It’s fair to say we’ve all, over the past decade or so, become more reliant on using soft-synths. With just a few clicks of a mouse, you can create pretty much any sound you like with full polyphony and any effect you can think of. With all this variety, you’d be forgiven for thinking the hardware synth is on its way out but, as we’ve seen, the market has never been in a better place. Wherever you look, there is innovation and fun to be had from today’s breed of hard synths, so we’ve pulled a few of our favourites together into this guide to the best synthesizers around right now.
From simple but sweet-sounding monosynths to fully tricked out poly behemoths, there is a synth out there with your name on it, waiting to be tweaked and played with.
We’ve listed these synths in price order to make it easier for you to find the right one for your budget. If you need more info on how to choose the right synth for you, head to the buying advice at the bottom of the page. Or keep scrolling to get straight to our top choices.
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Best synthesizers: Our top picks
As you’ll see in this guide, there are synths out there for all types of player, and all levels of budget. As a middle ground, however, we’re particularly drawn towards the Modal Electronics Cobalt8. The Cobalt8 has enough tricks and advanced sequencing abilities to appeal to anyone who’s been playing for years, yet is laid out in such an intuitive way that anybody, of any ability level, could start tweaking and make some wonderful sounds from it.
A special nod also to the Arturia Microfreak; for pure bonkers creativity and experimentation, the Microfreak is a very special synth indeed.
Best synthesizers: Under $/£500
The look of Uno may prove a bit divisive. Its slanted profile and push button control panel have a retro charm, but it’s a design that brings to mind the early days of home computers more than any vintage analogue synth. The lower part of the push button interface is taken up by a 27-note ‘keyboard’ for live playing, or to input notes for the onboard sequencer or arpeggiator. Despite all of this, Uno is an excellent-sounding, versatile analogue monosynth, and you do get a lot for your money.
The presets offer a ton of highly usable sounds, and we could certainly see this becoming a go-to instrument for classic basses and leads. The arp and sequencer are great for inspiring ideas, and a software editor adds to the allure. If you can cope with a few compromises, Uno is a great source of classic, punchy analogue sounds at a bargain price.
Read the full IK Multimedia Uno synth review
The Volca FM is a compact, battery-powerable instrument, housed in a plastic chassis with a design that gives a cheeky stylistic nod to the Yamaha DX7 from which it takes its sonic cues. It's equipped with a ribbon-style keyboard-come-sequencer, built-in speaker, MIDI input and 3.5mm sync in/out. This is easily the best of the Volca range so far. Where the other models have merely captured the general vibe of the instruments they took their inspiration from - albeit in a very fun and affordable way - the FM manages not only to nail the sound of its spiritual predecessor, but also adds an assortment of new and powerful features.
It's not without its limitations - the lack of polyphony leaves it lagging behind the original DX7, Yamaha's Reface DX, and the various FM plugins out there - but the sound of those dark, percussive basses, icy mallets and '80s-style horns is bang on, and if you start to push the capabilities of this tweakable, hands-on little synth, you'll find it's capable of some truly unique tricks.
Read the full Korg Volca FM review
With so many synthesis features packed into such a small box, it’s hard not to fall in love with this hardware offering from Arturia. We found that the multiple oscillator modes cover a near-endless range of timbres; the filter is smooth and versatile; the Matrix invites exploratory modulation; and the performance and sequencing tools are the icing on the creative cake.
However, the real magic lies in the combo of all these together, making this odd little beast far more than the sum of its parts. MicroFreak should be top of your ‘must try’ list.
Read the full Arturia MicroFreak review
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Behringer’s synth arm might be best known for its controversy-courting ‘tributes’, but the German brand also has a couple of excellent original instruments under its belt. Following in the steps of the Deepmind, Neutron is an analogue semi-modular that packs in a lot of flexibility for its very affordable price point.
The Neutron has a few flaws - our tests did show up some frustrating design issues -
but it does sound good, and in terms of bang-for-your-buck, you can't really beat it. While it does a very good job of creating more sensible sounds, it also excels at the weird and wonderful.
Read the full Behringer Neutron review
UNO Synth Pro is an analogue synth, very much the big brother of the UNO Synth. It is available as a full-size and much more expensive keyboard version or a desktop unit with touch keys. The keyboard version is obviously larger, sporting a heavy-duty metal enclosure, as well as physical wheels for pitch and mod. Those differences – and the keyboard version’s power socket – aside, the two are identical.
UNO Synth Pro sports three analogue VCOs and a white noise generator, all with some great tone-shaping options. Each of the three oscillators has continuous wave shape variations from saw to pulse width, with modulation. There are two analogue state variable filters, with dedicated cutoff and resonance controls.
The potentiometers all feel smooth and firm, with a nice amount of resistance and, while the filter controls are dedicated, the function of most changes is dependent on the active menu. There is also a fantastic modulation matrix, which is a doddle to use; fast and powerful, belying its appearance.
With a great sequencer and some fantastic effects – although not many of them – this is a great synth for the money with a really simple workflow. All in all, it is a fine instrument and one that definitely punches over its weight class, in terms of sound and functionality.
Read the full IK Multimedia Uno Synth Pro review
Where the original was a fairly straightforward monosynth with a few unique touches and some CV control, the MiniBrute 2 is semi-modular, boasting a beefed- up synth engine and a comprehensive mini-jack patchbay. As before, the primary oscillator can generate saw, triangle and square waves simultaneously, the outputs of which are blended via the oscillator mixer, where they’re joined by a white noise source and external audio input.
Filter-wise, the MiniBrute 2 keeps the Steiner-Parker-style filter of its predecessor, which offers -12dB low- and high-pass modes, plus -6dB band-pass and notch filtering. On the whole, the MiniBrute 2 is a real success. It takes everything we liked about the original - the analogue grit, interesting oscillator shaping and Brute factor control, which overdrives the signal chain using a controlled feedback loop - and expands on it considerably. A serious competitor, then, and the same can be said of the MiniBrute 2S, which swaps the keys for a pad-based step sequencer.
Read the full Arturia MiniBrute 2 review
Best synthesizer: Under $/£999
This model slots comfortably into the 'Logue' range between the original Minilogue and the Prologue 8. If we had to choose between this and the original Minilogue, it’d be the XD due to its more powerful sequencer, extended general versatility, user-customisable Multi-Engine/effects, the joystick for real-time control, user scales/tunings, more inspiring vibe and excellent motion-sequenceable stereo effects/output.
Along with the new damper pedal jack and dual-CV inputs (to interface with modular gear), the XD is a nicely different flavour of Minilogue, and its unique personality is a hugely welcome addition to the range as a whole.
Read the full Korg Minilogue XD review
In the 1990s, wavetable synthesis was the fuel behind the dance and electronic music fire, delivering an intuitive way of accessing a wide variety of sounds within a single patch. For sound designers and experimental producers, it was unparalleled in its creative potential. As one of the pioneers of this method of synthesis, Korg has now reintroduced it to the world with the Wavestate.
64 stereo voice polyphony and an insane level of sequencing potential add up to create one of the most diverse sounding modern synths on the market. In our tests, we did find that taking full advantage of the features, requires some effort but if you’re willing to put the work in there isn’t much the Wavestate can’t do.
Read the full Korg Wavestate review
If you’ve got your heart set on a fully polyphonic synth, but don’t have the means to drop second-hand car levels of money at one, then the Modal Electronics Cobalt8 might just be the perfect option. This is a lot of synth for the money. From its full eight voice polyphony, to variety of effects, to a step sequencer which can carry up to 512 notes, there is an avalanche of stuff to play with here.
If you’re coming from a playing history that’s only ever taken in VSTs and soft-synths, then the Cobalt8 might just be the perfect option to introduce you to the world of hands-on control. We liked the MPE support, which is of particular benefit to Ableton Live 11 users, and found overall there was very little we couldn’t do with this particular synth. Put your analog snobbery to one side; the Cobalt8 is a joy to play.
Read the full Modal Electronics Cobalt8 review
Digitone uses good old familiar four-operator FM synthesis (where waves modulate each other) but with some very welcome new twists and turns. The native FM engine is eight-note polyphonic and has four dedicated tracks (accessed directly via the sweet shop style T1-T4 buttons), along with four MIDI tracks for controlling/sequencing external MIDI gear. Once the Digitone’s FM sound engine is coupled to the Elektron’s fantastic sequencer design, the whole thing just comes alive. You’ll soon be wondering why anyone thought FM was difficult to use or old-fashioned sounding.
Of course, you can use the Digitone as a simple sound module triggered from a MIDI controller, DAW or the onboard 16-step buttons to play simple old-skool FM impersonations, but it’s once the sequencer, modulators and filters are employed (and the excellent effects overlayed or ‘P-locked') that the Digitone shows its true and superb colours.
Read the full Elektron Digitone review
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Behringer’s first analogue synth is polyphonic to the tune of 12 simultaneous voices, and with a metal case and wooden side panels, it looks like the real deal. While DeepMind is certainly interactive and powerful, it lacks the immediacy of some of the simpler classics, such as Roland’s Juno-106 or Jupiter-8. That said, this is an impressive first entry into the synth arena for Behringer.
Unlike some of its previous products, this is not a cut-price clone, and delivers its own take on what a $900 analogue polyphonic synth should be. Throw in the free cross-platform editing software, 1,024 onboard presets and a three-year warranty, and you have an alluring package.
Read the full Behringer DeepMind 12 review
The original Waldorf-powered Sledge launched in 2012 and, despite being pretty reasonably priced and offering a very solid synth engine, largely fell under the radar. However, v2.0 is a significant upgrade. There's no doubt that the Sledge's front panel has been largely influenced by the Minimoog with its classic three-oscillator plus filter plus dual envelope layout. It's a great choice of design as it's very familiar to most people and flows very nicely.
Throw in wavetable and sample import options, plus FM, 24-note polyphony, split/layering facilities and aftertouch support, and Sledge starts to look like a great buy. A black version with several new features is now available, too.
Read the full Studiologic Sledge 2.0 review
Moog’s latest semi-modular comes equipped with a 32-note Fatar keyboard, sequencer and arp, making it more performance-focussed than its siblings in the Mother line. It has a chic multi-coloured retro design that suits its authentic vintage sound. The old-school approach is rounded off nicely with the inclusion of a spring reverb module – a rare inclusion in modern synths.
Grandmother is a versatile performer, capable of a vast range of sounds even before patching a cable. Is it worth the asking price? Absolutely, if for no other reason than providing users with a taste of those old Moog modular circuits without having to take out a second mortgage.
Read the full Moog Grandmother review
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Best synthesizers: $/£1,000+
Hydrasynth is an unconventional digital synth that uses ‘wave morphing’ at its core. You have eight voices of polyphony utilising three oscillators per voice which include standard waves, plus wave-scanning, an intuitive type of wavetable synthesis where you can assign eight waves and then scan through them using a dial/mod route. Add in five (looping) envelopes per-voice, an amp module, two filter modules, five LFOs, reverb and delay modules, plus pre and post effects, and you have everything you need in terms of sound design, and all directly accessible and mostly modulatable!
The general sound quality is truly excellent. It can be precise and crisp, warm and textured, with everything from high-quality ‘bread and butter’ sounds, to something truly unique and never heard before. Once you factor in the ribbon controller, arpeggiator, macros, mod routes – and poly aftertouch – and all the very musical sounding effects/drive, you’ll be discovering new sounds in super quick time.
There is something of a learning curve but remember we are dealing with a lot of complexity – Hydrasynth is a deep synth and hugely impressive. In terms of build quality, looks, features, sound – not to mention affordability – Hydrasynth has it all.
Read the full ASM Hydrasynth review
Designed in consultation with Chris Hugget (Chris designed the legendary OSCar and collaborated on several other Novation synths), Peak is one of Novation’s flagship synths. Peak is an 8-voice polyphonic, 24 ‘Oxford’ oscillator, monotimbral synthesizer, utilising extremely high-resolution anti-aliasing digital oscillators (NCOs) along with wavetables as its main sound sources.
Each of the three oscillators onboard offers up the expected analogue-style waveforms (the saw has a density mode, effectively giving you a ‘supersaw’ mode), plus 17 wavetables, giving a vast range of tonal possibilities. Peak has a lot in the way of sonic shaping options, a unique and huge tone palette that’s suitable for all styles of electronica, and plenty of hands-on control. Plus, it’s well-built and fairly priced. Kudos to Novation on an impressive machine!
Read the full Novation Peak review
Designed by the AIRA team (a separate division within Roland), the System-8 can be viewed as the System-1’s big brother and then some. It’s an eight-voice ACB-powered polysynth with its own powerful native engine, accompanied by the Plug-Out slots into which you can place your choice of any three Plug-Outs from the Roland Content Store.
The S-8 ships with Plug-Out versions of the Jupiter-8 and Juno-106, arguably Roland’s two best-loved polys. We found that the S-8 engine offers a versatile setup that’s capable of a huge range of tones, from future-electronic to classic vintage, and it all sounds precise yet warm and musical. Throw in audio interface/CV capabilities, a sequencer and a decent vocoder (plus audio inputs with dedicated FX) and it’s hard not to be impressed.
Read the full Roland System-8 review
The Prophet X brings a wholly new/welcome sound to Dave Smith’s lineup. Due to its flexible and open sample-based architecture and tried and tested synth engine, it can cover practically any sonic ground. Like the Waldorf Quantum, the price is high but similarly, the X is using the latest technology in a really musical/elegant way, while simultaneously pushing you into new sonic approaches/territories.
We found the build quality to be solid; all the switchgear and knobs feel tank-like and very roadworthy. Prophet X’s 61-note velocity/aftertouch enabled keybed also feels very high-quality and, although it’s a little more stiffly sprung than the Prophet 6, this does give you more detailed control over the acoustic instruments and velocity-switched samples If you want a synth that can quickly get you close to the sonic complexity of your DAW’s plugins (but without the fuss), then this is it!
Read the full Dave Smith Instruments Prophet X review
Alongside two analogue VCOs, each with variable saw, triangle and square waves, plus shape mod, the Pro 3 has noise, an external audio input and a fantastic wavetable oscillator that houses some truly wonderful waveshapes. Filter wise you get a Prophet 6 style 4-pole low pass, a Moog(ish) ladder with self-oscillating resonance, then an Oberheim style SEM 2-pole, with variable low and high pass.
There is a very comprehensive mod matrix, which is intuitive, and the OLED screen helps keep everything in check with its immediate feedback and simple navigation. There's also a fantastic sequencer that could easily be a product in its own right. Four tracks at 16 steps alone would be good but here there is so much more, from swing to programme change mode.
The Pro 3 might be seen as a monosynth but it is a three-voice paraphonic synth, making it a versatile beast. The way it cycles through the voices makes it easy to get complex and creative with arpeggios and sequences, in tandem with different octave settings per voice. Pro 3 does 'pretty' and 'subtle' well but where it shines most is when you add a little grit, which is easy to do by way of the filter and Tuned Feedback sections.
The abilities of each section combine to make Pro 3 a true powerhouse of sound design. The drive sections are outstanding and the mod matrix, in tandem with the fabulous sequencer, make this one of the most versatile synths out there.
Read the full Sequential Pro 3 SE review
Given Roland’s fine history of analogue polysynths, the larger of the company’s two ‘crossover’ keyboards had a lot to live up to when it was released in 2015. Happily, it delivers. The JD-XA is hugely versatile. It can act as a powerful analogue and hybrid mono/polysynth, and features one of the nicest vocoders we’ve used.
There are plenty of modulation options onboard, the global and insert FX and new analogue filters sound great, and it’s a powerful MIDI control surface to boot. This is a great keyboard to have at the centre of any setup - either live or in the studio. Hats-off to Roland for making one of the most inspiring and unique-sounding synths of recent times.
Read the full Roland JD-XA review
PolyBrute is a digitally-controlled analogue synth combining multiple VCOs and VCFs with a powerful modulation matrix, sequencer and arpeggiator. It features the same button matrix as found on the MatrixBrute which can act as a handy preset browser, a controller for the multi-lane sequencer and, most usefully, a digital patchbay for assigning and editing modulation routings.
PolyBrute is a six-voice instrument so it’s far from the most polyphonic synth in its price range. It is multitimbral though, with the ability to set up two distinct sounds at once. In standard Morph mode you can use a rotary to gradually morph between these sounds and all their associated parameters.
It’s the modulation and morphing tools that give the PolyBrute its character. While it’s versatile, capable of unison leads, frequency-filling basses, FX and classic analogue chords, the synth is best when using its morphing capabilities to create patches that can shift from creamy to metallic with a twist of the mod wheel.
Overall, this is an excellently designed, characterful synthesizer deserving of a place among the top tier of polysynths.
Read the full Arturia Polybrute review
With its UI and look designed by legendary synth designer Axel Hartmann, the Super 6 is certainly beautifully laid out, with hints of Juno/Jupiter-6 and Teisco’s rare 110F. It also has a fantastic build quality and is available in two colours: blue and gun-metal grey.
At the heart of the Super 6 are two DDS1 and DDS2 (Direct Digital Synthesis) oscillators that deliver exactly what’s needed to bridge the gap between digital and analogue oscillators, offering the best of both worlds. By default, binaural mode is selected which gives you six voices of true stereo oscillators/signal path. However if you disable the binaural function, the Super 6 switches to a monoaural signal path with 12 voices to work with. There’s also a versatile-sounding analogue 4-pole filter, lots of modulation possibilities, simple-yet-classy effects, plus a useful step-sequencer and arpeggiator.
Performance-wise, this synth is super hands-on and everything is under direct control with very little hidden. Sonically, the analogue-style waveforms sound fat with plenty of beefy low content, great mid presence and cutting high-end and the S6 definitely has its own vibe going on. Versatility is a recurring theme and this synth is great for percussive hits and textures, or more smudgy pads, snappy synth brass, precise basses, punchy cutting leads and more.
Super 6 really is nothing short of super-impressive even more so for a debut release. Intuitive, super-versatile, sounds unique… a pleasure to get lost in!
Read the full UDO Super 6 review
The OB-6 is a 6-voice synth with an all-analogue signal path and discrete VCOs and filters. It was developed in collaboration with Tom Oberheim, and boasts a sound engine that's inspired by his original SEM. In fact, the OB-6 promises "true, vintage SEM tone with the stability and flexibility of modern technology".
The architecture features two oscillators per voice, with continuously variable waveshapes (sawtooth and variable-width pulse, with triangle on oscillator 2). Each voice also has access to a SEM-inspired state-variable filter (low-pass, high-pass, band-pass, and notch). Completing the signal path are voltage-controlled amplifiers. Throw in a powerful modulation system, dual effects section and knob-per-function front panel and you've got a top-dollar synth that will keep you entertained for years to come.
Read the full Dave Smith Instruments OB-6 review
The original three versions of Sequential’s Prophet-5 synth left their mark on so much music throughout the late 70s and early 80s, and were bought by luminaries including Jean-Michel Jarre, Pink Floyd, Abba and Genesis. It was a legendary synth and now it’s back, a new update from original designer Dave Smith.
This fourth revision of the Prophet-5 synth comes almost 40 years after the last. All you really need to know is that this is a classic synth updated for the 21st Century – the keyboard has aftertouch and velocity; connections include USB. Other than that, it sounds every bit as good as an original Prophet-5. It’s a beautiful synth, both in looks and sound and every bit as classic a modern piece of kit you could ask for.
Outstanding features include some excellent presets (including the original set of sounds found on the 1978 original Rev1), the brilliant Poly-Mod section that gives you instant sound design, plus a build quality that will have you drooling. It’s a serious piece of kit that perfectly updates a classic for 2021. Your only quandary should be whether you go for the extra five voices that the (also all-new) Prophet-10 gives you (for around another £6-800) or even Sequential’s own Prophet-6 which gives you more for less (but is not a Prophet-5!). This is a classic synth reborn.
Read the full Sequential Prophet-5 Rev 4 review
At its heart, the Quantum is an 8-voice, bi-timbral (2-part) synth, using very high-resolution stereo oscillators routed through dual resonant analogue (or digital) filters. Sounds can be split and layered and voices can be allocated flexibly between layers; each layer can also have its own output for independent processing. Importantly, there are four independent synthesis engines (across the three oscillators).
It is truly unique and capable of stunning, otherworldly, or familiar sonic results. It can sound huge, small, thin, fat, warm, epic, broken or cold and you can imprint your personality onto the sound using the available parameters, or your own samples. For ground-up, majestic sound design, SFX for lm/TV, weird evolving soundscapes, straight-up analogue synth emulation, FM-type sounds, and eery FX/atmos sounds, the Quantum is unbeatable. Yes, it’s pricey but it’s worth the investment - you’ll never get bored with this amount of depth and superb sonic results.
Read the full Waldorf Quantum review
Best synthesizers: Buying advice
When you’re looking to invest in one of the best synthesizers, you’ll likely have to make a few key decisions at the start of your buying journey. Clearly budget will play a part, but as we’ll show there are amazing synths to be found right across the board, with some truly epic compact beginner synth options coming in under £/$100. And, as hardware synths have grown in popularity, so too has the manufacturers’ desire to find new and exciting ways of packing in extra functionality.
At the top end you will find synths which pack in more features and flexibility, either in the form of more voices, or effects, or with sequencing skills that can take your compositions off in all manner of strange directions. That’s part of what makes a hardware synth so much fun. You don’t always have to be ‘writing’ music, in the true sense of the word. Sometimes you can simply change a few parameters and see what happens. For creative, curious people there are few things that come close to the experience of playing a hardware synth.
As with any genre of music, or music technology, there are trends which come and go. FM, for example, seems to have undergone a renaissance recently, while digital synths offering wavetable functionality greatly expands the tonal palette you have to play with. Don’t rule out digital or hybrid models either; while true analogue synths do still hold a special place in people’s hearts, modern hybrid synths delivering the sound of analogue with the flexibility of a digital engine offer the best of both worlds.
Ultimately, you’ll know the sound you’re looking for but don’t rule out the possibility that a good hardware synth might just spark something and take your creativity off in a different direction completely. And that is exactly why we love them.
How we test synthesizers
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Synthesizers are obviously many and varied but they do have several key qualities, the most important being their sound and what you can do with it – and indeed how simple this is in operation. The sound of all synthesizers is defined by their sonic architecture and a very good indication of what this can deliver will be demonstrated via their presets. These are obviously a good place to start when testing a synth, and how varied and useful these are will define a synth's overall character.
How you can alter presets or create your own sounds with a synth's hands-on controls is the next big consideration; synthesizing a sound is what synths are designed to do so how easy this is to do is obviously very important. We look at this in terms of the signal flow and then the number of controls you get or whether you have to navigate through layers of menus to make parameter changes. The more hands-on and easy it is to make dramatic sonic changes, generally the better.
Then there are extra sonic exploration features like modulation. This is super important in terms of sonic flexibility and is largely about how many parameters on your synth can be modulated by other parameters – your mod wheel, LFOs and more – so you can shape the sound further and perhaps introduce more movement into your sound.
Then there are other sometimes optional but very useful features like an arpeggiator (where multiple note patterns can be triggered with a single note press), a sequencer (where defined note patterns can be programmed) or effects. Effects are very useful to add instant atmosphere (reverb), delays, thickening chorus, distortion and more to a sound, very often changing it as much as any on-board synthesizing options.
Overall ease of use can be tested with all of these factors, but it is the sonic flexibility – how deep, high, dynamic and dramatic a synthesiser can sound – which is perhaps the key overall impression any synth can make.
Read more about how we test music making gear and services at MusicRadar.
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