The Mini-Synthesizer is a novelty instrument these days. It's basically a plastic & metal box with a couple colorful sliders and a few buttons. Its 25-note keyboard uses membrane buttons rather than real keys. This can be uncomfortable and unreliable to play. Other synths that tried this approach to touch-keyboards include the much better sounding EDP Wasp and the more advanced touch sensitive Buchla and Serge machines. The inclusion of a built-in speaker indicates that the Mini-Synthesizer was, and always will be an entry-level, ultra-compact, portable synth.

As for the sounds, well there isn't much here. The Mini-Synthesizer features just one analog VCO with just a Pulse waveform. Although there is an octave divider and dedicated LFO for a Pulse-Width-Modulation (PWM) effect, this single VCO does not stack up against other synths if you're looking for thick or punchy analog bass, organ and synth sounds. There's a rather quirky analog filter onboard too. Two sliders control the cutoff-point at the start and end of a note, another slider controls the sweep rate between them and the fourth slider adjusts phase-shifting of the filter. Resonance, phase in/out and sensitivity are handled by on/off switches. Finally it also has a 2x switch which also creates a phase-shifty effect.

Some models (unlike the one pictured above) feature an analog delay effect for some nice echo. They also feature a Ribbon-Controller above the keyboard for a glide effect. Although these may be nice, the Mini-Synth still lacks memory, ADSR envelope controls, CV/Gate and actual keys. It may be capable of a low bass sound that could be worth sampling but the lack of controllability and playability leave much to be desired. And unless you're into esoteric gear, the Mini-Synthesizer is at best, a collectible. It has been used by Van Halen, Jean-Michel Jarre, Jimmy Edgar, and the Moog Cookbook.

Dave Cornutt

November 6, 2012 @ 1:16 pm

Poorly made, flimsy construction, limited architecture. It does, however, have a nice-sounding filter and it does a killer imitation of a Moog Taurus. When I was in a band (long ago), that's what I used it for: bass pedal sounds. I had a set of headphones Y'ed into the output so I could play a note and then preview what note was actually sounding before it went into the P.A. The membrane keyboard can sometimes be made to behave somewhat better by playing with the six (rusty) screws that attach it to the case, which you can see in the photo above. The torque has to be just right.

Niktu

October 14, 2012 @ 11:00 pm

I've got one. It's rude, vulgar and badly behaved. The sound is an acquired taste. Luv it to bits.

Chartre

April 5, 2012 @ 10:36 pm

This should be rated 1/5. It sounds crappy, looks very ugly, and the keyboard is impossible to play.

Joe

September 23, 2011 @ 6:59 pm

Well, I have been reunited with my modded EH 400 at last (see below)! Trouble is, some wires have fallen off in an unfortunate accident! If anyone out there could send me a pic of the circuit board (solder side) I'd greatly appreciate it! Found a schematic on Synthfool, but it is hand drawn and a little blurry.

gridsleep

May 21, 2011 @ 8:31 pm

Wow. This is like the Sinclair ZX-100 of synthesizers. This makes a Casiotone look classy. It's like a pocket ARP Odyssey that's too big to fit in anyone's pocket. Take this 25 years into the future and you have something that actually works: the Korg Monotron.

And, alessandro_... dude, they saw you coming. I'm sorry, I shouldn't rub salt in the wound, but I have to save up $850 to replace the main board in my Kawai K5000W, and I am in the perfect mood to rub salt in someone's wound, and you are available. I'm cackling, if you can't hear it. But, sorry, really. No.

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