A treasure trove of electronic music history will soon be available to collectors and enthusiasts as Florian Schneider‘s personal synthesizer collection heads to auction. The pioneering Kraftwerk co-founder‘s gear collection, featuring over 450 lots with a total estimate between $450,000 and $650,000 USD, will be offered through Julien’s Auctions at the Musician’s Hall of Fame & Museum in Nashville on November 19, 2025.
Among the most significant items is an EMS Synthi AKS, which Schneider purchased in the early 1970s and used extensively to process flute sounds on Kraftwerk’s groundbreaking recordings. This rare synthesizer, estimated at $15,000–$20,000, was instrumental in developing the band’s signature electronic sound that would influence generations of musicians across genres. The EMS Synthi AKS was notably used during the production of the Autobahn album in 1974.
The legendary EMS Synthi AKS that shaped Kraftwerk’s revolutionary electronic sound stands as a testament to Schneider’s pioneering vision.
The collection also includes a Sennheiser VSM 201 vocoder, expected to fetch between $30,000 and $50,000, which helped create the iconic robotic vocals heard on albums from “Autobahn” through “Computer World.” The auction has sparked debate about whether these historical instruments should go to private collectors or museums for proper preservation of electronic music heritage.
Particularly fascinating are Schneider’s customized instruments, including a Korg PS-3100 synthesizer housed in a specially designed metal case for touring, along with handbuilt MIDI controllers featuring matrix switches and phoneme keypads for speech synthesis. These custom controllers, which predate widespread digital interfaces, highlight Schneider’s pioneering DIY approach to electronic music production and performance. Musicians looking to create similar sounds today would need to invest in audio interfaces and specialized equipment to achieve comparable results in a home studio environment. Sound designers can employ sweeping filters to recreate the distinctive underwater vocal effects that were part of Kraftwerk’s innovative sonic palette.
The auction also offers a glimpse into Kraftwerk’s secretive Kling Klang Studio in Düsseldorf through studio Polaroids, test equipment, and personal artifacts from Schneider’s creative process. An Orsi alto flute reflects his classical training before shifting to electronic experimentation, while rare Votrax speech synthesis chips demonstrate the technical innovation behind Kraftwerk’s futuristic sound.
For dedicated fans and music technology historians, this collection represents a unique opportunity to own pieces of equipment that defined the changeover from analog to digital music production, documenting a pivotal moment when electronic sounds moved from experimental to mainstream.
Interested bidders can register through Julien’s Auctions website, where a complete katalog of items is available.
