pocket synth showdown: gakken vs stylophone

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