Tag Archives: stylophone
The latest Stylophone is much more than a tiny toy synth
Ditch the iPod and put an electronic synth in your pocket
Nobody carries an iPod around with them nowadays. The iPod in the title is symbolic for the ability to have thousands and thousands of songs stored in your pocket… so when I tell you to ditch the iPod for a synth, I actually mean, leave the thousands of tracks on a hard drive for a synthesizer you can play millions of songs on. The Stylophone is a tiny, pocketable electronic synth you can play anywhere you go. Originally invented in 1967 by Brian Jarvis and manufactured by Dubreq, the Stylophone portable synth has been featured on numerous records, including hits such as “Space Oddity” by David Bowie, “Pocket Calculator” by Kraftwerk, and “Icky Thump” by The White Stripes.
Today’s Stylophone is a reissue continued by Jarvis’s son Ben Jarvis. It features the same old lovable design, with a metallic set of keys and a metal-tipped stylus that allows you to play the most incredibly retro synth leads. It comes with three sounds to choose from and even has its own vibrato switch for extra effect! A great toy for musically-curious and gift for music connoisseurs of the 70-80s, the Stylophone puts one of the world’s smallest and most lovable synths/electric-organs in your pocket!
Designer: Brian Jarvis & Dubreq Ltd
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Stylophone S2 portable analog synthesizer hands-on (video)
The original Stylophone is something of a legend. Made popular by David Bowie (and possibly if you're British, Rolf Harris) in the late sixties / early seventies. Since then the original (shown in our gallery) has been re-released, and spin-off products have come to light. The S2, however, represents a new direction for the vintage synth. This time, makers dubreq wanted to create something that maintained the original's pick-up-and-play appeal, while adding some more high-end features and functionality that open it up to more serious sound-smiths. The first thing you will notice is that, while it still has the iconic metal "keys," the Stylophone S2 is somewhat larger -- no bad thing if you've ever tried penning a melody live on the original. Those keys can be triggered with a wireless stylus, but are touch sensitive also, meaning you can poke out a tune without being limited to the agility of your dominant hand. Skip past the break for more details and a hardware video tour.
If you're thinking that, despite being larger than its predecessor, there's just not enough keys, then be assured you can get a full three octaves plus a +/-2 shift function on the left giving it a comprehensive range. The all-analog sound engine also features an eight waveform LFO, bass-heavy sub-oscillators and a state-variable filter. Thanks to an Aux input, you can also use the filters etc. with external audio sources, plus there are headphone and 1/4-inch outputs. If you're worried it's all a little too compact for a live performance, there's a CV (control voltage) input trigger offering the ability to control with with an external sequencing device. It's not all retro though, with the illuminated speaker section also providing real-time feedback (such as the speed of the LFO). Best -- and most importantly of all -- it sounds just like you want it to, full of crunchy, analog goodness. The hardware feels extremely well built, and definitely feels like it could stand up to the knocks and bangs that inevitably come with taking gear out on the road, which, thanks to the option of AA battery power is wonderfully easy. Sound like something you'd like the sound of? The Stylophone S2 is available now for £299 (about $470 by conversion).
Billy Steele contributed to this report.
Filed under: Misc, Peripherals