Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
Forum rules
READ: VSE Board-Wide Rules and Guidelines
READ: VSE Board-Wide Rules and Guidelines
-
- Newbie
- Posts: 1
- Joined: Mon Jan 09, 2012 1:27 am
Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
Hi everyone, just wondering if anybody can recommend a small synth, preferably with a keyboard for me to use around the campfire or in the car with my friends. We're just looking for something that's fun, has an onboard speaker, and uses a couple of D batteries. If it has a few connectivity options, great, but it doesn't have to, we're just looking to fool around, doesn't have to be anything super-serious... can't afford an OP-1...
Thanks,
Sam.
Thanks,
Sam.
- Stab Frenzy
- Moderator
- Posts: 9723
- Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:41 pm
- Gear: Eurorack, RYTM, Ultranova, many FX
- Location: monster island*
- Contact:
- Z
- Synth Explorer
- Posts: 3545
- Joined: Wed May 09, 2007 3:08 am
- Gear: Bubble wrap, Styrofoam, boxes, packing tape
- Location: Docking Bay 94 (Dallas, TX)
- Contact:
Re: Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
[youtube][/youtube]
Er, I mean, MonoTribe.
Casio HT-700 is lots o fun, too.
Er, I mean, MonoTribe.
Casio HT-700 is lots o fun, too.
- sequentialsoftshock
- Synth Explorer
- Posts: 2415
- Joined: Thu Jan 28, 2010 1:57 am
- Real name: Zayne
- Gear: Pro One, Analog Keys, Prophet 5, MPC60, TR606, RD8, St. Vincent Guitar, Bluesbreaker amp
- Location: Philadelphia
- Contact:
- polar69
- Junior Member
- Posts: 172
- Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2007 9:09 am
- Gear: An1x CS1x Rm1x MPD24 Stylophone Zoom gfx100 Reason Reaper
- Location: United Kingdom
Re: Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
I hear those things are awfully loud... (monotribe)
It glides as softly as a cloud. (monotribe)
Is there a chance the track could bend? (monotribe)
Of course it can my vintage friend
I swear it's Darkmatters only choice...
Throw up your hands and raise your voice!
Monotribe !!
It glides as softly as a cloud. (monotribe)
Is there a chance the track could bend? (monotribe)
Of course it can my vintage friend
I swear it's Darkmatters only choice...
Throw up your hands and raise your voice!
Monotribe !!

- crystalmsc
- Synth Explorer
- Posts: 2862
- Joined: Thu Jul 13, 2006 7:15 am
- Gear: uWaveXT,uQ,Pulse+;Ion;MiniBrt,Karma,Mntrb,Volcas,01R;Venom,NordModular,L2X;Evolver;JP8080,MKS70,JD990,D50,MC909,MC80ex,Microcon2;TG77,RS7k,AN200,AN1x
- Band: Crystaline
- Location: Synth Garden
- Contact:
Re: Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
that or an ipad with the ims20.Stab Frenzy wrote:Monotribe
Kaossilatron - Voicillator
http://crystaline.bandcamp.com
Station: Ableton Live 10 Suite, Obscurium, Push 2, Ultranova, MS-20m, Wavedrums
http://crystaline.bandcamp.com
Station: Ableton Live 10 Suite, Obscurium, Push 2, Ultranova, MS-20m, Wavedrums
- tim gueguen
- Senior Member
- Posts: 795
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:31 am
- Location: the Canadian Prairies
- Contact:
Re: Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
Battery power and speakers could be filled by any of the zillion Casio and other brand "tablehooters" still floating around. In a way driving in the car it probably doesn't really matter whether there's speakers or not, because you'd probably want to do something like run it through one of those FM transmitters that let you hear stuff through your car radio. The speakers on the little guys are likely to get drowned out by car noise if you're traveling at any speed.
(Whether you should be trying to play an instrument in a car is another question entirely.)
(Whether you should be trying to play an instrument in a car is another question entirely.)
Keys: Realistic Concertmate 500, Korg K25, Korg Micro X
Guits: '86 Fender Japan '50s Reissue Strat, '80 Aria Pro II TS-300 Thor Sound
Guits: '86 Fender Japan '50s Reissue Strat, '80 Aria Pro II TS-300 Thor Sound
- StepLogik
- Expert Member
- Posts: 1493
- Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2006 4:16 am
- Gear: Gauntlets of Ogre Power, Vorpal Sword, Chain Mail +3, Ring of Invisibility, Staff of the Magi, Boots of Speed
- Location: Boston, MA
Re: Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
I find the term "tablehooters" to be hilarious. I wonder who coined it? I guess the guy that runs that Tablehooters website..?
- rhino
- Supporting Member!
- Posts: 2611
- Joined: Sat Aug 02, 2008 5:00 pm
- Real name: bill
- Gear: keepers:
Kurzweil K2500x
Ensoniq TS-12
Yamaha SY-99
Alesis QS-8
Roland JD-800
Roland JX-10
Akai AX-80
Ensoniq SQ-80
Korg DSS-1
Moog Mini
Fizmo - Location: kentucky hills
Re: Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
Yamaha PSR-32 or -36. Toy rhythem and accomaniment c**p, but both have a section of sliders to allow you SOME control of the FM engine.
When the wise man points to the stars, the fool looks at the finger.
- Confucius
- Confucius
- bouzoukijoe1
- Junior Member
- Posts: 234
- Joined: Sat Oct 15, 2011 9:10 pm
Re: Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
two pocket pianos
Re: Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
I downloaded Animoog onto my wife's iPod Touch. I'm one of the converted. It sounds far better than a cheap piece of software should. That I spent $6 on that and iMaschine is ridiculous. This may convince me to let go of my flip phone and pager combo.
What's nice is the "keyboard" is fully customizable. You can set a chromatic scale and play only the root, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th for mistake free melodies or do whole notes or some fairly esoteric modes. And the keyboard has a 3rd dimension which is kind of like aftertouch or maybe a Haken Continuum.
What's nice is the "keyboard" is fully customizable. You can set a chromatic scale and play only the root, 3rd, 4th, 5th, 7th for mistake free melodies or do whole notes or some fairly esoteric modes. And the keyboard has a 3rd dimension which is kind of like aftertouch or maybe a Haken Continuum.
I have a car stereo with a 1/8 inch aux input. Sitting in the back seat and pounding out teh beatz on iMaschine is dangerous. Someone else in the car will kill you.tim gueguen wrote:Battery power and speakers could be filled by any of the zillion Casio and other brand "tablehooters" still floating around. In a way driving in the car it probably doesn't really matter whether there's speakers or not, because you'd probably want to do something like run it through one of those FM transmitters that let you hear stuff through your car radio. The speakers on the little guys are likely to get drowned out by car noise if you're traveling at any speed.
(Whether you should be trying to play an instrument in a car is another question entirely.)
- tim gueguen
- Senior Member
- Posts: 795
- Joined: Thu Jun 08, 2006 2:31 am
- Location: the Canadian Prairies
- Contact:
Re: Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
Yeah, I forgot that some of the newer cars have "mp3 cability" in the form of a jack.
Keys: Realistic Concertmate 500, Korg K25, Korg Micro X
Guits: '86 Fender Japan '50s Reissue Strat, '80 Aria Pro II TS-300 Thor Sound
Guits: '86 Fender Japan '50s Reissue Strat, '80 Aria Pro II TS-300 Thor Sound
- Stab Frenzy
- Moderator
- Posts: 9723
- Joined: Tue Jun 06, 2006 5:41 pm
- Gear: Eurorack, RYTM, Ultranova, many FX
- Location: monster island*
- Contact:
Re: Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
As someone who owns both of those I can say they're both really good but I think the Monotribe is more fun. You can do a lot more with iMS-20 but the workflow is much less immediate than with the Monotribe.crystalmsc wrote:that or an ipad with the ims20.Stab Frenzy wrote:Monotribe
- jeeroj
- Active Member
- Posts: 451
- Joined: Sun Dec 14, 2008 11:22 pm
- Gear: sh-101, x0xb0x(x2), tr-606, korg es-1, half dead mc-303 and some boss micro racks
Re: Looking for a small, fun, battery powered synth
what about the yamaha prs 480 etc? are they battery powered?