Robotspeak
Category: Musical Instruments & Teachers [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lower Haight589 1/2 Haight St
San Francisco, CA 94117 (415) 554-1977
- Hours:
Tue, Thu-Fri 11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Wed 11:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Sat 12:00 p.m.-6:00 p.m. - Price Range: $$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Wheelchair Accessible: No
8 reviews
San Rafael, CA
"A big improvement over Guitar Center sales and service. Carries basically all the same product lines as Guitar Center & Sam Ash at the same…" read more »
22 Reviews for Robotspeak
Great store. The staff knows what they're selling, without any pressure or elitism. When I said I was looking for a synth "good for bass lines and ear candy," the fellow pointed me to one very good Moog unit and yet had no problem with me asking to hear a microkorg in comparison. While I seriously dug the sounds coming out of his suggestion, it was out of my price range, and I needed a polyphonic synth. Still though, great experience, and damn good price. I'm glad they're in my neighborhood.
They gave me a bangin deal on an NI/Kore/Komplete system that saved me over $500. Pretty damned good for a mom and pop shop and I go to them all the time.
I've lived and hung out in Lower Haight since 1984 and seen a lot of shops come and go over the years. RS are in an old stepdown record shop and have British Banking hours (you never know when thety will or if, they'll be open that day) but hey, when they are open, they do their best for you and opposed to Guitar Center, whose sales people just plain suck, they are the go to guys for the bay area electronic musician.
Yes, they can get busy (only two guys in the shop), yes they get alot of gadabouts who will never buy a thing and waste their time and Yes, they can be tempermental, a little effete and snide, but that is the way of the 'zen' with we electro-nerds, sometimes and their knowledge and real attitude to do their best for you, far outweighs the downsides. Hell I'd be snide too if I had to deal with some of the Lower Haight people every damned day. In the end, we are all human.
Furthermore, they give free workshops often, and no other shop I have purchased from invited me to learn the equipment I purchased from them, for free, after the fact.
Keep up the good work, dudes!
If you love 'tweaks', they are your 'phreaks'
A playground filled with fun gear for synth geeks, appropriately housed in a small and stuffy room. I wish I had the time and patience to learn about all this MIDI crap. For now, I'll just date guys who can wow me with their knowledge. Beware though, they don't make for good relationships. But they CAN circuit-bend a toy keyboard for you for your birthday. Cool...?
i have to always watch myself whenever i come here because i want everything in this store. EVERYTHING! wonderful staff, wonderful selection of conventional and not so conventional electronic devices. my first stop before guitar center.
ill.
This is by far one of the best toy stores in San Francisco!
Robotspeak is to an audio geek, what Good Vibrations is to women.
They have everything from audio interfaces, audio & MIDI sequencing software, software synths, virtual instruments, keyboards, dj equipment, drum machines and MIDI control surfaces.
One of the things that separates them from any other music store is that they have hard-to-find gadgets that you would normally only see or find online.
Another thing that separates them from other music stores is the fact that the guys who work there are really knowledgeable and helpful.
Electronic Musicians: Places like this are part of what make San Francisco so cool and unique.
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What needs to be said, already has in other reviews. Not only is the gear pretty awesome, hanging out waiting for my transaction I got to listen to choice stuff on their radio. I had no idea what it was, but it was insanely cool.
While I didn't make a big purchase, I did grab a cable, very reasonably priced. I also got some insight on a gear issue I was having from some very knowledgable staff.
These guys are the shit. I just moved to the neighborhood, and now live about 100 ft away from the store... dangerous indeed. They are always friendly, knowledgeable, and down to nerd out with you over just about anything!! You're more than welcome to play with the gear (take a hint, Haight Ashbury Music Center) and its just a generally nice experience to be in there. They have my business for life!
Having a comfortable environment to play around in and a knowledgeable staff is worth paying a little extra for. Guitar Center is just the Wal Mart of music gear-- stay away. Plus, these guys really make an effort to contribute to the electronic music community by hosting events and classes, etc. Sure you could find it cheaper online, but these guys deserve your business.
I'm not the type who would ever have cause to buy anything in here (namely because I don't make my own electronica), but that doesn't make it any less cool. It's the quintessential SF underground (literally) niche-market store. Some of my friends who are more well-versed in the scene dragged me here for Robotspeak's 5th anniversary party, which was essentially 7 hours of "live" music being performed, very loudly, in this tiny basement for an audience of, say, 20 people (very low-key, no admission, come and go as you please, BYOB). They actually have monthly performances here known as the Robotspeak Sessions, so even the uninitiated have an "accessible" (hey, all you have to do is listen) opportunity to check this place out.
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Robotspeak is the bomb - great guys with great toys. Basically the only place I would buy kit for my project studio. Other reviews have nailed it.
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went in here the other day to pick up a midi-CV convertor, the guy at the store was very helpful and knowledgable. They have some demo models of newer analog synths that were pretty cool (prophet '08, little phatty) their prices for gear were a little high (it is indie though), but cables were a pretty good deal.
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Robotspeak has synths (both integrated keyboards and modules), midi keyboard controllers, audio and midi cables, audio and midi interfaces for your computer, studio monitors, keyboard stands, effects boxes, drum machines, and lots of software. You can expect a totally straightforward shopping experience with personal and honest attention from real musicians.
You won't find a lot of the mainstream synth/workstation brands here like Roland, Yamaha, Alesis, Korg (although they often have the microkorg in stock). Instead, expect some lesser-known brands like Elektron, Dave Smith Instruments, Access, Future Retro, and MFB. Give them a try if you haven't! Robotspeak also carries Moog synths. I haven't touched any of those because I think I would like it too much, if you know what I mean.
Watch out for those glass display cases! Seeing a little synth module in there makes me want it instantly, for some reason. One day, I wandered into the store because I needed some audio cables, and I saw the DSI Evolver in the display case. When I got home, I went online to learn all about the Evolver. It wasn't long before I returned to the store to buy it.
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when you go down the stairs into Robotspeak you realize there IS a reason not to buy everything online: it's a literal den of Cool Tools for the electronic music maker.
i always feel dirty after giving my $ to the bigger chains (sorry Guitar Center but you feel horrid) yet i feel great walking out of Robotspeak. a real gem of a shop.
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These guys really set the bar for local music stores. Prices are actually the same as guitar center, but customer service is included instead of unheard of.
Been setting up a home recording studio and I've purchased 90% of it from these guys. I assumed i was paying more but that it would be worth it for the service, when in reality they offer pretty much the same pricing as GC, and if you value you time at all, then they are actually cheaper because you can come in, ask a question, get a cogent answer, purchase and go (holy run on sentence batman).
-S
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Very cool place - just bought a Dave Smith Evolver here. The guy there is really cool, you can try stuff out in a pressure-free environment, and he knows his stuff. The price was a bit high, but he negotiated, and I'm happy I didn't end up going to Guitar Center.
I'm coming back here when I need more gear.
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This is the sort of store that makes San Francisco unique. It's small and quirky and they usually have the basics. If you're a music producer or want to get into production check this place BEFORE Guitar Center for "Electronic" equipment (Guitar center for acoustic). When I was in here a few weeks ago they had just been robbed by some crack heads and the staff was dealing with the aftermath. They still took the time to talk, and remembered when I had ordered something from them way back (Via phone on another coast).
To some this place might just be a basement walkup with some instruments, but to me it's a hidden treasure.
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More and more I tend to support local stores as opposed to 'Big Box' style places, even if things cost more.
This new policy has brought me to Robot Speak as I work on setting up music gear on a new project. The store is cool, they tend to get specialty items and they are pretty knowledgeable about their product. It's also nice to see the classes and the investment in the general music 'community' that other music stores tend to lack.
So far, in a short period of time I spent and whole lot of loot and am quite happy about it-especially with the occasional guidance ('You can buy that one, but this one is cheaper and...'), so, gotta give props and keep spending $$$ there for a good long time.
If you're a MIDI head or Hip Hop producer go check it out, you won't regret it...
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I love independent music shops like this. They have all the latest software and hardware gear, and the staff is very knowledgeable, friendly and helpful to all inquires. This shop sure beats the hectic and chaotic environment of Guitar Center. It's peaceful and has tweeky stuff you just can't find anywhere else. I mean, nowhere but RobotSpeak can you find a totally tricked out Speak and Spell.
If you have an audiophile in your life, I guarentee you'll be able to find a gift for them here.
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During my move out to the west coast last year, I sadly had to part with some of my music gear from my home studio *sniff* ... So I was thrilled to find a store like Robotspeak, just what I needed to outfit my new home studio with sorts of great gear! The store itself is small and cozy, the staff knowledgeable and you can take any piece of hardware *and* software for a spin. The folks and service here are a very welcome change to the abuse I sustain most times I walk into a Guitar Center.
They even host monthly Robotspeak sessions where local artists come to jam out and talk about their music.
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This place is what makes San Francisco special. The staff are always friendly and knowledgeable. They will give you honest advice about what they're selling and will do their best to make sure you're happy after you have spent money there.
This little shop has undoubtedly done wonders for the bedroom producer scene here in SF.
I hope this place stays around forever. I'll always spend my money here instead of going to the bigger Walmart-like music stores.
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Robot Speak is a great little electronic instruments store located in the lower haight. Great selection, very friendly employees, and all around fun store to just drop in to once in awhile. You can find everthing from vintage synths to cutting edge software daw's, instruments, and plugins. Check it out. It won't disapoint. word
robot speak is my nerdy oasis of computer music in a sea of crappy music stores, that have no in-depth knowledge about the nuances of electronic music.
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i have walked into this store many times just to play with the amazing synthesizers that they sell, and to bug them with questions about music tech stuff. and although i have only bought a few things there over the years ( i try my best to buy everything from them) they have still been very helpful every time i go in.
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also my girlfriend and my best friend had the good fortune of hanging out with Bob Moog (before he passed) at robot speak at one of their organized in-store events
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and they have loads of cool little gadgets like circuit bent speak and spells and other little forgotten musical treasures.
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dont be shy going in here even though it is kinda has a basement-like apmosphere. the guys who run it are really nice and will answer the stupidest questions ( i know i have asked them)
horray for this tiny synthesizer enclave.
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