Dave Smith Instruments Mopho

This pint-sized powerhouse from 2007 packs the analog heart of a full Prophet '08 into a desktop module smaller than a lunchbox, delivering vintage monosynth tones that punch way above its weight.

At just 19 x 13 x 4 cm and 0.7 kg, it slips easily into a gig bag with two DCOs offering saw, triangle, pulse width mod, and dedicated sub-oscillators for that deep bass heft some bigger synths lack. A Curtis-style lowpass filter switches between 12dB/oct and 24dB/oct modes, fueled by three DADSR envelopes and four MIDI-syncable LFOs that stretch into audio rates, all tied into a deep mod matrix with 22 sources and dozens of destinations. Hands-on control comes via nine knobs—five fixed for osc pitch, cutoff, resonance, attack, and decay/release, plus four assignable—plus an arpeggiator, 384-patch memory, step sequencer, audio input for processing, feedback routing for grit and distortion, stereo outs, headphones, and full MIDI/USB.

Players have long praised its rock-solid tuning, aggressive leads, thumping basses, and surprising versatility for effects or even Prophet/Moog emulations, often calling it a steal for genuine analog in such a portable form. The front-panel editing takes some menu-diving without the software editor, but that hardware stability keeps it reliable for live sets or studios even today.