Your favourite cheap small boxes of tricks (synths, noise, effects)?

The Lounge Other Gear
#1

I’m always on the lookout for cheap things that either make noise themselves or do something to sound, usually to sample and make further use of. I have a few but I’d love to hear what everybody else has / recommends.

For me it’s currently:

Sound generator: Teenage Engineering PO 35 Speak - it’s unique and does some great things that make interesting samples.

Effect thing: Korg Monotron Delay - a dirty little delay that serves up some nice sample-worthy noises in the delay tail.

Bonus: old microcassette dictaphone - portable, built in mic, instant lofi, plus it also has a line in.

What you got? Bastl Kastle? Modal Craft?
MI Shruthi? Some old 2op FM keyboard?
A circuit bent 80s effects unit?

9 Likes
#2

Roland T8

6 Likes
#3

I got a Fred’s Lab Buzzy synth arriving tomorrow.
I wanted a small not too expensive poly synth to use as a carrier for a MAM VF-11 vocoder.
The demos sounded great, I’ll find out for sure tomorrow
Love the size

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#4

All his stuff looks interesting, hope the buzzy is good!

1 Like
#5

anything by Fred’s Lab
anything by JMT Synth
PreenFM2 (random patch generator)
iOS FieldScaper app
Soma Ether
Atari Punk Console or other DIY noiseboxes (Etsy)
Moog Werkstatt

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#6

FieldScaper and SpaceFields feel like cheating. Well, when you know how to use them they do.

Preen looks good, I’m always looking for a cheap Raspberry Pi to make a little Minidexed box.

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#7

Korg mini kaos pad 2s

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#8

I always forget about the Werkstatt.
I have a Slim Phatty, I think it needs a buddy for sure.
Such a small great sounding little thing.

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#9

I’ve had one of these little things for many years -

The Hypernoise mode is awesome.

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#10

(Cheap because I own it already) I use Just Press Record on my Apple Watch to record random stuff. Clanking pans. My kids talking and singing. Buskers. Random old man singing in the showers at the gym. You know, the usual stuff.

2 Likes
#11

I swear one day I’m going to use my old Casio SA-39 in some track. (Video below is not me)

#12

That looks interesting, shame I’d have to upgrade my original Apple Watch to use it (it still works great so I can’t justify it!).

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#13

I think the Apple Watch now has the Apple Voice Memos app too. But I’m not sure if it’s available for the OG.

The sound quality of the Apple Watch mic is pretty great too for Burial style ambient sounds or Fred Again… type stuff.

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#14

the korg nts-1 is like a portable studio-quality effects processor with some massive reverbs

really loved to pair it with my ms-20 when I had one

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#15

Love to hear how you got on, on this -> thread

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#16

Kalimba. You can find a nice-sounding one for less than a hamburger, they’re easy to sample and repitch beautifully.

#17

Yes I run my Alpha Juno through it, sounds superb.

#18
  • Korg NTS-1
  • IK Multimedia Uno Synth (OG)
  • Meeblip Geode
  • MAM MB-33 Retro
  • Circuit (OG)
  • Electribe EA-1
  • Zoom MS series

also:

  • iPhone (mine is SE2) + Mozaic = awesome MIDI processor. it’s my secret weapon, since all sophisticated MIDI processing algorithms are my very own.
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#19

Bastl Kastle Drum AKA the pocket DFAM.

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#20

If around $250 is cheap, then the Circuit Mono Station and the MicroMonsta 2 are my favorite “secret weapon” synth boxes, where good things DO come in small packages.

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