Best in gear: Mono synths

From acid throwbacks to digital curiosities, a number of small synths are making
a splash right now. Phil Moffa runs through the best of them.
There's been a huge demand of late for affordable and compact hardware synthesiz
ers that integrate into contemporary studio setups. Fittingly, some of the bigge
st names in music tech from both in and outside of the hardware world have stepped i
n to fill the niche. Moog, who invented the subtractive synth as we know it, has
for the first time in its history started manufacturing several instruments und
er and around the $1,000 range with the creation of the Minitaur module and Phat
ty family. Korg has gone to great lengths to accurately reissue their MS-20 in a
few incarnations, and they've planned to remake the old ARP Odyssey, putting th
ese classic pieces in the hands of the next generation of electronic musicians.
Even Arturia, who has a history as a soft synth creator, has released three smal
l powerhouse keyboards in their Brute line that make it seem like they've been a
t it for decades.
Although software synths are inexpensive and tap into the resources of a host co
mputer, nothing beats getting your hands on a real instrument. Plus, many users
may prefer the living, breathing sound of analog, which may be imitated to an ex
tent but can never be truly replicated. With all that in mind, we rounded up sev
en monophonic hardware synths that seem especially suited for the moment.

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MicroBrute / Arturia / $349
The MicroBrute, the second analog synth in the Brute lineage, looks like a toy b
ut packs a mighty sound. Its compact design has a tiny two-octave keyboard and s
ports a small CV patch bay that increases not only its modulation capabilities b
ut also the potential for interacting with other CV-ready gear. Called a singleoscillator design, the synth uses eight knobs to create a waveshape, starting wi
th the traditional triangle, saw and square blended to create a unique shape. Th
ese are further enhanced by Metalizer, Ultrasaw and Pulse Width knobs, which tak
e the sound to a whole other level. There's also an overtone control that's basi
cally a sub-oscillator tunable up to a fifth. The filter from Steiner-Parker (of
Synthacon fame) can be switched between high-, band- and low-pass shapes. There
's also something called the Brutefactor knob in the filter section that causes
a serious boost and distortion that could easily blow some speakers. You'll also
find a basic 32-step sequencer with eight overwrite-able presets. When connecti
ng the synth via USB, the free connection software gives access to some unseen f
eatures and also acts as storage for sequencer patterns. Beyond sounding tremend
ous and being very portable, the synth also clocks in at a mere $349, challengin
g what is possible in the analog synth world.

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TB-3 / Roland / $299
For electronic music heads, one of the most exciting product announcements from

Roland in a long time was the release of the AIRA line, comprised of four units
including the TR-8 and TB-3. As their names hint, the TR-8 is a rework of the 80
8 and 909 drum machines and the TB-3 a recreation of the original acid synth, th
e TB-303. This new bassline machine is not by any means an exact clone. For star
ters, it's digital, has a glowing pressure-sensitive touch pad keyboard, built-i
n effects and 134 preset patches that can be modified with cutoff, resonance and
accent controls. There's also room for 64 user patterns up to 32 steps each. If
you are solely going for the exact sound of the original, there are some patche
s in that classic acid style. They get pretty close, and with some processing, i
t'd be tough to tell which was which when worked into a mix. Beyond that, there
are several other sounds for something new but in the spirit of the original. Th
e back panel has MIDI in/out and USB, which can transmit and receive both audio
and MIDI.

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Rocket / Waldorf / $349.99
The Rocket looks like a straightforward desktop module with a single digital osc
illator and an analog filter. Although technically a monosynth, the oscillator i
s capable of very thick sounds, especially in sawtooth mode. When turned past 12
o'clock, up to eight sawtooth waves are added for a detuned, polyphonic sound.
There's also a special unison mode where up to eight notes can be played, althou
gh without their own filters and envelopes. In square wave mode, some interestin
g pulse width modulation is possible. So what appears at first to be a very basi
c synth is actually very versatile. The VCF is switchable between low-pass, band
-pass and high-pass filter types, and the resonance can be turned up for some wi
ld self-oscillation and percussion sounds. A simple boost switch adds saturation
to the signal. The envelope is easy-to-use, with switches for sustain and relea
se and a decay knob. A launch button on the top panel helps to trigger a note wh
en no keyboard is connected. The LFO is rather limited, being only capable of mo
dulating the oscillator or the filter, but not both. Furthermore, when using the
on-board arpeggiator, the LFO becomes inactive. Rather than connecting to PC or
Mac, there's a Rocket Control app for iOS specifically iPad to manage patches and p
lay the keys.

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Bass Station 2 / Novation / $499
Although in more recent times Novation has made many virtual-analog synths and h
igh-end controllers, their rework of a '90s classic is an all-analog affair. The
two-octave keyboard controls a sound engine that features two oscillators, a su
b-oscillator and noise generator for a wide variety of thick sounds. Increasing
the sound design capabilities, a two-knob effects section includes distortion an
d osc filter modulation controls. I found that the BS2's strongpoint is creating
leads that really stand out in a mix. Interestingly, the filter section provide
s a switchable "classic" LP/BP/HP filter with selectable slope and an "acid" fil
ter that is reminiscent of the Roland TB-303. There are plenty of modulation opt
ions, with two LFOs and two ADSR envelopes that have cleanly designed routing de
stinations. Even though the synth is compact and some section knobs have multipl
e purposes, Novation still found room on the top panel for a versatile step sequ

encer and arpeggiator. The synth also has connections for an external input and
can be USB powered. There are also lots of under-the-hood features you can sync th
e LFOs, for example that are fully accessible without the aid of software. Unlike
some analog mono synths in its class, the Bass Station 2 also has presets, 64 fa
ctory and 64 user.

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MS-20 mini / Korg / $719.99
Fetching eBay prices into the $3000 range, the MS-20, originally released in 197
8, seemed like only a dream to many. There was a software version released a few
years back with a compatible controller, but the real analog re-issue, promoted
as sounding the same yet with less noise from the VCA and a retail price of aro
und $700, piqued much interest. Some of the MS-20's defining characteristics, be
yond the big sound it generates, are its two-filter low- and high-pass design an
d the unmistakable semi-modular patch bay on the right of the front panel. The t
wo oscillators, with ring modulation, noise and modulators, already offer a ton
of sound possibilities. The patch panel, with external inputs and myriad ways to
modulate, trigger and more, open up a world not usually accessible in any synth
. The MS-20 mini really does sound like the original the only drawbacks are the sm
all keys, 1/8-inch connections and a cheaper plastic feel. But this really doesn
't take away from the value when you consider the price and the addition of MIDI
and USB. For those who want the full-size model, Korg recently announced the re
lease of a kit where you can assemble one, with no soldering required.

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Mono Lancet / Vermona / $619
Vermona is known for making some really powerful analog machines. So while their
Mono Lancet is a small synth module, it's got serious range. It's capable of bi
g basses, wildly resonating filter sounds and even some tuned percussion. It's a
two-oscillator design with VCO one being capable of producing triangle, saw or
square waves, and a second VCO trading triangle for noise and the ability to be
tuned an octave higher. The 24-dB per octave voltage-controlled low-pass filter
can self-oscillate and be played via velocity and aftertouch MIDI messages. A si
ngle LFO and ADSR envelope can be used to modulate the oscillators and filter. T
he LFO offers sample-and-hold for some really wild effects. Using the modwheel,
pulse-width modulation of both oscillators is possible. For modular users, there
is a DB-25 breakout that connects to a dock with CV and gate jacks, and extra k
nobs. For those who want something even more powerful, the PERfourMER MKII is si
milar to having four Mono Lancets in one large unit.

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Sub Phatty / Moog / $1.099

The second synth in the Phatty family, the Sub Phatty brings the low-end in a wa
y that its predecessor did not. It sports a classic Moog look and feel, and you
can tell from the first play that the Sub Phatty is a quality instrument that yo
u could keep for a lifetime. The two oscillators are wave shape variable, with a
knob that smoothly goes from triangle through to saw, square and pulse. A squar
e wave sub-oscillator tuned an octave below the first oscillator adds some of th
e fatness that the name suggests. The mixer section has controls for the three o
scillators and a pink noise source, and all of them can be tuned high enough for
some nice distortion from the filter which, of course, is the famed Moog low-pass
ladder design. A multi-drive distortion is positioned post-filter for some extr
a grit. A single LFO and the ADSR of the filter can be used to modulate the wave
shape, oscillator tuning and filter cutoff. Eight backlit buttons are used to re
call 16 presets, or the synth can be used in an old-school sense, where the curr
ent panel settings generate the sound you hear. Although 16 is not an exciting n
umber of patches to recall, the free editor and synth librarian, accessible via
USB, can be used for infinite patch storage and recall, and even as a VST/AU/RTA
S plug-in that virtually turns all front panel controls in addition to some hidd
en ones. The side panel sports mono-in and -out jacks, MIDI-in and -out ports an
d 4 CV/Gate jacks. Also coming soon from Moog is the Sub 37, which adds an octav
e of keys, an arpeggiator/sequencer and a paraphonic mode for playing oscillator
s as different notes.