. So why bother with the (now-discontinued) hardware? It’s complicated.

Software synths can easily sound as good as hardware costing many times more. And if that hardware is also digital, rather than relying on analog circuitry, the difference is likely to be undetectable. And yet musicians continue to buy big synths, rack them in their studios, and lug them around to gigs. Why?

"Some of the applications currently on the market are comparable to, or even better than, their hardware equivalents. Not only are they more portable (you can use an app on your phone anywhere), but they are also significantly less expensive," James Dyble of Global Sound Group told Lifewire via email.

“But because musicians and creators are artistic souls, nothing beats the real thing, and some musicians find that they can express themselves more freely by using hardware. It's often psychological and a matter of personal preference.”