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The 12 most outrageous synths on the internet
From the insane to the unspeakable
Ben Rogerson, Wed 1 Apr 2009, 8:43 am UTC
You might think that knobs, faders and possibly a keyboard are prerequisite for a synthesizer. However, there are some models that don't just defy convention – they blow a big squelchy raspberry in its face.
These are the instruments that don't look, sound or play like any model you'll find at music hardware retailers; they're the synths that are, quite frankly, nuts.
If you thought that guitar and drum builders had twisted minds, just wait until you get a load of this lot – and be warned that the last page has a Not Safe For Work rating.
Credit should go not just to the creators of these beauties, but also to the many other sites that brought them to our attention. In particularly, Synthtopia proved to be a great source of quirky synthesized madness.
12. BeatBearing
Looking like some sort of 21st century executive toy, this is a pattern-based drum machine with a difference. Percussive sounds are triggered not by clicking a mouse or pressing buttons, but by placing ball bearings in a grid. Developed by Peter Bennett as part of his PhD research, the BeatBearing is billed as a tangible rhythm sequencer, and looks like a strangely satisfying musical experience.
11. The toy piano T-shirt
This is the point (possibly) at which music technology and high fashion intersect. There's no real magic here – the guts of a toy piano have simply been removed from their casing and attached to a T-shirt with poppers (click here for a guide to creating your own). Sounds are created by pressing fabric buttons. It's an interesting concept, but we'd be interested to see what it'd look like after going through a couple of fast spin cycles.
10. The Thingamakit
If you're going to be at a loose end this weekend, why not consider building yourself a "light-controlled analogue noise friend"? That, in a nutshell, is Bleeplaps' Thingamakit, which is available to buy in kit form. You can order it with or without the standard enclosure (for $70 and $60 respectively). If you go for the latter option, why not post a picture of your creation on the Thingamakit Flickr group?
