pocket synth showdown: gakken vs stylophone

what's the deal with new stylophones having an MP3 input??

it's just an audio in - play along to your favourite songs! on the stylophone.

have thought about ordering one of those gakken kits - they have like a plugin theremin for them as well right?

incidentally, i have just been playing with a chimera bc8

http://www.synthtopia.com/content/wp-content/uploads/2008/07/chimera-bc8.jpg

that looks great, i've never heard of it before!

it's pretty enjoyable

it has the most opaque interface in the world, though

gakken do indeed have a theremin btw, check out this cat totally wailing on one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ONJfp95yoE

oh man i think i will order that gakken kit tomorrow

Oh me oh my, how have I been unaware of the Gakken until now? It looks like a cross between the stylophone and a tannerin - is it anywhere near that good?

It's better in a sense, because it has proper LFO (instead of the Stylophone's "Vibrato") and also an envelope generator and LP filter. On the other hand the pitch ribbon looks more difficult to play.

Gakken = $30 in Japan, $120 posted.

is the attack-decay applied when you slide along the pitch ribbon in any way or only when you remove the stylus?

also a quick look on ebay will find you gakken kits for like $60 inc. shipping.

should point out your 60 = my 80.12. Add $42 shipping.

http://cgi.ebay.com.au/REAL-ANALOG-SYNTH-SYNTHETIZER-w-EXPRESS-INSURED-packet_W0QQitemZ250452675806QQcmdZViewItemQQptZAU_Musical_Instruments_Instruments?hash=item3a50248cde&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=65%3A1|66%3A2|39%3A1|240%3A1318|301%3A0|293%3A1|294%3A50

oh, those dollars

they're £35 posted in the uk. we win, for once

I think I'm going to try one out - have been lusting after new synths but loath to pay their ridiculous prices, so splashing out £35 on a cool little bleeps kit seems to be a good compromise. Also, I was having a discussion about the possibility of an unridged stylophone playing surface recently, so my interest is definitely piqued by this. I only hope the stylus wire doesn't cock up as easily as stylophone ones do.

Make sure you pay your VAT on that.

daer americans: http://www.makershed.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=MKGK8

Emily, i was talking to alec earlier and he's apparently got this kit, with the theremin, but he says it's not very good. Then he says he hasn't built the synth yet. So, i think i'll buy one. i've broken 2 stylophones and i'm bored of them.

Yeah, I'm not sure about the theremin - the little ones are often crappy. And I think it's only a fiver more to buy them separately, so I reckon I'll go for the SX-150 on its own. We should totally start a Gakken band.

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

EMPHATIC

I didn't vote because I've never tried either one.

package has just arrived. guess i know what i'll be putting together over lunch!

H where did you buy from?

juno, so it was kinda exxy. i shoulda looked at amazon japan, they're like $45! (no idea bout shipping tho)

for anyone put off by the idea of the instructions being in japanese, they appear to have translated them and inserted them in as some A4 pages. shame the rest of the magazine isn't translated too because it is amazing synth porn.

small screws are a touch fiddly but i got mine up and running in under an hour. it's pretty good!

Anybody got one of these?

http://www.ugsmag.com/wp-content/uploads/500x_Stylophone1-310x250.jpg

What's it like?

got given one at christmas. p useless imo

ta.

the drum samples are pretty unpleasant and so much louder than the 'bass' as to be headache-inducing; the looping feels counter-intuitive; the 'beatboxing' samples are obnoxious and pointless

(xpost)

wikki-chikki-wikki-wa-ah-uh-STYLOPHONE, one of them goes

kidding!

OK, will save my £20.

wikki-chikki-wikki-wa-ah-uh-STYLOPHONE

sounds fantastic, this one's going on the list

Haven't played with my Stylophone beatbox since 4 days after I got it, the sounds are pretty bad and the looping is diabolical.

Korg enters the pocket-synth market: http://www.korg.com/monotron

There are a couple of short YouTube demos up. The ribbon controller puts it in the same Tannerin-ish bracket as the Gakken, only without that awkward stylus. The Korg has got an external audio input socket, so it could be useful straight out of the box, although I'll believe this "MS-20 filter!" claim when I see it.

I like the look of the Monotron, and definitely less to worry about without the stylus (though for those of the slightly stubby-fingered persuasion it may not be so great). It's not actually for sale, yet, right? I'm interested to know how much it'll cost.

By the way, does anyone know what leads are usable with the Gakken? The output thingies are too small for standard jacks, too big for standard headphones. I don't have any baby leads to try but I think they're the same size as headphones, right?

http://www.korg.com/uploads/Images/monotoron_TOP_MAIN_634049404600190000.png

... want

I was going to say that it looks a bit like a shrunken Electro Harmonix Minisynth, and while GISing for pics of said EHX gear...
http://kronemyer.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/03/electroharmonix.jpg

Also while we're on a stupidly insane Gakken tip - this is another one of their kits, about the size of a ukelele
http://www.verycoolthings.com/vct/images/405605732X.jpg

does anyone know what leads are usable with the Gakken?

No idea, but the sockets look as though they are 3.5mm - whether they're mono or stereo I can't tell.

just came here to post about the korg monotron... ms-20 vcf and external audio input (minijack tho unfortunately) has got me pretty excited

can't imagine wanting to use it as a tone generator though

Another demo here
http://www.musicradar.com/news/tech/musikmesse-2010-korg-monotron-video-demo-241346
...the Korg demonstrator lets rip a bit more this time.
Various blogs are saying May and 50 euros but nothing offical yet.

sounds pretty good

http://www.sonicstate.com/news/2010/03/24/messe10-palm-sized-analog-synth/

The Korg monotron will be available August 2010 with an MSRP of $85.00

http://c3.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images02/117/l_844547c563154c60956b6fe5326118fe.jpg

^^^ would buy but I'm waiting for the Bahn Sage to come out...

monotron: flawless victory

i impulse bought a monotron online last night, couldn't believe it was so cheap. looks like the best toy ever.

had a play with haitch's monotron, seems p cool

Called around yesterday after seeing this thread, spoke to a guy at the Guitar Center on 14th Street named Brick who had one in stock so I picked it up on the way home to play with on the subway. Lots of fun.

Still pretty happy with the Monotron.

online monotron

http://www.synthgear.com/2010/software/online-korg-monotron/

http://korgc383.tempdomainname.com/Product/Dance/monotron/welove/images/p2.jpg

http://korgc383.tempdomainname.com/Product/Dance/monotron/welove/#a2

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dF8skIOXp24

working at korg must be awesome

living in the bay area = increasing probability of encountering monotron flash mobs

haitch, myself and s- all have one, but three people isn't exactly a flash mob

could be defined as one depending on the amount of penis exposure, i guess

oh hai can i has expanded monotronz

http://korg.com/Product.aspx?pd=601

bastards took the page down. it was the 'korg monotribe' which is a monotron plus a shitload of other functions. must have been 'leaked' before time

http://korg.com/uploads/Images/monotribe_MAIN_634375269280760000.png

:O

i will take six, pls

I thought this was Korg playing an April Fool's Day joke, but these pages have appeared:

description http://www.korg.co.uk/products/dance_dj/monotribe/dj_monotribe.php
specs http://www.korg.co.uk/products/dance_dj/monotribe/dj_monotribe_specification.php

...and there's a couple of videos on this Korg 'tube channel

http://www.youtube.com/user/KORGINC#g/u

Online Java version by the same guy that did the Webotron
http://www.angryoctopus.co.nz/?p=53

could get a monotribe from jpn for less than A$350 shipped, feeling a little lusty..

cor

since i have now discovered i have wasted $500 on something i have no use for today i think i might have to wait ;_;

boooooo

$279 from store dj in richmond, when they arrive!

https://www.storedj.com.au/products/KOR-MONOTRIBE

or, 'best price when it arrives'

awes. will wait.

this thing's out, apaz. anyone got one?

not yet! decided to save my pennies and get an x0x first

they should make a 909 replica imo

jomox made one but it is not that much more to get an orig

ridic

just got one of these
http://www.musiciansfriend.com/keyboards-midi/akai-professional-synthstation25-piano-keyboard-for-iphone-and-itouch/485429000000000?src=3WWRWXGB&ZYXSEM=0&gclid=CKestO_X-akCFUvCKgodPGaUYw

made with the monotron

http://www.factmag.com/2011/08/08/touch-7-series-returns-with-wires-bruce-gilbert/

holy shitballs there's a bunch of the fuckers now

http://korg.com/monotrons

the more the merrier imo

omg could you run external sounds through the delay bit of that 'tron?

Looks like you can
http://www.synthtopia.com/content/2011/11/03/korg-intros-fun-sized-monotron-duo-synthesizer-monotron-delay/
Monotron DELAY Features:

Space Delay with Rate and Intensity controls offers analog-style echoes
New Pitch LFO with selectable Waveshape and Intensity and shape controls
VCF with Cutoff Control
Wide-range ribbon controller keyboard
Original Analog (VCF) Filter taken from the MS-10 & MS-20
Aux input jack lets you apply filter and delay to any audio source
Built-in speaker and battery power
Headphone jack for private use

There's a Mk 2 version of the Gakken SX-150 out as well
http://m.matrixsynth.com/2011/10/gakken-sx-150-mark-ii.html
(replaces the Res switch with a pot, adds an LFO depth control)

Love my Monotron Mk1. May add the DeLay to the arsenal.

anyone tried out the new monotribe firmware? or the new trons?

I'm currently fighting a bad case of GAS with these. Not helped by videos like this...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYA_2koNLNs

i want all of the monotrons. do any of them have an infinite sustain setting where you could just set a chord and have it play on until you stop it?

can you play chords on any of the monotrons?

oh duh. i guess i could run it through a looper and build chords that way.

i have an o.g. monotron, i think it'll play for as long as you're touching the ribbon, but there's not a sustain setting (on that one at least).

oh cool, it looks like you can set the newer ones to lock to pitches (chromatic/major/minor) rather than having to get the intonation just right on the ribbon.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JicPeSVO8Io

must say despite owning much more gear now that i still enjoy running a finger over the monotrons now and then. the dual-osc one into the delay one, or a Buddha machine into the delay one were particularly sweet.

haven't touched the gakken in a while though!

Seems like the Korg NTS-1 fits in this thread:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61PjqJ8cRec
There's a DIY element like the Gakken, in that you have to assemble it yourself. It's got a ribbon controller like the Monotrons. Also it's small (although it's powered over USB not batteries but you could use an external USB battery pack).

The big difference is that it has something like the digital oscillator engine from the Korg Prologue and Minilogue XD.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOJDTbJv9uM