"If I Could Turn Back Time": Occupational Dynamics, Technology Trajectories, and the Reemergence of the Analog Music Synthesizer.

This article examines the reemergence of analog music synthesizers after their displacement by digital technology, focusing on how occupational considerations of professional synthesizer players ("synthesists") shaped this technology trajectory. Drawing on over 40 years of data, including interviews, advertisements, and industry records, the study finds that while digital synthesizers initially appealed due to ease of use and novel preset sounds, their black-boxed nature limited musicians' ability to exercise technical expertise and achieve distinctive creative expression—a core occupational goal. In response, synthesists expressed a preference for analog synthesizers, which afforded greater control and embodied, tactile connection with the instrument, leading to renewed demand and the revival of analog technology. The article integrates occupational meaning and technology affordances into the literature on technology life cycles, highlighting how users' occupational goals and expertise can drive technology reemergence rather than a unidirectional progression toward newer technologies.